More on Descent Speeds

[helix]

I'll make some gpx (or KML if you prefer) routes when I've got a minute if that would help. Send me your email if you want me to make them.

The main issue for the Plunge would be that I have been led to believe that everyone used to use a different route to the one used now to descend Moel Famau itself. There is one bloke (I think it is Steve Toogood) that still uses that route and I have seen someone go in a completely different direction off the start line. I imagine the forumite Welsh Harrier (Martin) the former RO will be able tell you when the crowd opted for the new route.

Once off the mountain there are a few variations to get to the finish. I don't think anyone used to use the finish route that was imposed this year due to ice.

[anthonykay]

Thanks for the offer, helix, but it's not really worth the effort of getting supremely accurate measurements for a few races, given all the inaccuracies in my other data! Your earlier estimate of 2.2 miles agrees with my rather crude ruler-on-map estimate of distance from the 1:25000 OS map, but the 1367ft of descent seems too low: the map has a 554m spot height at the summit, and a 120m contour very close to the Golden Lion in Llangynhafal, and 434m = 1424ft.
Incidentally, although I am not familiar with either the hill or the race, I am a little surprised that there is much debate about the best route; from the map, there only appears to be one obvious quickest route (except possibly for taking the slightly longer road instead of the footpath to the finish).

[helix]

That height loss (1367ft) was Strava corrected. My raw data from a barometrically corrected gps device was -1409ft.

They are finickity route options that really don't make that much of a difference. I only mentioned them as I didn't know how exacting you were trying to be in your analysis as you had mentioned different terrain types.

Incidentally I work in GIS, an have run some analysis on this route. I did this as I was assessing a dataset and wanted to look at a small area I was familiar with. According to the computer and a software package (with a licecene in excess of £1000) the old route is the better choice. I can never bring myself to do it on race day though.

[anthonykay]

It's nearly a year since I started this thread, and I have eventually got round to updating my dataset with results up to 2015, using only published results (no personal Strava data, etc.). Ian Gilmore's descent at Nebit Downfall (1.465 vertical m/s) does now appear to be the fastest vertical descent speed in a UK race, although subjectively I still find Keith Anderson's 1990 descent at Pen-y-Fan more impressive: this descent followed a 580m climb, and enabled Keith to win the race when he had only been 5th at the summit. Internationally, Eric Strabel's 1.50 m/s at Mount Marathon is still the fastest.

Overall, comparing the best fit curve to my current dataset of 91 uphill and 18 downhill records with the curve obtained in 2012, the difference is much bigger at the steep uphill end than the downhill end. This may be due to the increasing popularity of Vertical Kilometre races in continental Europe, with the world VK record going under 30 minutes last year, and new record times at several of the established VK races in recent years. When are we going to get a VK race in the UK? Ben More near Crianlarich is the ideal venue: just over 1000m climbing in 2.4km horizontally, with a very accessible start location (on the A85). Of course a VK race would be impossible in England, and the only possible route in Wales is the Watkin Path up Snowdon.