Last year you could leave stuff with the organisers and it was waiting for you at the finish. The logistics are the easiest I have all year as i am only 2 miles from the start. Luckily the finish is only 25 miles from me ( as the crow flies) and some of my family have said they'll be at the finish so i am OK for a lift home.
I'm getting the train from Reading to Oxford and then hoping to get a lift from the organiser to the start. Train fom Henley to Reading via Twyford at the end. Will ship a bag of clothes with the organiser to the finish line.
and i did some of my triathlon (swimming) training last year just up the river by Donnington so in a way I am over-prepared for this one. seriously, i do feel good going into this one. I will have to be very careful to keep to my pace early and not go trotting off too fast. I hope to average 6.5 miles per hour. It will all depend on how slippery it is. Whatever the weather or the ground conditions, i have been training mainly to have an enjoyable run along the Thames so that is what i aim to do.
I'm very glad to see that there are other people out there who are worried about navigating, the weather and who will be going slow, as I tick all the above boxes!
Does anyone know if there are showers at the end? I'm getting a train to London from there so I'd love a quick shower afterwards (will put the towel in my bag at the start and hope it arrives in Henley!)
Cranston I think it very unlikely there will be showers at the end as I don't think there's a venue as such so it's a case of drying off and changing wherever you can. I tend to pack a towel and a pack of baby wipes as well as a dry set of clothes for those mud-splattered travelling on public transport moments. Someone who has done it before should be able to confirm.
I' m debating which train to take from London , there's one arrives at 07:48 which I hope will be OK for the 07:45 station pick-up as I suspect I'll have trouble getting to Paddington in time for the 06:21.
Looking forward to the weekend. Navigation tip: the maps provided + rain = paper mache....I have learned from my mistake at the Country to Capital and will be taking a map case as there is a spot of rain likely on Saturday Should be a cracking day out - the gobeyond guys are great at organising the baggage/food/checkpoints etc.
I honestly think you guys won't have much to worry about regarding navigation as this route is one of the most simple i have had the pleasure to run. As you follow The Thames you will see all the sign-posts at every junction. Keep your eyes peeled for them and you won't go wrong. It will be a cracking day and everyone of us will get muddy, that is two things i can be sure of.
Excellent Cranston. I'm pretty sure I can get to Paddington by tube for that one otherwise it may have been a bit of a gamble / forking out at the last minute for a cab.The organisers do seem to be very good at the little things.
Probably too late for me to get a map case and I'll be miles behind you Carrie so I shall rummage through my stationery for something plastic and presume there's enough people / signs to follow should my map turn to mush.
You certainly will Poacher. I am sure you will have a great time down by the river. Look out for the Thames Path signs but ignore the No Poaching signs. We have awoken to a dry morning in Oxford. Things can only get drier.. I am going up to the start on my bike to have a look at the first few miles and i will tell you how it is.
Just a few minor puddles along Iffley this morning, after the overnight rain.
So you're all up for major fun tomorrow. Still can't believe last years entry was a 100 and this year it has reached capacity at 300. I'll have to enter early next year!!!!
Anyway, all of you,have a great day tomorrow and I'll look forward to some reports...
It is not looking too bad up by Sandford and towards Iffley, just a handful of puddles, perfect for splashing through. The river itself looks deep dark and cold but it won't do us no harm just as long as we give it a wide berth. I wonder how Iffley village will cope with all that traffic tomorrow? For those of you who are being dropped off at the start i would recommend you do it as you turn into Iffley. If you try to go up to the pub car-park you'll find yourself in a jam and the one narrow lane has residential cars parked in it so it is difficult to turn around. Just a thought as it was crowded last year and with 3 times as many runners entered i imagine it will worse. I am raring to go but keeping a lid on it. See you all at the start, you might know me by my hat which has an Oxen crossing a ford. Come on you Yellows.
I was cycling along the towpath today from Tesco at the mouth of the Kennet towards Caversham Lock and saw several of you guys (and girls) en route ... this was about 4 o'clock. You had good weather for it!
Helly d - I was on my last legs and thinking how glad I was i did not have to get up today to do another ultra. It was a great day yesterday. I only went wrong at Abingdon which is a town i know so well. The weather was perfect and the runners were a fab bunch as usual even if i say so myself.
crossing the bridge after barton fields we should have turned left and gone over the weir but we went right and headed into town. We could have carried on and took a short cut over the bridge and back on the path but that wouldn't have been right. I just stopped thinking for a while.
