Are there food/drink aid provided along the course to any extent? Are these official or passed out by spectators?
Or should I run with the entirety of my nutrition/drink?
Thanks in advance.
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Are there food/drink aid provided along the course to any extent? Are these official or passed out by spectators?
Or should I run with the entirety of my nutrition/drink?
Thanks in advance.
No food/drink provided.
There are a few streams where you can top up your water supply, but other than that you need to provide for yourself.
There are often spectators out at Esk Hause/Styhead/Honister, you may get something but don't plan on it.
I also reckon spectator numbers will be reduced compared to last year's championship race.
(General rule of thumb: I only bank on getting something if I have friends/family out on the hill, even then this can go wrong and you get nowt so they tend to be carrying 'extras' such as a banana. Of course whether this is part of fell running's ethos is a different discussion!).
Thanks. I've done self supported races but none with stream water on course. Is that practically guaranteed? I was going to carry 500 ml of concentrated sports drink and 500 ml water. That said, I see most front runners have no bottles visible on their kit, which leads me to believe they have support on course or plan on stream water as their sole source. Thoughts?
Personally I always carry a litre of water/fluid. If it's a hot day you'll definitely need to top it up I would have thought.
Very much depends on how fast you are. For the mid-packers and lower 27km/2000m is a long day out and they will carry a lot more food/drink.
Not familiar with this course; are the streams actually on the course or do you have to leave the course, are they reliable in very dry weather?
just curious that new2fellrunning is aware of the entry requirements for this race:
"To be eligible to compete in the Borrowdale Fell Race runners must have previous experience of long, arduous fell races and, if they have not previously completed the Borrowdale Fell Race, runners must have completed at least two different category A or B long or two different category A medium fell races..."
Thanks, Dave. I'm familiar, just looking for some advice.
There is plenty of water to be found even in dry years notably top of Ruddy Gill coming into Esk Hause, the spring at Calf Cove and various gills on the corridor route down to Sty Head (e.g. Greta Gill and Skew Gill.)
There's usually a lot of support at Honister and water has been available there in previous years.
That said - I'm a 4-5 hour man for the route and would be taking 2 x 500ml bottled water with me.
Looks like there is a special treat in store this year: There's a dead sheep right next to the trod as you traverse around Rosthwaite Fell, more or less due East of Dovenest Top. It's hard to avoid and already getting smelly, I imagine it will be terrible by race day :-)
Entry on the day?
I don't think it's entry on day, but don't quote me on that. I'm pretty sure the details i received said no EOD.
I meant the sheep . . .
Really looking forward to this, one week today.
Its a first for me, only other Lakes races I've done are Langdale and Wasdale.
Langdale was great, really enjoyed it and within my capabilities, but I think Wasdale was probably too much for me, I finished inside all the cut-offs times but I was totally gone, wiped me right out. I'm hoping Borrowdale is somewhere in between.
My first Borrowdale too...hoping to make the cut offs, anything else is a bonus
I think you're about right with your estimate of the difficulty. It felt physically harder than Langdale (and probably 60-90mins longer as well). But it's certainly not up there with Buttermere/Peris/Wasdale in terms of physical toughness. I think the conditions on the day have a massive say in this race. If it's wet the going over Scafell Pike will be treacherous, and in poor visibility there's a whole host of potential problem areas.Quote:
Originally Posted by Fozzy42
I've trained hard and would like to think that in good conditions I can get below 4-30 and maybe even a bit lower. Last year I was going well until Honister and the fatigue and cramp hit me like a train, and I limped the rest of the way back in 4-50.
Calvin I'm sure you'll enjoy it. The descent off Scafell Pike is something else! For some reason last year I was not looking forward to it, expecting it to be a bit overhyped etc, but after completing the race I can see that it is justifiably a favourite and a classic.
We have been at the Glaramara Hotel for the last 5 days and MrRTS has been out to recce part 2 last Friday (with me. Bloody hell, glad I'm not racing it!) He went and reccied part 1 of it yesterday before we headed home. He is really glad he did the recce this week before the race next weekend. Visibility was awful on both days so a good recce. He came down from the Stretcher box yesterday to head down to the hotel as we had already done from the Stretcher box on Friday. Relaxed and lost concentration and went down hard on the way down. He lay there for a while to assess the damage before getting up. Cut up arm. Very sore and bruised. Knee and hip bruised but not as sore as the arm. Nothing broken so ok. Beau dog gave him a cuddle and a lick to get him back up. He has no idea what he is looking to do the race in on Saturday. Giving it a lot of respect after the recce.
