JOGLE FINISHER STORIES and PLANS
This section is dedicated to previous finishers of our JOGLE race, where they can offer their personal advice / training tips, or simply tell their story.
The JOGLE Finishers
JOGLE PLANS
David Mowat's story for his completion of the Mount to Coast LEJOG 2025
I completed LEJOG in 2025, and it’s fair to say I approached the race from a different angle than most. I signed up just over three weeks before the start, had never done a multi-day running event in my life, and the furthest I’d ever run was 31 miles. The organisers (Ultra Running Ltd) have asked me to write about my experience for future runners, as my lack of preparation might offer a slightly different perspective from other guides.
I won’t go into detailed training advice—my preparation was far from ideal—but I’ll highlight the things I learnt along the way and what helped me reach the finish line. Everyone is different, so what worked for me may not work for you; please bear that in mind when reading this.
Preparation
Some things will be obvious to seasoned multi-day ultrarunners, but they weren’t obvious to me.
A GPS watch with navigation is essential. Yes, you could use your phone, but compared to a watch, it would be a constant hassle. The watch was absolutely vital. I bought a Garmin forerunner 965 for the event and it was great with battery lasting the whole day no problem.
A running vest to carry essentials on the run is another must-have. I used a 1-litre bladder and drank nearly all of it every 8 miles between checkpoints—especially on warm days.
I didn’t use gels early on because I hadn’t trained with them, but I added them halfway through and ended up taking 3–4 per day, usually in the last 20 miles. I introduced them gradually in case they upset my stomach.
I also carried headphones, but only used them on safe sections—paths, pavements, or quiet roads. On busy roads with no pavements they weren’t allowed for obvious reasons. Music became a huge help late in the day. I managed to listen to the radio and podcasts early on each day, but towards the end I really needed high-energy music to keep me going to the end.
I even stumbled across one particular song that had the perfect BPM to keep my walking pace at roughly 4 mph (race minimum pace averaged across each day) if I matched my strides to the beat. Playing it on repeat became my secret weapon near the end each day whenever I needed to maintain a 15-minute mile walking pace to beat the cut-off time. I must have listened to it hundreds of times.
Apart from that, I only kept lip balm and toilet roll in my vest. The lip balm was essential through all kinds of weather; the toilet roll got used only three times, thanks to well-timed public toilets.
You really don’t need to carry much as the checkpoints are roughly every 8 miles, each with a support van stocked with food and drinks. I kept a clear bag in the van that I could access at each stop if I needed it, filled with spare trainers, fresh socks, waterproofs, extra layers, gloves, sun cream, gels, snacks, a battery pack and spare headphones.
My Running Strategy (and How It Evolved)
Naively, I planned to walk the entire race. By the morning of day 2 it became clear that only walking wasn’t fast enough—tired legs, toilet stops, wrong turns and checkpoint delays all added up—and I’d miss the cut-off so I really needed to run.
I learnt quickly that a very slow run was more efficient than fast walking. To walk fast you need long strides, which put more strain on the legs. My version of running was more like a shuffle: short, low steps with an emphasis on symmetry to avoid aggravating injuries.
From day 3 onwards my plan each day was simple:
Run as much as I could until I couldn’t, and walk only when I knew I could still finish before the cut-off.
My entire focus became timing. I told myself that no matter what, I would get in before the cut-off. I wasn’t interested in finishing in a fast time, all I was interested in was finishing the whole race, this meant taking each day at a time with all my focus each day on getting in before the cut off time. I had Achilles issues before the race, so I intentionally ran slowly and conservatively to give myself the best chance of finishing the entire event. Running slower than you naturally want to early in the day is surprisingly difficult, but going slow early in the event and building up as the days progressed helped massively.
I used my watch for mile splits, and in the mornings—when I was always freshest—I tried to “bank” time. For example, a 13-minute mile meant I was 2 minutes ahead of schedule for later when things inevitably slowed (15-minute mile was the minimum pace of 4mph).
Later in each day, when running nonstop wasn’t viable, I switched to run-walk intervals: walk 25 metres or so, then run as long as possible, and repeat. If I ran continuously, my running pace gradually slowed until walking was actually faster. Alternating allowed me to maintain a better overall pace and gave key muscles small breaks. I did this until such time as I knew I’d get in on time if I walked fast at the 15 minute mile pace which I was lucky in that I could maintain that walking pace if I needed to.
Mental Tricks to Stay Sane
Distraction becomes crucial, especially towards the end of the day. Music and podcasts helped. So did posting short social-media videos—thinking about what I’d say gave my mind something else to focus on. But that became harder later in the day as my brain turned to mush.
The single best distraction was company. Conversations made miles pass much quicker. On days 4 and 5, previous JOGLE runners came out to join me, and it made a massive difference. I was fortunate to have family and friends across Scotland who came out to join me at various points—arranged entirely by my wife without my knowledge so every arrival was a surprise boost. As fatigue kicked in each day, I warned people my chat would deteriorate, but I still appreciated them talking, even if it was nonsense!
