Our Trail 25K Could Be the Highlight of Your London Marathon Training
We Run Ealing ambassador, Afe Komolafe completed our Trail 25K, part of the Queen of the Suburbs event, to support her London Marathon training. She answers our questions to share how she prepared for the event and what she thought of the whole experience:
Q. You took part in the inaugural QOTS Ultra, how was your experience?
A. I had an amazing experience. The event was very well organised from start to finish.
Q. What made you enter the event?
A. Being a West-Londoner, it’s a local event to me and I always like to support local events either via running or volunteering. I was also training for the London Marathon and used the event as part of my training.
Q. What level of training did you do to get ready for the event?
A. I was following a 16-week training plan for the London Marathon. I was into Week 12 of the plan at the time of the QOTS event.
Q. What was your highlight of the event?
A. It’s hard to pick a particular highlight because I enjoyed the whole race. I would say though that running the entire race with two friends and not getting lost once because of the excellent signage was pretty special.
Q. Did you purchase any specific kit or equipment for the event and if so, what did you buy?
A. No. I did not purchase any specific kit or equipment for the event.
Q. What did you carry with you whilst running the event?
A. I wore my hydration vest which had all my race essentials in it- fluids, gels, snacks, tissue, petroleum jelly, hand sanitiser.
Q. Is the event suitable for beginners and if so, why?
A. Yes, I believe the event is suitable for beginners who have trained for the distance. The volunteers are very helpful and the course is well-signed with well-stocked aid stations.
Q. Why is trail running different to road running?
A. With trail running, I get to enjoy nature- running through unbeaten paths and experiencing a sense of calm which I don’t get from road running. There is also an element of mystery not fully knowing what you may encounter i.e. a fallen tree which you somehow have to navigate over to get to the other side. The different surfaces trail running presents also helps with strengthening core muscles. Balance is key to trail running.
Q. If you could give one bit of advice to somebody taking on the event for the first time, what would it be?
A. Come prepared to have fun!
Q. Would you run the event again in the future?
A. Absolutely!
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