 |
| Lee-Stuart Evans and Kieran Faul on the Monarch’s Way in Shoreham at the finish |
Shortly after 9am on April 15th 2018 I reached Shoreham harbour and the end of the 625 ish mile Monarch’s Way setting a Fastest Known Time on the UK trail previously held by Charles II since 1651.
In just over 16 days I had averaged around 40 miles per day, only 2 to 3 hours sleep per day, carrying all the gear I needed on the way, and endured torrential rain, floods of up to 4ft in the midlands, an armed police intervention, sleeping in a telephone box and a narrowly avoided pub fight in Hampshire.
It was the greatest adventure I’ve ever undertaken.
The distance was the equivalent to going on foot from Guildford to Glasgow and then back again, ( in the USA this is like going from New York to Charlotte in North Carolina on foot) and it all started with a storms on social media and real storms in the midlands……
The distance was the equivalent to going on foot from Guildford to Glasgow and then back again, ( in the USA this is like going from New York to Charlotte in North Carolina on foot) and it all started with a storms on social media and real storms in the midlands……
The first day we set off was a microcosm of everything that’s right and wrong with social media. I was inundated by non runners wishing me the best of luck and a building excitement, and also the subject of a rather large negative sentiment within my own Ultra Running community, who, led by the negative and disparaging public comments of the Chairman of the Trail Running Association, had decided I wouldn’t finish, and If I did would take 25 days or more, and was probably cheating …before I stepped foot on the trail. Here was an association set up to promote and support Trail Running doing the exact opposite. It was embarrassing and tarnished what should have been an exciting start. I was determined to harness this negativity and prove them wrong and it became one of my single most effective motivators during the toughest sections.
 |
| Monarch’s Way Penselwood – pic by Lee-Stuart Evans |
The negative sentiment actually tipped too far, and as a positive result so many ultra runners were furious about the online negativity that I was offered GPS trackers for free ( they arrived in a taxi at the start !) and even lodgings in places like Bristol from total strangers who wanted to help.
The plan was for two good friends Jason and Kieran to walk with me as much as possible. We had meticulously planned a ‘rocket booster’ approach as we were aware that neither Kieran nor Jason had much of a chance of completing the whole thing themselves. Jason was to stay with me for the first 3 to 4 days to get me to Stratford Upon Avon. If he felt good would continue and if not drop away. Kieran was to pick up at Stratford and stay with me until I was out of the dreaded Yeovil/ Dorset Loop when I would be on the home straight. I was adamant if I could get to Salisbury it was in the bag as the terrain and trail condition and markers improve considerably from Wincanton onwards.
 |
| Jason Rhodes on the Monarch’s Way in Worcester – pic by Lee-Stuart Evans |
I chose this time of year for a number of reasons, mainly due to crop height ( you traverse a lot of fields with no paths at all) and that the weather had been mild the previous year on my recces of the area.
I could not have been more unlucky with my start date.
From the start the rain started and didn’t let up. By day two Jason and I were literally wading up a torrent of water around the Whiteladies Priory Ruins. Everywhere flooded under a few feet of water and our path become a permanent river wade. We had to use pubs to stop and hang all our gear on radiators and Jason invented ‘Flood Be Gones’ by putting our legs in bin liners up to our thighs then putting our shoes back on to keep our legs and feet dry.
 |
| Kembleton Church on the Monarch’s Way – Pic by Lee-Stuart Evans |
We slept in short bursts in Hay Barns and Church entrances to keep out of the rain and as we approached about 105 miles in I lost Jason to a knee injury that meant he couldn’t go on. I was devastated but also proud that Jason managed such a huge distance in such awful conditions.
 |
| The Monarch’s Way Birmingham by night pic by Lee-Stuart Evans |
During a rather long lonely 26 miles section of Birmingham canals through some rather shabby areas I was lucky enough to have a Monarch’s Way warden show up with hot coffee and breakfast…and even an easter egg. This was to become the start of an increasing and often well needed surprise visit from various people on the route. The tracker I had on me meant people could keep tabs on where I was and easily find me without having to message me.
 |
| A Coffee and chat with one of the Monarchs Way Wardens on the Monarch’s Way in Birmingham |
I left Birmingham with the amazing Netherton Tunnel and a final visit from my friend Bruno who had dropped by a few times whilst I was in the Midlands. The nature of the route in the midlands can be very mentally challenging. There is a loop at Boscobel where you travel nearly 30 miles to get back to where you started at Boscobel house and on day three you pass within a few miles of where you started in Worcester. This can play very heavily on your mental state when you work so hard to basically go no where!
