The Trionium Picnic Marathon

Fantastic race, what a day - we must all be stark raving mad!!

The runners were out of this world, the marshalls and support crew just fantastic...

Thanks again to the legend that is Dr Rob and every single one of you who took part in such an epic event....

Great day out, the marshalls were fantastic, great course, great organisation, great spirit. I'll definitely be back!

At the finish I said to Dr Rob that I would have a look at the data from my Garmin.

This is the link to Garmin connect, which I think should work: http://bit.ly/Kvqlvu

The elevation smoothing doesnt seem to want to work, but I have also uploaded it to fetch which does something similar and it comes out at 1999m (6558 ft).

Fantastic day. Hard as nails race but made by the support of Marshals and Fellow Runners alike. Was using a Suunto race watch (pressure change rather than sat nav) and measured the total ascent at 7200ft. Thanks Dr Rob and all involved!!!   

One of the Munroers cricked his neck ducking under a branch and an ambulance was called as a precaution - it blocked the Zig Zag.

Results are up. Well done to all. Full respect!

Thank you all for taking part. And a huge thanks to Alan (his brother was running) and his daughter Elizabeth for helping me get more water and for bringing us a cuppa, and my wonderful co-marshalls Ian and Mark, Mrs Hequet, and Elliot Banana (and his mother and sister Sasha) for entertaining me.

And of course a huge thanks to Dr Rob. So many asked us what Trionium was.

I meant Mrs Hecquet. Adam, your mum is terrific.

Big respect to all - completers, unlucky ones who dropped out, marshalls and organisors. That was tough, but I made it!

Managed to make it even harder for myself by turning right at top of steps up from stepping stones towards end of first 'half', not thinking (turn my brain off in hard runs like this else would be wanting to stop!) and must have been in midst of halfers. Having seen count down of 4m to go, 3m, 2m... I found myself back at the bottom with 4m to go again! Marshalls kindly showed me road route to get back to start but still an extra 2-3m!

Still, so long as Dr Rob doesn't charge me an extension fee, all part of the experience and getting full value...

Did get worried at time as found that H1 had taken not much under 3.5 hours cut off! But second half went smoother and made it back before dark and even in time to get 9pm train thanks to Dr Rob kindly driving some runners back to station - much appreciated, especially as you must have had enough on!

I will repeat my thanks to marshalls - very supportive as understanding well what all were going through and were a big help to us all getting round. I did try and thank them all as went passed them for final time - although I'll admit that there was personal pleasure in that also as I ticked parts of the course finally off! 

Sorry one last question, on results, after where the ultra is listed, there is 'ultra half' - are all of those runners who started ultra but sensibly stopped at 16m 'half' point? And where you say at top of ultra results 'never to be repeated' - do you promise please? (else I could see myself returning!)

QB -thanks, nice post. Yes, these courses were special 'Olympic editions,' never-to-be-repeated. The Ultra-half results are all those who started the OlymPicnic and either stopped or were stopped at half way AND all those who complted the Munro ultra-half (these are exactly the same courses) - just for completeness. There is no shame at all in completing 'just' the half - it's still a bonkers race and an immense achievement.

The last runner finished at 9.30, and we were still clearing up after 10pm, in the dark... and that's one of the reasons we had the cut-off, and were strict about it!

Race results now up on the web site... make sure you refresh your browser window (you might have to clear your cache to be able to see the new page with results)

Race video now up at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fIAVmULeq4&list=UU2vMHjQhS9-UG8I_4Y8UifA&index=1&feature=plcp

Great day - superb marshalling. I was the second to last to complete at 21.29 but still a great welcome at the finish. It was going to be my last Picnic ....................... but it's all stopped hurting now so maybe I'll be out there in my skeleton shirt bringing up the rear again next time. thanks to everyone involved.

Nick... you get the prize for the best shirt! I'm amazed that you've already stopped hurting... I'll have whatever you're having!

Sorry for running out of water in a couple of places, but the situation was slightly out of our hands... Lucozaid/GSK/courier failed to deliver a quarter of a tonne of lucozaid sports drinks on Friday as contracted, and again on Saturday by 1pm as promised 'due to a system failure.' Grrrr! We were badly let down by them, and they have apologised (but this didn't help us on the day!)

Queue a frantic dash by marshals - during the race - to go and buy up all the energy drinks in the local Tesco and to deliver them back to the halfway and final water station. Sorry that they were fizzy. We did try!

You did your best as always Doc Rob and it worked a treat - certainly for me anyway!

The crew responded to the 999 drinks emergency in true stiff upper lip British tradition and, again, the marshals were brilliant - every man and woman jack of them...

That was my 1st ultra - and I AM still hurting!!

For those with nothing better to do, my very extended thoughts on Saturday on the internet's least exciting running blog here: http://breadsweatandbeers.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/olympicnic-marathon-30-miles-7000ft.html

By the way, I'd like to hear from running buddy Jonathan Richardson - no 447 - ....

So if you're reading this mate get in touch for a quick natter!

Cheers

Red

Huge thanks to the Smith & Western for refilling the water bottles (and for the peanuts).

I remembered Nick from last year's picnic.

Well done to all who did the Ultra and halfUltra, and to Dr Rob and Brian for all their hard work.

I love this event and have enjoyed marshalling the last 3 Picnics.  I was down to do the Munro last year but had to pull out through injury,  I somehow think that if I do the Munro I will never sign up for the Picnic so I might have to jump in at the deep end.  Will there be a Picnic next year Rob?

No Picnic in 2013 - back to 'normality:' every two years again.

Cheers to Dr Rob for putting on a great race, to all my fellow racers and marshalls for the encouragement provided. I was one of the marathon virgins at the start with a 12k mountain race my longest endeavour on my legs, so this was indeed a baptism of fire. I seen it through to the end and the sense of achievement finishing was amazing even if I was feeling a bit light headed after it. I was 8 minutes outside my 6hr target, maybe if I didn't have to lie on the ground a few times I could have achieved it.

This race was just what I was looking for as I find tarmac a bit monotonous and I got 4 miles extra free as well, thanks.

I'll definitely be back for the next Trionium event.

I don't know about ultra-marathon: ultra-nutters is more like it.

Yep it was a great day, even if it almost destroyed me My legs are getting back to normal now.. How does the Greensands Marathon compare to the picnic? Not as brutal I presume?