In good British fashion, the rain formed sheets of grey, hammering against the determined racers who trenched forward through the beautiful Southern Upland Way. For 215 miles, these brave and tenacious runners would encounter rain, elevation and boggy trails as they crossed the southern width of Scotland.
Nikki Han was no novice when it came to these trails, as she had grown up in the land of the brave before moving to Hong Kong with her husband in 2004. However, it was 2010 when her running journey truly began.
“I was instantly hooked on trail running. I started with 15km races, then moved to 25km, then 50 km, then 100 km; I have lost track of how many 100km I have done over the years.
“One of my first challenges to myself was the Grand Slam 2015/16 in Hong Kong, which back then was to do the four major 100km races over four months, so one per month. I completed that, which then left me wanting more.”
She has completed some of the world’s most decorated footraces, including Ultra Trail Mt Fuji 100miles, UTMB, West Highland Way race, 9 Dragons 50/50, Hardcore 100 in the Philippines, a very tough 100miles up in Nueva Vizcaya and going up to Mt Pulag at 2928m, as well as races in China.
She has also completed the Hong Kong 4 Trails Ultra Challenge, a 300km 14500m self-supported challenge: “To become a finisher, you need to finish under 60hrs and to be a survivor under 72hrs. I finished in 58hrs 20min and became the first female ever to finish under 60hrs. I then went on to finish again in 2021.”
Even the pandemic couldn’t contain her passion for the sport, as she managed to ‘Everest’ a local hill, “circumnavigating anti-clockwise and clockwise the Island she lives on, which is around 120 km and a “100mile challenge called the 9Buffaloes, which I created for myself.”
Therefore, entering the Race Across Scotland® 215 mile was an excellent way for her to participate in a race in her home country and involve family and friends.
“I followed the 2022 RAS and was completely taken over by the fact that I could go from the West Coast to the East Coast under my own power. The fact it was in Scotland made it more appealing. The route looked stunning and challenging, so I signed without hesitation and was delighted to get a spot.”
This year’s race saw some of the most wet conditions, with it raining almost the entirety of the time the racers were out. Coming from Hong Kong, where she consistently trained in 35-degree heat, Nikki had already anticipated she might feel the cold more acutely.
The ground was boggy and slippery, and Nikki admits she was unprepared for having wet feet for 70+ hours and the impact that could have.
“Even though I had a change of socks and shoes. The last 33kms from the last checkpoint to the finish were some of my most painful steps which slowed me down considerably.”
Nevertheless, Nikki Han claimed the first female in the race with an astonishing time of 73:28:29 (h:mm:ss).
“I tried to research the route as much as I could beforehand, but without actually stepping onto the course itself, my strategy was to go steadily and keep moving forward. I wanted to do well and had a target of under 70 hours.
“I had planned to take my time at the checkpoints, eat well to keep my energy up and keep moving forward. These are the things we can control: pace and nutrition. We have no control over the weather and ground conditions, so have to deal with it as best as you can and not get too worried about it beforehand.”
The Race Across Scotland is a 215-mile footrace crossing the Southern Upland Way in the south of Scotland. As the title race for GB Ultras, participants have 100 hours to cover around 7218m of elevation.
Nikki admits her race wasn’t plain sailing; however, alongside battling the weather and terrain, she enjoyed the people she met on the way. She said: “The highlights for me were the start and running the first day and night with some great people, hearing their stories and future adventures. Also, the thought of crossing Scotland was in my head the whole time; it was a huge positive mental image in my head.”
However, sleep deprivation began to take hold on the third day, describing it as “another level of craziness.”
“The route takes you through constantly changing scenery and terrain; it’s never boring. It crosses through the middle of fields and moorland, which at night in the fog can be challenging to navigate, so you need to keep your wits about you.”
Nikki says some of the most excellent tips she can offer is eating real food when tackling these longer distances; she snacked on dried fruits, cashew nuts and Jaffa Cakes between checkpoints. She was anxious to keep eating as she knew the weather would mean her body would use energy to keep her warm.
She recommends using a solid waterproof, gloves, a hat, and a warm base layer for this race. Looking back, she would have liked longer socks but was grateful for her strong headlight during the nights.
“Organisation overall was excellent from gear check to the finish. Checkpoints were well stocked and offered good food. The last checkpoint was so good I was sat eating my bacon sandwich and beans and chatting and for a moment, I completely forgot I was in a race and still had 33kms to do! The volunteers were also great.”
With nothing imminent planned, Nikki is back in Hong Kong, enjoying the trails with her dog.
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Places for The Race Across Scotland are now open. The race is by application only, you can find more information on the GB Ultra’s Website.