Ultra Race 40

Hi all,

 Is anyone else doing this race. I've not entered yet but I only want to do the race on the Saturday. This leaves me a little stranded though. Is anyone else just doing the one way that wants to arrange a way of getting back to the start. If there's enough of us we could hire a 7 seater taxi and split the cost. As long as we don't mind waiting around for each other.

 I'll be coming from Leicester so if anyone wants to lift share give me a shout.

Matt

I am also thinking of doing just Sat and am from Loughborough but hate driving in the dark as I have bad night vision so if I did to it I would get the train to the start, I think it gets in about an hour before the race and then get the train home via london.  Whether that is poss though depends on how long it will take me to run and how long it will take me to run depends on

a) is it easy to get lost?

b) how hilly?

c) what is it like underfoot?

anyone know?  I can then work out roughly how long it will take to run and then if I can get a train back.  If it is not going to be poss then I will do the Wilmot Wander which is about 30 mins away from me and is 32 miles!

I looked at trains from the finish to the start and there seemed to be a lot of them and it was quite cheap but then I realised it would be dark and driving home in the dark after running 40 miles did not appeal!

Just realised who you are Matt, hello again!!! I survived my double marathon this weekend so will be doing both days of Grantham next year!!

PS how is the tyre pulling going???!!!!

Regarding sharing taxis back to northants, another possibility is that I drive to the start then stop over at the start after running and drive back the next day. In which case I would be happy  to share taxi but I will be quite slow in comparison to most people, my marathon time is 3.52. 

Hi Hellen,

 I've entered this race now. I emailed the organisers about your questions a couple of weeks ago. They were really helpfull. It's pretty much the same as the Grantham Canal Run. The route follows the canal from Northants to Tring. Underfoot will be a little muddy. But the distance will be ideal for your Swiss Alpine Marathon.All you will have to work on then is the hills. With it being along the canal there are no hills.

If we can get back to the start i'll be happy to take you to Leicester train station. When you looked at the train prices back to the start how much was it? It came up at £70 odd  when I looked.

 I'll also be doing both days on the Grantham Canal Run. Is it £25 each day? I may check into a different hotel though. It's not the cheapest. The online quote was £75 for the night. It makes it an expensive race for a training run which is what it's being used as.

I don't mind waiting around at the end but by the looks of it you've got a lot quicker. 20 minutes off your marathon time since we last spoke. Well done.

Tyre pulling is on hold for the time being. I need to strat it again soon though. I have a few hilly ultras lined up before the 102 miler in September.

Take care

Matt

Hi Matt, thanks for the offer of the lift, yes I have got faster.  You may want to retract that offer though when you see the train prices as you may feel it better to go by train, no offence taken !!

Just had a look and a single from lough (changing at lec) leaving lough 6.40 arriving Northampton 8.40 is £20.60, a return is £21.10 so will be cheaper for lecester,

A single from Tring to northampton is £13.70. For me, the last train home from Northampton is 19.45 which means the latest train I could get from tring is 18.01 to connect with that.  I Think I could do the run in 8 hours no probs but that doesnt allow for something going wrong so would be too much of a risk.  (for you I expect there will be a later train back home if you did the train option). 

My alternative is to travel home via london meaning the last train I can get on the cheap deal is 19.10, the cheap train back is £18 although they are not yet available for that date.  IF you are going to do the train and are therefore not going to beable to offer a lift I will go back via london (even though it is more expensive but I dont like being stressed about missing the train).  I will need to book that in advance though to get the £18 ticket and it looks like they will be out in the next week or so.

Re grantham, I expect Rory will have some sort of deal with the hotel and hopefully he might beable to pair people up so that we can use double rooms between two rather than pay a supplement.

Not quite sure what to do now. I still like the idea of driving to the start just for my piece of mind. So may do that. But things may change anyway. When I got an email from the organisers they said that closer to the time they will be emailing people to possibly sort out transport back to the start. Lift shares etc. Nothing organised. The main thing is sorted and that's i'm deffinately doing it. Just that little thing of getting back. Whatever happens it's not going to be a problem by the sounds of it.

Thanks for your help

...oh Hellen, found you over here too !

This is a definate maybe !

This is more of a definate maybe for me that pilgrims way, more cos of the timing. 

