IMRA Wiclow Round

[Enduro]

For those of you who don't read the IMRA thread, the IMRA Wiclow Round is a long distance running challenge in the Wicklow mountains. The basic details of the challenge are outlined here.

Yesterday (30th May, 2009), I set out to do the round. It is a requirement of the round that the results be posted, along with all the split times at the nominated peaks. (I've manually calculated the stage times, so let me know if there are mistakes). So, here are my splits (stage names with a * include a logistics stop in the stage time):

Checkpoint	Time (Actual)	Stage time
Start	4:45:00 am	0
Kippure	5:20	35
Carrigavore*	6:14	54
Gravale	6:34	20
Duff Hill	6:52	18
East Top	7:11	19
Mullaghcleevaun	7:24	13
Moanbane	7:50	26
Silsean	8:00	10
Oakwood*	9:17	1:17
Table Mountain	10:06	49
Camenbologue	10:18	12
Lugnaquilla	11:01	43
Corrigasleggaun	11:16	15
Carrawaystick	11:31	15
Drumgoff*	12:13	42
Mullacor	1:07	54
Derrybawn	1:33	26
Camederry*	2:43	1:10
Tonelagee*	3:44	1:01
Scarr*	4:46	1:02
Knocknacloughoge	5:52	1:06
Lugalla	6:23	31
Djouce*	7:32	1:09
War Hill	7:51	19
Tonduff North	8:21	30
Prince Williams Seat*	9:52	1:31
Knocknagun	10:04	12
Finish	10:38:45 pm	34

The overall time to complete the round was 17:53:45. This is a new record. The previous record was set less than 24 hours earlier!!

The two big variables, in my opinion, for doing the round are weather and ground conditions (Dryness and vegetation growth).

The weather on the day was excellent. There was some early morning fogbanks around, which restricted visibilty on most of the peaks as far as East Top. After that the day was clear bright and Sunny. Temperatures seemed to be quite high through the day. However there was quite a strong breeze on the ridges and mountain tops which regulated the temperature nicely.

The ground still retained a lot of water from previous weeks, although there was a lot of dried out stretches as well. Overall the this was reasonably favourable and didn't adversly affect the time in any major way. The vegetation height was well on the way to being annoying, to the point where it will soon begin to seriously affect the possibility of doing fast times on the moutain. The vegetation certainly slowed me down on several legs.


As ever, if anyone has any questions, feel free to ask away and I'll try to answer them.

I'll post some thoughts and comments later...

[fergalr]

You're a legend, Enduro, congratulations! That'll take some time to beat...

[sean_d]

Congratulations Enduro, thats a feat that most of us can only aspire to

[ZuppyLurk]

I am off to find a map, a very big map. WOW!

[ZuppyLurk]

Ok a few questions for whenever your good for them. I am conscious your training for whatever tickles your fancy next.

1. Did you have to carry all your gear or could you resupply fluids at the logistical stops (not really enough of them)?
2. Food? Solid or gel/fluids
3. How did sunrise look?
4. At the finishline, elated or just dog tired?

[Odysseus]

Congrats, that's a great time for that type of terrain.

[Supercell]

Simply amazing run Enduro, I'm in awe, total awe, its going to be a long long time before that time is beaten I think.

[earlyevening]

Awesome. Well done. Yet another stupendous running achievement.

[BeepBeep67]

+1 Superb - great running!

[Enduro]

Originally Posted by ZuppyLurk

1. Did you have to carry all your gear or could you resupply fluids at the logistical stops (not really enough of them)?
2. Food? Solid or gel/fluids
3. How did sunrise look?
4. At the finishline, elated or just dog tired?

Logistics of carrying gear was totally up to myself. The only constants on the round were my mobile phone and some bog-roll in my pockets. On the first leg over Kippure to the Sally Gap I carried nothing else. At the Sally Gap I picked up my rucksack (a 32 litre OMM bag), which had some food in the side pockets, a super-lightweight jacket, and half filled 2l Camelback. That stayed with me for most of the rest of the run, and was mainly used for re-supplying food and liquids. I dropped it off at the support car (and picked up a small headtorch) before commencing my run up to Prince William's Seat. Logistics stops were used everywhere that the route crossed a road. Sometimes there were large gaps, particularly in the earlier sections. I had the mobile phone with me (for the first time on an ultra run for me) to co-ordinate with the logistics crew in case of any issues.

I reckon I didn't eat too much. As usual, I had far more prepared than I actually used. I had prepared 10 small brioche rolls filled with Nutella type spread (ate 4), 6 rolls filled with cream cheese and smoked ham (ate 3), 3 bannanas (ate 1), lots and lots of chocolate bars (ate about 4), two large bags of fruit jellies (ate about 10 jellies in total). I also used the mobile to request the support crew to get me a bag of chips in the Glencormac Inn at the Glenmalure checkpoint, which they did (special order at midday), and ate those heading away from there. Drinkwise, I had a 2l bottle of Coke, which was used at every logistics stop. I also drank 3 bottles of lucozade isotonic, a 500ml lidl yop-like fruit drink, and a 300ml smoothie (yum). No power drinks, bars or gels were used. I prefer to use "real" food when possible.

