Comrades 2020

Southern Snail

Terry - bad luck with the knee and not being able to run Berlin. I hope the MRI scan shows its something that is easily repairable. Good luck with that.

Lowrez - sounds like a great trip you're planning but definitely not the Mars bit at the end

Fido2Dogs

Lowrez I have a friend who did a RTW including Easter Island...where he had a dental emergency. He says he would recommend the dentist there for root canals any time! I thought that was the kind of random factoid you might enjoy.

LoveLifeRun

Hey All.
Can I please join this chat.... newbie looking to run my first comrades next year! I’ve run a few marathons but this will be my first ultra. South African born living in the UK now, I grew up watching the comrades on tv and it has been on my bucket list for years.... hopefully 2020 will be the year! 

Seems like this forum is good for some motivation :)

Becca7

Welcome aboard LoveLifeRun. There’s no better place for a Comrades newbie than this. 

Good luck to anyone racing this weekend. 

1owrez

Come on in LLR, how fit are you at the moment; I have just run my second 5 miler this month, so I'm nowhere near marathon fit at the moment. Have you qualified yet or have you got an event lined up where you are going to try?

F2D I have missed my checkup by several months this year, better drop by before I set out anywhere

LoveLifeRun

I did London in April this year and run about 40k a week at the Mo but the pace is a bit .... lazy and I know I need to increase my weekly mileage a lot.  
I haven’t qualified yet ... was thinking Paris in April as a qualifier or is that leaving it a bit late? 
I need to find some more races to enter especially next year for the longer distances. 
Whats the Strava group called? 

Mc Hilly

Terry - sorry to hear about the knee, hope you can get it sorted
LLR welcome to the group, most people try and qualify earlier than April, it’s nice to get qualifying out of the way early, and maybe look to do a second marathon Mar / April time..... the issue with April is if something goes wrong eg stomach bug, flu, injury, strikes, weather meaning you either can’t run or can’t get to the event then you might not be able to find another event in time. If you look back a few pages you’ll find a list of different events people are planning to use. 

LoveLifeRun

Fab - thanks for the comments re qualifying!  Will have a look at the events and see if i can get it done earlier... 

1owrez

Comrades 2020 Qualification
25Aug Qualification Opens
21Sep Italy (IM) Peter R-Q3:51PenC
22Sep Hull (M) marty74-Q3:32PenC
29Sep Berlin (M) jkissane
06Oct Chester (M) Mc Hilly
06Oct Isle of Wight (M) Debra Bourne
13Oct Munich (M) Mac3
20Oct Poznań (M) Becca7
20Oct Abingdon (M) baldstan
20Oct Yorkshire (M) johnny1984
26Oct Snowdonia (M) Mc Hilly
26Oct Beachy Head (M) marty74(100th), Debra Bourne
27Oct Ghost of Cyclopark (M) Debra Bourne
03Nov New York (M) Becca7, Mac3
01Dec Valencia (M) Getafix
06Dec Abu Dhabi (M) Dubai runner
17Jan Muscat (M) Dubai runner
24Jan Dubai (M) Dubai runner
01Mar Tokyo (M) Mc Hilly
15Mar Barcelona (M) 1owrez
05Apr Paris (M) LoveLifeRun
11Apr Two Oceans (M) thomasclowes
02May Qualification and Race4Charity (PenCC) Closes
14Jun Comrades

Accommodation
Belaire baldstan, Terry48, Debra Bourne, Becca7, pottermiss
Hilton 1owrez, Mc Hilly, Dannirr
ONOMO Slow Duck, justanothrrnr, marty74, Getafix, johnny1984
Protea Dubai runner

1owrez

That's an updated list LLR although there are a ton more events out there too - if I can string some good running together I will be making a qualification attempt prior to Barcelona.

Strava group is here

Have you booked accommodation yet?

Good luck in Berlin JK

Hope Tolkien went well Debra - haven't added it to the list as I don't think you were trying to qualify there? Is it a warm-up for Isle of Wight?

Planning to see you next week at about 16.5 miles on the bridge over the River Dee at Farndon McH and again just after mile 23, what pace are you hoping to make? If I don't spot you on the bridge I will need to bail and sprint to the second point. Supporters don't tend to swamp those spots so me and my sign should be pretty prominent and easy to spot though. What's your favourite snack? Last year I got a halloween tub of scary chews from Sainos on the way down Need to adjust my sign, I wonder where I put that broom handle, but it will be lollipop crossing size and look like:-


Peter, that was an amazing time off the back of the swim and bike, you must have stormed home causing many tears in other competitors as you cruised by

Southern Snail

LLR - welcome. As the others have said I'd try for an earlier qualification if you can but if all goes to plan then theres nothing wrong with April.

Jkissane - I see you're in Berlin today. Good luck. Hope the weather is better than here where it's biblical!!

