Trionium Greensand Marathon 2011

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Comments

  • Not sure if this has been answered already but is there a gpx file for the route I can upload to my Garmin?
  • Route advice and a free Tenner! 

    Had an interesting run yesterday on the race route!  Left it quite late in the day as I was suffering the after effects of a curry on saturday night, but then was focusing more on mileage than the time and ended up getting caught in the dark!  Thankfully I had a torch with me, but had to walk the last few miles as I had started stumbling even with the torch.  During one of my several phone calls home to reassure my other half that I hadn't been got by the monsters in the woods, I dropped the emergency tenner that was in my phone case.  Might go and look for it next weekend, but if you find it in the meantime it is yours!  Could be anywhere between the Tankard Pond area on Wolvens Lane and the Nower.

     Secondly I need some route advice.  I got as far as Holmbury St Mary, turned left (west) off the B2126 which was the last Greensand Way sign I saw, followed Holmbury Hill Road until it started going downhill again and I was sure I had missed the way on.  Backtracked slowly looking for ways off on the left, and signs but didn't find anything.  I went a short way up the track signed to the cricket pitch, but didn't see any GW signs, so gave up as I was getting tired.  My printed out map is getting a bit dog-eared, but even zooming in on screen hasn't really helped me work out where I should have gone.  Any tips will be gratefully received as I am going back next weekend and would like to get a bit further.

    Cheers

  • GuyGuy ✭✭✭
    Jane, there is a map I created from getamap here: http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=1303726. I think you need to sign up, to download it as a gpx file, but it is free and quick to sign up. The distance comes up a bit short on the map. I ran the section from the Nower to Holmbury Hill last week, and my garmin showed it as 10 miles (where the map shows 9.5). The map was useful in the early parts, but the iPhone didn't keep a very good signal once I was under tree cover.

    Joanna, I made the same mistake, and ran almost to the end of Holmbury Hill Road, and had to cut straight up the hill to get to the top of Holmbury Hill. On the way back I followed the correct route which goes past the cricket pitch, and came back onto Holmbury Hill Road next to the sign pointing up to the cricket pitch - so I am guessing that is the right way to go. There are some stunning views along the way - but I wouldn't fancy running it in the dark.
  • Hi Guy. Thanks for that. I just want to run the first bit up to the tower. I'm really nervous I'm not going to make it in the 70 mins!
  • Your just tightening the screws, Dr Rob - 70 mins to Leith Hill Tower! I was all set to sign up, but now I'm hesitant.
  • Go on sign up Cat Hills, the more the merrier, its going to be tough but fun.

    The more people the more encouragement !

  • I'm going to be honest guys - I'm pretty scared right now.

    I did an 18mile run at the weekend which was as hilly as I could realistically make it (about 450m climb) - and by the end I could barely hobble.

    This has got nearly double the climb.... plus an extra 8 miles.

    Any stories of runners who felt woefully unprepared but gallantly rose to the occasion would be hugely appreciated right now!

  • Right, I'm in!  Hoorah! Last minute swap around of holiday dates has meant I am able to run/crawl this race image

    I did the Picnic this year and loved every leg aching minute of it.  Feeling slightly unprepared though for this - have done very little hills (apart from the Farnham Pilgrim marathon a few weeks ago), East London is as flat as a pancake. 

    The website says there is swimming at the end?  Is there a pool or is Dr Rob just going to throw us all into a lake? image 

    also, is anyone else coming up from London?  Are the trains workable?

  • Katiecom -

    No-one who's done the Picnic has anything to fear in the Greensand. It's a great course that goes go up and down a lot but it is entirely runnable, as Rob said in an earlier post. The Picnic steps and some of the hills, by contrast, are walked, not run, by the vast majority of runners.

    The difficulty in the Greensand is pacing, IMHO. To make the Cut you've got to do 6.55 fairly gentle uphill miles at 10'41" per mile. That's not hard for a Picnicker. The danger, I think, is that you try too hard from the Start, push yourself when you should be settling down, make the Cut in an adrenalin-storm and then do the next quarter at a hard pace, so that you face the return half a lot tireder than you should be. Moral IMHO - control your pace carefully on the run up to Leith Hill, keeping it steady and calm, and on the next quarter relax and just cruise.

    Last year only two runners out of 159 starters missed the Cut. Both missed by seconds; one of them was recovering from flu.

    The last runner to make the Cut (by about 30 secs) reached the halfway mark in under 3 hours, looking strong and certain to finish inside 6 hours. She continued strongly and finished in 6:23. So the split was something like 2:50 / 3:33. My theory is that if she'd relaxed in the second quarter the split would have been 3:0 / 3:10.

    So, don't worry about the hill-training - after the Picnic everything will always be downhill.

    Victoria to Dorking is 58 minutes direct on the train. Rob estimates that the Start is about 30 mins walk from the station.

  • I really dont think I am ready for this....is anyone else actually planning on just doing the half - Leith Hill and back?  Hoping im not the only one!

     Would like to try the route this weekend - is it easy to navigate from start to Leith Hill?

  • I'd like to do the whole thing... but whether I can or not is another matter. I'll see how I'm doing at the 70 minute cut-off. I don't think I'll turn back voluntarily.
  • I am also getting increasingly worried about not making the cut-off.  Quickest I have managed so far is 76 minutes, so it is going to take some kind of miracle on the day for me to make up that time.  Having done several really long runs now I know I am going to be really disapointed if I have to turn around at Leith Hill.

