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 Graham Sherwood, a member of the NEC, who gives some great advice on completing 100s. And what a debut for a social walk that he got himself mentioned in Strider! This photo of Graham was taken at Pooh Bridge on the Kent social walk in April 2026.
Q. Could you briefly introduce yourself, including your role as LDWA groups officer, and how many LDWA 100s have you entered?
A. I’m Graham Sherwood, LDWA local groups officer, secretary of Merseystride LDWA and co-organiser of the Open to Offas challenge event. As local groups officer, my role is to help the 41 local LDWA groups, who are the backbone of the organisation, to thrive. I joined the LDWA in 2018 having heard good things about it from fellow participants on a 35 mile charity challenge walk along the Llangollen Round. Although I did a couple of 50 mile events shortly after joining, the thought of a 100 was just crazy. However, in May 2019, I somehow found myself on the Hadrian 100, and thanks to the support I received from other walkers and encouragement from marshals I managed to complete the event. In total now I have started five and completed four 100s – on the Trans-Pennine 100 I retired at 67 miles.
Q. What made you decide to take on this year’s LDWA 100 in Kent?
A. Once you start doing 100s, they become addictive. I know I can walk a hundred miles over two days and two nights and I want to prove to myself that I can do it again.
Q. What are you most looking forward to about the route and the event weekend?
A. I’m looking forward to getting to know this part of Kent and East Sussex better. I’m also looking forward to the social aspect of the 100 – shared adversity and pain, and hopefully a few laughs.
Q. Have you walked much in Kent before, and is there anything about the landscape or area that particularly appeals to you?
A. Having grown up in the Chilterns, I love chalk landscapes. I am most familiar with the area around Dover. Although I live in North Wales, my very first LDWA social walk was with Kent group in June 2018 – a 42 mile dawn to dusk walk led by this year’s 100s chair, Peter Jull. I distinguished myself by having a funny turn in the pub we called into in the afternoon and getting written up in Strider as a “fainting episode”. I’ve also completed the White Cliffs challenge four times and the Sevenoaks circular once.
Q. How has your training and preparation been going so far?
A. I hope reasonably well. I try to get out on a social walk at least once a week, mainly with The Irregulars or Merseystride, but I’ve also joined walks organised by East Lancs and Kent in the last few weeks. I managed to complete the Cymoedd Sir Fynwy 50 in South Wales this year, something I failed to do two years ago and I’ve also completed challenge events organised by Lakeland, West Lancs and Essex and Herts groups this year.
Q. When you think about the 100, are you mainly focused on finishing, enjoying the route, managing the pace or some slightly alarming combination of all three?
A. I am a slow walker and I will be focussing on getting round this route within the 48 hours – I walked a 12 mile section of the route through Ashdown Forest to Crowborough with Kent group a few weeks ago and know it’s going to be tough underfoot and very challenging. This is the first time I have ever done anything resembling a recce. My normal recce consists of a couple of fly-throughs on OS Maps and checking the gpx route on my Locus Map app.
Q. What do you most enjoy about the atmosphere of a 100-mile event?
A. The 100 brings the LDWA membership together – talking about it on social walks before and after the event. The support you get from other participants and volunteers at checkpoints.
Q. Do you have any advice for entrants, particularly at times when they’re tired and when perhaps the enthusiasm has dimmed a little?
A. The 100 is a mental as well as a physical challenge – I find the first night tougher than the second as I always feel sick. The hallucinations on the second night are rather fun. On my first hundred I got to the Kent checkpoint some 30 hours in determined to retire. Graham Smith told me to sit down, have a cup of soup and wait half an hour. That was great advice.
Q. Food can become rather important on a long event, sometimes to a level that would alarm anyone outside the LDWA. Are there any checkpoint foods or walking snacks you’ll be especially hoping for?
A. I need plenty of salty foods to keep me going. It’s essential to keep eating at every checkpoint as if you aren’t careful you start feeling sick and it gets really hard to eat.
Q. As someone involved with LDWA groups nationally, what do you think events like the 100 show about the strength of the association and its volunteers?
A. The 100 is a fantastic showcase for the LDWA and goes to show the dedication and determination of its members. I really admire those at HQ and at the checkpoints who help the participants complete the challenge – their support, encouragement and, of course, food are invaluable – we couldn’t do it without you.
Q. Finally, when you reach the start line in Kent, what do you think will be going through your mind?
A. I’m going to be glad to see familiar faces but nervous – this is going to be a particularly challenging route because it is hilly, the ground is rough underfoot and there are a lot of stiles.