Why People Don't Finish

Your pace will slow in the second half of the race. As pace drops, so does the heat you generate. The sun goes down somewhere around mile 35-45 for most runners, depending on start time and pace. At that point, the temperature drops and the wind picks up on the exposed sections of the Wall. Runners who felt fine in a single layer at mile 10 are suddenly under-dressed at mile 45 - and once you are cold and wet, it is very hard to recover without stopping completely.

Layer up before you get cold, not after. The most common mistake is waiting until you feel the chill before putting on a layer. By then you are already losing heat faster than your body can replace it.

Carry your mid-layer accessible from the start and put it on as the sun drops regardless of whether you feel cold yet. Put on a fresh dry base layer at Hexham - the one you started in will be soaked with sweat by that point. Have your waterproof jacket accessible at all times. Rat Race also recommend a packable insulated jacket - a lightweight down or synthetic puffy - for runners who think they may struggle with the cold overnight.

70 miles means tens of thousands of footstrikes. Small amounts of friction in locations you barely notice at mile 5 become serious blisters by mile 30. Feet also swell during long efforts - shoes that fitted perfectly in training can feel tight by the afternoon. Wet feet from stream crossings, dew-soaked grass, or rain accelerate blister formation significantly.

Prevention is the priority. Lube all friction points before the start - toes, heels, the ball of the foot. Consider taping known problem areas with zinc oxide or Leukotape before you start. Wear socks you have trained in. If you feel a hot spot, stop immediately and address it - do not walk on hoping it will settle. Three minutes fixing a hot spot at mile 20 saves you a race-ending blister by mile 35.

A pair of fresh dry socks in your Hexham drop bag is strongly recommended. See the dedicated foot care guide for full detail on prevention, taping and treatment.

Eating too little early in the race - often because you feel fine and don't feel like eating - leaves you running on empty by the night section. At that point your body cannot process food fast enough to recover the deficit. Eat before you are hungry, consistently, from the first hour. The pit stops have food - use them. See the nutrition guide.

Eating too much sugar, trying new foods, or drinking too many gels can shut your stomach down. Nausea at mile 50 with 20 miles still to run is brutal. Train your gut before race day with the same foods and drinks you will use in the race. Mix sweet and savoury throughout. If your stomach turns on you, switch to bland food - plain broth, crisps, bread - and back off on gels until it settles.

Both dehydration and over-hydration cause problems. Drinking too little on a warm day leads to performance decline and cramping. Drinking too much plain water dilutes blood sodium and causes hyponatremia - a serious condition whose symptoms can feel like tiredness. Use electrolytes in your water - see the electrolytes section for guidance.

The Wall covers a mix of terrain - road, trail, uneven stone paths. Ankle rolls happen, particularly late in the race when concentration drops and foot placement becomes sloppy. Fatigue makes it worse. Strength training - particularly single-leg work and calf raises - significantly reduces injury risk by building the stability muscles around the ankle. See the training guide. Running poles can also help on rough ground and reduce the ankle loading on descents.

IT band syndrome, quad failure on descents, and general knee pain are common in the second half. Walking the downhills rather than running them - particularly after Hexham - saves your quads for the final stretch. Poles redistribute load off the legs significantly on any gradient. S&C work in the months before the race is the best long-term prevention.

70 miles is enough distance that chafing you would never notice on a marathon can become severely painful. Inner thighs, underarms, nipples (for men especially), waistband and vest shoulder straps are the main locations. Bodyglide or Vaseline applied generously before the start to all potential friction points. Reapply at Hexham. Carry a small tube in your vest. See the chafing section in the foot care guide.

• Train your gut with race-day nutrition in long runs
• Do S&C work - glutes, hips, single-leg stability
• Train in your full race kit including vest and poles if using
• Do at least one night run before race day
• Pack a full change of clothes for your Hexham drop bag
• Check the mandatory kit list and carry all required items
• Know your "why" - a real, specific reason you are doing this

• Eat and drink from the first hour, before hunger hits
• Lube feet and all friction points before the start
• Carry mid-layer accessible - put it on before the sun sets
• Stop immediately when you feel a hot spot on your feet
• Change into dry kit at Hexham - fresh top, fresh socks
• Talk to other runners when you feel low
• Break the race into segments - the next pit stop, not the finish