 |
| The Netherton Tunnel on the Monarch’s Way – pic by Lee-Stuart Evans |
After Halesowen Abbey Ruins the floods continued and the relentless bad torrential rain. Kieran joined me from Bromsgrove and Redditch and we battled through terrible weather and floods. Pubs like the Park Gate Inn in Bromsgrove in the area were amazing and stayed open for us to dry clothes and even let us sleep in front of log fire for an hour while our clothes dried off and our electronic gear recharged.
 |
| Lee-Stuart Evans sleeping by a log fire in the Park Gate Inn Bromsgrove on the Monarch’s Way |
 |
| A surprise visit from Lee Fuller near Bromsgrove on the Monarch’s Way |
With floods of up to 4ft deep we got to Stratford Upon Avon at the end of day 4 . We were haggered and exhausted and chose to check in to a Premier Inn on the route to get a few hours decent sleep and dry clothes off. We were both so tired that we temporarily blacked out in a lift on the way to the room and somehow lost each other, and slept right through an alarm I set for 5.30am. We were so tired we agreed we must have needed the rest and the late start the next day didn’t feel like an issue.
After Stratford we finally left the floods behind as we entered the Cotswolds. We met up with John Tennant the Chairman of the Monarch’s Way Association at Higcote House and he walked a few hours with us. He explained he would come and find me again in a few days too.
 |
| Lee-Stuart Evans , Kieran Faul and John Tennant at Higcote House on the Monarch’s Way |
For a 13 mile stretch around Moreton in the Marsh a friend Tom had run along and left a note on every gate I had to go through. It was hugely amusing and a real boost.
 |
| 13 miles of encouraging notes from Tom Walker in the Cotswold on the Monarch’s Way |
After some brutal hilly terrain and a lot of rain I lost Kieran around Cirencester. Like Jason he had managed an amazing 110 miles which was well beyond his prior experience. I was devastated to set off into the second half of the Cotswolds alone, especially as it was so beautiful but he was to continue to help provide logistical help with pub opening times and pacing plans each day remotely and hoped to rejoin me in the last day or two if he was rested and better enough.
 |
| Lambing season on the Monarch’s Way in the Cotswolds – Pic by Lee-Stuart Evans |
Just past Tetbury I ran in to some trouble. I wasn’t aware that Prince Charles official residence Highgrove was in the Cotswolds and passed very very close to it at about 2am on a not often used public right of way. a few miles later I had an unpleasant and hilariously confused altercation with armed policemen who ‘didnt look right’. I was tired and agitated from having to navigate through terribly muddy fields with badly maintained gates and poor signposting ( shame on you HRH) and so gave back as good as they did much to their surprise. It wasn’t until the next day that John Tennant explained where I was and I realised my ‘fake’ armed cops were likely to be the SO14 Armed Royal Protection Officers.
 |
| Passing under Clifton Suspension Bridge on the Monarch’s Way in Bristol |
Bristol was a a real turning point for me. I was met again around the Wick area by two friends Gaz and Charles and also John Tennant turned up again earlier in the day to walk a section with me. Now well towards 250 miles in and I got an offer from someone called Richard who I had never met before to stay at his flat that overlooked the trail near Bristol Temple Meads and wash all my clothes and tumble dry them while I slept. He even made me a cheese omlette for breakfast . I left Bristol for the Mendips the next morning feeling really renewed ( and smelling decent again). My hands and lips had been badly windburnt from the night crossings of the Cotswolds and hurt badly and needed regular attention with chapstick.
 |
| Lee-Stuart Evans crossing the Mendips on the Monarch’s Way |
Everything changed again in the Medips. I had friend called Lee who only knew me through a Facebook group come out and walk with me for a few hours and then was met by Spike who went on to walk 27 miles through the night having never done an ultra before. Although now grassy underfoot and more firm it involves a stile every 200m and a course change to suit with bearings across fields so the navigation is very mentally taxing….and its VERY hilly.
