My mum always says - don’t start on an up year. But hey, good to have a goal 
How many times has your Mum done it? Didn’t she slam in a blistering time one year?
I would have gone for next year if I’d known that my work colleague and @sparky were doing it but the cost of bailing out on already committed races can’t be justified.
2024 will be a big year, Arc100 and Comrades, eek.
@sparky, you must have started on an up year this year, right?
hahahaha tell me about it .
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She did 4. Trained for 5 but got shin splints. Then a broken hip. Then a broken ankle. Probably best she didn’t go long again 
My dad did the blistering time. Then drink got the better of him.
They’re doing a few downs in a row because of Covid and celebrating anniversary years. I think there’s quiet concern in the running community that they won’t do an up run again because the down always gets more entrants. I hope the tradition isn’t killed off - doubt the community will allow it to happen.
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4 is good going! I had not realised they were doing a few downs in a row, that will be really sad if that element went.
I was thinking which I’d prefer and neither would be easy. Doing a down would be killer on your quads after 65km ish of running.
Conversely, I know from ultras that I have started with big climbs, that saving the your energy for the ‘fast bits’ always seems sensible on paper but then get to the top of the climbs and easy to be knackered with a long way to go and then being up against cut off.
Oh well, I have time to think of some kind of ‘strategy’ 
My mum preferred the up runs but she always says for people not living there and not able to train the route, the down run is better. Knowing the route I would genuinely panic at the thought of an up run. It is TOUGH all the way to halfway. The hills aren’t steep by UK standards but they are long and unrelenting. And with Polly’s at the end of the up you have to keep something in reserve.
On the down it’s fields hill that I’d be nervous of - there’s no doubt it’ll hurt like hell!
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I’ll take your Mum’s advice as good of course but I do wonder if there is a difference in the road runner mentality and the ultra trail runner mentality (I’m not good at either ). but anyone that has done UTMB would be looking at a 2.5hr climb almost straight out of the gate.
It’s an interesting mix of trail runners trying to do road and road runners trying to do ultra. It’s a very appealing race on that front for me.
There’s no doubt that trail running has changed things but the cut-offs for Comrades are not easy.
Yeah, that’s why i need to get the prep right, as you say, a long and expensive trip for a DNF!
My friend in SA training for 2023 says it’s not looking good for an up run in 2024. They’re upgrading national roads and it’s causing all sorts of issues. And being SA they won’t make decisions far enough in advance.
Nope I will do doing two downs. I think that this year was a ‘significant’ year (100 years and 95th running). I believe that these are always down runs. Which can mean that the following year is a down run too. Assuming I finish next year I will get an unusual ‘back to back’ medal for doing two consecutive down runs 
edit: just read the other responses which basically say what I’ve just said 
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Ah I see thanks. Would not down be equally affected in 2024?
They’re saying it’s likely to be a down again in 2024. The traffic is more manageable moving away from Pietermaritzburg and they restrict access to the route between PMB and Cato ridge apparently. .
A lot of people stay overnight or share lifts to be on the start line but an awful lot of people head to the finish line so I kind of understand it. Just hope they get a shift on for the roadworks to allow normal alternating routes to return.
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Ah I see, that makes sense thanks. I’m probably going to go with Africa Marathons, which is an expensive option but one where I can remove thinking about logistics from the equation
I just found myself wondering, did you get Running Stones from the CCC in the end?
I didn’t when I last looked but it was a while ago. I keep meaning to have another look but everything I read says I shouldn’t get any.
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I wasn’t the only one that bailed after 3 laps but he was a lot quicker than me. It really doesn’t convey how steep the hills are.
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Matt is running 156K today somewhere in France, Lyon?
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Chapeau for this silliness.
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Just remembered to check and I can’t see anything, which I expected.
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