09 Dec Conquering the ultimate Go Beyond challenge: Four races, 180-miles, one Grand Slam!
“Part of the way through the last race, we had to leg it to make the cut-off. I felt sick, but it is amazing what you can do when you have to.
“The feeling of achievement at the end makes it all worth it.”
Karen Hamilton is one of four incredible runners to complete our Go Beyond Grand Slam in 2024.
This remarkable achievement saw Karen, along with Elizabeth Phipps, Jayne Rudolf and Steve Yates (Steve’s Grand Slam hoodie and race numbers are pictured above), complete the Country to Capital, Rose of the Shires, Shires and Spires and Thames Trail ultras – 180-miles of hills, trails, mud, canals and glory.
The ‘we’ she talks about refers to her and running partner, Beryl de Smedt, who finished three of the four races alongside Karen, but sadly DNF’d at the season ending Thames Trail.
Perhaps the brightest star in a sky of them was Elizabeth Phipps, who finished with the fastest time across the four races to win our coveted Go Beyond Gram Slam Shield 2024.
All of the successful runners also received a Go Beyond Grand Slam hoodie to recognise their achievement.
From the famous, ultra-season opening Country to Capital, through the Rose of the Shires and its Shires & Spires sibling, to a jaunt along the Thames, all four ultra marathons offer unique challenges.
So, what would prompt someone to sign up for such a huge undertaking?
For Jayne Rudolph, it was the ability to keep fit and active while preparing to take on 100-mile races throughout the 2024 season.
“When I saw the Grand Slam, I thought it was a good challenge to do,” she said. “I love the varied routes Go Beyond do, as they keep things interesting.
“I love the sense of adventure you get, and the places ultra marathons take me. There’s nothing like running. It is like a drug when the adrenaline gets going.
“You meet lots of other people at these events, at all different stages of their journey, whether they are trying for their first ultra or have done a lot.”
For Karen, it was about trying something different.
An experienced runner, she has racked up close to 100 marathons and a host of ultra races, but was becoming “bored” of doing the same routes and races.
She said: “I just needed something to push me, somewhere different and a bit more of a challenge.
“These races were at places I hadn’t been before and the cut-offs were quite tight for me.”
Karen first came upon Go Beyond last year when she won an entry to Shires & Spires. She loved it so much that she signed-up to take part in Country to Capital this January.
“Then I saw the Grand Slam,” she added. “I think I regretted the decision to enter at some point in every race, but I’m glad I got to the end.”
This year’s runners join a small, elite group of racers who have completed the Go Beyond Grand Slam. Indeed, the four finishers doubled the ranks of those who had previously achieved the slam.
The Fab Four:
Country to Capital – This 43-mile run takes you from Buckinghamshire to Little Venice in London and is a fantastic winter countryside event, as well as the start of the ultra running season in the UK.
Rose of the Shires – 54-miles of beautiful Northamptonshire country trails, roads and towpath, with a route that features around 70% trail and 30% on road.
Shires and Spires – A 35-mile race based in the village of Naseby, this event takes in some of the most interesting country houses and historical sites in England (and includes a host of alternative distances).
Thames Trail – A tough, but fun, 47-mile run along the Thames from Oxford to Henley, taking in beautiful houses and traditional rowing clubs.
Images below: Adrian Howes captured a host of brilliant images from all of our Grand Slam races
One reason runners fear getting to the end of the Grand Slam is the risk of picking up injuries along the way, but Jayne said the challenge is definitely “doable” as the individual races are spread out throughout the year.
She even managed to overcome picking up an injury in the middle of the year: “Experience gets you through, looking after your body and slowing down.
“It was a really good achievement. I was buzzing as I went over the line. It felt really good, although there was relief in there as well.”
Karen and Beryl completed Country to Capital, Rose of the Shires, and Shires & Spires together, taking more than 14 hours to complete the second of those races.
“In the second race, we finished in the dark,” Karen said. “We were wondering why we did it, but we were committed by that point.”
She said running at the ‘back of the pack’ can be a fantastic experience, although she wouldn’t recommend finishing in the dark.
“I always say we get our monies worth at the back,” she added. “We took lots of photos, which some of the fast ones don’t get to do. You get to see a lot. If I can do it anyone can.
“Apart from the cut-offs I never try to do a fast time. I do it for the experience and to say I completed it.”
One of the reasons Jayne said she loved the Grand Slam was the variety of distances within the races. Many ultras take place over 50km, 50-mile, 100km, or 100-mile distances, but the four Grand Slam events are 43, 54, 35 and 47 miles, making for a varied and different experience.
Asked what she would say to anyone considering taking the Grand Slam on, Jayne had a straight-forward reply: “Definitely do it.”
Karen was equally positive: “Just go for it. It is amazing what your body can do.
“The organisation was great. I met some great people and even helped a few newbies along the way.”
TALE OF THE TAPE:
Elizabeth Phipps
- Country to Capital: 08:05:06
- Rose of the Shires: 10:19:14
- Shires & Spires: 06:44:36
- Thames Trail: 09:05:40
- Total minutes: 2053
Jayne Rudolf
- Country to Capital: 08:35:10
- Rose of the Shires: 11:53:50
- Shires & Spires: 07:00:20
- Thames Trail: 10:48:28
- Total minutes: 2296
- Country to Capital: 07:30:04
- Rose of the Shires: 12:27:19
- Shires & Spires: 07:18:14
- Thames Trail: 11:19:27
- Total minutes: 2314
- Country to Capital: 10:43:40
- Rose of the Shires: 14:00:41
- Shires & Spires: 08:33:13
- Thames Trail: 11:18:58
- Total minutes: 2674