Steyning Stinger Marathon

After bailing this year due to a suspect right knee that turned out to be nothing, nothing is gonna stop me from Stingering next year. Entry in the post.
«1

Comments

  • Entry in the post for me too. Anyone know why the good races are only open to online entry for RW subscribers... Guess I just answered my own questionimage
  • la la la I can't hear you...

    Still on my to do list but i don't know when.

  • Might run the half again but will be running the Brighton marathon next year so I think to do the full marathon may be a bit foolish....

    Since running the half last year I have joined Steyning AC so there is always a chance I will be marshalling instead image
  • I don't really want to do the half when I want to do the full but I'm still avoiding marathons so I may do the half. There are quite a few off road hilly hals that would make a good year.

    Steyning, 3 Forts, Seaford, South Downs, Milland, Firle - then there's Eridge 10, Lewes 10 and Bewl 15. We'll see.

  • How quickly does this fill up?
  • TCPTCP ✭✭✭
    I'm in.  Using it as part of my training for my first ultra in May.  I'm getting a cold sweat just typing the word ultra.
  • Wow - ultra is impressive! I'm doing the half now - downgraded after picking up an injury (typical). My first go at a half marathon so probably good I'm not doing the full......
  • good luck to all in this
  • Just entered, third year in a row for me. But as this is the first marathon I have done in 9 months I am feeling very nervous! I haven't ran longer than 10 miles in one session since October.
  • TCP which ultra are you doing?
  • TCPTCP ✭✭✭
    Mr Guy - Hi.  Malvern Hills Ultra.  53 miles in May.
  • 53 miles, nice! I would like to do a long Ultra at some point, the furtherest I have gone before is 33 miles. That being said I think I am going to struggle with 26 in March!
  • TCPTCP ✭✭✭
    What was 33 like?  Which race was it?
  • The Marlborough downs challenge I have done it twice now and a couple of other short ultras as well. 33 miles was fine, not significantly more difficult than a marathon. Marlborough downs is a bit flatter than Stenying and in the run up to it I was running marathons every month so I was used to doing 26.2. The mistake I made/ always make is setting off too fast.
    What sort of triaing have you being doing, back to back long runs or really long runs?
  • TCPTCP ✭✭✭

    Is 'short ultra' an oxymoron?  33 is impressive in my book.

    I've gone for the back to back option.  9 and 16 is my longest so far.  10 and 18 this weekend.  Got 3 marathons booked so far and I'll do at least 10 the day before.

  • I'm in.....Love this event and am using as a bit of a recce for the SDW100 in which it goes through
  • Just entered this as a change from boring road runs, planning on treating it as a long training run. Course looks a bit of a b*gger, but the breakfast at the end sealed it for me image Hope it's really cold and frosty rather than muddy as despite years of trying I can't find a comfortable pair of trail shoes image 

  • Last time I did it Old Gwasshopper it was frosty on the North facing slopes, and muddy on the South facing!
  • Thanks Bob, look forward to struggling up and sliding down then, basically image
  • Too late!
    Tried to enter, it's full!

    @Ultrabobban
    Are you doing Three Forts Marathon as well, that has more of the SDW in it.
  • Anybody local know what condition on the course are like?

    First year I did it, it was very muddy and the wet chalk around the golf course section was like running on Teflon. Last year was ok but had standing water in some places.

    Looked at 3 different weather reports and all of them have a different prediction from heavy rain to no rain at all.
  • Just down the road from me, the rain makes it like running on grease - joy. Did the Hangover Five down at Findon earlier in the year and the going was pretty similar. Went too fast downhill (just the relief of actually finding a downhill stretch I think!!) and picked up an injury.

  • MuddyPawsMuddyPaws ✭✭✭
    Wow it was muddy out there today !
  • Muddy Paws, lies, lies, lies it was VERY muddy.
  • Snap!Snap! ✭✭✭
    I usually do the Leith Hill Half as my first race of the year. This wasn't as hilly but CHRIST! THE MUD! Really made it hard. Thanks to Sandy for bringing me home over the last 1/4 mile to finish sub-2 hours. I had wanted a 1:50 but looking at the conditions at the start, quickly had to manage my own expectations.

    Best bit of the race for me was doubling back after the 11 mile marker. Everyone found some extra energy and bounded down the muddy downhill like a pack of wild dogs. Really good fun.

    Worst bits? Giving runners the choice to start when they like meant there was no way of pacing your self against other runners - makes it quite a lonely race. Also, the start/finish is just not suitable for spectators. My wife came along with my two young children and they were all soaked through and muddy by the time I got back.

    Other than that, quite well organised and a really nice route, had it not been shrouded in cloud!
  • From parking the car at the start through to 'inhaling' the full english breakfast at the end, this was fantastic.

    What Simon says about the spectator friendliness of the start and finish is true (especially in bad weather); atlhough on a sunnier day, there are some great opportunities out on the course (especially on the marathon route) to see your runners coming through.

    Personally I really like the staggered start that the Stinger uses; in common with many LDWA events it lets you set your own goals, set your own pace, and not get inappropriately dragged along or held back. I appreciate this might feel different on the half, but for me on the full, running my own race is all part of the challenge.

    Needless to say I will be doing this again and trying to persaude some more running friends to come and give it a go.

     Cheers - Raymond

     p.s. If anybody else is doing the LDWA South Downs Marathon or Threeforts Challenge I'll see you there...might even give Beachy Head another go as it's probably about time.

  • What a spectacular event. Very much my slowest, wettest, windiest and muddiest marathon to date and I loved every minute of it, except the 30 minutes of high exposure coming back across Round Hill into that wind and rain!! Finishing was sublime, but I had to keep running back to Race HQ to stay warm, then some swearing as I fought to get shoes off! The breakfast did the job though, shortly followed by 2x 1/4 pounders and a large Coke from the heavenly MacD's on the A24.

    Thankyou Steyning for such a very professional event, and the Mars Bars.

    Raymond - see you at South Downs, think I'm in Suffolk when 3 forts is on and Snowdonia instead of Beachy. Time now to get some real hills in my legs ready for the Picnic, hopefully on a nice summers day!!

  • I made so many bad choices on Sunday... Weather didnt look that bad leaving home, so only had shorts on, and not enough layers to cope with the coldimage. Ended up dropping for the half as I couldnt stay warm even when running on the tops, and was walking the ups due to wearing road shoes... All my own doing, and I'm looking forward to trying again next year - better prepared next timeimage.
  •  Top tip if it's been raining; a pair of these.

    http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1REJcvDiK6c/TxSSiRW9RxI/AAAAAAAAGxU/bUnhwABbEDM/s1600/walsh+elite+racer+2.JPG

    Walsh PB's; they're light and very grippy.

    Cheers - Raymond

  • I've done this event nearly every year since it started - including in the infamous horizontal sleet in 2007 - but have never known conditions like they were on Sunday. It took a major effort just to keep upright and the downhills were absolutely treacherous. I have never been so cold and wet that I couldn't open my gels or re-tie my laces - many thanks to the kind marshals - heroes one and all - who did both for me!

    Was very tempted to just do the half, but didn't want to wimp out and eventually finished in around 5 hours - much slower than usual, but feeling good at the end.

    Raymond, should see you at both the 3 Forts and the South Downs - my favourite marathon - as they are my numbers 99 and 100. They will definitely be warmer - and hopefully drier!

Sign In or Register to comment.