100 mile point ot point in Scotland?

Would anyone be interested in helping taking the idea of a point to point 100 mile race further?

I have a route and a name. It is called BABBA - Blair Atholl to Aberdeen via Ballater and Banchory. Largely off-road, but not extreme and the tougher bits in the first half (Glen Tilt and then a bit over to Glen Muick).

I've only organised a 5k before !!

He who dares wins?

I'd be happy to help if I can ... I live in Moray (so pretty local) but like like Lirish, you have 5km more experience than me, although I do have experience of organising hillwalking expeditions for kids!! - well it's almost similar perhaps???

Would be fantastic to get some longer ultras off the ground further North and off the lesser known trails (WHW for example).

I have a route I am planning to recce in the Autumn for another long-distance ... it's my "mountains to the sea" route but haven't done much recceing and haven't thought beyond the fact I think it would be good to do.

Keep us posted

i'd reckon kids would be easier to organise for than naughty ultra runners.

it sounds like a great venture Hillheader. i doubt i'd be much help but i'd happily enter!

I am always happy to help a Race Director get a promising new event off the ground. 

Thanks for the responses. Maybe the way to start it is to offer an open invite to run this informally at some point - next year likely? I think that you'd need to be supported for a 100 mile race. Volunteers for all the checkpoints etc. are the biggest issue.

It is a mountains to sea route I have in mind - heading east so wind at your back and downhill ??. Would have to be summer or spring as passes by Balmoral and uses the trails in that area. These, plus stalking elsewhere excludes the autumn. Winter is out as although not over mountains, the route does go around 500m for quite a bit.

There are plenty of ultras in Scotland (SUMS) and the iconic WHW, so I'd have to be careful to avoid those dates. 

Sounds similar to this :.

 http://www.tgochallenge.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/

Although the TGO is not a race it is still a very satisfying challenge.

Good luck with your venture  

Thanks Fellrunner - The TGO walking event does take a bit longer (12-14 days). However, would expect many would follow a similar low level route through the Cairngorms.

My mountain to sea route was a start with the Lairig Ghru, heading up to the Abernethy Forest (either via a high route or low route) and then to the coast and back home to findhorn on coastal trail. About 100 miles. I am planning to run it on my own in the autumn - just for fun!!

Agree though, that for a route that distance, some form of support is required, although I think people would welcome a race that does not require you to provide your own support crew (well it's a personal frustration of mine when it is a requirement anyway!). So definitely checkpoints, and yes, volunteers. I think with the Centurion races they offer that if you support for them on a race, it gives you guaranteed entry to another one of their races.

Also agree, first step would be for a group to cover the distance, and perhaps smaller scale recces of sections to iron out other land issues, route issues, how many people it can cope with etc.

I always thought I would be nice to have something in the autumn, just cos the spring gets quite busy.  The guy who organises the 30/60-miler over on the West coast is also working on a 100-miler ... have forgotten what it's called off top of head.

ah, just read your autumn bit - sorry!

Lairig Ghru then Speyside way would be great (I live in Boat of Garten). I once did a great route with Lairig Ghru then Lairig an Laoigh. Other great low level runs in the Cairngorms are through glen Feshie and also Glen Tromie. Spoilt for choice. Perhaps should link them all up - that would be some run! 

Just looked at the distance for route within the Cairngorms. Start at Glenmore lodge, finish at Kingusie. Over 5 of the major passes in the Cairngorms (Laoigh, Ghru, Feshie, Tilt, and Minigaig). Turns out to be 100 miles with about 3500m of ascent. Almost entirely off road. Would take some organisation though - being so remote!

Absolutely. I've seen how much is involved in the Lairig Ghru race and that is only 28 miles. There's a major river crossing and a lot more. Eek. 

So it could be our Scottish Spine route equivalent then!!! 

That sounds a proper awesome route.  Seriously though, yes it's a tough challenge and there are whole lot of logistical headaches, but no reason why not to try it with a small group to get a feel for it and then start talking to the people whos support you'd need - MRT, Glenmore Lodge perhaps, and other interested parties. I'm sure if heads got together, it would be surprising who knew who, especially given the area. Is how some of these races start I am sure. Important thing is it's really low profile to start with, and that people have got appropriate experience - distance, terrain, small-scale support etc.

I'm in Findhorn Hillheader, so not far really. Do a fair bit running on the small hills above Dava with the odd foray down towards Aviemore. Just getting over an ankle injury and once the snow and ice calm down a bit looking forward to getting out onto the Cromadale hills, Dava and Nethy Bridge way.  I have entered the Lairig Ghru race this year, after pulling out of two ultras due to injury, that's my current focus but I want to do a 100-mileish, self-supported effort in the autumn ... off to look at your Five Passes route now

I have a friend down South who's speciality is event organisation (used to lead treks overseas for Explore), she has recently been doing some freelance stuff for ultra-type events SDW race (not the centurion) and others ... I know I could pick her brains about all sorts of stuff.

Hillheader wrote (see)

Absolutely. I've seen how much is involved in the Lairig Ghru race and that is only 28 miles. There's a major river crossing and a lot more. Eek. 

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That will be the Geldie just before White Bridge I guess I have had some very easy crossings of that river but on the other hand I have had some challenging crossings of it.

It may be a good idea to see if yo can get the MRT on board to see competitors across the Geldie particulary if it is in spate.

It may also be an idea to have the MRT team to ensure competitors make it over the boulder field at the summit (835m) of the Larig Ghru particulary as there is no obvious path through the boulders.

Personaly I would want to know that competitors were competent off road/Hill runners after all I don`t know what defence an RO could put up if say a competitor with largely road running experience came to grief in say the Geldie or on the Larig Ghru and the family decided to sue.

I suggest you get as much advice as you can from ROs you could start here 

http://www.shr.uk.com/Home.aspx   if you have not already done so, some usefull contacts on there.

Good luck