Townshend Performance Insights

Ultra runners don’t need gels — but they’re a powerful tool when paired with real food. From potatoes and wraps to homemade pouches inspired by baby-food prep, this guide explores how to fuel long days on the trails without wrecking your stomach. Learn what works, what doesn’t, and how to balance comfort with performance.

Off-road running reshapes every part of how you move, think and train. Hills demand strength, technique and judgement—yet give back confidence, resilience and long-term enjoyment. When you understand why the mountains change everything, you can train for decades of rewarding, sustainable running.

A Brief History of the Race: The Three Peaks Race The Three Peaks Race - often called “the marathon with mountains” - has been a cornerstone of British fell running since 1954. Starting and finishing in the beautiful village of Horton-in-Ribblesdale, the race takes in the Yorkshire Dales’ three highest peaks: Pen-y-Ghent (694 m) Whernside (736 m) Ingleborough (723 m) Over the years, the course has evolved in length and terrain but remains roughly 24 miles with around 1,600

Returning to running after having a baby? Learn why rushing back can be risky, and discover a safe 6-18 month postpartum running plan to rebuild strength, protect your pelvic floor, and return to training safely.

1. Race Overview & Context What is the OCC? OCC is one of the Finals races in the UTMB World Series. It is essentially the “shorter ultra” (mid-distance ultra) final, sitting between the lottery-accessible 20 km and the longer CCC / UTMB races. montblanc.utmb.world +1 For 2026, OCC is listed as ~57 km with ~3,500 m of positive elevation gain. The maximal allowed race time is long (~ 14h 30m as of the 2026 edition) to account for technical terrain, weather, and altitude effect

by Coach Kat - The Lap Finisher (four years ago) Hey there, soon-to-be Ultra Runner! First of all, huge congratulations on signing up for The Lap Ultra. You’ve already done the hardest part - deciding to take on something bold, beautiful, and a little bit bonkers. I ran my first Lap four years ago in May - a day I’ll never forget . We had storm winds, hail, and freezing rain pelting down for hours. It was wild! There were moments I could barely see the trail through the m