Posts Tagged ‘ultra-marathons’

From one extreme to another – yesterday we talked about the up-coming Yak-Attack in Nepal: mountains, snow, freezing waters, etc. And today RacingThePlanet’s first annual event of the year, the Atacama Crossing, begins – desert: the hottest, driest, windiest and coldest place on earth. This race is no walk in the park. It is about as extreme as an event of this kind could possibly be (racingtheplanet)..

RacingThePlanet and Extreme World Challenges have one thing in common. They both seek extreme locations for their very extreme events. And these are not self-congratulatory events… they both raise money for charities of their choice, charities that benefit the country that they are eventing in.

“As anyone who has run to raise money will tell you, a charitable cause is a powerful motivator and can often mean the difference between failing and finishing. And, in a world bursting with special fund-raising events and charitable challenges, the 4 Deserts still ranks as one of the hardest but most rewarding ways in which to make a positive contribution to your community,” says Dave Flanagan.

And this year Chile has suffered a catastrophic earthquake – so big that it has knocked the earth of its habitual axis. That’s quite something to contemplate isn’t it? RacingThePlanet considered the appropriateness of running a race after a cataclysmic event like this and decided that they could hopefully do more good than harm. Raise money for charities that desperately needed the help, and show the bereaved country that it was not bereft of friends.

“The Atacama Crossing 2010 represents an opportunity to support a wonderful country that is currently in mourning. The event will be a tribute to everything that is great about Chile – its people, its astonishing landscapes and its indomitable spirit. And now there’s also the prospect of raising funds to help the disaster relief effort through the link RacingThePlanet has established with the international charity Habitat for Humanity.”

The event  is part of the 4 Deserts races which were named by TIME magazine as #2 on its list of the Top 10 Endurance Competitions in the world. This is the sixth time this particular race has been run. Thirty four countries will be represented with competitors coming from six continents. The youngest competitor  is Sam Sharrock of the United Kingdom who is 18 years old – he will be taking part with his father.  The eldest competitor is Laurence (Laurie) J. Brophy of Wales who will be 78 years old on the start line.

Not only that, but Laurie will, if he completes,  set a new record of being the oldest person to have completed a 4 Deserts event. He currently holds this title from his completion of the Sahara Race (Egypt) 2005 at the age of 72 — this title was then equaled by Jack Denness of the United Kingdom in the Sahara Race (Egypt) 2008.

That’s quite something to be able to boast about…

77% of the competitors are male and 23% are female in this Atacama Crossing  – this is a 4% increase in the number of women compared to the same event in 2009. A record nine competitors from Chile will take part. There are 14 competitors from South America in total, also a record. The largest contingent of competitors are from the United Kingdom (39), followed by the United States (34). Five teams will be competing this year, Team Help for Heroes includes Rob James from Wales who finished second in the Atacama Crossing 2008. There is also an all female team from Chile — Team Andesgear.

Some facts about the Atacama Desert:

• The Atacama Desert is 15 million years old and 50 times more arid than California’s Death Valley.
• Some of the oldest mummies found on earth come from the Atacama, dating as far back as 9000 years.
• The entire race will be held at least 1.6 kilometers / 1 mile above sea level and cover the distance required to make a horizontal crossing of the country of Chile (250 kilometers).
• The day time temperatures expected are 32 Celsius / 90 Fahrenheit, while nighttime temperatures may drop to 10 degrees Celsius / 50 degrees Fahrenheit or lower.
• The Atacama Desert has the most lunar-like landscape on Earth and is frequently used by NASA to test its Mars rover vehicles.

A word from RacingThePlanet:

RacingThePlanet – The Official Page We are dedicating the Atacama Crossing 2010 the victims of the earthquake in Chile and are raising money for Habitat for Humanity. If you would like to donate, please click the link below and be part of the race as well. 100% of your donation will go to Habitat for Humanity.

