Athlete Spotlight: Fiona Cook Selected for England at the ACP 100K

When Fiona Cook got the call from Robbie Britton, she thought she already knew what the conversation was going to be.

She assumed it was a polite rejection.

Instead, she was being told she had been selected to represent England at the upcoming ACP 100K.

“I automatically thought it was a rejection call or that I’d maybe been picked as a reserve,” Fiona says. “When he told me I’d actually been selected, I think my response was a pretty unenthusiastic ‘ok, right!’ because I was completely blindsided.”

Like many athletes stepping onto the international stage for the first time, Fiona admits the moment was followed by a heavy dose of imposter syndrome.

“I only actually applied for selection after being nudged by a couple of other runners, one being Matt Field. Robbie said I could tell my coach… but I don’t have one. So I had to tell the cat instead.”

A Different Kind of Race

The ACP 100K will be very different from the races Fiona is used to.

The course is flat and fast, something she admits makes her a little nervous.

“I’m feeling pretty nervous going into it. Flat and fast racing is pretty scary in its own way. It will force me to be really disciplined with pacing so I can execute a good race.”

With the event also acting as a World Championship qualifier, the field is expected to be stacked with strong runners.

“I want to do myself justice within that field and hopefully pull out a good performance.”

Running for the Team

Despite the nerves, there’s one thing Fiona is most excited about: running for England as part of a team.

“Running can be a really solitary sport, especially ultras. I spent almost the entirety of the Chester 50 running alone, and that can take a lot out of you mentally.”

ACP will be very different. The race takes place on a 2 km lap course, meaning athletes regularly see each other throughout the race.

“It’ll be great to run knowing you’re part of a team and seeing other runners regularly on the course. That’s something you don’t often get in ultras.”

Fuelling for a Faster 100K

For ACP, Fiona is planning to slightly increase her carbohydrate intake compared to previous races.

“I’m aiming for around 90 grams of carbs per hour, which is a bit higher than what I used at Chester. Because the pace will be faster and my heart rate higher, my carb requirement will naturally increase.”

Her plan will be simple and structured:

• 1 Highland Fuel sachet (55g carbs) in 500ml water every hour
• 1 × 40g gel each hour
• Rotating between different flavours to avoid taste fatigue

“This is the first time I’ll actually have a crew, which makes me a bit nervous in itself. I’ll have them rotate the flavours each hour so I don’t get fed up of the same taste.”

Fuelled by Highland Fuel

Fiona switched to Highland Fuel Nutrition earlier this season and says the difference has been noticeable.

“Highland Fuel has been an absolute game changer for me.”

For longer races especially, being able to rely on a drink mix that sits well with the stomach can make the difference between a steady performance and a race unravelling late on.

What Success Looks Like

With the strength of the field and the pressure of racing internationally, Fiona is keeping her focus simple.

“A successful day would be executing the race well, sticking to my pacing and fuelling plan, and doing myself justice out there.”

If she can do that while wearing the England vest, it will already be a huge milestone.

Seeing Fiona pull on the England vest at the ACP 100K is something we’re incredibly proud of.

She’s a fantastic athlete, and we’re honoured that Highland Fuel is part of her fuelling strategy as she takes on one of the toughest 100K races out there.

We’ll be following along and wishing her the very best on race day.

Scoop. Sweat. Suffer.