Carn Runners celebrated two outstanding endurance achievements at The Woods on Saturday 12 September, as Bex and Dave spent hour after hour tackling the testing trails of Tehidy Woods.
Dave took on the event’s full 12-hour challenge and covered an epic 28 miles, while Bex completed the nine-hour event and reached a major personal milestone by covering her first-ever 50K.
A different kind of running challenge
The Woods, organised by Bys Vyken Events, gives runners a simple but demanding challenge: complete as many miles as possible during a chosen period of three, six, nine or 12 hours.
All four events use the same four-mile circular route through Tehidy Woods, with the runners starting together before the field gradually becomes smaller as each timed challenge reaches its conclusion.
The woodland setting may be familiar to many local runners, but the route is far from an easy day out. The trail is hilly and testing, with the varied terrain and repeated circuits presenting both a physical and mental challenge. Every completed lap means returning to the same climbs and technical sections with a few more miles already in the legs.
Dave completes the full 12-hour challenge
Dave chose the 12-hour Oak event, the longest of the four challenges available, and remained in action for an entire day of endurance running.
By the end of the event, he had covered 28 miles. On a four-mile course, that represents seven full circuits of the woodland route and countless hours spent managing the hills, changing terrain and accumulating fatigue.
Timed endurance events are not simply about running quickly. They reward patience and the determination to keep returning to the course, particularly during the later hours when the field is smaller and every new circuit becomes harder earned.
Completing the full 12-hour challenge is a huge test in itself, and Dave’s 28-mile total was an epic display of persistence, especially while nursing bruised ribs from the week before.
Bex reaches her first-ever 50K
Bex lined up for the nine-hour Beech challenge and used every part of that extended running window to reach a brilliant new milestone.
During her nine hours in the woods, she covered her first-ever 50K. Going beyond marathon distance and reaching the 50K mark is a significant step for any runner, especially on a repeated woodland course where the hills and uneven terrain keep demanding attention.
It is another memorable trail-running achievement for Bex, who also took on the demanding Beacon Beast Marathon earlier in 2026. This time, the challenge was not a conventional point-to-point or fixed-distance race, but an exercise in continuing to move forward as the hours and laps accumulated.
Reaching 50K for the first time made those nine hours in Tehidy particularly special and added another Carn Runner to the club’s growing list of ultra-distance finishers.
Another strong Carn Runners showing at The Woods
The event has become a familiar fixture for the club. Carn Runners were also represented at The Woods endurance run in 2025, when Dawn and Marlene tackled the six-hour challenge in extremely wet conditions.
This year, Bex and Dave demonstrated two different ways to take on the event. One stayed on the course for the maximum 12 hours, while the other used the nine-hour challenge to break through the 50K barrier for the first time.
Both achievements required determination over a long day on a tough Cornish trail. Huge congratulations to Dave on his epic 12 hours and 28 miles, and to Bex on completing nine hours and becoming a 50K runner. Fantastic endurance from both Carnies! 💙💛