Voice notes to group chats were another useful tool. Text messaging was impossible, but sending quick voice notes when it was safe to do so to friends gave me a lift and broke up long sections.
Evenings and Recovery
Time in the evenings is extremely tight. Most days I finished around 20:30, and with a 05:30 wake-up, I had at most two hours to get everything essential done. My priorities were:
1. Eat as much as possible
2. Bath
3. Prep everything for the next day
Phoning loved ones was important but not essential; social media definitely wasn’t. My advice is to avoid anything non-essential until you’ve taken care of the basics.
The organisers provide one main meal at night, but I often needed more food. In the first week, I didn’t take extra snacks or protein shakes, and once I’d finished the meal my legs were so stiff I couldn’t face going out again to get more food. I definitely wasn’t replacing the calories I was burning. Things improved once I reached Scotland and supporters brought extra food but my advice would be to take some extra high calorie food or shakes with you or request the organisers to get you some extra food, which you’ll have to pay for yourself.
The organisers try to book a masseuse every other night and I always took this opportunity if it was available. It was sometimes difficult fitting it in or meant I got to bed a bit later but I think it did help me, even if it was only a placebo.
Blisters
Despite trying everything, I had significant blister issues throughout. If I did the race again, I’d do a multi-day run months beforehand with the same trainers on to discover my hotspot areas and then tape those zones proactively during LEJOG. Good shoe choice also seems to make a huge difference—others had far fewer problems than I did which I put down to trainer selection but I have no real evidence for this.
I brought two pairs of trainers: one carefully fitted pair I’d bought, and one pair of Mountain to Coasts (MTC) provided by the organisers a week before the race, two sizes too big which ended up being great as my feet swole up so much! Most days I started with the comfortable pair and switched to the oversized MTCs later. Both gave me blisters in different places, but swapping seemed to reduce the severity. Eventually, with swelling in my right foot, the oversized shoes became the only ones I could wear.
I used double-layer socks, blister powder and prevention tape. I also had to apply post-blister plasters (Compeed) to ease the pain. I ended up burning through boxes of Compeed as each night meant ripping them off in the bath—never pleasant.
A conversation with the race organiser Steve helped me mentally: he told me blisters wouldn’t stop me finishing. He was right. They hurt badly in the evenings and mornings, but after a few miles they eased. Knowing they weren’t race-ending helped me push through and blank out the pain.
General Observations
My sleep was broken—constant toilet trips due to rehydration, and some mattresses were so thin that my legs ached. Surprisingly, I didn’t need as much sleep as usual. I normally require around 7 hours, but my watch showed I rarely got more than 5, yet still felt reasonably refreshed.
Early on, I leaned heavily on more experienced runners for advice. That helped but also made me anxious that my preparation was inadequate. However as I said earlier, everyone is different and there’s no set formula to complete this race so don’t let it worry you if someone else is doing something and you’re not. Given that I finished the race is a testament to that.
I was also running for charity and had shared my tracker online. A lot of people were watching my progress and had given generous donations. In the early days, when I was struggling, I had a real fear of dropping out and letting people down. That fear—however irrational—actually became a powerful motivator. For others, it might add pressure, so think carefully about whether to share your tracker publicly.
Injuries
Injuries came and went constantly. None of them stopped me, but some were painful and mentally draining. My right calf inflamed badly after day 3, leading to swelling in my ankle that stayed for the whole race. My hamstrings were ridiculously tight that I could actually feel the knots. On one day, pain shifted from 3 different areas of one leg finalising on the side of my foot, meaning I could only run—walking actually hurt more. I’m mentioning all this to highlight that you will pick up injuries, but many of them will ease with a good nights sleep.
If you do get injured try to do everything possible to get in at the end of the day as you’ll be surprised by how much your body will recover overnight.
A truly race-ending injury feels different—you’ll know. I had a big scare entering the Cairngorms when I strained my left thigh. I managed to limp in that night and after dinner I couldn’t put any weight on it and thought I was out. But after a good night’s sleep, I was able to struggle through the next day mostly walking, and with another night of rest the subsequent night I was running again the following day.
The Rollercoaster
Expect extreme highs and lows. The first four days were brutal—I was hanging on by a thread. Then days 5 and 6 felt incredible once I realised my body could recover overnight. A named storm on day 8 knocked me back down again. Running into Scotland and through my home city gave me a huge lift. Two days later the thigh strain plunged me into another low. So be prepared for a mental rollercoaster.
However looking back, I barely remember the lows—your mind filters them out. And every low is completely worth it when you reach the finish line. Crossing it was one of the greatest feelings of my life, and I’ll always look back on the whole experience as one of the best things I’ve ever done
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.
Lucong Geng (China) 2024
After my successful completion of the JOGLE, Steve asked us racers to provide some good suggestions, which I have considered for a long time. I very much appreciate having the opportunity to share my experience and knowledge with everyone to help future competitors of the race.
Let me first report on my competition in 2024.
