JOGLE FINISHER STORIES and PLANS

Simon Maughan (UK) - Tips for preparing for, and completing, JOGLE/LEJOG

Introduction

I completed my JOGLE in March 2025. It was my second attempt at the race, having been forced to retire through injury early on day 10 in 2024.

I learnt so much about myself and about multi-day running through both experiences that I wanted to share them with others who are looking to embark on their own JOGLE/LEJOG journey.

Although this is necessarily a very personal view of what it takes to succeed in this race, and I am not a trained coach, I hope it will still be an interesting and useful guide that will enhance your own preparations for the race.

What experience do you need before signing up for JOGLE/LEJOG?

Be under no misapprehension, the JOGLE/LEJOG is a huge physical and mental challenge.

You must be able to tolerate being on your feet for up to 14 hours a day and still have the energy to manage yourself and your kit so that you are sufficiently rested and recovered to repeat it all over again for 17 days.

Ideally, not only will you have substantial prior experience of marathons and single day ultra marathons, but you will also have taken part in multi-day events.

If you haven’t run a multi-day event before, then consider signing up for one of URL’s other events, such as the Thames Challenge or the Severn Challenge. Taking part in one of these events will give you a valuable insight into how your body will feel after back-to-back long days on the road. It will also give you a chance to road test your nutrition plans and navigational skills.

Learning from experience

The benefit of having lots of experience “in the bank” is twofold.

First, it will give you some level of assurance that you will be able to handle the volume of miles ahead of you on JOGLE/LEJOG.

Secondly, and more importantly, you will undoubtedly have learnt valuable lessons about how to manage yourself through a long-distance race and to avoid repeating past mistakes.

In my case, I discovered in my early ultras that I struggled to be able to swallow whole foods (sandwiches, biscuits etc) after 30-40 miles, which meant that I ran out of energy later in the race. I needed to experiment with different methods of fuelling (energy drinks, gels, chews and different kinds of whole foods), taking food earlier in a race and going for smaller quantities but more frequently. By practising repeatedly with a variety of different foods, I became better at eating on the run and fuelling myself correctly.

Another key learning for me was that day 1 in a muti-day race is like the first mile in a marathon. You can’t win the race or achieve your goal during that day, but you can certainly jeopardise your chances of completing if you go out too hard. In the first day of the Thames Challenge in 2023, I tried to push a pace that was unsustainable in the conditions, which were hot and humid. By the 80km mark, I was suffering from major cramping and I ended up walking the last 10kms into Oxford. I learnt the hard way that you always need to hold back and look after your body to give yourself the best chance of making it to the end.

Training

Core elements

Training for JOGLE/LEJOG is going to be personal to the individual, based on your running experience and your work/home life.

There is no single plan that will work for everyone, nor is there any plan that will guarantee you a finish.

However, I think there are probably some non-negotiables that you will need to include in your training plan to give yourself the best chance of success.

(1) Back-to-back “long runs”. The core element of my training plan was 4 consecutive “long runs” each week. When I refer to “long runs” here, I am using the term loosely, as I gradually increased the distance of these runs from 9 miles/15kms in the first week of the training program, up to 31 miles/50kms in the peak mileage week of the program.

For me, it was easiest to do these runs from Friday to Monday. I was usually able to complete the weekend long runs in a single session, but I often broke up the Friday and Monday long runs into two or more runs (e.g. 35kms in the morning and 15kms at lunchtime or in the evening) to fit around my schedule.

If 2 runs a day feels like it is too much, you could walk the shorter run which will still be highly effective training and help you gain time on your feet.

Some might query whether a long run of 50km is sufficient to train for an event where the longest single day is 93km. In my view, it is not only sufficient but ideal because: (a) the plan is to do it for 4 consecutive days; and (b) there is an increased risk of injury or fatigue with greater distances, which you want to avoid in your training.

(2) Strength and Conditioning. You need a strong body that will be able to tolerate the impact of 100,000 steps per day. Most of the “shock” of these steps will be felt in your feet, shins, calves, quads and glutes, so you need to include a program that will strengthen and condition these areas, as well as your core. I followed a weekly online plan by Carla Molinaro, the women’s record holder for LEJOG, called SCY for runners, but you could find your own home plan or attend classes at your local gym.

(3) Hills/Tempo. Because most of the running you will do will be long and slow, it is nice to break it up with a shorter, faster session at least once in the week. I generally did mine on a Wednesday, with a progressively longer hills session for the first 4-6 weeks of the program and then moving onto a tempo run of 60-75 minutes duration for the rest of the program. I live in London so I didn’t have ready access to any significant hills but any incline that takes you at least 60 seconds to summit is fine for this sort of session.

