spartahlon

Has anyone any info., experiences, advise for a hopeful spartathlete ?

Comments

  • Have to agree with Will! A what?
  • GlennGlenn ✭✭✭
    Well, a bit of research tells me a spartathlon is a 246km run from Athens to Sparta. In terms of advice, where are we starting from? What is your current training regime Kevin?
  • NessieNessie ✭✭✭
    "advise for a hopeful spartathlete"

    "research tells me a spartathlon is a 246km run from Athens to Sparta"

    My advice - see a doctor - you are obviously mad!

    (But if you are seriously considering it, good luck!)
  • I've heard of it! Read about it somewhere ages ago. I think the RRC covered it a year or so back when some of their ultra runners did it. About 176 miles isn't it? The RRC should be able to offer a training schedule, but you might have to buy a book or join the club to access the info. (Membership £12.50 a year, or £15 for 2 people at same address)
    Yes i am a member!!
  • I used to live in Greece just off the coast of the Peloponese & one of the competitors in this event used to aclimatise himself to the conditions of the run on the island where I lived. In fact I was lucky enough to have done a couple of training runs with him.
    Any way as mentioned above it is 246 km run from Athens to Sparta over mountain roads & passes retaracing the steps of that man again .....Phiedipedies(something like that). It's held at the end of October or the begining of Nov. I'll dig around tomorrow & find a phone no or web adress.
    Good luck ........ you'll need it.
    PM
  • RedheadRedhead ✭✭✭
    Is this race run over a number of days in manageable chunks?
  • GlennGlenn ✭✭✭
    Redhead
    Not as far as I could tell. If I managed to translate the German website reasonably well the qualifying criterion was that you had completed at least 180km in 24 hours in a previous event. I think I might have to give this a miss this year...
  • GlennGlenn ✭✭✭
    Also, where has Kevin got to? Was he just winding us up?
  • A good site for people who want to run silly distances is:

    http://www.ultramarathonworld.com/uw_training.htm

    On one of the pages there is an iteresting quote:

    When I started 10k seemed impossible
    At 10k a half marathon seemed impossible
    At 13.1mile a marathon seemed impossible
    At 26.2mile - 50 mile seemed impossible
    At 50 mile – 100 mile seemed impossible
    Now at 100 mile 50 seems a nice training run

    Personally, I think that some people are even madder than me

    Will
  • RedheadRedhead ✭✭✭
    WW that quote is quite true isn't it? I started running at the end of Jan to do a 5k. Never EVER thought I'd run it. Then I ran a 10k (x3) heading for 1st 10 miler next week, training for my 1st 1/2m at the end of Sept. Is this the slippery slope?..........
  • Thanks for your input, sorry I've been on holiday so haven't had a chance to reply.

    Glenn,
    Currently I'm doing mostly off-road events: LDWA challenge walks/runs (30->60 miles),Mountain Marathons etc, I did a Bob Graham in July (72 miles, 28000ft ascent), and am down for the London to Brighton in Oct.

    Pizza Man,
    The weather conditions are my main concern.
    How hot is it in Sept. in Greece ?
  • If you're mad enough to run that far does the weather really matter ?

    Seriously , good luck though.
  • Can still be hot, but a lot cooler than the summer. You'll just have to wait & see. I believe when you're up around Nemea in the mountains past Corinth it will be night so a bit cooler. Do they still have the cut off time limit at Corinth?
    Did you find the entry details?
    It was advertised in an issue of RW last spring/summer sorry but for some reason I've torn the page out (must have had an entry form on the reverse). If you want to know which month it was & find someone who's got it, let me know & I'll have alook.
    Good luck,
    PM
  • I think I should be worried. My first reaction to reading about this event was "That sounds like fun!"


    (But you have to admit that the challenge does have a certain attraction!)
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