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 Nick who has been doing lots of training ready to aim for his first LDWA completion.
Q. Could you briefly introduce yourself and say how you first became involved with long-distance walking?
A. I first learnt about long distance walking and the LDWA through a friend Breeze Rowlands, some people frown upon walking in the world of running as its slower, I was a keen fan of Jeff Galloway who encouraged it but it’s nothing different for me, I think of it as a conversational pace, its still can be very tough. I have also been the support for Breeze on countless events over the past 10 years.
Q. How many LDWA 100s have you completed before, and do any of them particularly stand out?
A. I’ve only had one attempt, that was the EBB in 2023, got to 68 miles and my body just gave up, I had so much going on around me before, I learnt so much about myself in 2023 and with my preparation for this year. I’ve got lots of memories from various 100s with being the support for Breeze, one memory with her is meeting her up the top of Mam Tor with a coffee at 4am.
Q. What made you decide to take on this year’s 100 in Kent?
A. I was in a position to have a go at the Flower of Suffolk 100 in 2025, but a hip issue followed by a broken arm stopped that, So quite naturally the next choice would be the HP100, I am also a big Disney nerd, and to go over the pooh sticks bridge in a event is so cool, who know I might bump into Christopher Robin, or find a Heffalump or even see a woozle!
Q. How has your training been going, and have you done anything differently this time?
A. Training has been going really well, I’ve had lots of back to back events, also working out how i go on with the lack of sleep, and working out how to deal with, for example I did the Reverse London Marathon (starts at midnight nine hours before main event) had a hour to chill then I did the actual London Marathon. I did the Calverdale way over 2 days and last weekend I did the Marsden Moor marathon followed by Leeds Marathon, it’s all about being up and on your feet, getting your body used to doing crazy things.
Q. How prepared do you feel at this stage, physically and mentally?
A. I feel fab, ready to deal with it, bring it on!
Q. What are you most looking forward to about the event?
A. Pooh sticks bridge.
Q. Is there any part of the route, the distance, the weather or the logistics that you’re feeling slightly nervous about?
So just need the man upstairs to decide on the weather, and the ascent that we have overall, Kent and Sussex isn’t flat apparently.
Q. Food can become strangely important on a 100-mile event. What do you usually rely on to keep yourself going, and is there anything you absolutely cannot face after enough miles?
Food is a hard one, and a thing that I have had to experiment with a lot, I’ve got everything I need prepped, I am coeliac and I work in catering, and I really don’t get why the LDWA overthinks it, and makes it so hard. From experience if your saying you get a pie and gravy at a checkpoint or the end of an event, I want pie, folk around me are eating it , why can’t I have it? On the route I plan to have flapjack and jam sandwiches.
Q. When things get difficult during a long event, what helps you keep moving?
A. The conversations you have while you’re out, you meet some cool people, all doing the same cool thing, I’ve learnt that from doing a few 50s now and my experience from the Elephant, Bear and Bull in 2023, every person you meet is a friend that you haven’t met yet and and hopefully will see them somewhere else either in a few hours or weeks at another event.
Q. What would make this year’s 100 feel like a success for you?
To finish, in the time would be fab.