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2012 North Downs Way 100 miler and 50 miler
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On the training front, its exactly as TH says. I'm in Battersea and do a lot of my training runs that way.
TH glad you're coming around
James - Hope this event takes off. To be honest, the cost seems a lot but you have answered a lot of the questions very well in my opinion. Plus I'm sure I would have to pay someone a similar amount to stand and watch me run back and forth for a day anyway... let alone provide me food, drink etc.
I am already running the UTLD100 last weekend of July so I am not sure my legs will take another 100 miler just 2 weeks later! Will be keeping and eye on the event for next year, best of luck with it!
I had missed that L100 and NDW100 were so close together - maybe asking for trouble but you never now.
I might do Pilgrims 2 x 33 over same ground as this is quite soon.
Wow there are really lots of mixed comments on this race.
Thank god there is going to be marker tape along the route. I love ultras but although I try hard I struggle with directions and always have to wait around for the next runner so knowing the race will have it route marked is perfect.
£1 per mile is not expensive at all - I've done a few ultras now and they range in prices but although I am sure you can go out and run a lonely 16 hours worth of running on your own nothing beats that initial meet up at the start of the race where you see familiar faces and have a chat...I've made so many friends through races such as Ridgeway and Hardmoors - and when you reach a hard patch at around 65 miles you will have someone close by to have a chat with and bring you out of the tiredness you'd feel at that moment.
I am looking forward to NDW 100 and a good taper for UTMB.....
By comparison, you'd struggle to do a "full" night out in Guildford for £100 these days and I'm now old enough that I would definitely feel worse after that than a marathon.
I'm entered for the 26.
...don't you just hate it when threads are full of bad feeling.
I say well done centurian for stepping out there and putting this on.
I have been looking to enter a 100 miler since the Devon 100 was cancelled eight months after I entered it back in 2009. I have done the L2B and the C2C along with a few 30 miler multi day events but a truly spectacular 100 miler seems to have eluded me. I have the Ridgeway booked for August 29th after unfortunately postponing last year but this one looks to tempting to miss. I need to get a few really long ones under my belt (and the new belt buckle) as I am in the JOGLE in 2012 and this certainly ticks all the right boxes.
Where does everyone else stand in terms of ultra history?
Thanks a lot
James
www.centurionrunning.com
Why have they only awarded 3 points for the 100? I thought 100s always got 4 points. Not that it bothers me UTMB is not on my radar just now.
Can't wait for this had a 8 week lay off due to injury but coming back now. Got my training plan all mapped out right to race day. Fingers crossed I'll have no more problems. My physio is confident I can make it so so am I.
122 days wahooo!!
you'd think if the 50 was 2pts then surely 100 would equal 4pts, or is that just my maths
Anyway I'm entered, I think some people on this thread are missing the most important point,
you get a buckle!
it looks like its going to be a great race and credit for putting it on James,it takes something a bit special to lure me down from Gods country.
Just a quick one regards pricing, when I did the mds I think it was the best part of 3 grand, now that was dear, I've also went and done solo 100's which only cost me the price of my gels and diesel. You makes your choice you pay your money. I've made mine.
note to self: I must remember top pop on here more often to keep you lot in line, I've been neglecting it a bit since we won the rights to this forum at the Beacons Ultra
for a much freindlier alternative you can always pop over to themds.co.uk
Hi. I'm entered for the NDW50 but haven't much experience in proper hill running. My question is are walking poles recommended for the steep sections?
Most of my hill training is around Hampstead/North London. A bit feeble I admit but better than nothing. I'll get the train down to the North Downs and try some practice runs once I get Cardiff Ultra done with.
Hello all,
I was thinking about doing the NDW50 as a first foray into 'proper' ultrarunning. However, I've had to take several weeks off from any sort of training, and subsequently am worried that I won't be anywhere near a fit state to complete it. What do the masses think? Should I bite the bullet and enter and find a training plan to get me there, or find something a bit later?
Cheers
JB
Is 15 weeks long enough to train for it? I've done barely any running since mid-feb
Had been training for Doyen of the Downs which was obviously cancelled, and carried on running through Jun, then got a bit of an injury plus a massive lack of mojo and not done much for a while. I think it might be just about do-able though ...
Couple of points:
Points for Mont Blanc - my 100 gives you 3 as well despite being 15,200ft of up so that is how they grade. Fair or not, c'est la vie....
Costs to put on events - over the years I purchased water barrels, 3 tents, tables, stoves, gas bottles, enough tape to go around the moon and back, stakes, lightsticks generators etc, banner, fuel containers, crockery, mugs and glasses (multiple use), lights and other shite. My garage looks like the red cross centre in an earthquake zone.
