Hi, I’m Jacob and I went a bit mad.

In the summer of 2023 I decided to take part in Scilly60 2024: an ultra run taking place on the Isles of Scilly. In essence, all 60 kilometres of the Scilly coast path is run in one day, with boat transfers between the islands.

The event:

Not only does that mean needing to complete 60km in a day, but due to boat timings (for tide times and for the sake of finishing in daylight), there are strict cut-off times for each leg of the journey. This means little to no walking breaks. Having never run more than a half marathon before signing up, this seems potentially excessive… Footage from the 2023 event was maybe misleading with its glorious sunshine a rarity! 65% of people who started the event last year DID NOT complete the day, such is the difficulty! Challenge accepted.

Me:

1) Not an athlete.

2) Hated exercise and loved food as a child and as a teenager: not a great combo.

3) Still love food and use exercise as an excuse to eat lots.

4) Started running very casually in 2017. Started running a bit more in 2020, much more as of 2023.

5) Still hate core strength workouts.

Training for me ramped up towards the end of 2023, with 12 weeks of running 5 times a week culminating in a 15 mile event on the Cornish coast path. I felt pretty good throughout, even through the high winds and mud! Early 2024 is being used to do some strength training, before ramping up the running again come March, up until the June event.

The charity:

The Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust is a tiny charity with a huge job. A remote archipelago 28 miles off the south-western tip of Cornwall the rugged beauty & open vistas are one of the most designated places in the UK, home to nationally important populations of seabird, rare endemic plants & provide a fuel- stop for rare migrating birds each year. Protecting 24 Sites of Special Scientific Interest, 44 Scheduled Ancient Monuments & keeping 40,000 metres of paths open, the Trust safeguards over 50% of the islands for future generations.