Isaac’s Tea Trail Ultra

Before completing this race I didn’t know the area at all at the time, and I was blown away at how beautiful it was and how varied the terrain. The race itself is a challenging ultra, but the distance and technicality mean that it is accessible to people who are not experienced ultra runners. The race organisation is brilliant and really friendly – checkpoints are very well stocked and welcoming, and you get a hot meal and plenty of space and time to sit down and recover at the finish. It’s also great to find a race organiser trying so hard to make their race green and actively supporting the local area and the trail.

Another fantastic ultra along an iconic and historic route, with beautiful scenery. Although the route is generally well signposted there are a few uncertain parts so I was grateful I’d attended at least one of the excellently organised official pre-race recces! So when I did go wrong (inevitably) it was on the section I hadn’t recced (d’oh!). Most of my mistakes were caused by enjoying the scenery and not noticing where I was going (off course!). Myself and a few other runners managed to book into an AirB&B for 2 nights, so we were well-rested before the start and didn’t have to drive after the race. The post-race grub and free can of Erdinger 0% could not have tasted any better either. Thank you! Brilliant. Will be back to run it in reverse this year! And I’ll still probably go wrong!

Had a great time when I ran this race in 2024 as my first ever ultra. The views are stunning, the terrain is hilly but not too technical and the route is generally signposted (although my GPS watch did come in handy in places). The race is really well organised and the atmosphere extremely friendly. I also went on one of the recce days which was very useful and a great day out. I highly recommend!