Interview: Conan Marshall

This article was originally published in Dure Magazine Vol. 1 in June 2020.

In this Q&A we caught up with Paul Maskell, an ultra-runner based in Cornwall. A well-known figure in the South West running community, Paul has competed in a range of long-distance running events.

The Arc of Attrition is known as one of the toughest ultra-marathons in Cornwall and the UK. Could you tell us about the preparation that goes into this race and your relationship with MudCrew?

The Arc of Attrition is definitely one of the toughest ultramarathons down here in the South West and probably the UK. You have only got to look at the DNF rate, it’s always around 50% and I think the first year I did it in 2016, we were looking at 75% DNF rate so definitely a toughie.

The preparation that goes into this race is phenomenal, MudCrew does a fantastic job. I imagine they probably start planning from the moment the race finishes for the following year. They put a huge amount of effort into the event and more importantly they listen to the feedback provided, literally making improvements into the running experience each year.

The race route goes to some pretty remote places, so logistically it’s a challenge, getting the event staff and medics, plus supplies to the designated checkpoints at the correct times. MudCrew has taken it a step further by providing valets that run up to you when approaching a checkpoint, guiding you in, they even read the menu choices out to you, before handing you over to an Arc Angel.

MudCrew have done such a great job, their races are so popular now they sell out in minutes. There’s even a waiting list for the Arc Angels! In case you weren’t aware that’s the name given to the people that crew the race checkpoints and look after the runners so it’s pretty special when you get a wait list for that.

My relationship with MudCrew is fantastic. Ferg, Jane and Andy are three awesome people and have been really supportive and all three of them are great runners themselves. I feel really lucky and honoured to be part of their ultramarathon team. It is a real privilege to wear the MudCrew ultra team vest, being part of a team of brilliant runners who have achieved some amazing results in races all over the world. I have looked up to some of the longstanding members for many years and it’s great to have those people there for that advice and support. Also, the team banter is great!

It’s safe to say that living in Cornwall has its perks, could you tell us about your favourite trails you like to run here in Cornwall?

Living in Cornwall definitely has its perks and one of the main ones being the coastline. The South West Coastal Path is one of my favourite places to run. I probably don’t run on it as much as I should, but whenever I do, I just love it. Even when it’s absolutely horrendous under foot and you’re slipping and sliding everywhere.

The views are spectacular even when the weather is Baltic, lashing it down, or scorching hot in the summer, it’s just the best place to be!! I know I mentioned it earlier, I really don’t spend enough time out there, it’s predominantly because of my job, shift work and time constraints, which often means tarmac is a quicker and an easier option.

The trail and ultra-running community in Cornwall is fantastic. Whenever I am out running the coast path, I often end up getting cold because I’ve stopped to chat with fellow runners. There are people out there in the trail running community always willing to help and support you. Often during a running event on the coastal path, temporary aid stations simply pop up, which are manned by local people that live on the route and just want to be involved and help the runners. They are not part of the race but an amazing boost for the runners taking part. I can honestly state that every time I’ve done an ultra-marathon I have come away meeting new people and have made new friends. Every race I’ve met some amazing people through ultramarathons, many of these fellow runners/supporters now are friends. You just don’t get that in road running races! I’ve seen it in races and done it myself where I have physically stopped and helped people and it’s just great! There’s a sense of community and support which you don’t get in a lot of other sports.

“The trail and ultra-running community in Cornwall is fantastic.

Whenever I am out running the coast path, I often end up getting

cold because I’ve stopped to chat with fellow runners.”

What did it feel like to debut for British Athletics and run in the 24-Hour World Championships?

To represent Great Britain in the 24hr World Championships was just amazing. It was such an honour to put on that GB vest and was probably the pinnacle of my running career. Representing Great Britain is definitely something that I’ve always aimed to achieve ever since starting to run an ultramarathon. However, I never thought that it would be possible.

