Staring down the barrel of a 200-mile finishing straight

How far could you hobble on with an injury? How about another 200 miles?

Nina, in a happier moment

Is anyone still watching? I must admit that even I, with all my vested interest, have been forgetting about the Self-Transcendence 3100 race going on in New York. My kids were still on their summer holidays when this race started. It’s now blustery and autumnal here in Devon, and the nights are really starting to close in.

Over on that block in Queen’s, meanwhile, they’re on Day 50. “It’s quieter here now as we head into the home stretch,” says the guy making the race videos. A three-day home stretch, that is. Some of the runners have already finished and are happily getting on with their lives, but most of them are still there. Watching the Day 49 video, I can see a distinct lack of humour on their faces as the camera peers in on their struggles.

Nina, who has been neatly set on a course to finish the whole time, has suddenly hit the buffers, suffering from a painful knee injury. How far could you hobble on with an injury? How about another 200 miles? That’s what she still has to do. After running 2,900 miles, it might seem like the home stretch, but 200 miles is still a hefty distance to run in anyone's book. With a knee injury, it’s crazy.