During the section with Spike we slept for a few hours in a bus shelter in Wookey Hole that we dubbed the ‘ Wookey Hole Metropole’. We also stumbled into a house party for caving and potholers and got a cup of tea and a sit down before pushing on into the night. Later as the sun rose I simply dropped to sleep in the rain in a field with no cover … I was so tired I didn’t care.
 |
| Catching 2 hours sleep in a bus shelter in Wookey Hole on the Monarch’s Way |
 |
| Lee-Stuart Evans sleeping in the rain in a field near Wells on the Monarch’s Way |
Leaving a rather tired Spike at Castle Cary I followed the route round Cadbury Hill ( supposedly the seat of King Arthur and Camelot) and was met with some of the most breathtaking scenery of the whole trail. This area was Trevor Antill ( the creator of the trail and author of the guidebooks) favourite spot and I sat on his memorial bench for 5 minutes at Corton Ridge and cried. Joy and sadness. I moved on towards Dorset and what I knew to be the toughest section of the trail and a possible ‘make or break’ point.
 |
| The View from the Trevor Antill Bench near Castle Cary and Cadbury Hill on the Monarch’s Way |
My largest concern for this adventure was what I have come to call ‘The Yeovil Loop’. Its a 75 mile loop down to the dorset coast and return back to Sandford Orcas much later. In many ways psychologically its made worse by the 2 days of effort you put in to get back to exactly where you were. This section caused me concern on my recce last year due to the nature of how remote it is and how aggressively farmers have removed signs of the trail, blocked the trail or deliberately set out to sabotage it. When you add the natural degradation too there are huge sections that involve navigating across fields and crops with no paths and many paths so waterlogged they flow like streams for miles that you just have to wade up.
 |
| Flooded stream sections of the Monarch’s Way in Dorset |
Help came from the Brian who is the warden of the entire area there. He knew it intricately and timed his appearances to help me through some of the worst to navigate areas. He has a vast knowledge of the course and history and told me stories about Trevor and when the course was first established. He admits the difficulty with keeping the course open in this area and can often find areas he has passed through and rebadged have been utterly removed a few weeks later.
 |
| Meeting Brian the warden of the Monarch’s Way in Dorset. |
 |
| The Monarch’s Way on the South West Coastal Path looking towards Golden Cap. – pic by Lee-Stuart Evans |
Between Charmouth and Bridport the Monarch’s Way joins up with the South West Coastal Path. This particular day I took on over 4500 ft of ascent and driving rain with a runner called Lorna ( who had done the South Downs Way 50 days before). The path takes in Golden Cap which is the highest point in the South West and despite the conditions my pace was better than my pace on the Monarchs Way which goes some way to showing how tough the trails in Dorset can be cross country. I’m sure the views from here are spectacular…But I saw very little from the foggy windy summits of each cliff face.
 |
| Climbing Golden Cap on the Monarch’s Way – Lee-Stuart Evans |
By now I had tried a variety of sleeping places, from church entrances and graveyards, a disabled toilet, under trees, bus shelters and a shed near a school. By far the worst was the evening at Broadwindsor when I got stuck in poor visibility on Pilsdon Hill at night and got saturated in torrential rain. By the time I got to Boradwindsor there were no dry options other than the telephone box in the middle of the village. It was dry but afforded no real chance to sleep properly until I gave up caring and poked my feet and legs out through the door in the rain.
 |
| Sheltering from the torrential rain in a telephone box in Broadwindsor on the Monarch’s Way – pic by Lee-Stuart Evans |
Cold and wet and very very tired I arrived after Broadwindsor in Winyards Gap to again find Brian waiting for me with hot soup and tea and ready to march me 12 miles to Yeovil where I could dry out properly in a wetherspoons by laying all my gear out on radiators. I would probably say arriving in Winyards Gap wearing everything I had and still being cold and soaked was my absolute low point of the whole trail.
Once free of the Dorest loop I knew this was in the bag. I had an offer from a friend Susie in Wincanton to sleep for a few hours and wash and tumble dry my gear again so I pushed harder into the night to get there and arrived at about 1.30am with the zig zag tired staggers but pleased I was getting a few good hours sleep and clean and dry gear.
I stocked up on food in Wincanton and headed out to the Roman Roads of Wiltshire. The Cranborne Chase section of the Monarch’s Way is one of my favourites for a few reasons. The chalk soil drains easily so there is no flooding or mud and the roman roads that make up the trail and straight, wide and concrete so my speed hugely increased. For the first time in the run I was also heading in the right direction towards Shoreham and the views were amazing. In one section I could not see single building in any direction. As my spirits lifted and the weather improved my feet started to get much worse as they finally dried out from 2 weeks of trenchfoot. They got much more painful as they dried out and I started getting blisters as my feet got even bigger.