It is very costly to put on an event and it took me three years to get enough runners to be able to slowly expand on our kit. I estimate that there is about £2,500 of kit in my garage, just for the event.
James, I do pay charges as well for hire. Every year the MoD takes a chunk of money out of the budget for us to use the land.
Also, I don't do buckles as I find them pointless, last year I did techshirts, this year I might do hoodies or fleeces. Hoodies to fit the area, thug central.... The costs of those items is quite high too.
Also, if you still need shite to borrow, contact me as we need to arrange how and when. The offer still stands. If I am in a good mood I might be willing to lend a helping hand though I make no promises.
Who is Jen btw, and what does she organise?
Jen is Jen Jackson, organiser of South Downs Way Race.
I am back at Caesars this year for the 50 only, I doubt I'll do the 100 again for another 12 months I don't think I'm recovered from 27 hours of battering yet. I'll never forget finishing last year. It hurt and I loved it.
Centurionrunner,
any idea as to whether the event will be on in 2012?!
Best,
Rob
First recce run this morning. Went from Knockolt pound to the otherside of the Oxted downs and back. 20 mile total. Lovely bit of trail with some supurb views along the way.
Will say you have to have your wits about you even tho I had a map on me I left the trail a couple of times. Too busy taking in the views I suppose. Just hope it is well marked on race day because the way to go seems so obvious sometimes when in fact you've missed a tiny turn and are heading totally the wrong way. I live further up the NDW and have run most of it between Canterbury and Kemsing and navigation is the same all the way. The odd sign missing or grown over and some odd little turns. All good fun tho.
Going to run from Oxted to Box hill and back on next recce should be about 30 mile round trip can't wait.
90 days and counting.
Dill - We're aiming to mark the course as thoroughly as possible, in fact we're marking it pre-event and then again with glow sticks during the race which will give us a chance to check the previously laid course markings, but you are 100% right runners will need to stay alert at all times. Great that you're getting a chance to recce it pre-race day.
I'm aiming to run the whole route in out and back sections over the next few weeks. Then I'm hoping to run from Knockolt pound to Farnham in one hit as this will be the night time section I want to be sure I know all the possible pitfalls.
Must take an age to mark a course like that plus a hell of a lot of glow sticks. Have you decided what you will use to mark the course? Will the glow sticks be used to mark the markers so to speak?
Hadn't thought about the possibility of some idiot moving or changing the markers. What a nightmare that could cause.
This race has fast become all consuming my wife is sick of hearing about it. The kids think I'm nuts because I'm reading a book about looking after your feet. I find you also can't discuss with people about running 100 miles. When you run a marathon people will say "Well done" or "good for you" but if you mention running 100 miles they always say "Why" or "What for" and I've even had someone just stare at me for a while before saying "Whatever". I have now given up talking about it to friends and family.
The joys of ultrarunning
.
Dill
I hoped that when I started running ultras it might inspire some of my friends to try one.
In practice they just said "well we knew he was quite strange anyway".
Off to do Farnham to Dorking on Sunday as a bit of a recce/trail run. So looking forward to getting back out on the trails after the winter spent road running. Leaving Box Hill for the next weekend. I love the fact that it is so easy to get the route from mainline stations.
Will post if I find any bits that aren't obvious and a bit confusing on here for everyone else. We did this last year on London to Brighton which was really useful (although that had no markers on route, so any guidance was better than none!).
On the madness of running ultras - I love the look of surprise when people ask what you did at the weekend and you say that you ran a marathon.
Centurionrunner, I would echo what Lirish and others have said and agree you deserve a big thank you for taking the initiative, and risk, to organise a new race for us. I have entered your TP100 next March, but I hope to do this one sometime as it looks awesome as well
.
Very best of luck to you and everyone who is involved in and running in this event and I look forward to meeting you in March.
Went from Gangers Hill nr Woldingham to Juniper Hill just outside Reigate and back today. 22 mile round trip.
This was a fantastic part of the trail defo the best views I've seen from the North downs. The section covering Reigate hill and Colley hill was breathtaking I could have stopped and just looked for a while. Thats not really the done thing mid run tho.
Signage was much better on this section and only a couple of bits leave you unsure what way to go.
Next section should take me from Juniper hill to around Gomshall somewhere.
82 days
Ha ha you know I'm lovin every minute of it.
Still having twinges from the injury but no chance of me takin it easy.
Dare I ask how you are doing..