The Hereward Relay 38.4

I have received a reply from ther race secretary and this can be run as a single event.

I have run the Doyen of the Downs as my end of year ultra for the last 2 years and incidentally this is where I met Jezza,  Immune and UltraFlynn. It will be alway in my memory as the fist ultra I took part in.

Sadly, I will not be taking part in this event as the organisers have been awkward and uncooperative to simple requests.

I am likely to be looking at this for an end of year event. March is about 90 miles North of London so a hotel on friday night and perhaps a cornucopia of beverages after the race! (note...train home!)

Is anybody up for this? 7 hours is probable

Comments

  • I would be interested but am too slow,  would expect to take 7.30-8hours but on the website it gives times when all relay runners shoudl leave the last CP, I wouldnt be there in time I dont think.  Pity as I could do with an ultra around this time
  • I don't think there will be a problem with running it at a slower pace. I had a mail from the organiser and as long as they know your start time, you can go earlier than the first wave of relayers.

    I think 6-6.5 hours is actually more probable.

  • I'm in, I've done 3 of the legs as part of relay teams in the past, pretty muddy and very flat, should be good with good support at each of the CP's
  • I am planning to do this starting at the 8am start time. Anyone here doing it who can offer a lift from Cambridge to get to Peterborough that morning?
  • I can give you a lift from Ely to the start, although still undecided on starting at 8 or 9. 8 start would mean running alone for the first 3 hours and could be sole destroying then being passed by shed loads at once. 9 start and run with slow teams could work better?
  • I would need the 8am start to be able to complete the whole thing in time. Don't even know if I can get to Ely by public transport early on a Sunday morning -- don't fancy a 20 mile cycle ride before my ultra! I'll look into it.
  • I too am doing this event and would normally be doing Doyen as a last Ultra of the year but organisers haven't answered any of my questions and have put price of entry up quite ridiculously high.

    I will be starting off around 8am (WHAT!!) as I think i'll need around 6-7 hours to complete too image I hope others will be around at the finish so maybe some of us ultra runners can get together and get a cab back to Peterborough (6 miles back apparently) or else its a long slow run back to car.

  • Good luck folks. Fingers crossed we get some snow to play with image

     Maybe wont be so muddy after all if its frozen??....

    I'm off at 9 with swimmingDunce. Ultra obvoiusly,,,image

    Big Philly - its way more than 6-7 miles back to Pboro. Bring some cash and get the train from Ely if you cant cadge a lift, thats what we're doing.

  • yep good luck all, snow tomorrow -3deg sunday, bliss!

    might be road shoes if it's too hard

     i'm off at 9 too - beers afterwards at the finish image

     what numbers have you all got, i'll keep an eyeball out, i'm U11

  • ultra results are up.image

    http://www.marchathleticclub.co.uk/Ultra runners results 2010.pdf

    well done eyeballs on 2nd.

    swimming Dunce is officially the champ! 

    i cant complain at 3rd.

  • Had to pull out at checkpoint 3 due to pulling something in my lower back. My first ever DNF, although some would laugh at the thought of a DNF after still completing a marathon.

    Not sure if i'd go back and do this one again as wasn't the best ultra ever entered, what with no drinks stations and long way back to car etc.

  • cheers tc, good results all round!

    hard luck bp, not nice after doing the brunt of it

  • the first bit you missed was the worst part of the course, a soul destroying endless straight road.but i bet youll be back next year bp as unfinished business. and

    although its gonna be way harder sloshing thru mud. in fairness to the event, theres not many ultras completely signed. and the point to point makes it seem better, a bonus for me. and so many chipper relay teams etc, easy to bum a lift back to peterboro. altho yes, it was a long drive back, train mightve been quicker.

  • Good to hear from you ultra runners.  Any suggestions on how we can improve for next year?  We know we have to improve the availability of water for you at the checkpoints.  This is the first year we have had a good number of ultras - so perhaps we need to focus on what you need a bit more next year.  Any ideas - let me know.
  • hi malcolm

    for me it would be havng the ultras run through the CP's, or at least alongside, just to get some crowd boost (and it'd be easier to give out drinks!)

    other than that a great event, both relay and ultra, always enjoy it, cheers for a good day

  • i wouldnt mind if we ran thru the CPs altho I dont no if there any organisers issues with making sure the greedy relay runners who've just finished dont swipe it all. if there was an ultra small water station at turnoff of CP1 like we had at CP2 then that would be fine too.

    ideally there'd be a water station at mid points of legs 2-4 but if its made clear there arent then folks simply know to have to take a refillable bottle etc.

  • You may be right TC about unfinished business and all that as I hate not to finish anything like this.

    I would suggest as far as improving this event for ultras would be as already said having a small table set out, maybe with a sign on it to say ultra runners only (marshalls could check our numbers to make sure we're ultras) with a small drinks supply say, water and squash perhaps and also some minor sweets. These sort of things don't cost much to put out and they help to keep us all happy at the end of the day. Also you wouldn't need any more marshalls to support these stops as you could just use the ones you already have. I think having a  water stop between checkpoints would also be a good addition in future. Also agree with the going  through the relay checkpoints for crowd boost.

  • jelly babies image

    one thing i forgot to praise was that we had bright yellow numbers. when i was struggling after Welney and being passed by every numpT known to man including Eyeballs image it was easy to tell if the oncoming runner was a relay team or not. Good work Malcolm, this is one of my biggest gripes with other races. Often impossible to distinguish easily realy runners from individual. Different coloured background to the numbers is totally idiot proof even from a distance image.

    see u next yr BP image

    i feel your shame in DNFing, not something I do lightly either but had to at Rotherham 50 this yr image

    sometimes common sense prevails if your gonna do yourself in otherwise. 

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