Windsor to marlborough , Calne and Chippenham

[Deleted User]

After a steady trot along the Ridgeway path in the summer of 2014 with the Carphone warehouse race to the stones 100k non stop event....I started to think about the challenge of catching a train into Paddington and running home to Wiltshire??!

Spreading the trot over two days in the summer must be relatively straight forward. Bivvi bag one night somewhere just South of Reading After the first day. Picking up nutrician in the first half would be fairly easy I hope, then the endless grind out in the country would offer visual stimulation only during the second day. I can get water, repair my own feet...so it's down to feeding and morale.

I am no racer but I can get my head down and tick along. Even when my body starts to hurt.

Race to the Stones was my second ultra. My first was a failure ten miles from the finish, but a great learning curve.

Has anyone tried this area? Especially the London end? I would aim to be off road for as much as was possible so perhaps a start from Windsor castle rather than Paddington. It's is literally just a thought process at the moment so if anyone has some top tips, I would love to hear about them. I think the Grand Union comes into play? 

Tonight I will start scouring some maps!!  

Oh, and Merry Christmas everyone!!

Cheers.

 

 

seren nos

I love these sort of adventures

Joolska

London to Reading would make the Thames spring to mind. You could then take the Kennet & Avon canal towards Wiltshire. It certainly goes through Devizes but I don't remember running through Calne (I did Bristol to Reading 3 years ago). Enjoy the planning and good luck with the run!

[Deleted User]

What Joolska says!  Good for you Tim for working something out for yourself (I'm more of a sheep and want people to organise for me!) - maybe get the route onto Social Ultra and you may get others to join you - if you wanted company that is?

Best of luck though, whatever you do.

[Deleted User]

You could also incorporate the Ridgeway if you go up the Thames path, then join the Ridgeway at Goring, but I'm not sure where you'd turn off towards Calne as I don't know the area west of the Ridgeway.