The Chilterns are a designated Area Of Natural Beauty (AONB) and absolutely stunning to run on and this forms the backdrop to one of our toughest races the Chiltern Ultra 214k race. There is also a smaller version which uses the final 100k of the route for those who don’t feel up to the 214k which is a tough race in its own right.
These are not easy races by any means and the finish rate particularly in the 214k is low(well below 50%).
This is due to a few reasons:
Distance – its a bloody long way and for most it will be into two nights.
Terrain – The Chilterns are hillier than people think and some of the underfoot conditions range from wet long grass to ploughed fields and rocky tracks.
Navigation – This is not a fully marked course where you simply follow yellow signs or red and white tape, you have to navigate on this one which adds another element to the challenge. The route is mostly signed quite well with its own way markers and mostly fairly easy to follow IF you concentrate and pay attention. Some areas are more difficult than others.
To help you we provide you with a plastic map folder and marked map sheets with the route highlighted and some additional notes. We also provide .gpx files if you wish to use that and we also provide full tracking for all runners free in the entry so we can keep an eye on you.
Its a real challenge and both races are as tough as any others out there to finish.
With a similar number of entries to last year but a few more drop outs and deferrals than last year we had 6 due to start the 214k and 5 in the 100k. Still a very small field but this will grow as the race gets known. We had last years only finisher of the 214k and 2 previous 100k finishers who had come back again.
Once again we had the fantastic venue at the Boys Brigade HQ in Hemel Hempstead right on the route. We had great facilities from Friday night to Monday including beds to sleep in before and after the race and a full kitchen and large flat screen to watch the trackers on.
So Myself and my other half Maxine went down on the Friday evening to set up and meet the one person who had elected to kip over the night before so as to make travel easier.
With the race set up and everything ready and Brian a mate and volunteer here as well we ate pizza and chilled out before trying to get a good nights sleep. Possibly the only sleep for a while!
Registration was from 7am Saturday and slowly the few trickled in and registered for the 214k and were fitted with the trackers from open tracking. There was one no show who had not let us know beforehand which left us just the 5 to start at 9am.
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| 5 lambs to the slaughter! |
At 9am on the dot off they went into what promised to be a nice sunny warm day, Having the trackers from open tracking was great as we could see how people were progressing and estimate arrival at the checkpoints. We locked up the building and went to the first checkpoint where myself, Maxine, Ginny and Brian waited for the first runners through.
David Pryce and Dan Connors came through pretty much together looking good and on a fast pace closely followed by Ed Jones and Tom Hallet. Nicki Edwards was last through with only 40 minutes to cut off and looked like she was struggling a bit out there. Maxine gave her a pep talk and off she went.
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| Dan getting fed |
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| Tom and Ed |
CP 2 was in Hambledon village on the green by the sports pitches and this CP was run by Paul and Emily with me, Maxine and Claudia helping out. Though I suspect Emily wanted to play football rather than run a CP. Tracey Pryce was also there doing a sterling job of providing David Pryce’s diva levels of support and nutrition!
Dan came in first still flying with David around 25 minutes later still going well after 31 miles. Then Tom looking good followed by Ed who to be honest was clearly feeling it and looked a bit ropey! but we all have bad patches. Nicki came in to the CP still not looking comfortable and struggling with working much harder than she should have been at this stage and after a chat with Maxine was sent off out of the CP only to return minutes later and decided to drop. A real shame as a previous coaching client of mine I know she had the training under her belt to do this.
Emily and Paul being friends from the same town as me and Nicki kindly took her home.
David Pryce called me half way between CP 2 and 3 as he had slowed right down and was having a problem with his foot which had been giving him trouble most of the year and after a cracking 12th place at NDW100 last month it had been aggravated. I did not even try to talk him out of it as I know how much he wanted to not only finish this race but better his time from last year. Hope you heal up well David and see you back next year to try to smash 30 hours!
