Two Arcs, One Goal, A Shared Strategy: Case Study In Foot Care For Every Trail Runner At The 2026 Arc of Attrition

When we created TrailSkin, the mission was to provide natural skincare that worked for athletes and adventurers - for those who face the miles, the weather, the bogs… but also the early sunrises, the highs of the finish line, and the smiles and chats with friends on trails. This week’s story encapsulates it all: we go behind the scenes of the very stormy Arc of Attrition 2026, where friends and CLC Striders club mates Tom Fletcher and Rich Elsworthy earned well-deserved finishers’ buckles.

One was at the front of the pack, the other among the warriors who put in more time in gruelling conditions to reach Porthtowan. They each wore TrailSkin and reaped the benefits. And they each have a fabulous 100-mile story to tell. 

A Gruelling Race, A Shared Dream

The Arc of Attrition 100-mile race needs almost no introduction. Covering the South West Coast Path from Coverack to Porthtowan in Cornwall, it goes through some of the hairiest sections of trail on a good weather day. Add to that the severe storm warnings, unforgiving wind, bogs, and rain, and high waves that lashed against the runners as they went through the worst of it, and you get one of the most epic ultras imaginable. Where did Rich and Tom position themselves on the day?

Rich: Racing at the Front

Catching up with both runners, the feeling of having completed a huge challenge was the same on both sides. For Rich, the race took just over 23 hours (23:09:37) and saw him rank 10th overall (9th male). His day was focused on performance, but not without some hard work, too.

“The weather was truly awful, but somehow that almost made it better,” he recalls of running through Penzance with eaves smashing over the road. Strong, steady pacing helped him keep going (as well as consistent training and stellar performances in his running history). For him, skin protection was all about keeping the engine firing on all cylinders: ensuring nothing would slow him down, losing precious time because of niggles or discomfort. 

Tom: Racing the Cutoff

Tom went into the Arc looking to step out of his comfort zone, doing something that felt “next level.” The difficulty of the race would have delivered this anyway, with its technical terrain and relentless up&downs that add up to around 5300 metres of ascent. “The fear of failure is something that pushes me towards adversity,” Tom shared, “and the determination to never give up is what drives me through the darkest and most challenging moments of any ultra race.” 

He certainly had all that to go through and more. Banking a small buffer on cutoffs and relying on his experience racing other 100-milers and tough 100k events, Tom “applied the cream and lived the dream” (more on this later!) 

He knew he’d get slower in the final section than official estimates suggested, so he focused on staying calm, moving steadily ahead, and having enough leeway so the last tough stretch would be manageable. Skin protection played a huge role here: there simply was not much time to “waste” so Tom needed to be well prepared, deliberate, and ready to address any niggles quickly and efficiently if they came up. At that point in the pack, with minutes to spare under the final allowed time, if your feet fail, there’s just no finish line. 

Rich powering up an early climb.

Key Learnings from Taming a Stormy 100-Miler

Rich and Tom both prioritised “the little things” - leaving no room for error in what announced itself like an epic battle with the course and the elements. Their stories, as well as what they could observe around them, are proof of how much using the right foot care and having a “no stone left unturned” approach to preparing 100-milers can influence the outcome of the day. In fact, Tom recalls how, at Penzance (around 64 km / 40 miles into the race), he was surrounded by people changing their shoes and socks already, feeling terrible, and sporting feet that had definitely seen better days. That was not his case, having put on the TrailSkin Trench Foot Cream in the morning and not needing to change at all for the almost 36 hours he was on course.  

Three lessons spring to mind from the experience at both ends of the racing spectrum. 

No Matter How Fast You’re Going, Your Feet Should Be Your Priority

The state of your feet decides your race, whether you’re fighting for the top 10 or working your way towards the finish line. 

Tom’s routine pre-race included:

• Applying TrailSkin Trench Foot Cream in the morning, in good quantities, all over the feet
• Adding a good amount of Anti-Chafe Salve around each toe and wherever hot spots normally arise
• Wearing one pair of good, tried and trusted socks and trail shoes for the whole duration of the race

The result: finishing blister free, with no maceration, after bashing through endless puddles, mud, bog, and rain. As Tom put it: “When I finally took my shoes off at 8.30 am on Sunday morning, there were zero blisters and the skin looked fine… just a bit swollen!”

