Orwell Challenge Walk 2018

I can't quite believe I did this... Joyce, who led our 3 Churches Walk suggested I might like to give this a try. The Orwell Challenge is a charity fund-raising event organised by the Ipswich Rotary Club. It is mainly a walk, but there are also half and full marathon running and cycling options.

The walk had three route length options, 13, 19 and 25 miles. 13 miles would be enough for me, I though as I signed up a few weeks ago. Here is the map they published of the routes...

The labels are to the way stations along the route, each of which provided water and squash, adn some had toilets too. The Orange route is the 13 miles, The Orange + Green the 19 miles and Orange + Green + Yellow the full 25 mile challenge.

I arrived about 7:40 am to find a bit of a queue...



I started at about 7:50 am and, walking on my own, was able to establish my own rhythm. As I got to the 7 mile mark, I had to decide if I was going to do the 13 miles or more. "It's supposed to be a challenge", I thought. "I've walked nearly 13 miles in a day a couple of times in the last month. I should go for 19". So on I went.

I was walking at a brisk but comfortable pace overtaking quite a few people who started before me. And then I spotted someone familiar.  Wasn't that Joyce at the front of this group?




Indeed it was. I thanked her for the recommendation. She asked what distance I was doing and I said 19 miles. She approved. She was walking with someone who stopped to use the facilities at the way-station and I left them behind. I looked at my card...

Oops. I think I've given the game away there. Yes. I thought... actually the middle distance is nearly 20 miles and the full challenge is only another 5 miles or so more. Rather recklessly, I decided a Challenge was a Challenge and I ought to try and meet it. So 25 miles it was! (Gulp!).

Here is the map of my complete route...

Along they way we had fabulous views across, up and down and across the river.





(See the link to my Flickr album later for more). A lot of the walk was along the shoreline and there were jellyfish everywhere!

Eventually, at the end of Trimley Marshes where we got to the border of Felixstowe port, we turned inland to get to our 13 mile way-station.



A lot of people stopped here for a while for a rest, but I daren't sit down for too long in case I stopped being able to keep going .

I have to admit the last 6 or 7 miles got a it hard as I developed blisters on first my left and then my right foot... should have worn thicker socks, but I managed to keep going and eventually finished in just over 7 hours.

Here is my certificate to prove it...

And here I am with my medal and certificate once I got home...

A bit of a grimace, perhaps... I was feeling a bit stiff by then!

You can find more details of the route in my Map My Walk log and all my photos of it here on Flickr.