I feel really privileged to have represented GB, the whole experience is one that I will remember forever. It was just fantastic to be part of a team and I realised that it is not just all about the runners. The crew plays just as an important part as to how the whole team performs.

Even now when people refer to me as a GB athlete it still does not feel real. I probably don’t really see myself as an athlete, just a Paramedic that likes to run a lot.

I’ve read that it can be hard for you to have a structured training plan because of your work as a paramedic, could you talk about how you fit in the miles around your work?

Yes! Shift work is definitely not conducive to training patterns. Working for the emergency services means one thing, you will work a lot of weekends, bank holidays and hours where everyone is fast asleep in bed. As a paramedic, you will often not finish your shift at the time you are supposed to. Therefore, that long run you had planned has just gone out the window. You literally have to fit the training around your work and your family commitments.

I think for me it’s just about being adaptable, flexible and being prepared to constantly change your training to fit around your work/home life balance. Don’t let it phase you if you don’t complete the session you had planned. I have found that running to and from the station is a great way to get some miles as you have to make that commute anyway and it really helps me to try and keep some sort of consistency.

What other ultra-marathons stand out as highlights in your journey as a runner?

I think the ultra-marathons that really stand out in my journey as a runner are the South Downs Way, GUCR and Tooting 24 hr race.

The SDW definitely stands out for me as a runner and also from a spectator point of view. It was an exciting race to be in the lead and watch other runners dropping away, then to lose the lead for a few miles, pick it back up again and then get caught again. The race came down to the last 2 miles, where I had to sprint, hitting sub 7 mile pace to the end. After 98 miles on tired legs, this certainly hurt, but had to be done to take the win.

Tooting 24hr race stands out for me as well. There was biblical rain, in fact I think it rained for 20 of the 24 hours. The track was flooded, it was cold and wet and basically it was just running around a 400m track for 24 hours. As you can probably imagine there were some pretty big lows, it was pretty grim at times, but afterwards, once I had achieved the GB qualification standard, the pain and torment of running in circles for 24hours dissipated pretty quickly.

The Grand Union Canal, 145 miles of canal path, was one of the toughest races I’ve ever done. It’s the furthest distance I had ever run (at that time), I became over hot, it was around 27 degrees from what I can remember. The humidity was high because of the impending thunderstorms and to be honest I was really struggling. I had become dehydrated and didn’t follow my own rule of eating whilst I felt good. I couldn’t get any fluid or food down, I was dry retching and starting to feel dizzy. If my mate wasn’t crewing me, I think I would have DNF. I phoned him and told him I was really struggling and felt terrible. I just kept going, telling myself I will hopefully feel better at some point.

Then maybe 4 or 5 miles down the road, I was running along, or sort of running, if you can call it that, and suddenly my mate appeared out of a hedgerow holding a McDonalds thick shake, chicken burger and an Americanco. I took some timeout and just sat down and started to eat and drink very slowly.

I was feeling pretty rough and managed to keep it all down, I couldn’t do the chips though, so my mate had to do “double chips”. I walked for probably maybe a mile or 2 and gradually I started to feel a little bit better. Thankfully I wasn’t sick again. The food began to settle and I was able to pull it back. Throughout the night, I think we had some pretty horrific thunderstorms and a lot of rain, where the canal path was flooding. Silt was getting in my shoes, which I hadn’t accounted for.

I didn’t have any Gators and it was at that point when I was so tired that I couldn’t be bothered to stop, that the silt in my shoes was hampering my performance. It was ripping my feet to shreds and I was really suffering from blisters. Later I forced myself to sit down, take my shoes off, wash them out in the canal and then I was able to push on again. Thankfully I was lucky enough to win the race but probably had some of the biggest lows I’ve ever experienced. I know it is all part of the journey, I learned a lot from this experience, it certainly helped me in the races that I’ve done since.

The full article and more inspirational stories like this can be found in: Dure Magazine Volume 1. Buy an exclusive copy of Volume 1 now for only £3.50.