That left us just 3 in the race, Into CP3 at Ewelme it was the same order. Dan still flying and Tom and Ed not too far apart all looking good with Ed feeling much better. CP3 was run by Brian, Maxine and Claudia. an interesting comment from a lady who had come back from a quiet walk in the countryside and made a little remark about “what happened to a quiet countryside” when she saw us in the car park chatting like it was her car park and her countryside. Ever politically correct my comment was its not quiet because she was in it may have not pleased her!
Into CP 4 was Dan still holding a cracking pace and really looking good and managing to smile as usual. Next was Ed now back on form and going well. Tom was still going well but feeling it a bit now and I think was starting to feel a bit ill. Don’t worry if you feel good in an ultra it will soon pass may have been something I said. Liz, Albi and the 4 dogs did a great job of looking after the CP at Stokenchurch.
After setting up CP4 and seeing the first runner through I went off to meet Gary Kelly who was staying over the night before at the lodge and get him settled in then on the way back to CP 5 I was called by first Ed who needed a little direction to get out of a dark forest where he had lost his way. Once I had put him right for the first of maybe three times I had a call from Tom who had been throwing up and feeling quite bad. I persuaded him to keep going to the next CP and then decided to go and meet him on the trail to see how he was. The trackers are again great for that type of support making it easy to anticipate where he will be in the next 15 minutes and meet him at a road crossing. I met him and was pleased to find he was feeling a little better and looked fine to walk to the CP a few miles on.
CP 5 was at Little Hampden on a very small village green and the CP was set up by Maxine and Briand and Claudia with Sharla. being the kind RD I am I stopped at a lovely local Italian pizza house and got some lovely pizzas to bring to the CP. I did not realise that Sharla was Gluten Intolerant and the real type not the trendy I just say I am type! Brian being Scottish was allergic to salad, anything spicy and even foreign things like well anything and you would have though I had stabbed him when he ate a Jalepeno!!!
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| Brian, Sharla and Claudia |
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| Maxine with empty pizza boxes in the foreground |
Dan came through at 1:05 am and stayed for ages before getting kicked out at just before 2am when I woke from having 30mins in the car and he was still there!
Ed came through a few hours later looking strong and left in good shape, I went off back to the lodge and set up registration for the start of the 100k with Maxine.
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| CP5 before the start of the 100k |
I got the 100k starters registered and the trackers fitted with one no show and no call to warn in advance! Me and Maxine got them to the start and after a short brief they were off with the weather looking a little damp but not threatening more that a light rain at times so still good running temperatures. The age rage on the 100k was impressive with Sam only just 21 and Gary 61 so it just goes to show its about what you want to do rather than what anyone thinks your age can limit you to.
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| 100k starters |
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| 100k runners off into the distance |
CP6 was a small road crossing and manned by Brian who I visited and even brought a Ginsters Pasty after the pizza incident! Dan went through here tired but still in great shape and on for a massive time off David’s course record from last year. Sams mum was here too supporting her boy and seeing if he had any washing needing doing! Seriously though it was great to see such a young person having a go and the support from his family was great.
CP7 was at Sharpenhoe Clappers and the second hot food point after CP5 and Dan came through here before Lunchtime still smiling as usual. Then came Ed who was starting to be caught by Mike the 100k leader. Then came Jan followed by Sam and then Gary who was having a few navigational incidents and adding a few bonus miles! This CP was run by the usual team of Maxine, Brian, Gin and especially Jennifer who was there bright and early to set up with me.
The star of the show at CP7 was however a little boy of about 4 or 5 called Adam, he was with his dad going for a walk in the forest. He strolled up to the CP came up to me and told me all about his trip to France then we gave him some fruit off the CP and he gave me his rubbish and told me to put it in the bin for him. The conversation with such a confident cocky kid was great. After his walk he came back again and helped himself to Hotdogs and more fruit and told us a few more things we needed to know. It was hilarious and cheered the CP staff up no end!
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| Dan still smiling |
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| Ed looking good still |
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| Mike having a cracking run |
CP8 was the very last CP 15 miles before the finish and in a village called Peters Green, this CP was run by Brian and one of Dans army buddies Scott. Dan had been smiling at every CP but was feeling it a fair bit now after he had gone past his 100mile furthest run ever. now at 115 miles he did not look so much the smiley character!
