CLC Striders Race Report from UTMB Arc of Attrition - Friday 24 to Sunday 26 January 2025
Two intrepid lady CLC Striders journeyed to the south-west tip of the English mainland to do battle as part of the infamous ‘Arc of Attrition’ ultra-marathon event, hosted by UTMB. Comprising a hundred-mile race (yes, that’s 100 miles!) along the Cornish coastal footpath from Coverack on the south coast to Porthtowan on the north coast, it has at least a 50% DNF (did not finish) rate – and so not for the faint-hearted. Perfect for the indestructible Helen Knight and the indominable Sarah Bergdahl to pit themselves against.
The course had plenty of ankle-deep mud, unavoidable puddles, rocky sections, more ascents and descents than you could count, with so, so many steps to contend with – not to mention running through the cover of darkness through the night!
Sarah Bergdahl ran really well, completing 55 miles before retiring at Land’s End at 6am on the Saturday morning. Although Sarah didn’t complete the race, it’s an immense achievement to run those tough first fifty miles or so – mostly in darkness.
Helen battled onward, turning back north-eastwards along the northern Cornish coast, in the end crossing the finish line after 100 miles of gruelling trail running in 29 hours and 18 minutes – as 7th lady and 106th overall. She had to change her socks twice during the race and binned her trail shoes at the end, such was the battering they had endured.
In typically understated fashion, Helen is already looking for her ‘next challenge’, and, rather than groaning about how broken her body was, at the end she was reminiscing about the endless cups of tea and stroop waffles that got her through and her memories of the incredibly foamy sea at Kynance Cove, being hit by the spray from the ocean at Porthleven and an absolute downpour at Marazion.