Tom Evans just redefined what it means to be ‘on the comeback trail’

Tom Evans: I’ve always struggled with my right knee from when I first started running. For me, what caused the big injury was COVID because I had less treatment and was running more on the road at a faster speed which doesn’t agree with my body. Just before the 2021 British Marathon Trials I was having injections to stop the pain, but this just made things worse. Following this I spent three months rehabbing without running. Afterwards I went on my first run and within 15 seconds I felt the exact same sharp shooting pain in my knee. This was the defining moment where I knew something had to change.

Two weeks before UTMB 2021 I had a scan and the surgeon said I needed surgical intervention otherwise the problem wasn’t going to go away, so this was a very clear-cut situation. I had surgery the following week and was told I’d be back running at a reasonable level within six months. This left six months to train and prepare for UTMB 2022 – it's not really ideal… but I made it work and had to train smarter than I ever had done before. Not thinking what’s the most amount of training I can do, but actually what’s the least amount of training I can get away with to help achieve my goals.

To motivate myself was pretty easy as I knew exactly what I wanted to do and that was to get back to performing at the highest level in the biggest races on the international stage. My motivation was never in question. Yes, there were ups and downs and times where I thought I couldn’t do it, but it’s moments like this you just need to trust the process and believe in yourself. Also you mustn’t be afraid to ask for help as I genuinely couldn’t have done this without my friends, my family and [my partner] Sophie. In life you have setbacks, but if you surround yourself with the right people then you’re able to achieve anything you set your mind to.

The last 12 months of training have been broken down into three different stages. The first three months were surgeon led, with basic exercises I could do which weren't going to cause further injury. The second phase was physio led which was focusing on restoring the range of movement in my knee, ankle and hip. The third and final phase was when I actually start thinking about fitness. The early stages you really need to let go of your ego and get right down to the bottom of the ladder before you start climbing back up again.

It’s definitely up there for me, and not just for the race itself. It’s been the last 12 months that I’ve proven to myself (and hopefully) others that you can have huge setbacks, but that those setbacks don’t define you. It’s how you come back and what you go on to achieve; whether it’s finishing on the podium at UTMB or completing a Parkrun, it doesn’t matter. Your goal is your goal. I’d urge anyone – if they're struggling – to set themselves a goal, then find out exactly what they need to do in order to achieve it. Whatever it is just find a way to do it because the journey will be amazing and the outcome is just the best reward for putting in all the hard work.

I’m getting married in November this year which is super exciting so there’s a lot of focus on that and enjoying some time off away from the trails. It’s important to take time off and recover from events like UTMB, as this way you can reflect on, learn and move on from them. I’ve also just accepted my golden ticket into the Western States 100 in 2023. I will approach this in the same way I approached UTMB and that’s to ask myself, 'What do I need to do in order to achieve my best result?' It looks set to be a faster end to this year and then on to some more runnable, faster trails early next year, before a really specific block at altitude in the US preparing for Western States.