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| Teddy Tired Eyes! |
Next was Mike who had overtaken Ed and was chasing down Dan now and was likely not to catch him but it would be close. Then Ed, Jan, Sam and Gary.
I went off to the finish to try to get 30 mins sleep before meeting Dan at the finish and making sure all was ready at the finish venue.
At the finish venue once I had set up and had 30 minutes Suzanne and kids Matt and Grace came in to get ready to wait for their Dad Dan. Great polite kids who decided to play monopoly whilst waiting and very chatty. I put the trackers on my laptop and fed up to the main big telly in the room and we could see that although Mike was catching Dan he would not. The Dan decided to take a small detour around a housing estate and Mike caught him and they ran in together until the last 100m where mike very graciously let Dan finish in front. Top Man Mike.
Dan Connors won the 214k in a new record of 34:54:00 to take nearly 2 hours of David’s record from last year. Great running mate.
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| Dan at the finish – smiling again |
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| Dan and his kids |
Mike Abel finished in a new record by over 2 hours to finish the 100k in 12:55:00, great effort mate.
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| finishing |
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| With the bling |
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| Dan and Mike |
Next in was Ed Jones in the 214k in a cracking 37:34 great effort mate.
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| He is not normally that yellow! |
Then closely behind was Jan Soderkvist in the 100k in 15:41:00
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| Best navigator on the curse |
Sam Davis had an outstanding run in his first Ultra at just 21years old and one Month! 3rd place and a time of 16:20:00
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| Sam finishing |
We now had just Gary Kelly out there who had only entered a week ago and had been concerned about his navigation from the start. With tiredness creeping in and after a phone conversation I knew he was also feeling ill and had some stomach issues he was really slowing down. We had a couple of phone conversations after some detours and it really looked like he would struggle to get it done in time. I hate DNFing anyone let alone the last guy on the course who was having a bad day but was clearly determined to finish and was not whinging in the slightest.
I took the decision rather than going out to pick him up and ruin his race I would get dropped out to near him and catch him up and run back in with him. Hopefully with my better Nav and knowledge of the course we could get him back in time.
Maxine dropped me of and it took about half a mile to catch him up and after a chat I realised he had not been eating much and was quite ill but still determined to get it done. So I led from th front and did all the Nav and he followed and we chatted and the pace picked up to walking at 3-4mph. We made few Nav errors apart from the odd 50mts out here and there but we were still a mile or so out from the finish when it hit cut off time.
Gary did ask if he would still get a medal and a finish and I told him that I had not come out to DNF him and I knew we were not likely to be inside cut off and that he would get the medal and finish.
So after nearly 10 miles with him he finished in 20:38:00 a great effort Gary.
That’s one of the great things about being the race director and the boss, I can decide to give someone who deserves it a finish who was clearly not giving up even after so long feeling ill.
All in all a great weekend with some epic performances and although a small field and a financial loos for me a totally worthwhile weekend.
It really is a great course and whilst the 100k is very doable for most with an almost 100% finish rate over the 2 years the 214k is a very different beast and a real challenge to anyone who takes it on.
Thanks – I must thank all the great volunteers who came and helped even though the small field meant lots of time not seeing runners and sitting around. Without you guys we would not have a race and the runners all very much appreciated your help and support. I have had several very nice email to say just that. You have all earned valuable volunteer points to spend on future events.
I must also thank our great sponsor www.ultramarathonrunningstore.com who provided a Salomon race vest to the winners in each race. They also provide online discounts for all our race entries of 15%. Thanks Keith.
Entries will open for next years race in the next few days and in an attempt to encourage more people to enter this as a serious challenge nice and early we will be offering very big discounts for those entering early and committing to the race. As much as 40% off if you enter in the next 2 months and 25% off if you enter before Christmas. We really believe in this race and have a great route, challenge and venue and all we need is a few more of you to enter each year to make it a permanent race in the calendar.
Thanks for reading
Lindley RD
www.challenge-running.co.uk