Solemate Runners

Solemate Runners This is our ultra-running journey: the highs, the lows, the good, the bad!

07/09/2026

The Joust 24 Hour Race 2026 - it did not go to plan for either of us!! 🫤
Our training hadn’t gone brilliantly but we were still hopeful of getting 100 miles…
But Aimee was hit with a bad cold in the week leading up to the race which knocked her more than she thought it had - she very quickly ran out of energy and wasn’t breathing well while running (it turned out the cold hadn’t really gone as she was ill with it again on Sunday 🤧)
Paul had hurt his knee the week before (not a running injury) and that kicked off very early on in the race and became just too painful 😖.
Running became too much for both of us and we were really not enjoying ourselves. Rather than walking for the remainder of the full 24 hours, marking off painfully slow laps and feeling miserable, we made the sensible decision to stop after 7.5 hours and preserve ourselves for our next big challenges in October and November. It was a difficult decision and we agonised back and forth on our last lap, but ultimately we agreed it was the right thing to do 🙌🏻

This was our fourth year at The Joust and it was our worst performance 🙈 So we may have to return in 2027 just to redeem ourselves 🤣🤣

Congrats to Alex Marshall for smashing the course record and winning it overall for the ladies as Aimee predicted she would 🏆Absolute legend 🤩


Ultra Running Limited

31/08/2026

TIP 31 - Get into a fuelling routine! Take snacks with you and at the same landmark(s) on each loop, eat something. So you might say to yourself “every time I get to that weird tree that looks like a rhino, I’ll eat a biscuit, or a mini Soreen bar” (or whatever your preferred snack is). If you are carrying a water bottle and the aim is to drink that whole bottle per loop, identify a point approximately halfway around and make sure you have drunk half of your bottle by that point on each lap. Make it a habit and it will keep your energy levels consistent, as you will be fuelling little and often 🙌🏻

Disclaimer 🙌🏻 These tips are for runners wanting to run an ultra marathon distance over a 24 hour race as a solo competitor on a fairly short loop (between 5 and 10 miles).

We thought this would be a fun series to do as we’re on the countdown for our next 24 hour race: ‘The Joust’ on 5-6 September 🏃‍♀️🏃🏼‍♂️

So far we have run as solos at such an event 6 times over the few years with varying results 🤪 In 2025 Aimee won The Joust overall (112 miles completed in a fraction under 23 hours) 🏆 and she was also 2nd Female (9th Overall) at Endure24 Reading last year. We’ve learnt a lot from our experiences and if only a few of our tips can help others just starting out at these events that would be amazing 😊

30/08/2026

We had an absolute blast crewing CP3 (Hay on Wye) of the King Offa’s D**e Race overnight on Friday 🙌🏻
Massive shoutout to David Phillips who absolutely smashed the 185 mile course record despite the awful weather conditions from Sat morning onwards - he’s a machine! 💪
And well done to all the participants we saw - you are all legends 🤩

Beyond Marathon

30/08/2026

TIP 30 - Have a repair and first aid kit - prepare for the unexpected! You never know what can go wrong on the day, so put together a repair kit with safety pins, gaffer tape, spare shoe laces and a basic first aid kit. Also have paracetamol*, anti-nausea, antihistamine and anti-diarrhoea tablets just in case. Straps can break, shoes soles can split, your bib might get ripped, you might have a fall or an upset tummy 🫤
(NB. Some of the items Paul shows may not actually be required 😜😂)

Disclaimer 🙌🏻 These tips are for runners wanting to run an ultra marathon distance over a 24 hour race as a solo competitor on a fairly short loop (between 5 and 10 miles).

We thought this would be a fun series to do as we’re on the countdown for our next 24 hour race: ‘The Joust’ on 5-6 September 🏃‍♀️🏃🏼‍♂️

So far we have run as solos at such an event 6 times over the few years with varying results 🤪 In 2025 Aimee won The Joust overall (112 miles completed in a fraction under 23 hours) 🏆 and she was also 2nd Female (9th Overall) at Endure24 Reading last year. We’ve learnt a lot from our experiences and if only a few of our tips can help others just starting out at these events that would be amazing 😊

(*you should NOT take NSAIDs like ibruprofen when running an ultra).