Good luck everyone and look out for Beau Dog and me on the course getting some photos :-)
I have an entry for Saturday if anyone wants it as I am unable to make it. They need to complete the substitution form though so it's all above board. if interested, email me [email protected]
MrRTS will not be running now. His fall on Sunday while doing a recce of the second half has left him with a sore knee and badly bruised ankle/foot. I've worked on it all week and it has been taped. Swelling has gone down and he is out running but Borrowdale is a different beast to our local runs. Not worth putting him out for the rest of his Challenge. He is gutted but knows a lot of respect needs to be shown to Borrowdale. Next year he will be there. If anyone wishes to take his place then e-mail me and the substitution form can be completed to keep it above board. [email protected] Good luck everyone - go have fun and stay safe.
Hope he recovers in time to complete the 50@50. What's he going to replace Borrowdale with ? Peris Horseshoe?Quote:
Originally Posted by RaceTheSweeper
Salt Cellar on Friday night haha. He is on race 27 now and is over 4,000 meters in credit so he has a little breathing room :-) We love the Lakes though and he has been really looking forward to Borrowdale. Salt Cellar is ok ... Borrowdale is not ;-) He would love to do Peris this year but he has too many big races around it. Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike, Langdale Horseshoe. I'm surprised he is being so sensible! He is still having a lot of fun and sees this as a blip rather than a problem. Enjoy the race. See you on the hills soon.Quote:
Originally Posted by anthonykay
Was fearing the worst but weather looks pretty good for tomorrow's race, thankfully.
Good luck tomorrow everyone. No one has requested MrRTS place. I did look for an e-mail for the RO to let them know that Nigel Jeff is not running. There is no e-mail and I would not bother them with a phone call. I don't suppose it matters but if anyone is hanging around tomorrow at the Registration hoping to run please give them Nigel's place.
Not sure what it required but think just his name, Club and DOB will be enough.
Nigel Jeff
Buxton AC
14/03/67 (50)
Have a super day and stay safe everyone. We will see you all soon I'm sure.
Good luck folks, go smash it Fozzy.
Very tough day out today.
Really is a race that has everything, and it just keeps coming at you.
Found the going a bit tougher than last year. Was 6 minutes slower (4:55) although I suspect that is more to do with fatigue and just not running well, rather than any excuses about the terrain. Think I need a decent rest before a busy September.
Hello to all the forumites I spoke to... TrevorM, Daz Tindersticks, Bill Fell-Up-Fell-Down.
Special mention to Calvin who we had a ding-dong battle for pretty much the whole race, with me pulling out a bit of a gap on the climbs and Calvin looking stronger in the rest of it. If it wasn't for a difference in route choice coming down off Grey Knotts, which allowed me to pull a slight gap, could have been an interesting sprint finish! Although we were slightly overshadowed by FellUpFellDown clattering past everyone on the way down through the slate mine! Great running.
Just saw the results and splits. The athletes at the front are unbelievable.... Scafell Pike to Sty Head in 15 mins...!?!
Pete
Haha cheers Manhar, the only thing smashed is my legs.Quote:
Originally Posted by Manhar
Found it tough today, but really enjoyable. So much for the supposed fine weather, actually once the race started it was fine, but an hour before the start the heavens opened, I was sat in my car thinking Jeez, this is gonna be bleak. But thankfully it all passed for the race itself.
I need to get my arse into gear if i'm ever gonna finish in the top half of the field, as it is I often feel way out of my depth, especially the descents, coming down down like a right fairy. But loved the scree run down to the corridor route, ace. Nearly came a cropper a couple of times but nothing serious, and thankfully live to fight another day, I'll be back, hopefully better prepared.
Good to chat with Tindersticks in the field afterwards, its not often you get chance to stand in the middle of a soggy field in The Lakes and chat about heavy metal bands, good stuff!
Well done mate, didn't expect a battle that close with anybody on a race like Borrowdale! My route choice off Grey Knotts was poor, think it was laziness more than anything as I knew I should've been further right...similar as off Dale Head, I was too far right and it cost me a minute or two again.Quote:
Originally Posted by Travs
All credit mate, you pushed me hard. I was looking anxiously back on the final descent waiting for you to come past! I only really relaxed when I hit the slate mine and saw I had a reasonable gap...Quote:
Originally Posted by CalFerguson
You seemed to go more direct to the top of Grey Knotts, whilst i hung out left, taking a longer but probably easier route.
Although I do wonder if it might be better to go the left-hand side of Brandreth as well. The route on the PB map, and the route we took, goes to the right of Brandreth and involves a bit of re-ascent (assuming we took the best line, which could be doubtful!)...... but I went left of Brandreth in the 10 Peaks race and I'm sure that although a few hundred metres longer, it was pretty much downhill all the way from Green Gable to Honister, and easy terrain...
Yep saw that, not much left of it, surprising not much smell. Not that I hung around sniffing it but ya know what I mean.Quote:
Originally Posted by Martyn P