Doyen of the Downs 30

Who's in?

I absolutely loved this last year the mud made it a real tough race.

 The organisers take a battering on this site but I have nothing to moan about. I've run at three of their events and race day has always been very enjoyable.

So I'm in... Hoping for the mud again!

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Comments

  •    I wouldn't piss on Extreme Running if they were on fire, biggest bunch of useless, feckless, uninterested in their customers tossers I've ever had the misfortune to have any dealings with. And you can quote me on that.

  • I've run a few of their events. They've been 'ok', and just about only 'ok.' They weren't worth the money. And as they've put their prices up on all events by a squillion pounds since then, they've priced themselves out of the market for most, I hardly know anyone going back to their events, they're just going elsewhere as the prices are now a complete and utter joke for what the events are and what you get for that money. Doyen was ok last year, but I'll be doing a different event on that day this year.

  • I did this last year and I found it almost traumatic!  But I think that was probably more down to the course being a bit tricky in sections rather than the organisation.  Im undecided re: this year - didn't realise the prices had gone up.  By much??
  • Mr KMr K ✭✭✭
    I did this one last year - have fun image
  • I have to say the price increase is putting me off a bit too. I enjoyed it last year but I am not sure it is worth £47, I think it it was about £36 last year and I didn't think it was value for money then. But I did enjoy the race and now I only live about 6 miles from Arundel so it is easy for me to do. I also feel I should support local races... but it is expensive. Decision decisions.  
  •     I entered the London to Brighton in March this year but in April I injured my patellar femoral tendon and took the decision a month ot two later that because of my enforced lay off I wouldn't be able to regain enough fitness to have a decent chance of completing the course within the cut off time limit.

     I e-mailed Extreme Running asking if I could transfer my place or defer it or get a part refund bearing in mind that my cancellation was still almost our months before the race and I had checked their website for their T&Cs to confirm that transfers weren't forbidden. I e-mailed them seven times before they finally deigned to reply and when they did it was quite literally a one line e-mail saying ' We don't give refunds/transfers/deferrals'

     I emailed a further twelve times over the next couple of months asking a variety of questions like where are your T&Cs, who is your board of directors so I can take a small claims out etc etc but each and every e-mail was ignored.

     When they finally started sending out the race packs to other runners, bearing in mind I had just asked about cancelling, I expected mine in the post as I had another runner who was willing to run in my place but I found out that, despite the run being full for the past couple of months, the organisers were still re selling the places of runners who had dropped out due to injury or double bookings. Needless to say I never got my race pack and all e-mails asking where it was were ignored.

  • Dill that's just my experience but from chatting to others who've used them they seem at best disinterested in their customers. In comparison with Extreme Running I paid I think £84 for the L2B which was just for one race, I've just entered the mightcontainuts series of a 30 miler on the Black Mountains, a 40 miler on the Brecons and a 50 miler in the Wyw Valley all for the princely sum of £70

  • Hey I understand your pissed and I would be too.

    I'm just keeping things light hearted although I do agree the events are way expensive.

    That said they are localish to me and run in one of the most stunning areas in the south of England which is probably why I like them.

  • Whilst I understand the commercialities of these running companies ( they are there to make a profit after all) the customer experience has to match and by the sounds of it they definitely don't! their prices are really starting to take the piss I whilst I was thinking about running this this year I certainly won't be at £47!!!

    And if we all stick together these rip off race event companies will have no choice but to rethink why they exist and what they want to achieve.
  • Now this is more like it... Check out the Winter Tanners on the 9th Jan organised by the LDWA. it costs just £2.50!!! option of a 20 or 30 miler!! Unbelievableimage hhmmm let me think.... £47 or £2.50!?
    http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/events/viewevent.asp?en=58049&sp=&v=2
  • Tanners is actually a very similar style run to Doyen. Except there is better food and drink image
  • Mr KMr K ✭✭✭

    Cheers for the tip off - Shame I liked the DotD last year

  • Would this be a good first ultra? I did beachy head marathon last year, which was bloody hard work (but admittedly hadn't really trained for it so deserved the pain I got), but have done a lot more training this year with IMCH, and would like to round off the year with an ultra.
  • It was my first step up to Ultras last year as its a small step-up from the marathon distance and a good challenging and varied trail, however if you read our points above its definately not without its faults.  Still, its a good distance to start with, its just a big price to pay for it!