Competitors are checking in in La Casa de Don Tomas, San Pedro de Atacama, right this moment,  including administrative, medical and equipment review. They will be departing for Camp 1 this afternoon. The race begins tomorrow – good luck to all, and although I don’t want to sound partisan, very very good luck to Laurie Brophy.

The race ends on 13th March.

With the new year well upon us, and with the knowledge that some intrepid souls are already proving their worth in Patagonia, we thought we might have a look into the training that is required to participate in endurance events, be it ultra-marathons or adventure races.

But first of all we need to try and understand why people would challenge themselves to such an extent. What is it that pushes some far more than others? I’m not sure there is any real answer to that, but Steve Clark, an ultra-marathon and endurance runner, sums it up pretty well when he explains:

“I wanted to be tested to my mental and physical limits and really see what I was made of, and fundamentally that is why I love ultras.  Run one and you can learn more about your strengths and weaknesses from one event than you would from a lifetime of listening to motivational speakers, self help gurus and personal development trainers.  You also get the time to think how to put it all into practice more than in any other sport I know.”

That’s a good enough reason isn’t it?

Running an ultra-marathon or competing in an adventure race requires at least 3 vital qualities: ambition, inner drive and determination. All endurance races are challenging and extreme ultra-marathons fall into a catagory all of their own. If you have not got a liberal dose of the 3 qualities I just mentioned to enable you to put in the correct quantity and quality of training, and the planning and preparation that is needed to increase your odds of success, then odds are you will not succeed.

Training for these type of events does not only happen when the weather’s good and you’re in the mood. This sort of training has to be done in all weathers, no matter how wet and miserable.

It is suggested that to complete your first 100-mile endurance you should have a one-year base of distance running, with at least two 50K distances and one 50-mile run, before starting the training schedule required for ultra-marathons. Running 100+ mile weeks does not increase one’s chances of finishing a 100-mile run. Many ultra runners have completed 100-mile runs with weekly mileage in the 50s or 60s. The rule here is ‘quality’ of training, over ‘quantity’.

Trail Runs has given the following training schedule which allows rest and recuperation days whilst building up the weekly average at a steady and sensible rate:

It looks pretty heavy this, but training is essential as you are going to find an ultra-marathon an ultra-challenge. To succeed in completing these distances is, without doubt, superb physical fitness and stamina, but 80% of the battle to succeed takes place in the final 20% of the distance, and here you have to dig deep and fight-the-fight mentally, calling on all your reserves and remembering the pain and effort you went through with your training.

It is essential to go into the 100-mile run well rested and injury free and for this reason you will note on the chart that the 2 weeks before the big run have a much lower mileage than the previous build up.

Rest is essential and it is equally essential that you do not get caught up in over-training.

This schedule is a 7 and a half month programme. Helen Skelton, the Blue Peter presenter, gave herself just 3 months to train for the Namibia Ultra-Marathon – one of the most formidable ultra-marathons of them all. She had bucket loads of what I said you needed: ambition, inner drive and determination. Mental strength is covered in those 3 requirements, but worth another mention as it is integral to whether you succeed or fail… Helen Skelton succeeded.

Being pulled from any race or event on medical grounds is always difficult to take, but is always out of your control. An ultra-marathon is a lot more than just gruelling training to allow you to complete the race. Water management is equally important. If you finish your supply before a checkpoint and dehydrate – you will not be able to recover without assistance. In times like that it is important that you do the two things the medic will insist on: Rest and Recuperate and a third thing that you should do for yourself at a time like this is: Reflect. Reflect on what you did well in the event, and what you can learn from the experience, so that it never happens again. You become stronger through adversity, never weaker.

Steve Clark, Across The Divide Operations  and Development Director and Ultra Marathon runner, ran 2 marathons before realising that they didn’t interest him enough. He sought the challenge of the ultra-marathon and was hooked. It’s not only the extreme challenge of succeeding, there is the added benefit of the others in the race and the destinations these ultra-marathons take you to.