Now, let's talk about the Jogle race, which is actually the most difficult 1000 kilometer level road running race. And it should be the toughest race designed by Ultra Running Ltd, because the average daily mileage in the first fifteen days was an astonishing 87 kilometers. Previously I had run 1000 miles in a race in in Italy in 2022. I was ranked first in the world that year, and it was also a 17 day race, but I feel that JOGLE is much more difficult than the Italian race. That's also why, except for Justin (Champion of 2024), the second to fourth ranked elite runners are all multi day runners, because it's difficult for most runners to complete such a difficult race.
Let's analyze several factors that affect the completion of the game:
1.Causes of injury and illness. The main reason why most runners cannot complete the race is still injuries. Of course, the main reasons for injuries are insufficient running volume, shoe problems, and running too fast. So preventing injuries is definitely the first thing we need to face, which requires us to increase our mileage in our daily lives. In recent years, my annual mileage has been around 8000 kilometers.
2.The speed is too fast. This is not only the cause of injury, but also a factor that ultimately leads to collapse. I think that maintaining an 8-8:30 range is a very good strategy, as it can prevent you from slowing down or collapsing during a day's race, so it is important to maintain an acceptable slow pace every day.
3.Supply issues. Everyone must provide adequate supplies midway, which means that the body must replenish energy very fully. Don't worry too much about time, you can spend 10 to 15 minutes fully replenishing.
4.Dining at night and in the morning. You must eat more, as the body will need the extra energy overy such long distances and times.
5.Sleep. Be sure to maintain sufficient sleep. After running, do not waste too much time. Eat more and sleep more.
6.Backpack. Don't carry too many useless things. The supply at check-point stations is very good, so there is no need to carry too many things on your own.
Training suggestions:
1. First, choose the shoes. Don't wear too many different shoes. The shoes from Mount to Coast are very suitable for this competition, so choosing the appropriate R1 or S1 is your first important thing. The MTC R1 is an excellent shoe but for slower runners consider, like me, the S1.
2.Training requirements. You can run long distances three times a month (70 kilometers), or schedule back-to-back training on weekends (40 kilometers on Saturdays and 40 kilometers on Sundays) to ensure at least 400-500 kilometers per month.
3.Competition suggestion: If you can befriend similar pace runners who are also running JOGLE with you, it is suggested that you can form a small team and work together. Set a daily completion goal so that everyone can complete according to plan. For example, a race of about 90 kilometers can be scheduled to be completed in 14 hours with a speed of 8 and a half minutes. If the time is long, you can also request to depart an earlier start to the RD, with the aim of completing the race.
Other noteable points:
- Going downhill too fast can easily cause injuries.
- Learn watch navigation to save time looking at maps.
- Lighten the items in your backpack, which affects your running.
- Practise walking fast as most cannot run through all of the day.The above are some of my suggestions, which are quite hasty. Machine translation, there may be errors, please forgive me。 Everyone, come on, and good luck!
Sincerely
lucong
Adrian Rewig (Germany)
I started running in 2007 and after running the usual 10 k, Half Marathon, Marathon stuff I quickly fell in love with the longer distances.
In my humble opinion, to be able to finish JoGLE you should be an experienced ultra-runner and also have a strong mindset.
When I registered for JoGLE after successfully competing in the 6 Days World Championship, I felt ready to do JoGLE and was convinced that I can finish this stage race.
At least you should be aware that in the middle of JoGLE you will be running roundabout 90 k on six consecutive days - which means running all day long and arriving in the dark.
After reading „Ultra running made easy“ from JoGLE-winner Jean-Louis Vidal some years ago, I changed my training and am now only running 15 k a day - but I do it every day.
I also do a tapering phase (2 weeks with half the mileage, so 50 k per week) and after that I double my usual mileage (also 2 weeks, with 200 k per week), just before the race begins.
It works very well for me and some friends of mine, but mustn‘t necessarily have the same effect to everyone.
I hope that might be a bit of help to all the runners who want to do JoGLE (or LEJoG).
I wish you all the best, you brave guys.
Adrian, sending best wishes from Germany
Michael Williams (UK) – My JOGLE Story 2022
I didn't start running until 2003, and was fortunate to get a place in the London Marathon 2004 when I was aged 52. So I was quite late into the running.
When I decided to take on the JOGLE, I found that entering virtual races such as Ultra Running Ltd.’s Strava Club - Every Mile Counts, gave me the incentive and motivation to get out there and train. They have monthly virtual challenges and quarterly How Far Can You Go? Monthly challenges.
But for me I had a good level of fitness before I started the virtual challenges, and these, mixed in with occasional actual race, kept me focused and on the right track.
I only ran 5 days a week with 2 rest days, building my mileage up slowly from a base of around 55 miles up to over 100 miles with a couple of weeks for tapering.
So, I ran shorter runs in the week and double and triple runs over a weekend. Most of my runs were road based, simulating the JOGLE.
This plan worked for me but it might not work for someone else, I had two days recovery each week, a younger person might only need 1 day recovery.
I hope this helps future JOGLE entrants.
When I completed the JOGLE I was 70 years of age.
Michael Williams - 2022 JOGLE Champion