Today, 31st July, is the 20th anniversary of my first standard road ultra, the Scottish 100km Championships, held at Heriot Watt University in Edinburgh.

I was almost completely unknown and to my absolute astonishment I won it in 8 hours 01 minute 10 seconds!  My quads were killing me but I was ‘walking on air’.  I had discovered a talent for ultra running that over the next 20 years would take me far and wide as part of the amazing ultra community.

Race organiser, Adrian Stott, looked after this raw beginner very well and my crew was John Sneddon, still very active in Comrades and many ultra races.

The legend Don Richie, who wasn’t racing that weekend, later advised me ‘not to be afraid to try other distances and events’ so I did and went on to work my way up in distance to 1000 miles, setting record after record as I went.

When you read this I will, hopefully, be coming to the end of the World’s Longest Certified Footrace – 3100 miles – I wonder how I will be getting on?