2026 was meant to be my first year stepping up to the 100-mile distance. After a combination of illness and injury, I’ve decided to postpone that goal for another year.
It wasn’t an easy decision, but it’s one I’m confident is the right one.
Towards the end of 2025, I was hit hard by flu and was ill for almost four weeks throughout November. That illness alone was enough to derail my plans and ultimately forced me to cancel the first race I had booked for 2026: the Arc of Attrition, a 100-mile race around the coast of Cornwall.
That period of illness didn’t just affect my training — it gave me time to reflect more honestly on where my fitness and readiness really were.
Why I’m not rushing the 100-mile step
Even once I’d recovered, I wasn’t fully convinced I was ready to move up to the 100-mile distance.
When I do take that step, I want to do it with confidence and intent — not just to finish, but to perform well. For me, that means having a solid base of strong 100 km performances behind me. My personal benchmark is to have multiple sub-12-hour 100 km races, and I didn’t feel that my final races of 2025 met that standard well enough to justify making the jump.
Postponing the 100 miles isn’t about fear or doubt — it’s about patience and earning the right to move up.
The plan for 2026: speed first, distance later
As a result, 2026 will be another year focused primarily on the 100km distance. My goal is to break 8 hours in at least three races.
I’ll also be starting the year slightly differently, with my first ever road marathon: the Brighton Marathon, where I’ll be targeting a sub-3-hour finish. The plan is to use that marathon block to build speed and durability, then carry that fitness into the 100km races that follow.
Everything will build towards my peak race of the year:
SVP100: A key marker of progression
My main focus for 2026 will be the SVP100 in August. If all goes well, this will be my fourth time on that start line and third finish.
- 2022: 15 hours 20 minutes
- 2024: 12 hours 34 minutes
That improvement represents a huge amount of learning, consistency, and progression, and the SVP100 has become a personal benchmark for where I’m at as an ultra runner. I’m excited to see what’s possible there with better speed, stronger fundamentals, and a more patient build-up.
Goals for 2026
- ✅ Complete a sub-3-hour road marathon
- ✅ Complete three sub-12-hour 100km races
The 100 miles isn’t going anywhere. When I take that step, I want to arrive prepared, confident, and ready to do it properly.
Chris runs ultras 
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