North Downs Way 100 - Interview with Threepeat Champion Ryan Whelan
Posted on August 20 2025
The Centurion North Downs Way 100 is a challenging 103-mile continuous trail ultramarathon held in South East England, running from Farnham in Surrey Hills to Ashford in Kent. The course features approximately 3350 meters of elevation gain, traversing scenic English countryside, villages, and notable climbs such as Box Hill and Reigate Hill. About 80% of the route is on trails with some road sections, and runners navigate marked paths with aid stations every few miles offering a variety of nutrition and hot food options. The event has a 30-hour cut-off and requires runners to meet qualifying standards. Finishers receive commemorative buckles and race shirts.
Ryan Whelan - our GR athlete, a seasoned ultrarunner, has dominated the race for the past three years, claiming the title of Threepeat Champion. Let's delve into an exclusive interview with Ryan to uncover the secrets behind his success.
What Drives Ryan to Success?
GR: How are you feeling after winning this race and becoming the 3 times champion in 2023, 2024 (15h56m), and 2025 (16h25m06s)?
RW: It was great to finish the North Downs way to start my trip back home, then it was about family time and eating all those calories with home comfort foods.
GR: We know you are super fit and well train, but your finishing time is 30mins slower than last year and 36mins ahead of the 2nd winner, how is the weather compared to the last 2 editions?
RW: As the old saying goes ‘don’t chase two rabbits, you will loose them both’ comes to mind. When I was setting out my targets for this race, the first one was to win the race. This was not going to be easy, with a very fast 50 mile grand slam finisher stepping up to the 100 mile distance. And the second was that IF the weather allows, then have a crack at the course record. Having spoke to my coach, Andy Dubois about this, it was decided to firstly keep within touching distance of the front runner, and leave some in the tank for a strong second half. To be in with a chance of the course record, I set myself a timed target of getting to Knockhoult Pound in 7h 20m which I achieved. Unfortunately, I burnt too many matches getting in front of course record pace. When the afternoon sun and heat came out to play, I felt the circumstances along with the rest of the front runners. Fortunately I had built up quite a gap so was able to see it out.
One of two rabbits caught. Would I try for both again given it made for an overall slower time than last year? Probably yes – or pray for a cooler year!
Training Regimen and Preparation
GR: How would you prepare and train for this ultra distance race in general?
RW: For anyone training for the 100 mile distance, you do have to commit to some big volume weeks. For my block, most weeks my volume was about 160km of runnable trail and road with a couple of 180km weeks. I was also in Joint Dynamics twice a week every week for specific strength training to get me ready for this.
Race Day
GR: What is the most challenging part of this race?
RW: Learning how to Open and close gates! Once you have figured it out, you move to a new county where you have new gates to figure out! All joking aside, out of all the centurion races, this one runs the slowest. There is a lot of single track and dense undergrowth when going through the forest, and although there are fast sections, especially at the beginning and the end, there are a lot of technical, slower sections too.
GR: Can you share with us your full gears list for this ultra race?
RW: My gear list was:
- T8 underwear, shorts, top and socks
- Salomon advanced skin hydration pack and bottles
- Nutrition mix of Vital amino, bix and maurten gels, real food and precision gels from check points and hydration a mix of tailwind, water and coke towards the end of the race.
- Nitecore headlamp
- Shoe choice for this one was Adidas Agravic Speed Ultra
GR: What about nutrition and hydration? What was your strategy?
RW: My aim was 260-270 cals per hour with a mix of gels, tailwind and real food. The bonus choc milk in my drop bag went down a treat as per usual.
GR: If the weather is relatively higher, how you adjust the pace?
RW: It was polar opposite to last year, when it started with a warm morning and cooled down in the afternoon; this year it was overcast and felt very comfortable in the morning, with the sun coming out to play in the afternoon. In hindsight I should have taken it down a notch in the first half, but I was having fun chit chatting in the chase pack and was feeling good.
GR: Has your average heart rate also indicated higher compare to last year?
RW: This years heart rate was 134 bpm average compared to 151 bmp average in 2024. There was a big drop off in the last 30km this year compare to last years push.
GR: What is your average Heart Race, total calories burn and training load for this run?
RW: HR 134 BMP Average, Cals: 8349 KCAL, Training Load: 1476.
GR: How many years you used COROS watch? What you like most of this watch brand?
RW: This is my sixth year using Coros. The usability including the ease in which you can download the GPX files, along with a fantastic battery life make this a winning combination.
GR: What Data (watch face) that you use the most during the race?
RW: I spent most my time on the map interface. There were a few issues with villagers taking down ribbons and I did miss a few turns, the map interface helped me get back on track without too much difficulty
GR: We saw you use the Coros HRM as well, what is the benefit of it?
RW: The Coros HRM strap will help with a more precise reading. I found the built in wrist strap would sometimes get caught on the cadence but no issue when using the HRM. With it fitting around the arm it is very comfortable and no need to adjust it through out the race.
Advice for Aspiring Ultrarunners
GR: What you want to do the most after you crossed the finish line?
RW: I will admit, doing a miler after a long haul flight probably isn’t the best idea but unfortunately I didn’t have the luxury of a few days to adjust my body clock. By the end of the race 10:30pm local time (5:30am Hong Kong Time) I was very sleepy and ready for rest!
GR: Are you planning to run this race each year?
RW: After the third time racing this, I am done and dusted with the North Downs Way. When it looked likely that I would win in 2024, I knew I had to take the opportunity to win a miler race 3 years running. Race Diretor James Elson invited me to give South Downs Way a crack, which is on the World Trail Majors Tour and a super speedy course. So I would choose to do this one day.
GR: And what about after the race? What is your recovery tips you would recommend for runner?
RW: Don’t do tour of England, Scotland and Ireland… tougher than the miler!
GR: What is race plan for the upcoming race seasons?
RW: Now back in Hong Kong my focus will now switch to getting some vert in the legs for the upcoming Vietnam Mountain Marathon 100km in September. It will then be local Hong Kong racing for the remainder of 2025.
Ryan attributes his success to a combination of rigorous training, mental resilience, and a deep passion for ultrarunning. He spends countless hours on the trails, building up his endurance and strength to tackle the grueling 100-mile race. His unwavering determination and focus set him apart from the competition. By partnering with Coros, Ryan can focus on his training and racing knowing that he has a trusted and dependable ally in his corner. Ryan values Coros for its reliability, accuracy, and user-friendly interface. The brand's commitment to innovation and quality aligns with Ryan's own pursuit of excellence.
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