Utmb

[BritNick]

Thanks for the updates and North Face link. It's making more sense now. I'm amazed the organisers were able to mobilise so much transport and still organise a replacement race.

[Derby Tup]

Sounds like Jez, Lizzie and Kilian all managed to make something of the weekend then It must take some focus to finish one of, if not the, target race of the year three hours in then win the next day or the day after

[Rombald]

Bryon Powell has just posted quite a detailed report at http://www.irunfar.com/2010/08/utmb-...nd-report.html. (I think the slightly different finishing times he gives are due to the race not starting at exactly 10am.)

[Alexandra]

I used the poles EVERY step of the way, cham > cham. The reason being that I thought I'd do what I did in 2008 and carry them for 60 miles...

As for size, I'm 6ft and 13 stone, but would say I'm quite long legged so have a quick walk, and the poles help to keep a momentum up.

But did you RUN while using them? And congratulations on having a quick walk, but I don't think it's because of your long legs. I have long legs and a very slow walk (one of the reasons I run).

[Alexandra]

I'm amazed the organisers were able to mobilise so much transport and still organise a replacement race.

Me too. Here is a quote from the press conference after the event (with translation):

Catherine Poletti: "Si j'ai un sentiment aujourd'hui c'est que je suis bien avec ma conscience. On savait qu'il ne ferait pas beau, c'est pourquoi nous avons envoyé un SMS à tous les coureurs pour qu'ils prennent le départ de la course sans faire des économies de grammes. (...) Avant le départ nous avons estimé ne prendre aucun risque à lancer le départ et voir l'évolution jusqu'aux Contamines, pour voir ici si nous pouvions envoyer les coureurs dans la montagne. (...) Quand on a vu que les conditions ne s'amélioraient pas, nous avons décidé de tout arrêter (...). Il a ensuite fallu mettre en place les processus pour mettre les coureurs au sec et les rapatrier. (...) Nous avons évacué 2000 personnes à ce moment là et j'en suis fière. (...) puis il a fallu arrêter la CCC, c'est à dire rapatrier 900 personnes de Vallorcine et 400 de Trient (...) Pendant ce temps, nous avions des données précises nous indiquant que le temps se levait sur Courmayeur, avec des évolutions météo favorables. On s'est alors dit qu'il n'était pas possible de laisser bénévoles et coureurs voir ce beau temps sans tenter quelque chose. (...) Quand on a été sûr de pouvoir installer les ravitaillements, nous avons envoyé un SMS aux coureurs, à 1 h 26 du matin pour les avertir de l'organisation d'une nouvelle course."

Catherine Poletti: "What I feel most today is that my conscience is clear. We knew it wasn't going to be good weather, that's why we texted all the runners to tell them to start the race without economising on kit. Before the start we estimated there was no risk in launching the race and watching how things went as far as les Contamines, to see at that point if we could send the runners onto the mountain. When we saw the conditions were not improving, we decided to stop everything. As a result, we had to put measures in place to get the runners into the dry and get them home. WE EVACUATED 2000 RUNNERS (my capitals) at that moment and I'm proud of it. Then we had to stop the CCC, that is GET 900 PEOPLE BACK FROM VALLORCINE AND 400 FROM TRIENT. During that period, we had precise information that the weather was lifting at Courmayeur, with an improving forecast. We thought we absolutely couldn't let the volunteers and runners see this good weather without trying to do something. When we were sure we could get the refreshments in place, we texted the runners at 1.26am to warn them that a new race was being organised."

It seems to me it was an absolute nightmare for the organisers ande the participants, out of which came a good deal of heroism as well as much miserable frustration.

[Fellmincer]

Alexandra

i'm not going to say publicly how i feel about Catherine Poletti, but suffice to say while standing in a queue to receive my 20€ deposit back for the chip, a queue that stated i had abandoned the race i heard Mrs Poletti state over a tannoy in place de l'amitie that those complaining and had not bothered to get to the start line of the new race were not in the spirit of ultra running. She has never run an ultra. Michel Poletti however, i do feel sorry for. I won't even go into the farce over the race finishers gillets. But read some of the posts on the utmb forum site.

[IainR]

But did you RUN while using them? And congratulations on having a quick walk, but I don't think it's because of your long legs. I have long legs and a very slow walk (one of the reasons I run).

Yes, I finished in 29 hrs..not sure that's possible without a fair it of running..

[Buhn Ting]

I'm amazed the organisers were able to mobilise so much transport and still organise a replacement race.

and amazed that they were busying themselves organising another race when they hadn't cleared up the mess caused by the abandonment of 3 other races.

[Fellmincer]

Yes, I finished in 29 hrs..not sure that's possible without a fair it of running..

when you say you took it easy in the initial stages of race, what was your position before col du bonhomme?

I was amazed at the pace out of cham and up the first col. Will never know now but would be nice to think all those nutters running every hill would suffer later.

[IainR]

when you say you took it easy in the initial stages of race, what was your position before col du bonhomme?

I was amazed at the pace out of cham and up the first col. Will never know now but would be nice to think all those nutters running every hill would suffer later.

I thought I was around the top 300 or so and picked through from there. Not sure though.

No idea, tried to find my runner card but can't see it anywhere. It's fast, people go way way too fast early on. I'll have a go again some day and try a bit quicker early on. It's hard to know what is too quick though.

You pass many just getting and leaving Courmayeur where many stop for a long time.