(4) Rest. The program is intentionally intense, so you need to include sufficient rest and recovery. I included one rest day per week (usually on a Tuesday, after the 4th long run). In addition, I took a “recovery week” every fourth week, during which I dropped the “long runs” back to 1-2 hours each.

To taper or not to taper?

My program was 18 weeks long. I did include a 2-week taper but, in contrast with a typical marathon training plan, I took the taper 4 weeks prior to the event, and I then began to rebuild my daily distance in the last 2 weeks of the program. This was an idea I picked up in a book by Jean-Louis Vidal, a previous JOGLE winner, called Ultra Running Made Easy, in which he argued that a “hard” taper just before the event will cause your body to start to shut down its running capacity, whereas you want to get your body ready for running every day. This you can only achieve by actually running every day (albeit at shorter distances than in the race itself).

Supplementary training and cross-training

Beyond the structured training plan, I also tried as far as possible to incorporate other “training” elements into my everyday life that I thought would benefit me during JOGLE. This included regular dog walking or walking to collect my children from after-school activities. I also purchased a standing desk so that I could spend more time on my feet.

If you want to cross-train with other sports, such as swimming or cycling, you can do so, but I would limit the number of those sessions. The priority really needs to be running and walking so that your body can adapt accordingly.

Racing

You can include a couple of short training races in your plan if you wish, but I would advise against having an “A” race during the training window for JOGLE/LEJOG. The risk of picking up an injury is too great, and you will need to recover from that race which will detract from your JOGLE/LEJOG training which should be your focus.

Practising navigation

Navigation on JOGLE/LEJOG is not difficult but you need to be competent at following a GPX trail on your watch. If this is not something you have done before, it is essential that you practise several times before you get to John O’Groats/Lands End.

Preparing yourself mentally

Completing JOGLE/LEJOG is as much a mental challenge as it is a physical challenge.

It’s a good idea to spend time in the months leading up to the event contemplating your reasons for doing it and how much you are prepared to push your limits to achieve your goal.

Think of all the things that could go wrong during the event (e.g. fatigue, injury, bad weather) and what strategies you would deploy to mitigate them.

It may help to read books, or watch videos, by others who have completed JOGLE/LEJOG, to better understand what it will be like for you when the going gets tough.

Race strategy

Days 1 and 2

The first couple of days of JOGLE/LEJOG can be tricky to manage. You are relatively fresh after a reduced training load, and you are excited to get going. You are also surrounded by all your fellow participants who are in a similar situation. The temptation to go out quickly, or to chase down the runner in front of you, is very strong, but you need to resist it.

Take it easy on the hills (both up and down): running uphill takes a considerable amount of energy and often is only marginally quicker than walking uphill; running hard downhill can create muscle damage that will only come to light in the days that follow.

Better to take a conservative approach and minimise the wear and tear on your body. Use the slower pace as an opportunity to chat with your fellow runners and take lots of photos of the stunning British countryside.

Days 3 to 5

By the third day, even if you have adopted a cautious approach, you will begin to feel the effects of the miles in your legs. You will feel heavy legged and you may start to encounter a few fatigue related strains.

Keep looking after yourself through good nutrition and sensible pacing, and act immediately if you feel a niggle before it develops into something more serious.

On day 5 of JOGLE 2025, about 30kms into the day, my right shin began hurting (which was a concern as it was my left shin that caused me to drop out of JOGLE 2024). At the next checkpoint, I applied a section of kinesio tape to take the pressure off my shin. I also did some self-massage and stretching. Once I got going again, I implemented a strategy of briefly stopping to stretch the shin and calf muscles every 3-4kms or whenever the pain started to feel more intense. Fortunately, this protocol was sufficient to keep on top of the issue and it gradually resolved over the next 3 days.

Days 6 to 12

As you approach the end of the first week, if you have looked after yourself and avoided any serious injury, you will hopefully start to feel that you are beginning to find a natural rhythm.

But don’t look too far ahead or think that you have cracked it. There is still a long way to go.

In 2024, I made the mistake, on day 8, of running too hard on the downslope of Shap Fell in the Lake District. I was having a good day, running at the front of the group, and I felt I could let the shackles off and run freely. However, in hindsight, by going too hard on that section, I punished my legs and I created a (shin) problem that would ultimately end my JOGLE attempt less than 36 hours later.

Days 13 to 17

If you have made it to the end of day 12 in good shape, then you are in with a very good chance of completing JOGLE/LEJOG.