 |
| A Misty Monarch’s Way near Goodwood – Lee-Stuart Evans |
One thing that was noticeable as I headed south and eventually east was how downhill service and hospitailty was in pubs. In the midlands all pubs did everything they could to help, by the time I got to Wiltshire making a toasted cheese sandwich was nearly impossible at the Lamb in Hindon and by the time we got to the Hare and Hounds in Stourton in Hampshire we were met with aggressive anti gay abuse from the landlord and inebriated locals that basically ended in us fleeing the start of a pub fight. It was as funny as it was ridiculous.
 |
| Lee-Stuart Evans sleeping int he The Mitre Pub in Sandford Orcas on the Monarch’s Way |
From the Hampshire Sussex border its obvious that I’m am going to finish. I had a tired but enthusiatic Kieran Faul back with me again and I begin to have a rolling group of friends with me, and everything started to take on a party atmosphere.
People even stuck around for the night sections and I camped in the woods for the last night near Goodwood and woke up a few hours later to a hot breakfast and coffee that had been cooked for me on a stove by friend Russel Banks.
 |
| Lee-Stuart Evans crossing a field in the mist near Goodwood on the Monarch’s Way |
Then places got more familiar as I got closer to Brighton. Before I knew it we had made a final last push through the night to be in Brighton for sunrise with only an hours sleep and I was on Brighton seafront utterly exhausted with about 4 miles to go to get to Shoreham. In a Subway Sandwich shop I stopped for warm coffee and fell asleep holding the cup. The Brighton marathon was about to start so the streets were chaotic. Eventually I was there. I found myself at the jetty at Shoreham where Charles II slipped away safely to France and the trail ends. Its a bleak industrial and messy area and would be a huge anticlimax, but somehow it seemed OK given the relief I had to not have to walk anymore. There were fans of the Monarch’s Way there to greet us and take photos and friends had dropped by in the last hour to say hi before heading off to the start of the marathon. I had finished the entire Monarchs Way in 16 days and about 9 hours. My Garmin watch showed 675 miles but we knew with errors and small diversions to shops this was likely to be closer to 650 miles. This was certainly higher than the 625 mile estimate that had stood up until now. John Tennant had always suspected the trail was longer , partially due to what is referred to as ‘Trevor miles’ and partly due to the numerous diversions and updates over the years that has left book 1 on its third edition.
 |
| Highland Cattle on the South Downs on the Monarchs Way near Old Winchester Hill |
My legs were fine, but my hands had been shredded from windburn and climbing so many stiles and obstacles. My feet had trenchfoot from the 10 days of flooding and as they finally dried out in the last few days had started to get blisters and very painful from the swelling. I had shoes 2 sizes too big for me for the second half of the run and it still wasn’t enough. As I walked through Brighton looking at the homeless people sleeping rough I had a new found respect and sorrow for their plight. I understood more than ever what it takes to keep clean and look half decent when you are homeless. I suspect the next time I do any fundraising in the future it will be for the homeless as a result of this.
 |
| enjoying tea and biscuit in the Royal Oak in Alcester. |
I got a message of congratulations from an Ultra runner friend as I finished. They pointed out I had done 2 Spine Races, a 100 mile Centurion , a 50 Mile Ultra, a Marathon and a park run all in one go.
I had set out to do a fastest known time on the trail but achieved so much more than that. My journey made me realise that this trail is as much ‘Trevors Trail’ as it is a celebration of Charles II. Reading the book and Trevors unique tone and phrasing and following in Trevors footsteps allowed me to come to know a man I’ve never met. I got to chat with wardens of the trail that remember him and had a lightbulb moment sitting alone (with Trevor) south of Cadbury Hill on his memorial bench sharing a chocolate bar with him. Trevors mad, insane , lunatic vision to create and maintain a 600 mile plus trail through the UK was an act you could only expect from an understated Englishman. He set out to show people some of the most scenic parts steeped in history that the UK has to offer, but ended up creating so much more. For me this trail represents some of the greatest friendship and camerarderie I’ve ever seen in trail running, and its easy to see the the parallels with Charles II journey, I was also at the mercy of the locals and friends, sleeping rough and constantly on the move.
