Name: Andy Roberts

Occupation: Director/Owner Nutraceutical Company

Home Town: Maidstone

Questions

What is your running background?

I was a keen athlete when I was younger at school, being fairly decent at
the 400m but then life got in the way and I didn’t pick it up again until my mid-thirties when I was unfortunately smoking, drinking and sitting behind a desk all day.

When did you first start running Ultra marathons and why?

From being totally unfit (I literally couldn’t run more than about 700m without stopping) to then running a couple of marathons in 2017 I think like anyone else my thoughts were “what else is my body capable of doing if I push myself” so my first ultra in 2018 seemed to be the next logical step.

When or where (at which events) are we most likely to see you?

I’ve really enjoyed ticking off the majors and I will be getting my last star in Tokyo early next year but the trails are where my hearts at. I’m fortunate to live just a couple of miles from the North Downs Way so that’s my playground at the weekend for my B2B longruns. Particularly, for anyone that has run the NDW100, that horrible stretch between Detling and Lenham with all those never ending steps. So Centurion and Threshold events are where you’ll find me!

What are your personal key running achievements to date?

Running my first sub 3 marathon was very rewarding due to the work I put in but I think my Guinness World Record this year at London for the fastest marathon in 25kg Chainmail was particularly gratifying due to it being so uncomfortable as well as heavy. I really had to channel all that ultra running mentality of putting the pain of the chaffing, rubbing and bruising to the back of my mind and just focus on getting to that finish line.

What was your hardest experience?

This ones easy for me…Endure24 Reading 2022. I still to this day do not know whether I had food poisoning or picked up a stomach bug but (and I’ll spare you the details) I
couldn’t keep anything inside of me all weekend. From mile 14 I survived on water and coconut water alone, used the toilet to the point of being very sore downstairs, but still managed to carry on to the 100 mile point in just over 19 hours….i’ll do anything for a free t-shirt and a bit of bling!

What is your typical race strategy for an ultra?

I’ll usually adopt a 8/2, run/walk strategy from the very beginning and just try and get as much nutrition in early as I can because beyond about 50 miles I struggle to get stuff down and tend to end up relying on gels, yoghurt and coke. I’ll also break down the race distance down in to more manageable chunks, I think that’s very important especially with a race of this length, nobody wants to be thinking “oh great just another 200km to go!”

What does a typical training week look like?

To be honest this year it’s been a bit all over the place due to getting click happy on race sites over the winter and having races almost every weekend but on average I’d say I’m doing around 70-80 miles a week with 1-2 speed sessions built in. However last week I was in the middle of running 10 ultras in 10 days and amassed 255 miles for the week.

What one tip would you pass onto people running an Ultra marathon for the first time?

Simple, enjoy it!
Generally, people don’t know what a good time is for an ultra and therefore the pressures of running a particular time are off so kick back, relax, take in the scenery and enjoy every second!

Tell us one interesting fact about you?

I was once an extra in a film, The Other Boleyn Girl, which starred many actors that would go onto to appear in the Marvel universe. Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow), Natalie Portman (Thor), Eric Bana (Hulk), Benedict Cumberbatch (Dr Strange), Andrew Garfield (Spiderman).

Have you taken part in the Spartathlon before?

No

How did you get on?

N/A

What tip would you pass on to those taking part for the first time?

N/A

What are you looking forward to at the Spartathlon race?

The camaraderie, following in the footsteps of the legend Pheidippides and of course kissing that foot!

What are you not looking forward to during the Spartathlon race?

The weather/heat, its about the only thing out of my control.

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How will you prepare specifically for the Spartathlon race?

I’ve been running plenty of miles and tried to do it in the heat but as we know the British summer is not always great for that. Also I’ve been doing tough things like the chainmail at London to work on my mental strength as well.

Will you be bringing any support crew to the race? (If so, please introduce them briefly)

My Dad will be coming as crew however he seems more intent on getting to the pub near the finish line than actually crewing lol