Belfast 24hr recce

Ed Mc Groarty

Was at acatering expo in titanic earlier so decided to take a walk around the course in Victoria park.
There's a couple interested here so thought I'd post a few photos.
The lighting only goes around half the course but they are doing work there at the moment so might be completing the loop. It wouldn't take Many flood lights to finish the gap anyway.
Its completely flat bar a very,very short minor slope. There is also a slight camber towards the lake in the middle at parts. I also took a close up of the surface. I'm not really sure if it's harder or softer than road but I suppose you could use the grassy verge for relief if allowed.
It's a maze of housing estates before you get to the entrance of the park through a tunnel but that'll be the easy part.



Maybe this should be in events if a mod. Want to stick it there.

Killerz

Thanks Ed. I'm signed up and looking forward to this.

Ososlo

I'm all signed up too! Great idea to have a thread about it as I know there are at least 4 of us going for it now.

Thanks Ed for the photo and description. I'm going to do a few laps of it someday in the next few weeks so will post up a Strava link to the route and maybe take a video of it.

Wonder what kind of runner would be best suited to the surface?

Ed Mc Groarty

Killerz wrote: »

Thanks Ed. I'm signed up and looking forward to this.

I'll be seein' ya around so....and around...and around...

Ed Mc Groarty

Ososlo wrote: »

Thanks Ed for the photo and description. I'm going to do a few laps of it someday in the next few weeks so will post up a Strava link to the route and maybe take a video of it.
?

A fancy video and a strava link!

It took me a bleedin' hour just to put up a few photos(you can see more than one photo right?)

Ososlo

Ed Mc Groarty wrote: »

A fancy video and a strava link!

It took me a bleedin' hour just to put up a few photos(you can see more than one photo right?)

lol!

Eh, there are 4 attachments, but sorry, they're all showing the same photo

Ed Mc Groarty

Ed Mc Groarty

Ososlo

Ed Mc Groarty wrote: »

must say that surface doesn't look that comfortable to run on! Especially for 24 hours!

TFBubendorfer

Ososlo wrote: »

must say that surface doesn't look that comfortable to run on! Especially for 24 hours!

I think it will be just fine. It's better than part of the surface we had in Turin (and definitely better than that mountain path in Greece!)

In fact, the path beside the water in Ed's first picture looks great.

Ed Mc Groarty

I think the close up exaggerates the surface. Its compact and level (smooth so to speak)those stones are really quite small. Just wonder about the hardness compared to road.

Edit:thanks for fixing my photos Thomas.

opus

Anyone done the 12 hour version of the race and have any experiences to relate? Reading this thread has put the (crazy?) idea into my head that I wouldn't mind a crack at it, have a 72k trail ultra in Germany in May but hope a month should be ok to get over that.

Enduro

opus wrote: »

Anyone done the 12 hour version of the race and have any experiences to relate? Reading this thread has put the (crazy?) idea into my head that I wouldn't mind a crack at it, have a 72k trail ultra in Germany in May but hope a month should be ok to get over that.

No reason I can think of why you shouldn't give either the 12 or 24 hours a go. You've got more than enough experience for either (Not that I actually think that experience is all that important anyway, but it helps).

Killerz

Question on this and I'm sure it will be explained in the briefing etc but anyhow...

My wife is entering a relay team for this. How does the relay changeover work on the longer circuit? You have 2 hour segments and the loop is 1.7k. Do you just wait until the end of a loop even if that is slightly under or over the 2 hour allocation? Otherwise yours trying to guess where you will be changing over. Easier in a 400m track.

Similarly, on finishing the 24 hour, do you stop dead in your tracks and wait for someone to come around the up to 1.7k distance to find you and measure the distance? Again easier on the track!

TFBubendorfer

Killerz wrote: »

My wife is entering a relay team for this. How does the relay changeover work on the longer circuit? You have 2 hour segments and the loop is 1.7k. Do you just wait until the end of a loop even if that is slightly under or over the 2 hour allocation? Otherwise yours trying to guess where you will be changing over. Easier in a 400m track.

Similarly, on finishing the 24 hour, do you stop dead in your tracks and wait for someone to come around the up to 1.7k distance to find you and measure the distance? Again easier on the track!

I'm sure the relay changeover will happen at the start line. Obviously on a 1.7k circuit that means someone can be out there for a few minutes more but over 24 hrs that's hardly a big deal.

What usually happens on a long loop like that, close to the end every runner still on the course will be handed some item (flag, cone, or similar) which they drop as soon as the buzzer for the finish sounds. That marks their final distance and the RD will measure the portion of the last lap covered with a trundle wheel. That way you don't have to stop dead still for several minutes until the measurement is complete (mind, in Turin I stayed with my cone to make sure nobody would move it by even an inch).

On the 400 metre track we all just stopped dead in our tracks and the measurements only took a couple of minutes to complete. Either way, they will let us know at the briefing.

Killerz

TFBubendorfer wrote: »

I'm sure the relay changeover will happen at the start line. Obviously on a 1.7k circuit that means someone can be out there for a few minutes more but over 24 hrs that's hardly a big deal.

What usually happens on a long loop like that, close to the end every runner still on the course will be handed some item (flag, cone, or similar) which they drop as soon as the buzzer for the finish sounds. That marks their final distance and the RD will measure the portion of the last lap covered with a trundle wheel. That way you don't have to stop dead still for several minutes until the measurement is complete (mind, in Turin I stayed with my cone to make sure nobody would move it by even an inch).

On the 400 metre track we all just stopped dead in our tracks and the measurements only took a couple of minutes to complete. Either way, they will let us know at the briefing.

Makes sense, thanks for that, T. Merely the first of my total noob questions

Ososlo

I have a question about shoes for this race.

I've been told that my feet will swell a lot. All my trainers are half a size bigger than my regular shoes and no issues on runs up to 5.5 hours. 24 hours of running is obviously a very different story though.... So, should I buy a pair or two that are a full size bigger to allow for this? I don't think I fancy wearing a pair that are that big in training though, and I would have to break them in a bit. Confused!!!
How have others dealt with this issue and was it a big problem on the day/night?
Thanks!

TFBubendorfer

I always wear runners that are one size bigger than my "normal" shoe size anyway, and I use those same runners for 24 hours races as well.

I don't know how much my feet do swell over 24 hours but I've never felt particularly restricted, even at the end. I'd go with the same size you wore for your 5.5 hrs run.

Ed Mc Groarty

For anyone not on Facebook Ed(race director) has posted a picture of the course lightning. The course has 500meter of street lights and the leftover 1200metres will use these lights. He suggests a head torch may also be needed.
I'll try attach a photo!