Lee (not a forum member as far as I'm aware) has just completed the first thru run of the Monarch's Way unsupported and wild-camping as necessary.
He compiled the first complete GPS track for the route and it's not 615 miles more like 650+ making it comfortably the longest single inland route in the UK and the longest English LDP of all (until the coast path is complete).
He started Maundy Thursday and was hoping to break 16 days, but in the end his right foot "blew up" yesterday so he was a few hours over! This is the fastest known transit. By contrast Charles II took 6 weeks mainly on horse back - but he did spend some time hidden in priest holes along the way.
As we are all aware, the weather has been awful the last couple of weeks and there was extensive flooding in Worcestershire and Warwickshire - thigh deep in parts! At one point he was "walking" down a road and swans were swimming up it towards him. When I caught up with him with "only" 70 miles to go his feet were being to suffer because they were dry for the first time in two weeks. I warned him of the heavy mud on parts of the section I'm responsible for - his reply was "By now, if it's not calf deep - then it's dry!"
The third running of the Monarch's Way Ultra is due to start in three weeks - I hope Lee will have recovered enough to take part. On the two previous runs, all competitors had dropped out before Charmouth - I think the mental strain of the precision navigation needed through the maze that is Somerset after 400 miles proves too much!