The Tunnel Ultra, 24-26 September
Report by Lena Conlin
200 times through the tunnel in under 55 hours
Coombe Downe Tunnel, Bath
Surface – Tarmac
This is a Cockbain Event – all Cockbain Events are designed to be tough and this is no exception.
The Coombe Downe Tunnel Near Bath is part of the Sustrans two tunnels greenway bike route, which was opened in 2013. The race takes part in the longest cycling and walking tunnel in the UK. It is a little over a mile long. Starting at 15:30 on Friday morning the runners have 55 hours to complete 200 lengths of the tunnel. The tunnel has low lighting from 5 am to 11 pm and then the lights are turned off. There is also lights and violin music in the middle third of the tunnel.
I attempted this in March 2019 the inaugural race, where I managed to complete 73 laps of the tunnel (a lap is a little over 2 miles long). It pushed me to my limit but I was determined to have another go. I entered for March this year but it was postponed until September 24th. Training has not been ideal for me this year, but I figured that if I could get to the start, it was worth a go.
We managed to get digs half a mile from the start, so there was not far to take my box of food, spare clothes and trainers. Billy helped me carry it up there. This year there were a couple of changes, chip timing and a portable toilet rather than a camping loo in a tent.
There were 26 of us lined up for the race briefing at 15:25, it was odd weather, chilly with odd warm patches at the Milford end of the tunnel where we waited for the countdown.
30 seconds, 10 seconds 3,2,1 go, we set off as a whole group, it took a few metres for my vision to adjust but when it did, I settled in, past the music and light installation and towards the Bath end where it was humid and misty, cross the timing mat, turn and head back to the Milford end. It was so much easier than dibbing in 2019. I soon had a system of walk the first 100m and run the rest of each lap.
I was working in batches of 10 laps (20 ish miles) the first 10 went well, and the 2nd, I ate cereal bars and lemon curd sandwiches on my walk sections. At 19:30 the light and music stopped and soon enough it was 23:00, I had my head torch on and was waiting for the lights to go off. They didn’t go off all at once like last time, only the Bath half of the tunnel was in darkness, darkness and mist, still oddly warm but the Milford end was cold with the low lighting still on. By now my system was walk 100m and run 200m. I wanted to be well over 50 miles by 03:30 and was ahead of target but feeling the pain. My left hip and leg was becoming painful. I normally run on the right side of the road, but the Coome Downe Tunnel rules are that everyone, walker, runner or cyclist is to travel on the left. The mild camber was feeling like I had my left leg in a dip. I made some porridge and left it to cool and thicken and did another lap. I collected my porridge and walked a lap, eating it, it was stone cold but was good carbs.
I felt that although my leg and now my foot was hurting I was doing OK, so I changed my shoes and carried on. At 05:00 all the lights were back on, there were now less runners.
Up and down the tunnel I went, chatting to other runners, ticking down the laps. At 40 laps (80 + miles) I could not ignore my leg any longer and I started to slow down, by 45 I had made my mind up to continue to 50 laps (100 + miles) and stop. I messaged Billy to let him know I was withdrawing and slogged those last few miles out.
There were only about 8 runners left by now. Of those, 4 were to finish including the first ever female tunnel finisher, Mandy Foyster. I don’t regret my decision to stop. I had tried my best and was lucky to even get to the start. The pain was preventing me running and 50 laps in 26 hours completed did not really give me enough time to complete the necessary 50 laps in just under 29 hours at the rate I was slowing. Anyway, there is always 2023.