29/08/2026

TIP 29 - Utilise your watch! Smart watches have some great features that can help you manage your race⌚️. If you set your lap distance to be the length of a loop, your watch will count your loops for you. You can set yourself nutrition reminders so your watch beeps at you at specified intervals in case you forget to eat. And you can set your watch to monitor your HR and average pace if you have a very specific goal you want to reach. 🙌🏻

Disclaimer 🙌🏻 These tips are for runners wanting to run an ultra marathon distance over a 24 hour race as a solo competitor on a fairly short loop (between 5 and 10 miles).

We thought this would be a fun series to do as we’re on the countdown for our next 24 hour race: ‘The Joust’ on 5-6 September 🏃‍♀️🏃🏼‍♂️

So far we have run as solos at such an event 6 times over the few years with varying results 🤪 In 2025 Aimee won The Joust overall (112 miles completed in a fraction under 23 hours) 🏆 and she was also 2nd Female (9th Overall) at Endure24 Reading last year. We’ve learnt a lot from our experiences and if only a few of our tips can help others just starting out at these events that would be amazing 😊

28/08/2026

TIP 28 - There is no shame in ‘jeffing’ and it can help you go further than you think you can. Adopting a run-walk strategy is a perfectly legitimate way to approach an ultra marathon and it can keep you going at a consistent pace deep into the race when you are struggling.

Disclaimer 🙌🏻 These tips are for runners wanting to run an ultra marathon distance over a 24 hour race as a solo competitor on a fairly short loop (between 5 and 10 miles).

We thought this would be a fun series to do as we’re on the countdown for our next 24 hour race: ‘The Joust’ on 5-6 September 🏃‍♀️🏃🏼‍♂️

So far we have run as solos at such an event 6 times over the few years with varying results 🤪 In 2025 Aimee won The Joust overall (112 miles completed in a fraction under 23 hours) 🏆 and she was also 2nd Female (9th Overall) at Endure24 Reading last year. We’ve learnt a lot from our experiences and if only a few of our tips can help others just starting out at these events that would be amazing 😊

27/08/2026

TIP 27 - Buddy up at night! Running through the dark hours can be quite daunting if you are not used to it. If you are not confident night running, try to buddy up with other solo runners, many will feel the same and they will be glad of the company. But do make sure they are running at a similar pace to you, don’t buddy up with someone way faster than you!

Disclaimer 🙌🏻 These tips are for runners wanting to run an ultra marathon distance over a 24 hour race as a solo competitor on a fairly short loop (between 5 and 10 miles).

We thought this would be a fun series to do as we’re on the countdown for our next 24 hour race: ‘The Joust’ on 5-6 September 🏃‍♀️🏃🏼‍♂️

So far we have run as solos at such an event 6 times over the few years with varying results 🤪 In 2025 Aimee won The Joust overall (112 miles completed in a fraction under 23 hours) 🏆 and she was also 2nd Female (9th Overall) at Endure24 Reading last year. We’ve learnt a lot from our experiences and if only a few of our tips can help others just starting out at these events that would be amazing 😊

26/08/2026

TIP 26 - Deal with hot spots/niggles on feet straight away! If you feel like you may be getting a blister, don’t ignore it. When next at base camp, whip the shoe and sock off and check where it doesn’t feel right. Use plasters/tape or whatever usually works best for you to stop the blister getting any worse. Change your socks and/or trainers if necessary. A blister ignored for a prolonged period of time can end your race - it’s better to take the time to resolve it as soon as you become aware of it ⛑️

Disclaimer 🙌🏻 These tips are for runners wanting to run an ultra marathon distance over a 24 hour race as a solo competitor on a fairly short loop (between 5 and 10 miles).

We thought this would be a fun series to do as we’re on the countdown for our next 24 hour race: ‘The Joust’ on 5-6 September 🏃‍♀️🏃🏼‍♂️

So far we have run as solos at such an event 6 times over the few years with varying results 🤪 In 2025 Aimee won The Joust overall (112 miles completed in a fraction under 23 hours) 🏆 and she was also 2nd Female (9th Overall) at Endure24 Reading last year. We’ve learnt a lot from our experiences and if only a few of our tips can help others just starting out at these events that would be amazing 😊

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