Lon Las Ultra

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 Wonrek 03 Oct 2017
'A 250 mile non-stop race from Holyhead to Cardiff Bay down the centre of Wales crossing several mountain ranges. Mostly on road, you will be virtually self sufficient which will make this an incredibly difficult challenge as you would come to expect from COCKBAIN EVENTS.

You will follow Sustrans cycle route 8 all the way, with the last 55 miles along the 'Taff Trail', making this possibly the longest non-stop road ultra in the UK.

As will all our events this will be no-nonsense, basic and low key designed to push you to your limits'. http://www.lonlasultra.com/

Can someone remind me why I thought this might be a good idea? With just over a week to go.......... I'm running out of Immodium!
 plyometrics 03 Oct 2017
In reply to Wonrek:

“Mostly on road, you will be virtually self sufficient” and they’re charging £199 for entry?!?

Best of luck, I just hope the t-shirt is good for that kind of entry fee!
OP Wonrek 03 Oct 2017
In reply to plyometrics:

Sadly the smaller the event then the higher the cost per entrant. I've worked out that maintaining a 4mph pace will bag me plenty of time. Sounds great on paper!
 richprideaux 03 Oct 2017
In reply to plyometrics:

Multi-day races with proper timing (maybe GPS tracking) competent and appropriate medical cover, emergency and contingency provision, support staff and all of the other stuff is very, very expensive.

There are two ways to make good money from organising endurance races - cut a lot of corners or hold it together at a loss/break even until you can increase participation and/or get corporate sponsorship.
OP Wonrek 03 Oct 2017
In reply to richprideaux:

I'm not sure where this one sits on the money making scale. Cockbain events are notoriously hard with a very low finish rate so there will never be mass appeal. Only 35 entrants in this one and even less will turn up to the start line next week. So just paying the volunteers fuel and expenses will take a huge chunk of cash from the pot before insurance etc.

Good job the 'checkpoints' are only going to be water from the back of the van or they'd have to cover the cost of feeding us Jelly Babies too :-D

Seriously though, the £199 entrance fee is what I would expect for the event I've entered. Had it been supported with stocked check points in buildings of some description I'd expect it to be much more.

I base race cost on £ per mile and this one stacks up at less that £1 per mile so all good in my books. Now I *just* have to get further than 199 miles to get my moneys worth :-D
 richprideaux 03 Oct 2017
In reply to Wonrek:

I don't doubt that it's value for money, I just find the "it costs more than my local fell race so must be a ripoff" sentiments often expressed a bit tedious so thought I would offer an early rebuttal

No trekking poles allowed? That's harsh!
 plyometrics 03 Oct 2017
In reply to richprideaux:

Don’t worry, I wasn’t going down the 3 quid fell race route. Rather making a lighthearted comment relating to the marketing spiel on their website!

OP Wonrek 03 Oct 2017
In reply to plyometrics:

Ahhh but I will get all this.....

Whats included?

A start
A finish
Vehicle checkpoint support every 25 miles (water only)
Bag access every 50 miles
Race Drone Tracking
Comprehensive maps
Finishers t-shirt
Big finishers medal
Results
Encouragement
Pride/Lifetime achievement

A start, a finish and results.....what more can a runner want in a non stop four day race????
 plyometrics 03 Oct 2017
In reply to Wonrek:
Sounds good to me!

Hope you have a great race. Be interested to hear your thoughts post event. Sounds like a beast.

Best of luck!
Post edited at 14:37
 richprideaux 03 Oct 2017
In reply to Wonrek:

Any medical assistance?
 SouthernSteve 03 Oct 2017
In reply to Wonrek:

The name of the race could have been more imaginative but very accurate! Good Luck
OP Wonrek 04 Oct 2017
In reply to richprideaux:

There might be a Mr Bump plaster or two? Otherwise I suspect it's a case of 999 although I don't actually know tbh.

Events like these tend to be and should be about self sufficiency. I personally don't want someone there to give me a paracetamol or tape my feet. there's plenty of events that offer that but the ethos of this race is very much about self proficiency.
OP Wonrek 04 Oct 2017
In reply to plyometrics:

Thanks! Yes, I suspect this one is *really* going to hurt and take a lot of focus to finish. The furthest I've run to date is 185 miles so this is another big step up but I'm trained, injury free and have completed some of the UK's big ones this summer so everything I can do to prepare has been done.

Dot watching for those inclined

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