Matt, you can phone up the hotel for Grantham and tell them you are doing the race and they should give a discount.  Jen said she is hoping to set up some forum (I think on the ultra running group thing on face book) so that people can discuss sharing rooms/lifts. 

I cant remember the group but it is has ultrarunning in the title, will check when I get home if you like

Hi Hellen,

I'm not sure who you are on facebook but look up Matthew Hart. I have a monkey on my shoulder.

Hi all,

Just wanted to say that if anyone is planning to run on their own but would prefer to have a "running buddy" then i might be able to accomondate (obvioulsy depending on pace).

Its my first ultra of hopefully many, so i'm not too sure of what pace i will produce on the day. I have entered into both events. For some reason i'm really looking forward to it, though my freinds think i'm mad.

Hope the training is going well!

 Tom

Hi Tom,

 I'll be on my own so we can hook up at the start and then take it from there. If you feel you want to go on ahead or drop the pace It'll be fine. Over this distance it's important to run your own race. Where are you coming from? I'm coming from Leicester if you want to lift share but i'm only doing Saturday's race.

 Matt

Hi Matt

I'll be coming up from Stevenage so i'll get my gf to give me a lift (although she doesnt know it yet ), but the offer is most appreciated.

Hooking up at the start sounds like a good plan, what sort of time are you thinking of running it in? I'm looking forward to running something thats refered to as flat, as my usual poison are more "hillier" events, alhough on the day i'm sure the prospect of running 45miles will worry me a great deal.

What sort of training are you doing currently? I'm having issues fitting enough running in around work, it would be so much easier if i i didnt have a 9-5 day job. 

Thanks for your quick response. 

Tom

tom@thof.co.uk

Hi Hellen,

 I don't think getting lost will be a problem. It's supposed to be like the Grantham Canal Run. Werefollowing the canal the whole way. The only place to get lost will be the start I reckon and there will be enough of us to stick together by then.

It's not ideal for me though either. It's supposed to be a nice easy one for me to start my training. And as I couldn't find a 35 miler I opeted for this one. My next 5 events I will cover 327 miles. What am I doing. My main worry about this one is the weather.

Hellen.Matt23

How are you all ??

I will do another new Rory Coleman Mad Ultra in London called ULTRA LONDON 50K in Feb. This will be my 2nd new Marathon since the Eden Project  last Year and Brighton Trail this year aswell as \Brighton Marathon start as new allso.Anyway by chance how to I get from Sleaford to Northampton its fare.Who Knows? I will do Grantham Canal maybe Sat Only because its clash with Grantham Half Marathon which I will miss Sunday anyway?

Are you all on Facebook?

David W Bush:Good to hear from you aggain.How are you?

I'm booked in for this run and it's a "home" run for me, as I live in Milton Keynes. I'll start to get out on the course over the next few weeks, and I'll report back on the conditions of the course.

 The course is far more interesting  than the Grantham canal run. It's working canal, and there will be plenty of narrow boats and people on the course. There is plenty to look at so it won't be boring.

 I think it's a good course for spectators - there are loads of pubs that we pass on route (handy for us as well if we need a emergency mars bar etc..), we pass through Campbell Park in MK, which is very close to the shops, Snowdome - so they can keep themselves entertained whilst we are running.

So see you all on the 23rd!

Initially was not happy about it being 45 miles but am warming to the idea and passing pubs on the route sounds good for getting a coke and some crips

Hi Speedy, no idea about travel, have you tried the trainline?

I havnt sorted out logistics yet but have looked at hotels, the one at the finish is £140 and the one at the start is £40 so if I do stop it will be at the start!!

hi David - A change of plan and decided to do this one instead of the Thames Trot!! so be good to meet up! I'm only going one way though!

 quite frankly what possessed me to think that a race starting in oxford and finishing in henley was a good idea i don't know! especially considering that I live in leighton buzzard which means that this one practically passes by my front door!! In fact I run the same stretch of the GUC most weekends! bit weird that because its a race I'm now paying £31 for the priverlege! lol. anyway finishing in tring means that all i need to do is turn around and run/jog/walk/crawl back down the canal path to leighton buzzard to get home! probably making it about 57 miles in total. nice