    I had actually started looking around for other marathons, so that I could do a full one, but there don't seem to be any suitable ones with entries still available, so I think I will just have to do my best on the day and be happy with a half if that is all I get to do.

    In terms of navigation on the route, if you can map read it is reasonably obvious but I am familiar with the area anyway so that may have helped.

  • Jo -

    Navigating from the Start to Leith Hill isn't difficult but you need to pay attention and use the 1:25000 OS map, IMHO. The Trionium Leith Hill page has a good clear route map and description. The Greensand page also has a good map but the thick route line obscures some of the detail.

    In the first 5km, heading west from the Nower, you have to pick your way through a number of back alleys that are on the map but generally not signposted. After you reach the A25 at Westcott Heath and turn south things are simpler.

    Iin the interests of simplicity you could start on the A25 at Westcott Heath and ignore the true starting section. If the run up to the Tower goes well you could do the missing section when you return to Westcott.

    I started my practice run at Leith Hill Tower and ran back towards the Start, thinking that I'd be pretty sure of finding at least 75% of the course that way.

  • oh hang on, this is  a map reading event?!  Im screwed!  I always get lost, always!  Thats why i  liked the picnic, you could barely move for marshalls shouting directions!

    will there be no signposts?  image now i AM worried!

  • Don't panic Katie, I'm sure Rob marks out and marshals the whole event. 

    We'll be at the half way water station and are looking forward to seeing you ALL there image

  • The course will be well marked... map reading should not be required. There's no shame in 'just' doing the half... just look forward to the autumn colours and a lot of 'craic' and you'll get around fine. Yes, it's a swimming pool (couldn't find a muddy pond, unfortunately).
  • Many thanks BRM - will give it a go on Sunday - early I think if this weather continues!
  • Have a great run, Jo, and be sure to get to the Tower one way or another - the views are marvellous and the Tower cafe (if it's still open) sells nice homemade cakes. The views are even better further along the course - especially Holmbury Hill and Pitch Hill, IMHO.

    I'm training on the Thames towpath because (1) I've plodded up enough Trionium-related hills now, thank you, and (2) the homeopathic principle must apply to gradients and exertion - tiny amounts will produce massive benefits.

    Rob, there's a muddy pool on Wolvens Lane about a mile down from Coldharbour. I'm always surprised when the Magical Mystery Tape skirts it. I think it's Tankard Pond (though some do call it the Malarial Terror Pit). Have you considered developing a Green Slime Marathon? The valley parallel to Wolvens Lane features Pond Cottage, Snakes Hill and Broadmoor Bottom.....

  • We can't stop the Trionium supertanker, just try to change its course slightly.
  • He he he.....!

    News just in... we have the use of the newly-renovated pool at race HQ (Priory School) after the run. They've spent £50,000 on improvements... so please take your spikes off before entering (the pool).
  • The race is now full - chock full to the brim.
  • Does anyone know when the numbers will be sent out?
  • You just collect them on the day at race HQ. Instructions will be sent out tonight by email, and will also be posted on the race web site.
  • helly dhelly d ✭✭✭

    Katie - considerably less steps than Picnic - you'll be more than fine.

    Comparison to SDW? Depends on the weather. If it's dry this race is lovely but, as others have pointed out the trails are narrower with more twisty, rooty forest trails, some sharp hills and some not so sharp. If it's soggy underfoot  I can imagine it would be more tricky. Support from random walkers and bikers as well  as those involved is actually great  and once you hit Leith Hill on theway back (20M ish) it's downhill apart from one nasty uphill shortly before the end. Missed the swim last year but feel obliged to do it this year.

      Managed to get down on the train despite rail replacement service last year. Happy to share a cab  with any public transporteers this year.

  • I am a fellow public transporteer!  For the leith hill half earlier this year I walked from the station (Dorking), which wasn't too bad as it was only half an hour or so walk and the race was only a half marathon; but I suspect this is a different beast all together that may benefit less from a swift walk up hill to the start from Dorking- so taxis seem like a good idea!

    I looked at the trains the other day and there doesn't seem to be any works (coming from London). 

    Two quick questions

    - where would one buy a space blanket from?  I've seen them online but the postage is often more than the price so was hoping to buy one in person.  Local running shop didn't sell them...

    - I was planning on running with the required mobile, whislte and space blanket in my back pocket- is this foolish, I've never run with a bum bag and taking my camelbak seemed like overkill?  Any thoughts from people that ran it last year?

  • Hey Bread

    Im training it up from London, good to hear trains are all on course...

    I bought my space blanket from an outdoors/camping shop, fairly cheap really.

    If the above would all fit in my back pocket i would definately do that, but i dont think the zip would close!  I'm going to run with a backpack just for ease.

  • Hello thread, I signed up for Greensands a while ago.

    Think I'm a bit concerned about the 70min cut off, as looking at my Leith Hill half splits, last time I got to that point in 71 mins, so perhaps I need to pick the pace up early on.

    Bread, I must have loads of spaceblankets at home, given to me post previous races. Might take some spare if anyone needs them.

  • Dr Robert, Hi. I ran last year and prevaricated about doing this year's. Now it's full ! More the fool me. If there are any cancellations, could I put my name forward, please ? My Tel no is 07921 192 362. Tim
  • Email me with your details... rob@trionium dot com....

    Remember... fortune favours the bald.
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