Becky – off the Wall!

ByEditor

Becky – off the Wall!

It was the hardest race I’ve ever run. An unrelenting and unforgiving course that seems to slope upwards all the way. The first six miles are up a steep mountain road then it’s onto the wall. After 5000 knee-high steps you join the uphill mountain roads again for a giant sixteen mile loop.

Lots of the local Chinese line the route which is lovely, especially the children who are keen to high-five as you run
by. At mile 22 runners are sadistically directed back onto the wall to climb the 5000 steps all over again. We were like 2500 zombies crossing the Chinese countryside.

I can’t believe I did it in six hours, there were long stretches where I walked and was full of self-doubt. There was
a lot of congestion on narrow strips of the wall which slowed runners down. It felt like I was out there for 10 hours! I’m glad I did it but it was BRUTAL! Nice to be home again.