Sunrise looked awesome, although I had to turn around to see it as it was directly behind me as I climbed Kippure. It was one of those burning dark red ones that you get when its piercing fog banks, and of course the dynamic fog banks in the mountains add greatly to the atmosphere. I had Wagner in my head looking at it (Think the end of Excalibur)

At the finish I was oddly calm and not anywhere near as tired as I expected to be. The calmness probably came from the fact that I had been projecting finishing times for hours beforehand and setting targets for myself, the last of which was to finish in under 18 hours, and I knew I was going to do that reasonably comfortably with about 30 minutes to go. The lack of exhaustion is much harder to explain. Normally after being on my feet for so long I'd just collapse on the ground immediately at the first opportunity. but this time I wasn't even too worried about sitting down, or getting food or drink. Maybe I'm adapting to running for 18 hours . Probably calm satisfaction describes my state at the end.

[Enduro]

From the main IMRA thread:

The Round was revised in order to ensure it was a feasible challenge for a wide number of people. The creators did not intend it to be only within the realm of a very select elite (as the original 27 peak version probably would have been) but rather more like the Bob Graham which has more than a 1000 finishers. It may, in reality, be more like the Ramsay Round or the Paddy Buckley Round which have been completed by very few.

I now think that to finish within the defined 24 hour period will be quite a hard challenge for most people, so I think that the above sentiment is correct.

The round originally had 3 target levels of performance, which were to finish in under 12 hours, under 16 hours, and under 24 hours, if I recall correctly (they're not on the website anymore). After my running it myself I now think that under 12 hours can't be done, under 16 hours is probably do-able by top class athletes in very favourable conditions (but I wouldn't be surprised if this was never done), and under 24 hours is a very fine achievment indeed.

[Enduro]

Also, from the main IMRA thread:

lol at both SJ and Enduro. I'm not sure if I'm more impressed at you talking on the phone while running, or that you got reception in the mountains.

Well done to both Enduro and Moire on some terrific running.

Is there much strategy in choosing the route or is it pretty well defined by the terrain (and the rules)?

Reception is mostly good up on the mountains in Wicklow. Isolated valleys would be more likely to be mobile dead zones, I would say.

The rules only dictate the checkpoints to hit. Routes between are totally up to the individual. Where possible I would follow defined paths that hillwalkers have eroded in over the years. Quite a lot of the route was open country though. Being a clear bright day (That was one the main reasons for picking the day) I mostly didn't need to use a map or compass, and could simply do "head up" navigation and see where I was going to and pick out the best path through the terraine. On a lot of the non-tracked mountains picking the best line through the vegetation will be the biggest single factor on speed. I would have known a very high percentage of the route beforehand from having been there before, and had spent several hours looking over maps the day before to familiarise myself with my memory of the routes, and all the options available to me.

A few of the legs had at least two possible route choices. These included coming off Kippure (down the road, or straight line accross open country), Silsean to Oakwood, Carrawaystick to Glencree, Camaderry to Wicklow Gap (road versus straighter lines), Scarr to Knocknaclashogue, Lugalla to Djouce, and the biggest choice of all: Tonduff to Prince William's Seat. I had worked out 4 possible routes for that leg using all available maps, and in the end did a different variation again on the day.

[donothoponpop]

It's a fantastic thing that you've done; that time will take some beating. What a weekend- Moire finally completing the round, then you setting such a time. As a very average hill runner who lives in Wicklow, its great to be able to share these hills with so many dedicated athletes.

[sean_d]

No problem if its being kept a trade secret or anything, but just out of interest, which way did you take from Tonduff to PW?

[Raighne]

Originally Posted by Enduro

From the main IMRA thread:



I now think that to finish within the defined 24 hour period will be quite a hard challenge for most people, so I think that the above sentiment is correct.

The round originally had 3 target levels of performance, which were to finish in under 12 hours, under 16 hours, and under 24 hours, if I recall correctly (they're not on the website anymore). After my running it myself I now think that under 12 hours can't be done, under 16 hours is probably do-able by top class athletes in very favourable conditions (but I wouldn't be surprised if this was never done), and under 24 hours is a very fine achievment indeed.

That's very interesting and based on yours and Moire's times, it would be very hard to imagine someone breaking 12. That system was put in place when the Round was very theoretical though and I think the creators scrapped it when it became apparent that just doing it would be hard for most people.

The BG has been run in sub-13 hours and a few times in sub-15 but it seems very hard to compare. The BG may be a bit longer and has more climb and more peaks. On the other hand it features better trails, and a lot of the peaks are on ridges where you literally get "2 and more for the price of 1" (sometimes as much a 5 or 6 peaks a "lumped together"). On the Wicklow Round it seems to be 2 lumped together on a few occasions, at most.

On the other hand the BG has several passages of very dangerous terrain that the WR doesn't have (scree, technical climbs, exposed ridges). So the comparison is hard for anyone who hasn't run both.

I suggest Enduro or Moire run the BG later this year so we can compare and settle the matter once and for all ;-)

Also a crazy thought: a few people have run all three British Rounds within one summer. Imagine the preparations for doing all 4?