Going the distance
Ultrawalking, which sees participants take part in super-walks generally longer than a marathon in length, is surging in popularity. But why? Convert Helen Hopkins explains
As Helen Hopkins limped across a field, she winced in pain. Together with her friend Lucy, the pair had already walked the equivalent of a marathon in the summer heat. Large blisters now covered the whole sole of one of her feet.
“I took a step and felt them all pop at once,” says Helen, 41, a wellness coach (thebalancecoach.co.uk), who lives in Bath with Mark, 43, a company director, and daughters Ophelia, 11, and nine-year-old Eve.
“It was excruciating, but there were four miles until the end of the race and I was determined to make it to the finish line.”
Ultrawalking her way to success, Helen was completing Race to the Stones, a two-day 100km (62 miles) adventure from Oxfordshire to Buckinghamshire, where you can walk, jog or run the distance.
The novice pair trekked 50km to complete day one in 2019, then finished day two – also 50km – in 2021. Each took a gruelling 12 hours to complete.
“It was brutal but I wanted to do something I could feel proud of,” explains Helen.
And ultrawalking is a rapidly growing trend.
Julian White of the Long Distance Walkers Association says: “We have seen more interest than ever before, and an increase in members.”
He puts its popularity down to people’s post-pandemic yearning for adventure.
“There’s a health element as walking is good for the body and the mind, but also people want to challenge themselves,” he says.
“The pandemic has given many people more flexibility to explore their local area, and that can be addictive.”
Official ultrawalking challenges see participants complete events of distances above the marathon length of 42km, often against the clock.
But Julian says anyone can have a go by simply trying a long walk in their own time. All you need is a sturdy pair of shoes.
“Ultrawalking is an accessible hobby,” he says. “Walking isn’t as physically demanding as many sports, making it suitable for all ages.
“Done individually or with friends, it’s generally cheap and doesn’t require expensive equipment. And, often, once people get started, they want to challenge themselves to walk longer distances.”
This was certainly true for “fitness-phobic” Helen.
“I used to shy away from exercise, believing it wasn’t something I was able to do,” she says. Until her early 30s, Helen worked as a wedding planner, working exhausting 18-hour days. She gained weight, drinking fizzy drinks and snacking on cake.
“It crept up until I stopped being able to recognise myself in the mirror,” she says.
Aged 35, she was diagnosed as prediabetic.
“It was a huge shock. I needed to turn my life around,” says Helen, who embarked on a high-fat, low-carb diet, lost 2.5 stone, and started having holistic therapies like reflexology.
“It all helped, but I still felt there was something missing,” she says.
Meanwhile, Helen and her friend Lucy often cheered on their fitnessmad husbands as they competed in 10km races and half marathons together.
“We were always on the sidelines supporting them, carrying the kids,” says Helen.
“We thought, enough. We wanted to take on a challenge and have our husbands cheer at the finish line.”
Having read about Race to the Stones, they gave it a go.
“We don’t do things by halves,” laughs Helen.
“Although I was nervous and didn’t know if I’d be able to complete it.”
To train, she began going for weekend walks with a friend.
Building up to walking for a few hours at a time, they eventually did a 30km (18 miles) stint before the big day. Helen was hooked.
“Walking has done more for my mental and physical health than any therapy I’ve tried,” she says.
“I always thought fitness wasn’t for me, but with walking I found something I loved and could do. I felt fitter than I’d ever done before, and in a really good place mentally.”
Along with the low-impact, fitness-boosting benefits of walking, which strengthens bones, improves cardiovascular fitness, and aids weight loss, science shows spending time in nature helps mental health.
“When I’m in nature, I can truly relax,” agrees Helen.
In summer 2019, she and Lucy set off on the first leg of their 100km trek, walking boots on, bananas, porridge pots and water in their backpacks.
“I was nervous we wouldn’t make it,” says Helen.
“But it was so exciting having something to aim for.”
She and Lucy walked through fields, over streams and up hills, taking in the beautiful Oxfordshire countryside.
But hours into their walk, they began to tire.
“At times, we were so exhausted and almost delirious,” says Helen, who describes being charged at by cows and climbing a tree to escape. But, after 12 hours, they crossed the finish line.
“The feeling still makes me really tearful,” says Helen.
“It was a real sense of personal achievement which I’d never experienced until that moment. I felt like I could do anything.”
And two years later post pandemic, the friends completed the second day of the race. Now Helen walks most weekends for several hours.
She’s reversed her prediabetes, and is fitter than she’s ever been.
“Walking saved me. I went from being prediabetic and stressed, to feeling healthy and present in my life,” says Helen, who hopes to take part in more events this summer.
And you can too.
Indeed, if you fancy taking on Race to the Stones, this year’s event will be held on July 9 and 10.
Visit thresholdtrailseries.com to sign up.
“And if I can do it, anyone can,” says Helen.
■■For tips on getting started, routes near you and challenges to take part in, visit ldwa.org.uk
I thought fitness wasn’t for me but I’ve found something that I love