Marathon Karkonoski

What a race!!! Unbelievably brutal run but the most satisfying race I have ever completed, climb after climb after climb all undertaken in blazing sunshine and temp in the mid 30's, unreal conditions. Amazingly challenging route, talking too the Italian team coach and he was saying its one of the best tests of a mountain runner. Cant believe how good some of these international runners are, check out how well the Welsh guy who finished 2nd paced his run and blew the top 10 apart in the last ( hardedst ) section. miles 18-20 was one long long climb and almost did for me started imagining the rocks used to make the path looked like coffins, I knew then I was on the edge :confused: Ive never raced anything like this and thought i'd bitten off more than I could chew when the id been running for 3 hours and realised i had well over an hour to go, could have laid down on the path there and then and wilted away :closed: Unbelievably i found the power to fairly rattle home the last 4 mile and passed loads of people who's legs had given up, including carl bell who must have blew up as he was going well at half way. Great experience just gotta nurse my feet back to health now :o

http://www.online.datasport.pl/resul...DF_RESULTS.pdf

Well done.. superb run by Andy... was it 35? Forecast suggested mid 20's?

I wonder how people would have found it.. very runnable and easy to kill yourself and blow up..

Well done for sticking in.. I opted to miss and go for Sierre Zinal instead.. 2 big races in 2 weeks would have disrupted Berlin prep too much...

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Originally Posted by IainR

Well done.. superb run by Andy... was it 35? Forecast suggested mid 20's?

I wonder how people would have found it.. very runnable and easy to kill yourself and blow up..

Well done for sticking in.. I opted to miss and go for Sierre Zinal instead.. 2 big races in 2 weeks would have disrupted Berlin prep too much...

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It was getting toward 30 at the start Iain, and the announcer said it was already above 30 on the ridge in the sunshine. It was 38 at the finish, the British based runners seemed to cope well in the main, some great performances from them, recognised a few faces milling about at the start and introduced myself to the scottish runners who looked to do well

Well done The Rev and all others who ran. It was indeed extremely tough, very hot, very hard underfoot and climb after climb, all of it runnable. The temperature gauge at finish read 35 degrees. Just for the record Carl Bell didn't blow up, he had an injury a few days before the race and was having physio right up until an hour before the start, but he just couldn't be repaired in time. It was a heroic effort to finish at all in those circumstances.

Thats why I'm surprised they took 3 runners though?

A marathon... tough conditions.. an injury or blow up is highly likely... I'm amazed not all countries sent at least 4 runners...

They are hard trails.. I run in road shoes there whenever I go.. but the crazy paving sections are a pain.. how did you find them? I did a race across the ridge, another marathon two months ago and even on the down hill sections on that I just couldn't get going.. realy upset your stride.

I love the view down right as you climb Sniezka? stunning view down the valleys into the CR.. We had to carry ID in the race I did as we entered the CR.. can't understand why though.. I just took my driving license..

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Originally Posted by Longdogs

It was a heroic effort to finish at all in those circumstances.

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Indeed indeed hats of to a great runner and competitor :thumbup: I didnt see the english team at the start or I would have said hello, just the welsh and scottish contngent. Did you manage to run up that big climb around mile 18-20? If so all credit to you, I was a beaten man by then :o

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Originally Posted by IainR

Thats why I'm surprised they took 3 runners though?

A marathon... tough conditions.. an injury or blow up is highly likely... I'm amazed not all countries sent at least 4 runners...

They are hard trails.. I run in road shoes there whenever I go.. but the crazy paving sections are a pain.. how did you find them? I did a race across the ridge, another marathon two months ago and even on the down hill sections on that I just couldn't get going.. realy upset your stride.

I love the view down right as you climb Sniezka? stunning view down the valleys into the CR.. We had to carry ID in the race I did as we entered the CR.. can't understand why though.. I just took my driving license..

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Can't say I have any knowledge of selection policy, I just turn up and run if selected!

Yes the rock hard underfoot conditions was one of the hardest things, there was just no soft surface anywhere, and it reflected the heat back horribly. Views, what views.. I was reduced to mugging tourists for water and at one point thought a tree was a photographer!

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Originally Posted by TheReverand

Indeed indeed hats of to a great runner and competitor :thumbup: I didnt see the english team at the start or I would have said hello, just the welsh and scottish contngent. Did you manage to run up that big climb around mile 18-20? If so all credit to you, I was a beaten man by then :o

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I will confess to on and off walking on that bit. By the way England girls got team bronze.

Well done, didn't realise that.. heard from an American that water was sparse on the ridge.. suprised as there are a few huts.. would have been easy to get 3 or 4 good water spots no issue...

Any idea what happened to Math Roberts.. splits seemed OK til 33 km.. then a long last leg..