UKC

I am considering trying to get an entry to UTMB next year but would only want to do it if it wasn't crazy expensive.

Has anyone done it and camped? If so what are the campsites like and do you need to book ahead?

I don't fancy turning up and camping and not getting any sleep prior to the race due to the campsites being really noisy

In reply to notaclue: I camped both times.. Les Arrolles? is fine.. no need to book..

I stayed out at Argentiere the second year.. as its much quieter then moved to cham for the final few days.

The hype around the race is huge... so being away from cham can be a good thing..

In reply to IainRUK: Thanks Iain

I am undecided whether I should try and get in as I think the hype might ruin it for me. However reading stuff after this years race and people rave about the atmosphere and so on

It will be either the UTMb or Ultra Tour Lavaredo which looks a lot quieter!

In reply to notaclue:

I have had enough qualifying points to enter the lottery for the last 3 years, but have always been put off by the hype. This year however I will enter the lottery, as I have come to the conclusion that it's a race I should try at least once, before making up my mind about it.
As an aside, I was at the Grand Raid de Pyrenees last week (supporting a friend). It's a very similar race at the the same type of year and often referred to as a high quality alternative to the UTMB.

I have not stayed in Chamonix during UTMB, but know from other visits that the camp sites are alright. Argentiere is quieter place, as Iain has said. I personally like a bit of comfort, especially after an ultra, so I would avoid camping. Some years ago I stayed at the gite in Argentiere which was very good. If budget is an issue, than maybe camping for some time before the race and a hotel the night after is a good compromise.

In reply to notaclue:
How many points do you have?

In reply to Run_Ross_Run:

Good question as the rules have changed now and it's not just a case of having seven points. It's seven points from a maximum three races. Meaning you either need a couple of three point races (are there any in UK?) or you have to have completed a four point race which only comes from a 100 miler.

I absolutely support this change in qualification. No one should be standing on that start line unless they've proved themselves at the distance. It's massively oversubscribed anyway and I would imagine the MR (or equivalent) support in collecting injured or dropped out runners must be a logistical nightmare!

All being well ill complete my first 100 in two weeks time and my name will be in that ballot too :-D

There are places in and around Chamonix you can camp for free if you are discrete however to be honest you are probably better getting a good nights sleep before the event.

The UTMB itself starts in the evening anyway (1800 ish I think) so nothing to stop you getting a cheap hotel somewhere like Cluses and then driving up for the event (lots of free parking specifically for the event.

Your biggest expense's will be the entry fee, getting here and your kit.

Also if you don't get a place in the ballot you will be offered a place in the TDS which is 119km but a massive challenge in my opinion because its on very wild trails and rugged terrain and has a higher failure rate than both the CCC and the UTMB.

Good luck anyway.

In reply to Dan818: The race stated at 16:30 this year.

In reply to Wonrek:

Are you running the Cotswold Ultra?

In reply to notaclue:
I was in Chamonix during this years race (climbing not running!) and I don't think you'll have problems camping. We camped at Camping Mer de Glace http://www.chamonix-camping.com/ and it looked like there was a fair bit of extra space. The place was absolutely silent after about half past nine at night so you shouldn't have any problems getting a decent nights sleep plus it is an easy walk to the start line . Lots of the other people on the site were sporting red gilets so camping didn't seem to hurt them too much!

Good luck!

In reply to liz j:

Yes, my first official 100 (I've Donna solo self supported 100 earlier this year)

Are you doing it?

In reply to Wonrek:
I'm not unfortunately, I did think about it but haven't had time to train properly. It's on the cards for next year though! Have spent a lot of time running parts of the Cotswold Way this year in training for the Cotswold Relay though, it's a beautiful trail. Our club is holding a race around the Little Sodbury area on the sunday, so we may well share some of the same trails for a while, and one of our members is running the Ultra aid station at Little Sodbury so I may come along before my race to see some of you guys come through.
What is your number? I'll look out for you!

In reply to Wonrek:


Or you can do 3 + 2 + 2, which is probably the easiest way. A 50 miles with sufficient ascent get 3 points.

In reply to StefanB:

I just did the Ultra Trail du Vercors on Saturday - 86km with 4000m +/- and finished in 16 hours (156th out of 415 registered starters, although only 220 made it before the 17.5hr cutoff)! I felt some real accomplishment (the biggest ultra I've done) but the thought of almost doubling that for 100 miles seems an order of magnitude higher.

It was a 3 pointer for UTMB though, and definitely one worth considering if you're looking for somewhere a bit different - great crowd support, good aid stations and the scenery is as you would expect, amazing.

I guess the next step up would be something more akin to CCC, but I think I'll take a rest now.

In reply to yorkshireman:

Sounds like a good race. Congratulations!
I will be off to Switzerland for the Sardona UT this coming weekend (82km, 6100m +/-) for a nice low key end of season race. If I manage to finish this well, I shall enter the UTMB lottery.

In reply to notaclue: Why not try this instead. Its in its infancy but I suspect it will become a big event in years to come. https://www.google.ie/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&a...

In reply to Wonrek:

The Fellsman - http://www.fellsman.org.uk carries three UTMB points

In reply to thedatastream: As does the 10 Peaks that was held at the weekend so I found out.

I'm happy getting the four point race under my belt. In my view if you can't prove that you can run 100 miles then you should let someone that can be there(as was said earlier 50 miles is a very different prospect to 100 of the toughest miles)

In reply to Wonrek: Does anyone understand how the entries work - I think I may be being a little thick

If I enter for the UTMB and don't get in do I automatically get entered into the TDS?

