Nice one fp. That’s the utmb points in the bag then!! 
Looked like you properly lucked out with the weather. The footage was ace and was getting regular updates from my friends. Bit jealous that I couldn’t get up there. The media guys that do the film and stills are really good!
It really is a lovely little course though. Uphill version next year 
Thanks all.
GB - I think I would prefer the course in reverse as those tram lines could be dealt with when my back is fresh.
The weather was good yesterday but mixed started chilly but after 30 mins I swapped my long sleeve for a t-shirt, light breeze and overcast but about 1pm that had changed to very humid and a strong wind, making me thirstier than usual.
The course itself I found difficult, extremely so. I’m not an experienced trail runner and most of stuff so far has been on SDW, Mendips or Cannock Chase. I know these trails are ‘soft’ in terms of terrain but I think I was expecting Dartmoor to be more gorseland rather than crazy rocky.
After that first bridge crossing and up the steep bit picking your way through the jagged rocks, I could see what we were in for. I am getting better at walking fast uphill but I found myself having to go really slowly, picking one foothold at a time. A lot of the course was like that.
It took me 2.5hrs to reach CP1 at 20km! Shoes and socks very wet by now as even though the the weather was dry, the recent rain had made the grassy bits like marshland. I hung on until CP2 and then changed my socks.
By this time I had rolled my right ankle about three times and was hobbling a bit which made my claves very tight. I left CP2 with fresh socks and walked up that massive hill, there was a volunteer there guiding us the right way.
That climb took me nearly 40mins, then at the top, there is a very flat looking section where you think you could run but it was absolutely sodden and ankle deep with horrible holes and tufts. My fresh socks were soaking, I was hurting all over, on my own and this is where I lost my sense of humor and the course really broke me.
I trudged on and reached the river where after crossing, you go up the very very steep but short hill and make your way to the tram lines. This was meant to be 11km of runnable gravel but there was very little run in this body. A few mins, then walk, repeat
Finally got to the finish, realized I’m a rubbish trail runner on proper hard trails, vowing never to do it again.
For perspective, I did Cannock Chase trail marathon with 900mtrs vert in 4:11 in May. Yesterday at the 42km mark, I’d been going for 6hrs20!
Well done FatPom. Sounds like a tough day out.
Well done Mr Pom sounds pretty grim not going on my list,
I think you’re doing yourself a bit of a disservice there FatPom. That’s good running. It certainly is a hard place to run. In the night it’s even worse as it’s so hard to pick a line when you can’t see ahead of you. But I flippin love that place.
The tramline is deffo either a saviour or a burden depending on your state at the time! Sounds like you toughed it out well though.
well done FP!
Well done FP, you need to be running on that kind of terrain regularly to get used to it really.
Jeff
And to top of a tough weekend, just discovered that sometime between entering and now, Race to the King dropped their UTMB points from 4 down to 3, so now I’m back where I bloody started.
Noooo!!! That sucks!!
Exmoor coast 50km 3 spaces left!!
I think the UTMB points system changed this year. Previous it was 15 points from 3 races. Its now 10 points from 2 but all the races have had their points dropped. Some race websites are slow to update. Probably worth checking out any others on the UTMB site to make sure they have enough points.
Yeah I think that’s what must’ve have happened mate. I saw the UTMB qualification points change from 8 to 4 for CCC and I’m pretty sure I checked then on the UTMB site as well as the Threshold site.
There is of course, nothing I can do about it. I do have enough for OCC.
hmmm 
FP I thought CCC needed 6 new points? As has been mentioned they are changing them and some races are slow to update. There’s a part of the UTMB site where you can check your points but I’m sure it will take a few days to be updated after your race.
Jeff
I know all about the changes in the UTMB points, I read it when they changed it and at that time, the UTMB site and the RttK site were still showing 4pts. The UTMB site shows 3 now and so does the RttK site but at time of entering RttK still showed 4.
I’m not talking about the race I did on Saturday, I’m talking about the race I did in June.
I’m also not talking about the points that are allocated against my name, it was looking that up that brought this to my attention because when I look up my name in UTMB, I have no points at all, which is weird in itself!
Entered but not committed
I’m working on the wife to get a pass for the 100km. Would be absolutely perfect timing for the Exodus
Results are in, I came 30/105
I did scout you out when i was proof reading them
Have you found any pics of you on the Facebook page (if you are on FB?)
What did you think about the event in more general terms, any feedback (good or bad)?
I’m not on FB but my sister found two pics on FB of me and sent them.
In terms of the race itself, I thought it was very good, obviously fairly low key but well organised, shuttle buses were painless and race briefing good. Only weird thing was I’m sure the webpage stated the start time was 7.30 but we started at 8am.
Course markings good, only went off course once due to no signs but resolved in a matter of minutes. can be a little confusing in some places but overall, if I can navigate it, anyone can!
Aid stations were generally good, a little heavy on the sweet rather than savoury stuff IMO and I was disappointed to see local brand cola instead of Coke but that’s probably being picky.
I was very well looked after at the finish, folks made sure I’d recovered, made me as many teas as I wanted and although i did not have one, there were free hot pasties at the end. Impressive attention from a small crew.
The only I would improve on is making the running guides more visible or more obvious as to whether there is a pace situation. It was clear who they were but not real clear what their purpose was, as they seemed to run together but maybe that’s just the ones I saw?
Apart from my shock at how hard it was, the race itself exceeded expectations.
Any one completed the Tor des Geants - dot watching at the moment , looks amazing…
