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!

   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.

Do tell Lirish?

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 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.

I'll shut up then...

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.

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

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....

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.