Rich Meston
The Arc of Attrition by UTMB

Four goes at the Arc

The Arc of Attrition is 100 miles of the South West Coast Path round the far west of Cornwall, in the dark and the wind of a Cornish winter. MudCrew started it in 2015, and since 2025 it's been the Arc of Attrition by UTMB, part of the UTMB World Series. I ran it four times between 2018 and 2022, before it joined UTMB, and it took me five years to finish it. A few things have changed since, like more aid stations and stricter rules on where friends and family can help you, but it's still mostly the same path, so the book, and the map and stats from every attempt, should still be useful if you're running it now.

The Arc of Attrition

When I ran it: Coverack to Porthtowan · 100 miles of the Cornish coast path, in winter

It beat me three times: at Penzance in 2018, near Pendeen in 2019 and at Land’s End in 2020. In 2022 I finally made it to Porthtowan. All four goes are on the map.

Running the Arc of Attrition by UTMB this winter? This is what four goes at it looks like.

The Arc of Attrition by UTMB ↗
The route, from my 2022 go. All 4 are on the map inside.
Cover of Buckle Up!
2018–2022Finished
Buckle Up!
The five-year journey to the end of a 100-mile foot race
270 miles over 4 attempts · 2018–2022

More races and long walks, most of them on the South West Coast Path.