Category: 2025 LDWA 100

And the registration process starts! Here’s Heather at the welcome desk.

The registration team in action.

Peaceful at the moment.

Simon and David from the media team.

Interviewing a first time entrant.

Richard playing with Flora, the mannequin which is used to display Flower of Suffolk merchandise…

I didn’t get involved….

I left them to have a quiet moment.

In just over twelve hours, there will be over 500 people registering for their big walk.

And if your surname is M to R this will be the check-in…

Merchandising at the event and we’ll no doubt get plenty of sales after everyone sees the marvellous job that Richard has done with Flora.

This feels like some floral tribute to the God of the roads to ensure that Richard gets us safely to our destination, but it’s actually part of the Flora arrangement (on which more later).

Oops.

The new healthy Richard.

This is Flora and the new lightweight Richard after his diet, which is still an amazing result which has surprised many people….. We’re now here to help at HQ, although I wonder just how much help I’ll actually be. But I’ll take some photos of something.

This riveting blog will now be entirely focused over the next few days on the LDWA 100 which is being held in Norfolk and Suffolk, or, more specifically, Suffolk. Just as a background to the amount of planning that has taken place for this weekend, this is the application that I made to the NEC on behalf of Norfolk & Suffolk LDWA to hold the event, signed all the way back on 20 March 2021. I remember the support given by David Morgan and Alan Warrington and it’s the first time that the event has been held in East Anglia. I wrote about the marshals’ event that was held three weekends ago, on the first Bank Holiday of May, and the whole event seemed a marvellous success which bodes well for this weekend. Anyway, let the excitement begin…..

I forgot to upload this video! And how could I forget Simon Pipe from the media team after he nominated me to join the LDWA NEC….. This was the end of Simon’s successful walk, much of which he did with David Morgan where he was running to keep up with the Welsh Tiger. I was delighted to see Simon finish, a brave, courageous and lovely man!

And that’s the end of the marshals’ LDWA 100 event for 2025, with 52 starters and 46 finishers, but as ever, everyone should be congratulated on their achievements. Thanks to Katie and her team, the event ran like clockwork and it was marvellous to see the whole operation working well and entrants enjoying the walk. Those more used to walking hills and pretending they’re mountain goats did find a challenge with a relatively flat course, with the ground being quite firm. I had a rather lovely time and all the volunteers were well looked after and I hope that they all enjoyed the event. The lean got the better of a few walkers, but the LDWA is funding research into this rather sub-optimal situation where walkers can start to lean to one side after a long walk which often puts an end to their event.

Congratulations also to the wonderful LDWA chair, Madeleine, who got around the event in not far short of 48 hours which meant that she went for two nights without sleep. At one stage it looked like she might have to retire, but her natural stubbornness ensured she powered on! I did call Madeleine when it was evident she was walking the wrong way and I’m glad I did that as I’ve been promised a steak bake.

But this was all just the precursor to the main event in three weeks that will have over 500 entrants taking part…. I’m already looking forwards to it!

The number of brave walkers continued, here’s Anne and Vaughan.

Shu.

The formidable David.

Yvonne and Roger, going so quickly that the only photo I had which wasn’t blurred had those bins in the middle….

Chelle running towards the end. Chelle has written big chunks of the route and walked it endless times, so the whole arrangement had extra special relevance to her.

Chelle being greeted by Katie at the end of the walk, with Richard busy writing down his shopping list.

And Simon and Claire reaching the end, as the first entrants back….. So very brave.

And here are the times for anyone who wants to see how they were getting on checkpoint by checkpoint….

This video was taken around 250 metres from the end as I walked out to meet Claire and Simon, who were the first entrants back on the marshals’ event. This pace they’re doing is what they did during the entire event, it is really a joy to behold! Although I’ve told my friend Liam that I can’t be having Simon keep coming first at everything, we’ll have to up our game.

Checkpoint 14 was at Sutton Hoo and this was an opportunity for the walkers to be able to pass through the site and see the historical burial mounds. Well, it wasn’t an opportunity for those who went through in the dark, but they could sense the history.

The checkpoint being set-up and Richard and I took the opportunity to have a look around the National Trust site.

Simon was once again being very brave and he and Claire were the first entrants to reach the checkpoint.

Having a little rest for a few minutes. There’s a challenge for entrants on the walk on how long to rest and recover and then how long it takes them to walk the event. The key is to give the body some rest and take the chance to eat and drink something, but being aware of checkpoint time is also important.

Richard was exhausted at all this walking and so went to the National Trust cafe. As Richard is on a specialist diet, he obviously didn’t eat or drink that, he just looked at it.

Back to the start of the event whilst we waited for Claire and Simon to return as the fastest walkers.

And Peter busy lining something up.