    I'm still undecided....

  • 50km is defo a good first ultra distance. From reading last years race reports there are large sections of the course which in poor conditions (guaranteed in December!) aren't very runnable!! This isn't necessarily a negative and can be alot of fun and a challenge but if you are looking for a runnable ultra then others may suit. Breckon ultra is in Dec too. Amazing scenery!! Tough hills
  • I don't mind bad conditions to be honest, it'll stop me trying to run the whole thing too hard, which is probably a good thing knowing what I'm like. Happy to walk the really bad bits and then canter round the rest. I'll probably come last, but there we are.
  • If the conditions were like last year it will be ankle deep mud most of the way round. That just adds to the fun.

    As for coming last I wouldn't worry in those conditions it is an achievement just finishing.

  • I ran L2B and Doyen last year and really enjoyed both.

     Unfortunately Extreme have priced me out of their market for me to return.image

    Jelly baby - Doyen not much harder than Beachy, even with the rain and mud.    

  • So what makes it worth the entrance fee? I just ran the marathon on the Isle of Wight for £12. What's makes this so special?
  • I ran the inaugrual race in 2008 and then last year too. The first one was great as it was my first ultra and I didn't know what to expect. Last year was less attractive as many of the areas were flooded and the course was redirected on a less challenging and more boring route. 1st time round was cheap. It went up last year. It is now £49!!!! Ridiculous. It is for what? An assortment of corner shop biscuits in the latter stages, water and a t-shirt and shot glass.

    There is a lovely photo of me running through the frosty stages of 2008 on their website but Extreme Running have been equally frosty with me. Within 24 hours of signing up for another event, L2B, I was given a work committment that I could not change. They refused to refund my money (£86!) and refused to defer me a year and even when I requested that they allow me to enter a much cheaper event of theirs (Brighton Trail marathon - £35) and keep my entry fee they did not return any of my 6 emails.

    Ultra running is a close-knit community and I hear more and more negative press about these guys at runs across the country. If they treat their customers so badly, these races will be the stuff for first time ultra-runners and those that are not affected by these austere times. One interesting point is that following such negative comments on their own forum, they shut it down. What message does that send to us Ultra-Runners? 

    Check out LDWA events as these are well stocked events for water/food and support........ or for the ultimate challenge, including such a huge amount of food (jacket potatoes, soup, quiche, sandwiches, hot dogs, tea, coffee, chocolate, energy gels and every other food you could think of at 9 checkpoints - the Ridgeway 85 miler (best race in 2010!) Only £37.50. 

    I am not going to run an Extreme Running event until these guys lower their prices to realistic levels and provide a level of customer service that even the VLM can do with 35,000 entrants!!!

    I am doing the winter tanners as an LDWA member - £3 entrance fee! 

  • Hmmm, I've heard mixed reviews - and they haven't replied to a couple of emails. I think i'll probably still do it, unless anyone can recommend an event down south in december of around 30 miles?

    Also, what shoes would you recommend for this? I did beachy head last year in my road shoes (it was a very very last minute entry) and they were, as expected, totally inappropriate. Something like the inov8 mudclaw, or something a bit less mud specific?

    Cheers

    JB

  • JB there's a few of us doing the winter tanners in the first week of January, it's organised by the LDWA and it's cheap as chips
  • And that will be a nice warm up for the thames trot 50 and SDW 103 in the summer!
  • Just done the Founders on Tanners ground. Damn that was tough!
  • Hi ultrab and benyo

    Like you guys I did the L2B and the DotD last year - both great races but not for the support/goodies. I thought the L2B at £80+ quid was ridiculous but the DotD for £47 .... last year I got a shot glass and 2 stale bourbons! Sticking to better supported/managed races now.

    Who is up for the London Ultra and Thames Trot next year?

  • David there's fairly well supported threads for both of those running at the moment, I think the Trot particularly has caught a fair bit of interest, at the moment I'm waiting to see if something else pans out before I throw my hat in too.
  • For anyone that doesn't know - doyen of the Downs has been cancelled.  I only found this out by accident - the organisers haven't thought to email all those who have actually entered to tell us this.

    Winter Tanners it is then.  Saved myself some money too image

  • what?????!!!!! ive booked my feckin accomodation and everything!!!  thanks, how did you find out??
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