Comments
The logistics are the easiest I have all year as i am only 2 miles from the start. Luckily the finish is only 25 miles from me ( as the crow flies) and some of my family have said they'll be at the finish so i am OK for a lift home.
Now they wouldn't send us a baggage tag if they weren't taking our baggage would they? I'm not known for travelling light.
Weather forecast is looking grim in the run up to Saturday. At what stage is it no loger classed as running but as treading water?
Only a few puddles at Iffley this morning...
The biggest splash was a student trying to get in the boat, but missing and ending up in the Thames.....I didn't chuckle......honestly......much.
Nige
seriously, i do feel good going into this one. I will have to be very careful to keep to my pace early and not go trotting off too fast. I hope to average 6.5 miles per hour. It will all depend on how slippery it is.
Whatever the weather or the ground conditions, i have been training mainly to have an enjoyable run along the Thames so that is what i aim to do.
I'm very glad to see that there are other people out there who are worried about navigating, the weather and who will be going slow, as I tick all the above boxes!
Does anyone know if there are showers at the end? I'm getting a train to London from there so I'd love a quick shower afterwards (will put the towel in my bag at the start and hope it arrives in Henley!)
Cheers
Cranston
Cranston I think it very unlikely there will be showers at the end as I don't think there's a venue as such so it's a case of drying off and changing wherever you can. I tend to pack a towel and a pack of baby wipes as well as a dry set of clothes for those mud-splattered travelling on public transport moments. Someone who has done it before should be able to confirm.
I' m debating which train to take from London , there's one arrives at 07:48 which I hope will be OK for the 07:45 station pick-up as I suspect I'll have trouble getting to Paddington in time for the 06:21.
Looking forward to the weekend. Navigation tip: the maps provided + rain = paper mache....I have learned from my mistake at the Country to Capital and will be taking a map case as there is a spot of rain likely on Saturday Should be a cracking day out - the gobeyond guys are great at organising the baggage/food/checkpoints etc.
It will be a cracking day and everyone of us will get muddy, that is two things i can be sure of.
Helly D,
I emailed Andrew Priest saying that I'm getting the train that gets in at 7.48 and he replied to say:
Hi Cranston,We will be ferrying runners to the start and will not start until everyone is there. RegardsAndrewSee you on the 6.50 train maybe!
Excellent Cranston. I'm pretty sure I can get to Paddington by tube for that one otherwise it may have been a bit of a gamble / forking out at the last minute for a cab.The organisers do seem to be very good at the little things.
Probably too late for me to get a map case and I'll be miles behind you Carrie so I shall rummage through my stationery for something plastic and presume there's enough people / signs to follow should my map turn to mush.
We have awoken to a dry morning in Oxford. Things can only get drier..
I am going up to the start on my bike to have a look at the first few miles and i will tell you how it is.
That's great Poacher see you there. Await your update with baited breath.
#166 here!
Just a few minor puddles along Iffley this morning, after the overnight rain.
So you're all up for major fun tomorrow. Still can't believe last years entry was a 100 and this year it has reached capacity at 300. I'll have to enter early next year!!!!
Anyway, all of you,have a great day tomorrow and I'll look forward to some reports...
Come on you 'Yellows'.
Nige
I wonder how Iffley village will cope with all that traffic tomorrow?
For those of you who are being dropped off at the start i would recommend you do it as you turn into Iffley. If you try to go up to the pub car-park you'll find yourself in a jam and the one narrow lane has residential cars parked in it so it is difficult to turn around.
Just a thought as it was crowded last year and with 3 times as many runners entered i imagine it will worse.
I am raring to go but keeping a lid on it. See you all at the start,
you might know me by my hat which has an Oxen crossing a ford.
Come on you Yellows.
That's good news about the lack of lagoons on what you've seen on the route.
Getting nervous, I'll have to start on my interminable packing / unpacking / repacking.
#182
I'm planning to get the 06:22 arriving at 06:52. Prefer to get there early and not have to worry about transport.
Cheers
Dino
It was a great day yesterday. I only went wrong at Abingdon which is a town i know so well. The weather was perfect and the runners were a fab bunch as usual even if i say so myself.
I just stopped thinking for a while.