 |
| Lee-Stuart Evans Fastest Known Time on the Monarchs Way 2018 at the finish in Shoreham Harbour |
I made new friends, my new friends made other new friends, and a community of walkers and enthusiasts got a taste for Ultra Runners and a mutual respect was easily formed between all. We raised over £2500 to go towards the trail itself and improve the route and signage so that others can enjoy this more, we increased awareness of this trail in the media and most importantly of all we created the first definitive electronic GPS route that’s is easily downloadable on any device so that anyone can now follow this route with an electronic device without the need for the guidebook and signs on the ground. Unlike a sterile race environment with checkpoints my chosen tactic meant I interacted with the local communities, spent money locally and forged positive relationships that will mean I’ll be back in the future. This is how sustainable tourism should be. My Monarch’s Way Adventure has already inspired one person to plan to have a crack at the North Downs Way Fastest Known Time using a similar approach and tactic to me.
 |
| Lee-Stuart Evans on the shoreline of Bridport on the Monarch’s Way |
These adventures don’t need a medal. The rewards on the way were more than enough for me. This was quite simply the toughest, most emotionally and physically high and low, brilliant adventure I’ve ever had. Once confirmed it would appear that the Monarch’s Way may have also leapfrogged ahead of the South West Coastal Path to become Englands longest trail.
I don’t think Trevor would have quite approved, this wasn’t quite his style, but as I sat on his second bench at the end near Shoreham I felt he might have begrudgingly offered me a cup of tea and nod for a job well done. I was now End to Ender no.78. The 78th person to ever have walked the entire Monarchs Way and the first person since Charles II to do it in one go.
I doubt my relationship with the Monarch’s Way is over. I’d like to write some blogs on some of the best sections to encourage others to enjoy them and I may even become a warden of a very small section of the trail as a permanent thankyou. I left too much blood and tears out there to never see it again. Due to the amount of recceing Ive done in the last year a short jaunt soon on the Charmouth to Bridport section will make me the only person to ever be an End to Ender TWICE, and yet I still don’t think I’ve scratched the surface of being an expert on this trail.
 |
| The Trevor Antill memorial bench near Cadbury Hill – pic by Lee-Stuart Evans |
So I’ve finally laid to rest the debate in my other Monarch’s Way blogs about whether doing it in one go is possible. You’ll need a swiss army knife of broad talents and experience in running , walking , navigation, fieldcraft, extreme mental toughness, wild camping and resourcefullness to do it yourself .This is not a runners run. ….and you’ll also need bucket loads of friends, both new and old to make this an adventure and not a miseryfest. I’d also advise doing it either after the harvest in September or around April (provided there are no floods!) any other time of year will have severe challenges with crop height and temperatures.
Everyone gets to build on the prior experience of those that went before them and I have a huge list of people to thank that shared their time and talent to make my challenge a success. I’m proud to be able to provide more now to those that go after me and inevitably beat my time and continue to do more for this gloriously mad trail and one of the UKs last local wildernesses.
Update 2019 – I’m now the proud owner of an utterly fantastic hand drawn map of my adventure by the runner / artist Owen Delaney.
Find out more here
https://waymarked.art/portfolio/the-monarchs-way
Update 2018 – My record has now been recorded and posted on the Fastest Known Time website here
Justgiving page for donations towards maintaining the trail here
Links to Other resources about the Monarch’s Way
my previous blogs about the Monarchs Way are here
kit list breakdown here
BBC Interviews here
Bad Boy Running Podcast here
Bad Boy Little Brother Podcast Interviews here
online press here
feature in the BridportLife News http://www.bridportlife.co.uk/news/village-phone-box-gets-a-blue-plaque-after-epic-journey/
People to Thank
Rat Race gear
Vollebak
Ultimate Direction
Altra Trainers
Pulsin and Beond
Naked Runner Sunglasses
Our special message of thanks
We’d like to thank the following for their incredible encouragement and general awesomeness. Lee has worked very hard to achieve his goal of completing the Monarch’s Way and setting a fastest known time (FKT) for the route. Jason and Kieran have been fervent for many months in their desire for Lee to achieve his goal and threw their hats into the ring to join him but both had reservations about their own abilities to see him through, so the support of all of these brilliant people has been so important. We’ve thought quite carefully about this in the hope of not leaving anyone out but if we have we apologise sincerely and we assure you it’s due to an addled brain not lack of appreciation.
John Tennant and the Monarch’s Way Association in general, many of whom came out to meet us/Lee and offer encouragement. Some brought coffee, some came along for a walk and a chat, all were wonderful. Rather than run the risk of forgetting any one person I’m not going to attempt to list every MWA Warden who generously gave their time, but special mention must go, as well as John, to Brian who popped up when Lee was facing one of the most challenging portions of the route and a friendly face with a demonstrable love of and knowledge of the trail was invaluable.