Rich took the same approach: Trailskin Trench Foot Cream “everywhere” - including the Achilles tendon; Anti-Chafe Salve all over, too; but he also had another “secret weapon.” He already uses recovery products like the Revival Foot Balm on a daily basis to keep feet soft and callus-free. On race day, he also applied the TrailSkin Muscle Balm around the sock line and brought it with him to have within race in case he would want it as a treat. The combination of essential oil scent and soothing, cooling action give him a boost - partly psychological, but also physical (cooling strategies are used, after all, as part of endurance training and racing, and have been found to be beneficial even in low temperatures when they energise and revive athletes). 

The overarching approach for both runners was prevention first. Once feet start macerating, blisters form, or discomfort settles in, a downward spiral begins which often cannot be turned around. So, instead of taking risks, they opted for certitude with their tried and tested TrailSkin rituals.

Rituals Matter As Much As Products

Beyond race day preparation, everyday rituals build your feet “from the ground up” as we’ve seen with Dawn Nunes’ story. Tom swears by the tenet of “apply the balm and feel the calm” - and it’s not just clever word play! 

Both Tom and Rich use the Revival Foot Balm regularly to keep feet soft, prevent cracking and calluses, and reap the benefits of a psychological wind-down. It’s how Holly Wootten turned the day off during the Dragon’s Back Race 2025, and it’s how every runner can create a sense of control and routine in a sport where lots can impact your performance.

Some wind-down ritual recommendations from Rich:

• Using the Muscle Balm as a warm-up and cool-down aide alike 
• Applying the Revival Balm daily in the evenings, on clean feet, particularly as training ramps up 
• Taking a warm bath with the Revival Bath Salts to fully relax, then applying the Muscle Balm before bed (“it makes the warming warmer and the cooling cooler,” Rich says!) 

These rituals highlight not just pre-race or event preparation, but also a keen focus on recovery as part of the ultra training process. This is essential: 

The better you recover, the better you can show up to the next block of training, and the more likely you are to stand on a start line healthy and confident. TrailSkin’s place in that ecosystem is in the routine of being an endurance athlete.

Tom Loving life on the Arc.

Put Feet First and Reap the Rewards

Many runners are tempted to overlook some “add-ons” like skin care because they perceive them as performance enhancers that “regular folk” don’t need. But the romanticised view of ultra running as being about “suffering” and “pushing through pain” is outdated. Regardless of where you run in the pack, comfort, blister and chafe prevention, and the psychological boost you get from your self-care inspired routines can make a huge difference… and a deserved one!

For Front-of-the-Pack Athletes Like Rich:

• Performance-focused: Protecting the feet and skin so they can push harder, longer
• Marginal gains: No time lost to blister treatment, taping, or shoe changes (depending on your strategy)
• Consistency: Daily use of foot care and muscle balms as part of a professional-level routine

For Back-of-the-Pack Finishers Like Tom

• Survival-focused: Ensuring that feet remain runnable through however many hours you’re out on course
• Cutoff-critical: If feet fail, there’s no buffer, while minutes matter at the back
• Confidence: Knowing your kit won’t be the reason you DNF lets you lean harder on your mental game

Crucially, these are not separate product lines. It’s the same TrailSkin Trench Foot Cream, the same Anti-Chafe, the same recovery products: applied to very different paces and very different race experiences.

At TrailSkin, we don't care if you’re first, mid-pack, or last over the line. We care that you get there with your skin and feet intact.

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The finish line feels exactly the same under your feet, whether you’re first or last. Tom and Rich tell us a story of consistency, deliberate practice, and success that comes by no accident. To help you prepare in the same way, we’ve also put together a complete guide to foot and skin management that covers the science behind each product and routine. Start there to ensure your feet are always ready for everything ultra running has in store for you. 

Then, save on essential products and discover new favourites with our curated bundles. 

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Dave

Dave (far left) with Rich (2nd from left), Tom (front) with some of their friends and family at the 2026 National Running Show (1 week after the ARC)