Why The Wall is the perfect beginner friendly ultramarathon

Thinking about stepping beyond 26.2 miles and taking on your first ultramarathon? If you've been inspired by the growing world of ultra running but aren't sure where to start, we're here to show you that an ultramarathon is more achievable than you might think. The perfect place to begin your ultra running journey is The Wall – one of the UK's biggest, most iconic and beginner-friendly ultramarathons.

With its generous completion pace, outstanding finisher rate, fully supported course and stunning route through Hadrian's Wall country, The Wall has helped tens of thousands of runners and walkers successfully complete their first ultra since 2012.

Here are our top 10 reasons why The Wall is the ideal first ultramarathon for anyone looking to go beyond the marathon distance and discover what they're truly capable of.

1. It is fully waymarked

When it's your first time tackling 100mk+ you don't want to spend the whole time checking your watch to make sure you didn't miss a turn. At The Wall we waymark the entire 70 miles with our bright orange arrows and all you have to do is keep following them.

2. It is fully supported

This means you can do it without a crew or without any supporters joining you on the day. We'll take your bags at the start and move them to the finish for you, we also transport a drop bag for you to our Hexham Pit Stop for any mid-event essentials you might need (a change of clothes and a toothbrush and toothpaste are popular items!) and then we'll take that to the finish for you too. We also have a free local shuttle service at the end running on a loop which will take you to city centre hotels or to Newcastle train station. During the event we also have an in person sweeper at the back and we have a fully sweeper vehicle logistic which will pick you up if you have to retire.

3. The Legendary pit stops

If there's one thing we do exceptionally well it's snacks. Many #ratracers refer to this adventure as a walking picnic! Our Pit Stops are stocked full of real food to help fuel you along those 70 miles. We make a real effort to cater to all dietary requirements and we'll always have a wide range of vegan/veggie options alongside dairy free/gluten free snacks which are kept separate.

4. You can walk the whole thing

Stressing about how fast you're going, pushing yourself too hard to hit a cut off is not what we're about. We want to see you get to the finish and The Wall is designed to be completed at a 3mph pace allowing for time at Pit Stops and checkpoints. Our cut offs are generous and we will support you in every way we can on the day to keep you trekking! You can view the cut offs on The Wall event page under FAQs.

Volunteers helping participants at pit stop

5. Our volunteers are the best

On the day the people at the Pit Stops and at the finishline are our amazing volunteers who donate their time to come and help cheer you on. They are friendly, encouraging and they can make a real difference to your day and lift your spirits, lots of them are fellow #ratracers who have been where you are or have experience on ultramarathons and the empathy and help they can offer is so valuable. You can volunteer at our other events too to earn credit to put towards your next adventure!

6. We employ paid paramedics not volunteer first aiders

We hope you won't need them but if you do we only use paid professional event medics Trail Med to ensure you are in the very best hands, with a dedicated private ambulance on the day so we aren't relying on local services to get you the help you need quickly.

7. We don't care how fast you are

We recognise that some people want to push themselves and see how fast they can complete this epic adventure, we also understand that to some people that comparison is the thief of joy and being 'slower' than you thought you would be can be disheartening if you are in a race. That's why we do not bill The Wall (or any of our events!) as races, we're all about finish lines not finish times and we celebrate everyone's incredible achievement equally.

8. The #ratracer camaraderie

We know everyone says it but our customers really are a friendly bunch! When you're out there at 2am in the morning the bond you'll make with the #ratracer next to you is like no other! Our events are well known for being welcoming, inclusive environments and there is no reason to be daunted about coming along alone. We also operate buddy stations at our Pit Stops where you can find other people to walk/run with through the night.

9. You can split the cost

We know forking out for a big event can be a barrier to entry, that is why every single one of our events can be split into interest free monthly payments to help spread out the cost of putting something amazing on your bucket list.

10. 90% completion rate

All of the above means this event gives you an absolutely stellar shot at making it to the end. Almost all of those who cross the start line will finish, it might not be pretty and it might not be fast but the unwavering support of everyone around you will see you achieve something amazing.