Does the TDS not get over subscribed?

In reply to notaclue:
That's my understanding. No, I don't think it does get oversubscribed.

In reply to notaclue: that's my understanding too but given the of getting there if I don't get in the UTMB ballot then ill wait till next year. I knw the TDS is an awesome race in its own right but its not UTMB and I know I'd feel short changed.

So as an insurance policy to make sure I'm going to get something epically foreign in next years schedule I've entered Transvulcania as a fallback.....

In reply to Wonrek: The pyrenes ultra trail has a very good reputation, maybe even harder than the UTMB, smaller low key event though. The UTMB is so hyped ts incredible, just a massive massive race. Does my nut in in a way but I'll do it again at some point because its so unique with the atmosphere.

In reply to IainRUK: a couple of running friends did UTMB this year and said that for the slower paced runners you were just in alpine following the runner in front. That doesn't make it sound quite so appealing but just to be a part of the spectacle just once, the London Marathon of mountain races I guess? How did you get on when you did it?

Anyway got to get that last qualifying race in the bag first. Saturday, two days away. Crap!

In reply to Wonrek: Tried it twice... once in 2008, stupidly hot year 31C dropped out at La Fouly in a mess. Second time 2009, ran 29:15 or so. That was about perfect conditions.

In reply to IainRUK: nice work, weathers a major factor out there. Apparently it was pretty damned perfect this year too.

I'd be happy to be below cutoffs on this one. Just to experience it and complete would be my prize

Did you mean the Grand Raid Pyranees, that looks fun.....with a ourse profile akin to a heart rate monitor

In reply to Wonrek: yeah thats it.. yeah this year and 09 were about perfect, 08, 10,11,12 were all severely affected by the weather.

In reply to Wonrek:
Wonrek, good luck at the weekend! I will be out and about on the course around the Little Sodbury/Horton area, we have a club race going on so our paths might cross, although I'm sure you will be well through there by then! If you come across a guy called Mark from Yate who is taking part, then please don't let him get lost, our club needs him back!!

In reply to liz j: Mark from Yate, gotcha! As there's only six ladies entrees I think it'll be spot the lady day :-

And thanks, what time will you be out there? You could always bob up on the course, I expect I'll be out there a little while

In reply to IainRUK:

Which one do you mean? The Andorra one or the Grand Raid du Pyrenees (GRP)?. If the latter, I can confirm the quality of the event. I was there this year supporting a friend who was running it and I definitely want to get back to run it myself.

The Andorra one is really tough. I have friends who have done the short version and apparently it's more mountaineering than running.

In reply to StefanB: I looked at the Grand Raid and it certainly does look good!

In reply to StefanB: yeah Grand raid.. was chatting to a guy from Andorra about the Andorra ultra, seems immense.

In reply to notaclue: no four pointer for me this weekend. I got my ass thoroughly whupped on the Cotswold Way 100 miler. I was in good company as over half the starters didn't finish too.

Ah well guess ill have to enter some more big races now......what a shame!

In reply to Wonrek:

Sorry to here this, but these things happen. Still plenty of time to get a good qualifying run in till the deadline. Is a 3 pointer enough for you? Might be a safer bet.
I got my missing points the weekend before last gutting it out in very poor conditions in the swiss alps. At point cut off point I just made it with 2 minutes spare. Very stressful experience.

In reply to StefanB: I need a four point race and none on now in the uk before entry opens. It's ok, I've got Lakeland 100 next year and thinking Transvulcania as the big ones now. It'll be there in 2015 when I'm more ready.

.....or got my nav sorted out which is what killed it this weekend. But then 33 DNF'D only 25 finished. What does that say about the cut offs

In reply to Wonrek:
Sorry to hear you didn't finish, Sutty gave me the heads up on FB that you were a friend of his and I hoped to see you out on the course and give you some encouragement. You stopped at Little Sodbury didn't you? Certainly a very pretty place to stop, but must be heartbreaking to be so close. My friend finished in about 28 hours, his toenails are not a pretty sight this morning.

I think this could become a rather popular race, the Cotswold Way is not to be underestimated, especially in the fog that often descends on these parts. I think plenty did a few extra miles!! Those hills are not to be taken lightly either, but I hope you go away with some good memories of the fantastic views and I hope some of our race runners gave you some encouragement if they came across you path!

In reply to liz j: I pulled out at the 78 mile checkpoint having run 86 miles. I was perfectly able to have carried on to the finish but would have missed the last cut off time. I had a long chat with the RD and I could have carried on to the finish but it would have potentially been without medical support and I decided that it just wasn't my day and retired.

I know where it went wrong for me, a dumb mistake that won't happen again, I could blame weather, signage or the additional runner that decided to join me but in all honesty it came down to losing concentration. Simple as that.

As over half the field DNF'd and I was the last to pull out I can say that even having lost two hours in the detour! with a little more time I would have made it as I think a lot more would have done.

Great race and I loved, loved, loved the hills. They just kept coming at ya! Will definitely be back next year to spank that course with no nav mistakes!

In reply to Wonrek: Hard luck on the race.

This looks like a good race, is it all off road? Are the cuts off very tight?

In reply to Wonrek:

Just in case you feel like traveling: http://ultratrailelrincon.es/

4 point 100 miler organised by friends of mine. Beautiful place and perfectly marked. No nav required. I will be doing the 100k version.

In reply to liz j:

"toenails are for sissies!" Brilliant!

Got plenty UTMB points this year so fingers and toes crossed for the ballot.