Details

Your Name: Andrew Mckillop

Occupation: Surveyor

Home Town: St Albans

Runners Questions

What is your running background?

I’ve always enjoyed all sports and thought that I had scratched my running itch by completing the London Marathon in 1994.  I went away to play football for 15 years, returning to running around 2010 as my football career fizzled out. 

When did you first start running Ultra marathons and why?

By 2016 my running club were putting on a local, low key, 12hr endurance event. The 4 mile loops went within 1/4 mile of my house so I thought I would run until the wheels fell off and crawl home.  The wheels wobbled a few times but never completely fell off.  I managed to run/walk the entire 12 hours and was surprised at how much I enjoyed it.  I could see I was at the bottom of a very steep learning curve, which doesn’t seem to have flattened out yet.  I was, am, hooked.     

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

Any Centurion Event but the Thames Path and Wendover Woods in particular.

What are your personal key running achievements to date?

Getting my marathon time down from 3.30+ to 2.44.  Over a few years I’ve steadily chipped off 10 minutes here and there (with a couple of steps backwards) each time thinking that’s it, only to surprise myself next time out.

What was your hardest race experience?

My first Lakeland 100.  Hailing from the South East, I was completely unprepared and unconditioned for the ascent and descent leading to two complete nights on battered feet.

What is your typical race strategy for an ultra?

I tend to play it by ear.  On paper that doesn’t look like a great strategy does it ?

What does a typical training week look like?

I still love a road marathon so it would likely look like something out of the P&D schedules.

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

Try to enjoy as much of the “journey” as possible.

Can you tell us one interesting fact about yourself?

I was once on the Channel 4 show, Fifteen To One.  I was in make-up for longer than my lights were on, read into that what you will.

Spartathlon Questions 

Have you taken part in the Spartathlon before? No

What are you looking forward to at the Spartathlon race?

That nervous excitement of the unknown.  

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

Miles 110-150 are unknown territory for me so I’m a bit apprehensive of those but that’s part of the attraction of the challenge I guess.

How will you prepare specifically for the Spartathlon race?

I’ll try to run at lunchtimes for heat acclimatization, maybe in every thermal I own, but otherwise plenty of road miles.

Will you be bringing any support crew to the race? No.