The Expedition Journals

I ran my first trail marathon last month, and that necessitated an investment into a hydration solution; even in mid-July, at night, it was warm enough to need constant re-hydration. The Nathan VaporKrar 4 litre Men's Race Vest was my chosen ultra-running hydration vest, and it performed faultlessly. The Nathan Sport range has been my turn-to option for previous hydration needs; in 2016 I tested, and now frequently use their TrailMix Insulated Running Belt . However, with the increased distance of the marathon event, and plans to do more future ultra-running events, I wanted something with more storage capacity. The Nathan VaporKrar 4 litre is a lightweight race-ready ultra-running hydration vest. It has a close-fitting apparel like fit, a large amount of adjustment, a rear pocket that will hold a 1.5 litre hydration bladder, as well as two soft flasks on the front of the vest, and multiple stash pockets. An empty VaporKrar 4 weighs a miniscule 181 grams (size small, with ...

" I have never run more than 23 kilometres before… " is my response, when stood in the fading light at The Needles a fellow 'Challenge the Wight' participant asks if I can " run like you bike ". On hearing my reply, he looks at me with a slight wince " Ah, right… well. Good luck."… As the sunset casts an orange haze on the English Channel, and a warm westerly wind blows in over the cliffs of Alum Bay, I slightly nervously await the start of my first marathon… off-road, through the fast approaching darkness. 21:00 — The gun sounds, and amidst a cheer of support from friends and family, we are off. Up the lane to the coastguard cottages and the old rocket launch site; from where we will then turn eastwards, and traverse the downlands backbone of the Isle of Wight all the way to the finish at Culver Down — 26 miles (42 km) and 2900 feet (890 m) of climbing. This could be a long night. Up over Tennyson Down; down to Freshwater Bay; then up agai...