This challenge is perfect for anyone looking to complete their first ultra distance challenge, especially if you’re a little uncertain about tackling the distance within an organised event.

You can go completely alone, perhaps with some support or go as a group of friends, the choice is yours. The beauty of doing your first ultra as a personal challenge is that you get to control everything, not least the route! What better way to make this landmark achievement than on your favourite trails!

Although simply going longer than marathon distance by a couple of kilometres could, technically, count as going ultra, the real starting point for the ultra distance is 50k, so that’s the distance for our ‘My First Ultra’ challenge!

This challenge follows the same basic format as our other challenges – you pick your own route, set your time goal and then walk 50k in the quickest time you’re able to.

When we say ‘in the quickest time you’re able to’, we don’t mean you have to bury yourself and suffer (although you can if you wish). This is your first ultra so you need to enjoy it, so go as quickly as you can but keep a little bit in reserve so that you can finish strongly with a smile on your face!

Of course, route picking when you need to hit a distance marker might seem more tricky than for just walking to a time duration (as with our Sport Walk 12 and Sport Walk 6) but really and truly it needn’t be. Simply plot a route that you know to be roughly the right distance and if you’re short by a couple of kilometres at the end, just walk on a bit further.

Unless you’re a bit of a Power or Race Walking dynamo, you’re unlikely to finish in less than seven hours but at just 5ok, this challenge is still shorter than most challenge events out there, which are normally 80-100k, so it’s a great introduction to going long.

While you do your challenge, take pics along the way, then share your experience on social media afterwards. You can post on our Facebook page, tag us in posts on Twitter, mention us in posts on Instagram and use either of the hashtag: #myfirstultra

If you want some guidance on how to plan for your own challenges, take a look at our post on that exact subject here.