Love Trails Festival 2019
Love Trails Festival kicks off on Thursday 4th July based in the Gower Peninsula, Wales. There will be four days of running, live music, workshops, talks, yoga, fitness and lots more. I've been working with Love Trails Festival again this year and this year you'll find me taking part in the following; Thursday 4th July - Speaking at "A Night of Adventure Tales" Saturday 6th July - Leading the Running Adventures Ultra Run Sunday 7th July - Leading Run to Coasteering I'm looking forward to meeting lots of other likeminded runners and enjoying some great days of running. There are still a few final tickets available on the Love Trails Festival website. Use code LTFAMBASSADORTOM for 10% off.
RunUltra – Instagrammer of the Year 2018 – Winner
Now that we're a few months into 2019, I thought that it was a good time to take a brief look back at the year in running that was 2018. Thinking back now there was so much going on throughout the year. After getting a new marathon PB in London, I decided to step up my ultra running, seeing me finishing on the podium at the Jurassic Quarter, Stour Valley Marathon and Race to the King, a week after doing my own DIY ultra marathon on the Sandlings Walk. I was at running and music festival; Love Trails Festival, I took on my first 100 mile race at the Lakeland 100 and then ran the SVP 100k two weeks after before wrapping up the year with marathons in Berlin, Dublin and then the Hurtwood 50km. It ended with some very unexpected news when I was awarded the RunUltra Instagrammer of the Year
RunUltra Instagrammer Awards
I was recently taken aback but really excited to be included in the shortlist for the RunUltra Instagrammer of the year award, I'm blown away just to be featured alongside some huge names in this list. I love sharing my ultra running adventures on Instagram and I'm always motivated by seeing everyone else's photos and stories. I'd love it and would be very grateful if you could spread the word and maybe send a vote my way! (You don't need an Instagram account and by voting you do get entered into a draw to win a brilliant Suunto 9 watch). The voting link is - https://www.runultra.co.uk/Information/Awards-Shortlist If you like the photos and are on Instagram, feel free to give me a follow too - https://www.instagram.com/tomwake/
A Summer of Ultras
Pitch black mornings and evenings, crisp clear skies filled with a lingering mist, golden leaves floating down from their branches. Autumn is well and truly upon us and, other than the slightly unseasonably mild temperatures, you can tell that we're heading towards Winter. Running becomes more of a struggle; harder to get out of the door at 5:00am, uninspiring routes lit by street lamps, legs unforgiving after recent marathons, fewer upcoming races. It's time to get motivated for 2019 and the year ahead. The Summer of 2018 was all about the ultra marathons for me and as I start planning upcoming races I wanted to take a look back at a few highlights and a year of pushing myself to go further and faster than ever before. Over the past few years I've found that my "running year" has followed a similar structure; Christmas - April - train for and target a
Race to the Stones, the support crew version
Last weekend I had opportunity to go along and be support crew for Pip as she took on her first ultra marathon and first 100km run. Keeping water bottles topped up, cheering on runners and running back along sections of the course to keep Pip company, it was a brilliant experience and I captured the race in a series of photos. It was a brilliant experience to get out on The Ridgeway and experience an event from the other side after much of my time is spent running and competing in races. I'll definitely be doing more crewing and if anyone needs a support crew, you know where I am
Love Trails Festival Ambassador!
I'm really excited to announce that I'm working with Love Trails Festival this Summer as an ambassador! The UK's first running and music festival is back for another year following the hugely successful festival in Dorset last year and if you've not heard of it before - where have you been?! This year it's going to be located in the beautiful Gower Peninsula, South Wales in July and you're in store for an amazing weekend of trail running, music, DJs, talks and workshops from top trail runners, running and adventure films, food and beer! I'm going to be spreading the word about the festival over the next couple of months and I'm really looking forward to being involved, meeting and hearing from lots of like-minded runners and enjoying stunning South Wales trails. If you're planning on coming along make sure that you say hi - if you want to find out more, check out