“The best thing about Ultra’s has to be the people that you meet. They seem to be a much friendlier bunch and far more open to helping each other through dark patches on the trails, as they fully understand how hard these events can be and how even a little company and support can lift the spirits and make the difference between success and failure.  Most people are not in it to win it, but just to haul their bruised and battered bodies over the finish line.  They are quite happy to share this whole experience with fellow racers along the way.”

There are ultra-marathons in Namibia (charityatd), the Sahara, Antartica, Laugavegur Ultra Marathon in Iceland (charityatd), the Gobi Desert, the Atacama Desert, The Great Wall of China, Petra in Jordan… to name just a few. Exotic, and all challenging terrains.

“So if you are contemplating making the leap from marathons to ultra marathons sign yourself up for an event today and you will never look back.  They are life changing experiences and you will definitely end up a better person for it,” he says.

For more information about Steve Clark’s company, Across the Divide, please follow the link.

I have a feeling that competing in this one will be like being between a rock and a hard place!

Photo taken during 2006 race. Grant Swamp Pass, 12,900 ft (3,900 m)

Just check out these statistics if you think I’m being a little dramatic:

So where and what is The Hardrock 100 Ultramarathon?

The Hardrock One Hundred Mile Endurance Run is a 100.5 mile (161.7 km) ultramarathon. It has a total of 33,000 ft (10,000m) ascent at an average elevation of 11,000 ft (3,400m) – near treeline. The race is held in southern Colorado’s San Juan Range and is dedicated to the miners who originally settle in the area and built the trails that a lot of the course is run on.

The race starts and ends in Silverton, Colorado and travels through the towns of Telluride, Ouray, and the ghost town of Sherman, crossing thirteen major passes in the 12,000′ to 13,000′ range. Entrants must travel above 12,000 feet (3,700 m) of elevation a total of 13 times, with the highest point on the course being the 14,048′ summit of Handies Peak.

The race has been held in early July of each year beginning in 1992, except for 1995 (too much snow) and 2002 (nearby forest fires). Each year’s race is run in the opposite direction of the previous year’s event (2009 was run in the counter-clockwise direction, so 2010 will be clockwise).

The dates for 2010 will be 9th – 11th July, with a limit of about 140 runners. The cut-off time is 48 hrs.

The race record was slashed in 2008 by Kyle Skaggs, 23, with an awesome 23:23:30 final time. Diana Finkel, 38, completed it in 2009 with an overall time of 27:18:24.

The scenery is awesome, the views spectacular, as witnessed in the following WickedGravityVideo.

If you are a newbie to ultra-marathon running, it is important to realise that it is quality of training, rather than quantity, that will determine your performance on the day… but more on this in another article apart from a quick word of advice… It is recommended that you have a one-year base of distance running, with at least two 50K distances and one 50-mile run, before thinking of doing a 100-mile run. Running 100+ miles a week does not increase one’s chances of finishing a 100-mile run. Many ultra runners have completed 100-mile runs with weekly mileage in the 50s or 60s.

For an entry form, please click here: http://www.run100s.com/HR/08HREntry.pdf

So popular is this extreme sport becoming that it’s getting tough for endurance athletes to find a race.  The Marathon des Sables, for example, is fully booked until 2011.

Enter Across the Divide. They organise 4 ultra-marathons a year, kicking off  with The Namib on 19-21 February, 2010 – this race is rapidly making its name as the ultimate endurance race for long distance runners.

It is a race that will test each athletes physical and mental strength to the limit.

“Across the Divide have captured the spirit of adventure racing in this event for me!“ Andy McMenemy, Namibia ultra marathon participant 2008.

This race, along with the Iceland Laugavegur Ultra Marathon, the Spanish 24hour Ultra Marathon and the Grand Canyon Ultra are all events organised and run by the founding directors of  ‘Across the Divide’ , Mark and Karen Hannaford and their team.

Mark has been involved with charity challenges and expeditions for over 22 years and has led expeditions all over the world as well as taking part in extreme endurance events. Karen, a keen runner, has been involved for over 17 years in expeditions, event management and charity work.

