Manumit Ambassador Dave Vickerstaff has successfully completed his second Arc Of Attrition 100 mile ultra! Coming off the back of an extremely challenging 18 months of illness and in some of the most brutal conditions imaginable on race weekend (less than 40% of participants finished) we couldn't be prouder of his awesome effort!
Dave has been kind enough to send over a detailed race report for those that are interested in what it took.
Dave has been kind enough to send over a detailed race report for those that are interested in what it took.
If you'd like to know more about his story be sure to watch the interview we did with him (Youtube link below!)
"The Arc of Attrition by UTMB is a 104 mile footrace with 25,000 feet of elevation along some of the most rugged Cornish Coastline during the midst of Winter. It is regarded as the UK's toughest winter 100 mile race not just for the distance or terrain but tight early cut off times that challenge runners right from the start.
Having previously completed this event in 2024 I had returned in 2025 with the intention of achieving a sub 30 hour finish but a bout of pneumonia less than 2 weeks before the race prevented me from getting more than 30 miles in. I then spent most of 2025 attempting to recover from the damage it had caused my lungs with several setbacks along the way. I knew 2026 would be tough as having battled through from illness I hadn't achieved as many miles on my feet as I would have liked but I felt strong both physically and mentally and if everything fell into place that sub 30 hour finish was within my capabilities.
Heading down to the event village to register, get my kit checked and tracker fitted, the weather warnings were in place and Storm Ingrid had been named. This was going to add some extra spice to the course and I started to reconsider my race strategy with the ultimate goal being to finish the event. The forecast showed extremely challenging conditions with heavy and sustained rain, strong 50 mph winds with 75+mph gusts on the coast mixed in with high tides contributing to coastal flood warnings. I made an early decision to layer up and for the first time at an event decided to start wearing full waterproofs.
To layer correctly and give myself flexibility during the event I was wearing my running shorts with crew socks and calf sleeves under my waterproof trousers that gave me enough protection from the wind and rain keeping my legs warm enough without needing my thermal leggings unless night temperatures plummeted. My Manumit 100% merino wool t-shirt is an integral part of my layering system with a compression base layer underneath and an optional synthetic gilet to wear under my waterproof jacket.
Setting off at 1pm from Coverack on the South Coast of Cornwall the winds were blowing and the rain lashing down whilst the waves were already crashing against the rocks with great plumes of spray. We were in for an adventure and wow what an adventure it was. The coast path was a slippery muddy mess and my feet were wet from the start. We were never sure if it was raining sideways, if it was spray from the huge 14-18 foot waves or both!
Although there were sections initially that felt more runnable, I fell for the first time just 3 miles in along with many others quickly finding myself covered from head to toe in mud slipping and sliding my way around desperately seeking some sort of traction in my trail shoes and finding little available. This made progress painfully slow and it was clear from the first few miles that my planned finish time would go out the window and the event would turn into a survival event for all those participating.
I nearly got taken out by a big wave crossing Loe Bar and we had safety diversions to avoid some coastal flooding areas. The mud was so slippery I struggled to stay upright and find any grip even on the flat sections having to tippy toe down hills and find anything to grip onto climbing up hills, it was exhausting with the only respite being welcome sections of tarmac as we made our way into the first crew checkpoint at mile 25 in Porthleven after dodging the waves topping the harbour wall. Here I was able to take a seat and grab some hot food before heading out again fully restocked for the next 15 miles section.
A further 10 miles of torturous mud, wind and rain led to meeting another runner (Rob) who had been struggling at Porthleven and I managed to lift him from his low and we started to forge a partnership as we battled through together keeping each other motivated to continue on. A very welcome stretch followed along the promenade from Marazion to Penzance and onwards to Mousehole. Normally the hard surface would be shunned by trail runners but in this instance it meant we enjoyed a few miles where our feet weren't constantly sliding underneath us. I had grabbed a few chips at Penzance but had started to struggle with stomach issues and eating became more arduous.
The stretch from Penzance to the next crew stop and aid station at Landsend included a tough set of climbs, scrambles and very muddy sections including the steps up past the Minack theatre. Where there was no mud the paths turned into streams and where there were streams crossing points were flooded and fast flowing. Add in the winds, driving rain and trying to navigate narrow sections of path a mere inches from a 300 foot cliff edge at night and you really had to keep your wits about you. In the distance we could see the lights of Lands End as it agonizingly taunted us whilst we dropped down and then up from cove to cove. By now I was starting to get through the nausea and looking forward to some hot food so it was a relief to get into Lands End and into the warm and dry.
