Sam Tomlinson
Back in April, I celebrated my 50th birthday with a result at the Marathon de Sables that was beyond my wildest expectations: 27th overall, and 1st Brit.
The four months since have been a whirlwind, with both family commitments and promotion to CEO. Pausing for breath, I asked myself: What is my next running goal? And why?
Last month I became a member of the 100 Marathon Club - starting with London in 2002 (age 26, in 4:08, celebrated - ridiculously! - with a pint and cigarette) through to the MdS this year.
Why the trails keep me sane
On any level, running 100+ marathons is clearly slightly crazy. But I also strongly believe that running - or more specifically, distance running on trails - helps keep me sane. It allows time to unwind, to de-stress, to reflect, and to build resilience - the ability to keep going on a long run, and to keep coming back again and again for challenging long-term goals.
So in the spirit of long-term planning, I've set myself three goals for three years:
- Complete sub-3s at all six majors: I've run 2:52 and 2:51 at Berlin & Chicago & London over the last two years; next up is NYC this autumn, then Boston in spring 2027 and finally Tokyo in spring 2028
- Qualify for Western States 100, the world's oldest 100 miler: next step is 7 Valleys Ultra 110km next month, across some brutal fells and valleys
- Complete Summer Spine in June 2027: 268 miles from the southern end of the Pennines to the northern tip
When I started running 25 years ago, "preparation" was simply "get fit and hope for the best". But as youthful (over-)confidence gives way to ageing wisdom, I've learned to prepare properly: with route recces, kit testing, and - most importantly - planning my fuelling.
Nutrition is the key to distance running, whether it’s gels for an instant energy boost in the marathon, or a combination of bars and chews and gels for longer, slower ultras.
The longer you go, the more your body craves natural foods, not chemical gloop. That's why I'm hugely grateful to Veloforte for their awesome and wholesome products that powered me across the Sahara, and now immensely proud to be an ambassador for them. The new Limon gels were the perfect boost on a 27 mile solo recce of the Pennine Way.
Hopefully they'll also be the key to unlocking my three year goals. Fingers crossed!