The extreme series for Across the Divide has actually been developed by Steve Clark who, having completed both the London and Edinburgh marathons, was looking for a new challenge. In April 2005 he completed the Marathon des Sables in Morocco and was  well and truly smitten by the ultra distance race bug.

Tony Ford completes the team with a broad range of event organisational skills. He himself has completed some of the worlds strangest races, from Tough Guy to Lions Head, and The Beast to Bibbulmun Trail. After 15 years of marathons and trail races, Tony still has the bug…

Which brings me back to the Namibia 24 Hour Ultra Marathon (charityatd).

This race was first run in 2008 and in the words of competitor Peter Holdgate, “It was hot!  It was hard! It was awesome! – A true adventure.     This race is a must for individuals who wish to test their limits of physical and mental endurance.”

The route has increased in length slightly for 2010 – it will be 126kms in total which is the same as 3 full marathons. Each of the 6 stages of the route will be 21kms in length.

the route is mainly flat or undulating, firm under foot, but stony with occasional patches of sand and short grass cover. The most difficult part of the route will be traversed at night and it will be important to take care as  rough tracks and loose stones will be difficult to navigate in the dark – even with a full moon.

When dawn breaks and you begin to think that the worst must be behind you, the race finishes with a punishing up-hill section before turning off down to the beach, the infamous Skeleton Coast, and the finish line. Jayne Freer, also an original competitor, says of this final section: “The last leg is truly horrific – punishing on the mind, body and soul. Eighteen kilometres down a road that never ends, followed by a further two down to the sea at the Mile 72 campsite. Each and every step is punishing, painstaking and pure hell.”

Runners have to be self-sufficient throughout, carrying all their food, water, energy bars and change of clothing in backpacks – everything they will need for temperatures topping 40 degrees Celsius (46 C was clocked one day) and plummeting to two degrees at night.

Steve Tidball, a competent runner regularly doing 30-40 miles with no problem, was defeated by heatstroke within the first 2 hours of the 2009 race – it is worth noting that he came to this race fully prepared having even done heat training in preparation for the desert temperatures. However, he was allowed to complete the race, and had this to say about it: “Of course once I’d started to recover the magnitude of what we’d been through began to kick in. We met people out there who’ll undoubtedly be friends for life. I learnt that the desert is not to be underestimated; it is an awesomely intimidating place capable of destroying you. I loved every minute of the camp, and the opportunity of being surrounded by people who are just like you and like a bit of pain with their running. And finally I feel unbelievably grateful to the doctors at Across the Divide, first for saving me from doing anything reckless with my health, then secondly for letting me rejoin the race. It allowed me to take away invaluable experiences that will last with me forever.”

As with all the ultra-marathon endurance races we talk about on this site, whether it be AdventureCORPS’ Death Valley Badwater Marathon, or RacingThePlanet’s 4 Deserts (the Sahara Race is underway as we speak), or Across the Divide’s, what strikes me most about the event is the amazing depth of camaraderie and alliance amongst the competitors and organisers – one and the same in some cases. And the friendships that are born out of adversity… There seems to be a unique bond which is tangible but hard to explain.

Well worth witnessing first hand I think.

A normal length marathon is run in the Namib at the same time and will finish after stage 2.

There are still 98 places available for the extreme  Namibia 24 Hour Ultra Marathon and if you wish to enter please click here

The Sahara Race, a seriously extreme endurance race, has got off to an excellent start…

At the start of the race special recognition was given to Alasdair Morrison of Scotland and Ji Sung Yoo of South Korea, the only competitors in the race who have completed the 4 Deserts. However five more competitors will join the 4 Deserts Club, if they complete this current Sahara Race.

The oldest competitor, 74-year-old Jack Denness of the UK, said: “It is fantastic to be here. I love it. It is great for my ego as even the front runners give me lots of respect because of my age.”

Whilst we wined and dined most of a blissful sunny Sunday away, 130 intrepid adventurers set off under clear blue Sahara skies on a sandy, rocky route that had been classified as moderate.

