SOUTH DOWNS WAY 100 | Pushed to my PHYSICAL & MENTAL limit!

[@CotswoldTrailRunner]

Thank you for taking the time to watch this! It took a lot to document some of these moments. Please ask any questions you may have, I'd love to hear from you! I appreciate your support and please consider liking and/or sharing this video. Thank you 🙏❤️

[@sigmatau8231]

absolutely stunning

[@mohammedsalikurrahman6704]

Respect and love.

[@CotswoldTrailRunner]

Many thanks to you. Appreciate the support.

[@HereWeAreRunning]

A truly brilliant effort 👏👏👏 The heat must of made this so much harder but you didn't let it beat you. Hats off to anyone who completes a 100 mile race, but to do it when it was so tough deserves extra credit.

[@CotswoldTrailRunner]

Many thanks 🙏. A few lessons learned and positives to take away. Looking forward to the next one, Cotswold Way Century in September. Stay tuned!

[@kerrys6211]

Amazing thanks for sharing your experience very inspiring , now I want to do it !!!

[@CotswoldTrailRunner]

Do it! You can do it! It’s worth the effort and the pains are soon forgotten. 😊

[@bev9708]

WOWW Francois... what an awesome achievement AND what a fabulous video you made of it too!! It actually brought tears to my eyes!! I just came over from Ben's channel (Time On Feet) and I can see why he selected your video straight up ... what an emotional, physical and psychological journey!!!! And I imagine a spiritual one too!! You missed a nice needle drop opp there at 60 miles (16:30) with 🎶Running on, running on empty🎶 classic Jackson Browne!!! BRAVO Francois!!!

[@CotswoldTrailRunner]

Thanks for watching, a lot of lessons learnt and now think I'm finally ready to return and give it another go! You're right, I did miss putting in that classic, I'm sure there will be another opportunity for it!

[@bev9708]

@@CotswoldTrailRunner Will certainly be watching out for the next one!! All the best!!

[@ianl4518]

Very well done on that finish 👏 Unfortunately, I had a DNF at 45 miles and 11hrs in with some very bad hip pain. Some kind folks at that crewing car park a few miles before Arundel gave me a lift to the Arundel aid station but my race was done 😥

[@CotswoldTrailRunner]

Well done on getting that far! It was a very tough year in the heat! Good choice in the long run listening to your body. The hips dont' lie!...

[@AJGoesRunning]

Solid effort and great video documenting the race!!! Looking at doing this or the NDW100 myself later this year 👊🏽

[@conradburdekin722]

This was a great video. No idea how you made it in that heat without nutrition or fluid for long sections. And in a brilliant time too. Amazing!

[@CotswoldTrailRunner]

Ha! Thanks for watching and the support! Stubbornness and no crew was what got me through! I had no other options! 😂

[@timeonfeet]

Thanks for sharing. A really honest and raw account. Amazing achievement.

[@CotswoldTrailRunner]

Thanks for watching! It just shows that it's not always happy and bouncy! Hopefully most can relate.

[@mohammedsalikurrahman6704]

I can't think of running but courage to walk 100 miles. On 13th of this month while visiting a friend at Burgess hill and had a chance to visit Devils Dyke. I was astonished to see its beauty. I had spent there the time at sunset and run about a kilometre. I love this place and started to browsing and find out the South downs way. At the moment we are walking The Essex Way. I hope in next two Saturday's finish the whole walk. I am planning to walk South Downs Way in 5x20 miles i.e. in 5 Saturday's. Thank you very much for the video I thoroughly enjoyed and got profound love and respect for the brave gentleman.

[@kjbutterworth18]

Love the video ..but sound on the music too loud ..have to turn it down and then when you're speaking can't hear you too well ..just for future reference .. keep up the good work

[@ourchannelofthisandthat]

Your little smile at 24:53 - priceless! What an emotional video. I know its late but well done! Fantastic

[@jamiedalrymple3689]

👏👏👏👏Well done fella. Total respect ❤️✌️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

[@SuperCookiemonster69]

Amazing perseverance Francois! Great job!

[@debbiemurray1820]

Totally totally amazing. How you pick yourself up from that low with so far still to go shows such strong mental strength. Just incredible. So proud of you xx

[@neilsyard]

Congratulations on the finish...I think the smile at the very end said it all. Thanks for filming as one day i hope to do the 100 so these videos really help, especially as i'm not in the UK. I think for me I'm intrigued to see how I cope with the mental challenge of such a run but for you was it that or the nutrition that was your biggest challenge? Thanks again and good luck with your next one!

[@CotswoldTrailRunner]

Thanks for the support and comment. I think for me, on this race it was both, mentally tough because I didn’t manage to fuel correctly. One affects the other. I also think the weather caught me out. I know I have the fitness for hills, but the energy wasn’t there on the day so I had to be mentally strong to finish.