Richard Weremiuk who manages Beyond Marathon and Eventstracking.comwho came out of the blue to offer us use of his live tracking system, at very short notice and without even asking for any money, ensuring that all of Lee’s effort was incontestable.
Jody Raynsford who suffered through many hours of inane babbling over the phone and sifted this into acceptable podcast/Youtube content while also providing a much-needed outlet for Lee’s venting when he was on his own. And then for coming out for some Sussex.
Bruno Mustone who encouraged passers-by in Birmingham to believe that a sleeping Lee was homeless and also helped Lee walk in a straight line through the Netherton Tunnel.
The Park Gate Inn near Bromsgrove, who welcomed us in from the rain and gave us tea that I don’t think we paid for and then let us nap by the fire in their other room for an hour.
Lee Fuller and surprise McDonalds.
The Royal Oak in Alcester, who let us hang out and dry wet clothes, brought us endless tea and when we asked if they were serving food said, “No, but I’ll make you some sandwiches”. They were good sandwiches.
Tom Walker and his insulting messages that he put 13 miles of overnight work into.
Tom Walker’s Stepdad who we met a few hours later in the pub and told us all about Tom’s teenage crossdressing phase.
Andy and the lads from the Donnington Brewery who gave us the inspiration for the Donny Ring Ultra (more info in future).
Gaz Morris who came out for the Bristol approach and then came back in better weather for some Sussex.
Charles Howes who came out with Gaz and was sensible enough to not come back at all.
Richard Cranswick who lives right on the route and allowed his place to become an impromptu aid station.
Spike Neal who achieved marathon distance and ultra distance simultaneously through the Mendips while entertaining Lee with Monarch’s Way Jackanory and potholing helmets.
Lee Francis who put in many miles of cheerful company in the Mendips despite having to repeatedly carry his dog over all the styles.
Lorna and Dominic Spayne who found Lee when he was very low and brought him right back up, twice.
Susi Calder who provided great company on the trail as well as making her home an aid station.
Anne Garnish and her unlicensed involuntary invaluable foot care.
Eddie Simmonds for coming out for some company and getting lost.
Dan Barrett for entertaining me with his shock at Lee’s general behaviour and Lee with his insistence that 50 miles “is a long way”.
Marie Pollitt for being the ‘light at the end of the tunnel’ that was a particularly morale-sapping section.
Russel Banks for coming out for some company, getting lost, recovering, getting us lost, recovering, and making up for it with coffee.
Heather Paterson for coming out for some company, getting lost, admitting she had no phone, no natural navigational ability and only a map that she’s drawn in crayon based on the paid-race version of the Monarch’s Way route, then trying again anyway and getting lost again.
Russel Stobbs for making more offers of joining us than anyone else and even managing to deliver on one of them.
Allan Robertson for keeping us sane during the last leg and for his heartfelt appreciation of the challenges the route can hold. And especially for the lift home!
St John Ambulance who technically entered the story quite a bit after the end of the route but were memorable in their friendliness and helpfulness…and the look of horror on their faces when they beheld 16 days and 9 hours of foot damage.
Trevor Antill himself. The man, the myth, the legend. Trevor is the author of the guidebooks, the researcher and compiler of the Monarch’s Way. Reading his description of the route is as entertaining as it is frustrating but to have completed the journey without his books would have been not only impossible but also without the heart and soul of this intelligent funny man. He completed the entire route 9 times in total (in sections) and after he sadly passed in 2010 the Minders of the trail carried his boots in relay for the full 10th completion that he wished he’d been able to make.
Last but not least everyone who sent messages of support and friendly abuse, and even the not-so-friendly abuse as it all spurred us on! We know some people wanted to get out on the trail but couldn’t, and honestly, the thought does count.
Thanks to your encouragement and support, the impossible is done, and we have raised about £2.5k (and counting) for the Monarch’s Way Association. We hope that you have seen through our grumbles about flooding and rain and have gotten a taste of just how wonderful this immense trail is. It takes you not just through geography, but through history as well, and once the GPS data is available to accompany the guidebooks we hope you will consider having a go on a section or two (when the weather is nice!). If you haven’t yet listened to the BBC radio interviews and the podcasts/Youtube interviews, you definitely should. We hoped to raise awareness of the trail by undertaking this challenge, and it makes sense to hope that some of the people reading this will be inspired to get their own guidebooks and get out there too!
Ta very much!
LSE, JR & KF
7 thoughts on “The Monarch’s Way Fastest Known Time – How I was faster than a Prince and became End to Ender 78”