“The magic of the famous White Desert will be only the beginning of many memorable moments in the Sahara Race.” – said course director, Carlos Garcia Prieto of Spain, and indeed it was. Special permission was needed to be allowed to camp in this very special place.

Canada’s Trailwinders team member Lara Rintoul said: “Its so beautiful out there I’m happy not to run, as powering along head down would mean I wouldn’t see it. We’ll never be back here so we have to ensure we take it all in and enjoy it.”

The winner of the Atacama Crossing 2009, Canada’s Mehmet Danis, led the field on the first day clearly determined to make his mark early on in this event. Crossing the finish line he said: “It was a nice first half but after the third checkpoint the soft sand and heat really got to me and I slowed.”

Tobias Frenz of Germany has taken second place. He said: “The first 10km was easy then you hit the sand. I really went for it in the last 5km.” Christian Schiester of Austria is the third man across the line.

Erica Terblanche of South Africa was the first woman to complete the first stage after a very strong first day performance. Erica is a former world class adventure racer with an impressive track record in endurance running as well. She now works in the financial sector in London and when asked what her colleagues think of her unusual passion for endurance sports (she recently completed a 10,000km cycle expedition across South East Asia) she said,  “People at work have been trying to reconcile what I’m like for 20 years. I have a briefcase in one hand and a surf board in the other!”

Team Trifecta were the first team to finish.

Some competitors lost time earlier in the day because of navigational errors and the harshness of the race, the environment, and the conditions took their toll on some of the entrants and Alain Wehbi of France, Erik de Haart of Australia and  Patrick Griggs of the USA withdrew.

As night fell at the end of the first day, glow sticks were placed on the course to guide the last competitors in.

Last to come in were Jack Denness and Karen Dockwray of the UK in high spirits. As they crossed the line, 74-year-old Jack joked: “Sorry we were so long, we stopped off for a honeymoon.”

Many competitors found the first day very tough and the medical tent was busier than normal. Several people needed treatment with IV drips… Everyone was happy to sit, relax, draw breath and enjoy the excellent cuisine:

Tongue in cheek I have to admit!!!

Stage 2 has got off to a good start with Austria’s Christian Schiester leading at the first checkpoint of the day, though he’s only seconds ahead of Canada’s Mehmet Danis and Tobias Frenz of Germany…

And whilst the competitors are slogging it through the sand, the event organisers are having a little fun:

With thanks to racingtheplanet for the videos and the photograph. If you have taken the time to watch the 3 videos you will have got a very good impression of the atmosphere out there: the joie de vivre, the camaraderie, the mood of this singular event…

This is a week of events and races either already started or about to happen. The racingtheplanet team have already arrived in Egypt in anticipation of the extremely tough endurance race about to happen there. Race participants are making their way to Egypt as we write…

The gruelling six-day, 254-km (156 mile) ultra-marathon is roughly equivalent to running a marathon each day — in 30C to 50C temperatures.

Averaging 35 to 45 km a day with the longest day stretching to 84 km, the competitors will endure “one of the most extreme environments on earth,”. They’ll brave suffocating heat, blinding sunlight, fierce sand storms, unimaginable physical demands and possibly scorpions, vipers and huge camel spiders before finishing at the Giza pyramids.

Chris Collins is returning to this event for his third time – putting his own spin on the race eptitaph “The race of no return…” He has some very sage advice for first time competitors:

• Your feet WILL swell – anticipate it… Make SURE your shoes are 1.5 to 2 times too large for you…
• If you intend to use a full sand gaiter make sure the Velcro on your shoes is stitched as well as glued, if not it will come off…
• Take heed of the mandatory kit list, especially the blister kit, and especially the tincture of Bezoin, this wonder stuff will stick dressings to your feet like you would not believe…

My repeating Chris Collin’s advice in this article, with the start of the Sahara Race imminent, will be too late for any of the 130 competitors arriving in, or about to arrive in Egypt over the next few days. However, it is sage advice for anyone contemplating an ultra-marathon…

Good luck to all the competitors for this extreme ultra-marathon.