[@BenNotley]

Monster job buddy! Amazing achievement! So inspirational. Pure grit! Huge kudos to you! 😎🤘🏻

[@CotswoldTrailRunner]

Thanks dude! Appreciate the support!

[@PaulCoatesTrailRunning]

Brutal, honest and raw - just brilliant

[@BenNotley]

Watch out Coates is about! 😎🤘🏻

[@CotswoldTrailRunner]

Thanks Paul, honesty is the best policy! 😂

[@greggquixley8651]

Great video, thanks for documenting it so well. I'm contemplating attempting the SDW 100 next year. Have done my first 50 at CW50 this year, so I can actually enter it. it's a big step up from 50 to 100! Very inspiring!

[@CotswoldTrailRunner]

Go for it! Thanks for the support! It’s a great route just very challenging. Hopefully it won’t be so hot next year! I’m tempted to give it another go, despite what I say in this video! 😉

[@10LeavesLeft]

Well done mate. It was a hard day, so kudos on hitting your sub 24 hour target. I had similar hopes, but just didn’t have the pace in my legs and was just glad to finish in the end. Congrats

[@CotswoldTrailRunner]

Well done on the finish tho! That took some doing in those conditions. It was tough out there!

[@etapepartners]

I really appreciated this video. On Saturday this week I am running a 50k, and the weather forecast is calling for 107F. I signed up for the race many months ago, and normal temps are mid-70's. the untimely heat wave will certainly cause me problems as I am not acclimated to the heat. I may have to make some hard decisions in the race.

[@CotswoldTrailRunner]

Hopefully learn from my mistakes! Take a bit longer at aid stations and fuel well. Drink plenty and just keep the energy going in. When it gets tough, and it certainly will, have a word with yourself and you'll know what the right thing to do is! You got this! Go smash it! Best of luck dude!

[@raykennedy442]

Great achievement, it was so tough out there in the heat. I dropped at Boltophs after 14.5hrs as I was mentally and physically broken by the heat and dehydration but will be signing up to have a go again on Saturday!

[@CotswoldTrailRunner]

Many thanks Ray! Have you signed up for next year again? I’ve just had my first DNF (video coming soon). It’s a tough pill to swallow but I’ll be back!

[@raykennedy442]

@@CotswoldTrailRunner yep, all signed up again for next year. Can't wait!

[@michaelbennett6778]

Incredible running in such heat and to keep going forward . Amazing determination 👍🏃🏻‍♂️

[@CotswoldTrailRunner]

Thanks so much! It's amazing what your body and mind can actually do!

[@nickjenkins3338]

I was there, and this is like looking in a mirror. Keeping calories topped up in that heat was a nightmare! I found miles 60-70 the most difficult, and couldn't have been more thankful for the sun to finally go down! Great effort and i'm amazed you were able to keep filming - i couldn't even listen to music as it felt like too much effort! Well done.

[@CotswoldTrailRunner]

Thanks Nick, I really appreciate it. I'm glad someone else went through some of my experiences! I need to improve on my fuelling if I want to avoid that again! The heat though, I think will always catch you out, it was relentless! Well done for finishing strong and not giving up! What's next for you?

[@nickjenkins3338]

@@CotswoldTrailRunner Manchester Marathon in October. Think i'll probably have forgotten the pain of the SDW100 to think about signing up again then!

[@alexpulis9009]

That smile @24mins. 👍 Brilliant, well done bud

[@CotswoldTrailRunner]

Thanks, what a battle that was!

[@mataruns]

Brilliant job, well done! And thank you for sharing the wonderful views of the SDW!

[@CotswoldTrailRunner]

Thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed. Have you run it before?

[@mataruns]

@@CotswoldTrailRunner You did really well... yes I ran it in 2019, signed up for 2020 but that was cancelled, I deferred to 2021 but unfortunately fell ill in January this year so it’s great to see your video... I don’t think I would have coped with the heat anywhere near as good as you did... clearly it was hard going, very, very well done!

[@CotswoldTrailRunner]

@@mataruns I certainly did not cope well with the heat! But thanks anyway!

[@UDR-Channel]

GR8 Video

[@4578simonhi]

Amazing

[@emlyngriffith5846]

I really felt that! Well done….great effort 👍🍷

[@CotswoldTrailRunner]

Thank you kindly! Have you done the SDW100? I'm hoping to return with a more 'enjoyable' experience! Thanks for watching!

[@sophieleach590]

Hugely inspiring - well done!

[@CotswoldTrailRunner]

Thank you so much! Inspired enough to give it a go?

[@sophieleach590]

@@CotswoldTrailRunner Inspired enough to have a crack at my first ultra, not 100miles just yet!! (I bet that's what everyone says to start with.... :D )

[@CotswoldTrailRunner]

@@sophieleach590 It certainly is! Go for it! Any trail ultra will my you love trail running and ultras! Such a great community and way to see lovely parts of the country and world! Let me know which one you're thinking of as your first!