I am therefore doing some serious procrastinating before I go out

I have just entered a 100 mile race for next year. Scary but very excited

1owrez

Don't keep us in suspense SS - when and where - let me guess - erm - Rocky Racoon - 1st to 2nd Feb next year - in Texas USA - favourites of Zach Bitter and Camille Herron That means you could qualify for Comrades 2020!

marty74

jkissane - hope you having fab run at Berlin and qualification will be sorted shortly

Welcome LLR - you won't regret doing this race.

Lowrez - that sign still makes me smile. Thanks for your support at Chester last year, was amazing.....

SS - do tell which 100. I am thinking about doing one as well......must be mad...

Looking forward to the Comrades launch next week. Interested to see when they actually open entries....

Terry48

JK - have a good run in Berlin.  I should have been there if I were not currently 'disabled'.
Thanks for good knee recovery wishes everyone - I hope my 23 October MRI news will show a repairable situation. In the meantime I'm trying to keep up with exercises and some cycling.
Fido2D, Up until 2 or 3 weeks ago I had hoped to be able to walk Berlin but sadly found I'm currently too unfit even for that. I hope you get to Munich in good shape.

Debra Bourne

Southern Snail and I are both on the entrant list for next year's NDW100.

Southern Snail

As Debra says NDW 100, but I would like to point out that it is actually 103 miles long 
And 10000feet of climbing. 

Marty - the entries are still open

1owrez

I heard it was 153

Yep, looks like about 100 places left

So where are you going to qualify for Comrades SS

Dubai runner

Lowrez, no Abu Dhabi for me, can't get off work. Finish night shift at 0600 and the marathon starts 30 min later 160k away. 

Dubai runner

Thinking of running Kathmandu in December, depends if we go away on holiday or not that week.

1owrez

Blimey, that's a bit like Comrades, not a flat bit of road on the course

Dubai runner

It's the dust that's the problem, I've ran in Nepal before, the countryside beautiful and clear air but Kathmandu is very dusty, dirty and interesting!!

LoveLifeRun

Wow, running in Nepal sounds interesting (dust aside!).

I'm staying in the Protea (Thursday to Monday). I've been looking at races today to find an earlier qualifier .. not sure what to go for yet but I do quite like the idea of Barcelona in March!

Southern Snail

Lowrez - as you know sadly no Comrades next year for me, but I am doing Thames Meander marathon on November 2nd. Believe that's Dave Ross organising so I can surround myself with Comrades hopefuls.

Glad NDW isn't 153 miles. Couldn't cope with that

1owrez

I can keep hoping SS . So! Thames Meander eh? Slap bang in the middle of the qualifying window! Ha!

You never know, 100 and 3 might not be enough after you finish and reflect

1owrez

LLR, I found a hotel with a theoretical 4pm check-out in Barcelona, although they are being very coy about allowing me to allocate that up front; it's "subject to availability", I hope that isn't just Spanish for "unavailable". Irrespective I am flying out the day of the marathon.

Mc Hilly

The idea of Kathmandu marathon sounds amazing!
JK - hope Berlin went well
Lowrez, shall enjoy looking out for you and your sign next Sunday, hard to say what my pace will be, as it’s a long time since I’ve run more than 13 miles! My guess is I’ll start out at about 9.5 or 10 minute/mile, but hard to say how soon and how much I’ll slow down :-)  Probably wont go for snacks as lots of lucozade on the course! Currently deciding which parkrun to do on the Saturday am, Wepre because I like it, E’port because I haven’t done it before, or just a jog along the Wirral way!

baldstan

Southern Snail glad to hear it's definitely not 153 miles, NDW100 is going to be my first 100 next year (actually I'm a little bit worried about those extra 3 miles, not to mention all the steps which I've been warned about).

Fido2Dogs I've taken your advice and booked Malta Marathon for 1st March. Now need to book those catacomb tours you recommended.

Southern Snail

baldstan said:

Southern Snail glad to hear it's definitely not 153 miles, NDW100 is going to be my first 100 next year (actually I'm a little bit worried about those extra 3 miles, not to mention all the steps which I've been warned about).

Steps? I didn't know there were steps. Are there lots of them?

Dubai runner

McHilly, Kathmandu itself is very dusty and the roads are crazy and not closed for the marathon. There are some very interesting UNESCO heritage sites in Kathmandu itself, it's not that big a city.
Running in the countryside is much more enjoyable until a 6 year old glides past on their way to school in flip flops on an uneven trail.

marty74

Southern Snail said:

As Debra says NDW 100, but I would like to point out that it is actually 103 miles long 
And 10000feet of climbing. 

Marty - the entries are still open

SS - tempting but i think it will be too close for me after Comrades. I am looking at the Cotswold Way Century in September since the path is right on my doorstep. Again, quite hilly, apparently over 12000ft - Gulp!!!!