The next section was the longest and toughest of the course as we made our way 28.5 miles to Lelant with only a small aid station midway at Pendeen. Once we got past Sennen we were into a very slow section of course with many scrambles, deep areas of mud and lots of elevation. We watched the sun rise as we made our way through the historic Cornish mine workings and for a couple of hours the rain held off and the run briefly became enjoyable as we marvelled at the power of the ocean against the rock stacks. By noon the 50 mile race which had started 3 hours earlier at the MInack Theatre had reached our position and we gave way to the fast elite runners seemingly flying past us through the mud whilst we barely managed to stay upright. Unfortunately one of the lead competitors fell badly in front of us and it was clear he had dislocated his shoulder and in a lot of pain. He had activated his emergency beacon but we were in the most remote part of the course with little chance that help would arrive anytime soon. We were chasing cut offs and a delay would risk being timed out at the next checkpoint but safety and looking out for one another on the trails always comes first. So after getting some warmer clothes on him I walked him another half a mile or so along the course to the nearest footpath that led to a road. We were incredibly fortunate that we met a local couple at this point who offered to take him to hospital and so after checking was ok, wished him well and set off again having only really lost around 20 minutes of time.
By now my shin was in agony and I had a big blister under my foot from all the wet and sliding. As we got into St Ives and headed to the next checkpoint at Lelant. I urged Rob to go on without me as our times were getting tight and I was thinking of seeing the medics and potentially stopping. Reluctantly Rob left and it was a mistake to let him go so easily whilst I was battling through a mental and physical low point. With some words of encouragement from my crew and supporters who had been able to meet me along this section I picked myself up and decided against seeing the medics and risked either being pulled off the course or wasting valuable time. In the end I arrived at Lelant where I quickly ate some hot food, changed my shoes and socks and took some more pain killers to try and get me to the end. I made good time through Hayle and the infamous Dunes of Doom and began to catch Rob back up but as I climbed up the North Cliffs at Godrevy where I hoped to make use of the relatively level ground, unfortunately the track was incredibly slippery with mud and no matter what I tried, I just couldn't get any traction which slowed me down considerably.
By this point I was getting exhausted and suffering from sleep deprivation. That along with the painkillers and being on my own in the dark meant that my mind started to take me to some interesting places where I would imagine someone was alongside me or catch a fleeting glimpse of a person or thing that I was never quite sure if it was real or not. By the time I made my muddy slippery descent into Portreath, even the mud was moving around my feet like I was on some 70s psychedelic trip. I kept it brief at the Portreath checkpoint and pushed through the last 4 miles conquering Sally's Bottom and 2 additional climbs which for some reason just didn't feel as bad this year, however, my timings tell a different story as a section that I hoped would take an hour actually took me 2. Coming down into Porthtowan there was a real sense of relief that I had finally made it and that all that was left was a long 800m climb to the finish. I strode up that hill like it was the first hill of the day leaving behind several runners behind me wanting to bask in the glory of the finish by myself. As I came around the final corner the crowd started beating the fencing on the finish funnel and I could hear my name being shouted and amongst the ringing of the cow bells. After 104 miles and 35.5 hours since I had set off from Coverack, with a little leap across the line I was done. had become one of only 40% to finish the 100 mile event in some incredibly difficult conditions that pushed me beyond my comfort zone both physically and mentally. After a visit to the medics to see the state of my foot which had ballooned in size and a confirmation of severe anterior tibular tendonitis (15 hours and 42 miles on an injury was perhaps not the most sensible thing to do), we made our way back to Plymouth where I fell asleep in the car only to wake up to scoff a McDonalds before falling asleep again and finally getting home at 4am, some 46 hours after I had first woken up.
Completing an event like this hinges on so many factors and a huge part is the support you receive on course. The Arc Angles at the aid stations were fantastic and always willing to offer any help they could. I was super lucky to have some amazing people come and support me, some of which was a lovely surprise to see on the course. My crew spent 2 days following me around being equally buffeted by the conditions and I received so much support from so many others in the running community that were either taking part, volunteering or supporting others, throwing me a few words of encouragement when I really needed it. That finishers buckle was definitely earned and it was certainly one hell of an adventure!"