Keep doing what you are doing, don’t take any risks, and enjoy the run in!

Nutrition

As noted above, a good fuelling strategy is key to a successful race.

URL generally provide an aid station every 8 miles/13 kms throughout JOGLE/LEJOG. They offer a very good range of sweet and savoury whole foods, plus water, squash and coke. Depending on ease of access to local bakeries/shops, they may also provide “extras” such as bacon/egg rolls or pastries/donuts.

You will need to consider, based on your own training and personal preferences, whether you take your own gels/chews/energy drinks powders, etc to supplement URL’s provisions.

For me, the key is to eat little and often. I also do not like to waste time in an aid station, preferring to eat while walking out of the aid station. It’s amazing what additional distance you can cover by eating on the go, rather than by standing around chatting.

At the end of each stage, it is important to try to refuel as quickly as possible. I took a protein recovery drink within 15 minutes of finishing each day. Depending on the speed of your progress, you may find that you are back in the hotel for an hour or so before dinner so make sure you eat something during this period too.

Clothing for all weathers

In 2024, there were several days of heavy rain and I got cold and wet. I needed to put on more layers to conserve my body heat. I also ended the day with wet feet and needed to find a different pair of shoes for the following day.

In contrast, in 2025, there were several unseasonably warm days where I needed to apply sunscreen and wear a cap.

In short, whether you are doing JOGLE in March or LEJOG in September, you should be prepared to run in, and have appropriate clothing for, all weather conditions.

Injury prevention

During the event, and especially in the first few days before any adaptation takes place, your body will be subjected to a huge amount of physical stress which could result in injuries.

The best way to mitigate the risk of injury is to come to the event well-trained, to get as much sleep as possible and to eat as well as possible. However, there are a couple of other things to consider as well.

· A massage ball and/or a massage gun can help to relieve tired muscles at the end of a day.

· Depending on location, it may be possible for a massage therapist to come to the hotel in the evening to provide some treatment.

· I used a pair of Enertor insoles in my shoes to try to absorb some of the impact.

· I also wore compression calf guards to mitigate any flare-up of the shin issue I experienced in 2024.

· I took a roll of kinesio tape and a roll of hapla band to deal with any injuries/blisters.

As with any food, equipment or clothing, make sure to practice what you plan to use in the event during your training so that you are comfortable with it and know how to use it effectively.

Nightly admin

There are lots of little jobs to do at the end of a day which, if you are not careful, can cause you to waste a lot of recovery time and delay your sleep.

This will include things like:

· Making and drinking your recovery shake

· Hanging up wet clothes to dry

· Washing out drink bottles

· Charging your various electrical appliances (watch, tracker, phone etc)

· Laying out your kit and snacks for the next day

· Dressing blisters/treating injuries

Find a routine that you can follow each day that will enable you to complete your admin tasks as quickly and efficiently as possible so that you can then put your feet up and rest. It sounds silly now but a little thing like putting on the kettle to boil for your post-run noodles while you are taking a shower will help save time and ensure you are recovering faster.

Having a well-prepared and well-packed bag is also essential. You may find it helps to separate the contents into smaller transparent bags by category, e.g. underwear, socks, t-shirts, charging cables, hats & gloves, etc.

Try to avoid getting sucked into posting on social media and responding to texts from friends and family until you have completed the things that need to be done for you to run the next day.

Conclusion

I signed up for JOGLE 2024 (the one I didn’t complete) in March 2023 and I finally reached Lands End in March 2025.

My JOGLE challenge, therefore, was not just about the 17 days of the race but the 2 years leading up to it.

During that entire window, it was rare that a day went by that I didn’t think about the event. Whenever I ran, whenever I raced, I was trying to find little things that would help me to achieve my ultimate goal.

I put a map on my wall with the route marked out so that I would know all the places I would run through. I studied the Strava profiles of previous finishers to see how they had trained and what pace they ran each day of the event.

When I didn’t complete through injury in 2024, I looked at the reasons for my failure and tried to address them. I did more strength work in my training, I took the precaution of wearing calf guards, and I was even more conscious about protecting my legs by going slowly on downhill sections.

In short, I developed a healthy obsession with JOGLE so that I had as much information as possible on how to tackle the event.

My parting advice, then, is for you to do the same. Don’t just rely on my perspective. Read every word on the URL website, speak to past finishers, read books and watch videos. Become a student of the JOGLE/LEJOG journey. In so doing, you will give yourself the best chance of achieving your goal. Good luck.