I’ve dusted off my previous page at https://www.julianwhite.uk/ldwa-100/ all about the LDWA 100 to bring it up to date for 2026.
This interview is with David Morgan who hasn’t only completed 24 LDWA hundreds, but he’s also marshalled at them and organised them, as well as being a former LDWA chair and 100’s co-ordinator. And here he comes striding in at the marshals’ event in early May 2026. One day I might walk a 100 with David, although I suspect given the pace that he does it might be for just a couple of miles….. On a personal note and back to my heroic 100 in 2021 (that I hardly mention), David was one of the main reasons that I got around following his advice and support.
Anyway, onto the questions!
Q. You’ve got a great deal of experience with 100s as a walker, marshal and organiser. What keeps you coming back to the event in all those different roles?
A. I like the camaraderie that the annual 100 event produces. I love the physical challenge that walking 100 miles brings knowing that few people in ordinary life can complete what we do in the LDWA.
I love seeing others succeed particularly when they have faced challenges and have shown resilience to push through and ultimately succeed.
Q. Having walked the marshal’s event this year, what were your overall impressions of the Hunnypot 100 route?
A. The route is cleverly designed and in a county that is in close proximity to our capital city, I was amazed at how rural it felt for its entire length. The North Downs were particularly pretty but I was feeling rather jaded when I walked along them. I am looking forward to returning for the main event and videoing the entrants passing through this pretty area as part of my duties with the LDWA Media Team.
Q. Were there any sections that stood out to you as especially rewarding, whether because of the scenery, the variety, the route design or the satisfaction of getting through them?
A. I found the night section particularly difficult as I was walking alone. The navigation was intricate and I made several mistakes. As the dawn chorus commenced and I was approaching Felbridge, I felt at that time as if I had passed an important milestone.
Q. Some parts of a 100 are always going to ask a bit more of walkers than others. From your experience on the marshal’s event, where do you think that entrants may need to manage themselves carefully?
A. Recent 100s have been quite flat. Hunnypot 100 returns height ascent to the equation and this time the steepest rises are in the final third. Entrants would be well advised to reserve energy levels for the last 30 miles and not go too hard too soon on the event.
Q. With your organiser’s eye, what do you notice on a 100 that most entrants probably never see or think about?
A. On this occasion I looked at why the route was a clockwise route. To my mind an anticlockwise route might have had other benefits. But then one considers what facilities the organisers needed to.work with, ie, village halls and schools and one then begins to understand as to why the route choice was made.
Q. There will obviously have to be a food question and I’m very pleased at your recent social media having more culinary content. From your own experience, what food do you look forward to seeing at a checkpoint and how do you manage your food intake across the event?
A. I think you’re referring to my gargantuan calorific intake in Italy following the Hunnypot 100! [JW – I was, the Italian food looking amazing] I like to eat little and often at all checkpoints in order to keep putting calories in for future energy needs. This is easier said than done when one feels nauseous and on Hunnypot 100 I had a queasy stomach for many miles.
A crumpet with tomato puree and melted cheese always works well, although being served home made dhal and naan breads at CP4 hit the spot!
Q. How important is the tone of encouragement from marshals, and what sort of things are genuinely useful to say to someone who still has a long way to go?
A. The work of the marshals is crucial. They are often empathetic because they know what you’re experiencing. They’ve been there and done it. Just remind people not to look at the big picture but concentrate on bite size pieces and walk checkpoint to checkpoint!
Q. Are there any simple practical things at checkpoints that can make a big difference to entrants, especially those who are new to the 100?
A. This is a tricky question to answer as people will have different views. Checkpoints can be seen as oasis and on arrival it is easy to enter a time vortex. Don’t dawdle. On approach to the checkpoint go through in your mind what you want to achieve. Perhaps it’s a sock change, topping up of a water bottle or eating some food. Do it efficiently and then get moving or otherwise the 15 minutes you planned soon turn to 30.
Q. What advice would you give to someone taking on their first 100, especially if they find themselves having a tough spell and wondering whether everyone else is coping rather more elegantly?
A. Never ever give up on initially arriving at a checkpoint. Sit down, eat food, drink tea, talk to others and you will soon realise that the person at the next table feels exactly the same way you do. Then leave the checkpoint and tell yourself that you’re only walking to the next checkpoint. Repeat several times and you’ll soon be at the finish receiving the warmest applause in the UK!