Yep on the ballot list but note that won’t get you into this years ballot as the race takes place after the deadline for this year
Seriously now thinking about this as an early qualifier for the 2026 ballot - anyone else in?
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100 miles is a lot further than I plan on doing 
But I do like the look of that race pookey did in California.
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Just found out I was unsuccessful in the Lakeland 100 ballot.
Apparently, there was over 6000 applications! I bet UTMB would love to get hold of this race!
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Just listened to the Trail and Error podcast with Jane, Ferg, Andy and some bloke from UTMB all extolling the virtues of Arc being under by the brand.
It was all a bit sad, just a long ad for UTMB with some some very puffball ‘questions’ from Jay Grady and Tris Stevenson.
UTMB guy kept banging on about how they are working hard to respect the trails, environment blah blah, whilst ignoring the fact that they are doubling the amount of runners for the 50 and the 100 and adding a 25 race as well. there will be 1900 runners on that path and these aren’t well groomed wide trails like in Cham, they are tight AF.
They’ve done away with flying Angels, all but banned crew except for four aid station spots. There were no questions about UTS and why they ran out of water or why aid stations were packed up before the final runners under cut off had come through.
Lakeland is better off but the proof will be in the eating, so I’ll see next year.
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Met Ferg in Chamonix
Had a good chat with him
He did Western States same year as me and @p00key - he dropped at Devils Thumb
Seemed like a nice bloke
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He’s a nice chap and was more honest in an interview earlier in the year where he said the money that UTMB threw at him a big factor, as he’s 60 now and wants to retire.
Jane is very nice also, I think she’s doing the Centurion 200.
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I listened to that as well. It was basically a promotion for UTMB!
None of the running ultrarunning podcasters/YouTubers want to say anything negative about the company!
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It would be right up your street - it’s still on my list to complete - but have done so much of North America this year I fancy going east …
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I was thinking about doing one of the Thailand ones this December if A100 goes well . Then I can relax a bit more next year…
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We had a chat to the Chang Mai folks at the expo - look really good but the dates don’t work for us this year
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Hardwolds 80 entered 23/24.11.24
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I’m currently in the Alps, not far away from the Tor des Geants course.
It’s about 8 degrees and absolutely pissing it down… it’s going to be a rough first night up there (and third night for the Tor des Glaciers folks).
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I think Sarah Place is running this year?
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A friend of mine attempted it a few years ago - he is a seriously good runner but dnf’d after a few days as was suffering from a bug - he described the course as absolutely rock hard - like a 330km sky runner race.
There is also a 450km race now for the certifiably insane
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I believe she dropped out due to injury.
@tunster - Aye, it’s completely bonkers! I went on a ski trip in May and one of the founders of the guiding company is called Melissa Arnott Reid (Instagram) I didn’t get to ski with her but one of the others guides mentioned she’d done TdG in 2023. She attempted the Glaciers this year, but had to pull out due to a ruptured ear-drum… which has to be one of the strangest reasons to DNF I’ve come across!
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That’s a shame, hope she can defer? I don’t watch Jeff Pelletier any more because he’s either shilling AG1 or some tour company that has comped him something, but his TdG film is really really good.
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So TdG had 1,085 starters this year. 120 hours in, and with 30 hours to cut off, 120 people have finished, 447 are still on the course, 518 DNFs. It looks like a decent chance there will be a less than 50% finish rate!
2023 looks to have been 621/1,093 (57%). I can’t seem find the DNFs or starter numbers on previous editions… but it looks like it’s been a rough year out there, and from where I am a valley over I can imagine (well, actually I can’t!) it’s going to have been a real struggle.
There’s something about the race I find quite captivating!
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The weather looks like it has been grim this year
I have been following Francois as he went round for the win
I know a guy doing the Wildstrubel event today/tomorrow - they have been told to expect between -10 and -15 on the high passes
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Not IainM who used to be around here by any chance? That sounds tough.
Not unless his real name is Brian and from Ireland 
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