Focusing mostly on 3000 metre track races and parkruns of late, Hugo Richardson decided to take on something very different when he lined up for the Maverick Adidas Terrex Original Dorset ‘Long’ race, which was 25km in distance.

He’d done a Half Marathon before, when he won the Surrey Slog last summer and he ran superbly at the Great South Run to clock a time of 57:35. The Maverick Dorset ‘Long’ race was certainly a step up though and the course featured several beastly climbs amounting to close to 2,000ft of climbing.

It wasn’t a race to be taken lightly and since it would be the furthest he’d ever ran, it was a step into the unknown for Hugo. It was certainly going to be a challenge but the way he’s been running lately, it was one he was more than capable of rising to. HIs coach had suggested he did something further in distance than his main goal. The Maverick Dorset ‘Long’ race definitely ticked that box.

The route for the race started a Wilkswood Farm and headed out along the rugged Juarassic Coast, featuring some breath-taking scenery as the runners navigated their way up and down the gargantuan slopes.

Ripping through the first couple of miles in 6:21 and 6:22, Hugo then went through the third mile in 7:23 and the fourth in 8:06. The first of the the really big climbs came on the fifth mile and continued into the sixth mile. Then it was back down again, with Hugo hitting a 6:36 for his seventh mile. The next mile and bit were up another big hill and he clocked a 7:49 and 7:16 for those next two splits.

Completing the 10th mile in 7:34, it was then a long downhill slope for the 11th mile, which he managed in 7:12. He had been in second place until he veered off course and added an extra 4km to his journey!

Showing the maturity not to let that mishap ruin his race, Hugo found his way back onto the course and continued. The only problem was that he was much further down the field now.

After working his way up another gruelling climb, there was then a welcome descent on what was now Hugo’s 14th mile. He then had to tackle what was probably the steepest and toughest incline of the entire race. After that, he had only 2.5 miles remaining before arriving back at the finish.

There were still some further undulations to overcome but Hugo pressed on and arrived at the finish in 2 hours 24 minutes, which put him 21st out of 271 finishers. Of course, he would have been right up there had he not taken a wrong turn but in races of this type, it can happen. It’s a far cry from running laps around a track.

He’d ended up covering 17.5 miles which was the longest run he’d ever done and despite not finishing in the position he deserved, it was still a huge achievement for Hugo. He was the only athlete in the junior division who was brave enough to tackle the ‘Long’ race as well. There was a 7km distance and a 14km race that could also be chosen.

The race was won by David Newman in 2 hours 2 minutes and 15 seconds, with Lee Thomas taking 2nd place in 2:05:27 and Ady Pendred sealing 3rd in 2:06:39. Olivia Mitchell was 1st female and 5th overall in a time of 2:11:05.

The experience of having done an event of this kind will certainly stand Hugo in good stead as he continues his running journey and the endurance and strength gains can only benefit him going forwards.

Getting his parkrun time down to 16:05 and his 3000 metre time down to 9:05.79, Hugo has already clocked some incredible times and has a huge number of parkrun first place finishes to his name. With the hunger he has though and the work ethic he possesses, there is certainly an exciting future ahead for Hugo in the running game.