WOULD HELEN DAVIES BE ABLE TO BETTER HER TIME AT THE CLASSIC QUARTER, A 46-MILE ULTRAMARATHON ON THE PUNISHING SOUTH WEST COAST PATH?

CLASSIC QUARTER

The South West Coast Path combines spectacular scenery with challenging terrain

It takes something pretty special to persuade me to set my alarm for 3:45am. Luckily, the Classic Quarter is a pretty special race. It sets offfrom Lizard Point, the most southerly point in England, and follows the South West Coast Path National Trail to Land’s End, the most westerly. The trail dips in and out of rugged coves, and passes a spectacular clifftop theatre and the kind of picturesque ruined mine buildings that will be familiar to Poldark fans.

Running from one major landmark to another makes for a satisfying route, which you can run solo, or as a two- or four-person relay team. It’s usually about 44 miles, but this year, heavy winter rains had washed away parts of the path, so we’d have a few diversions, adding an extra two miles. Despite this, I was hoping to beat the time I managed when I ran it as my first ultra last year, and hopefully get in under 10 hours.