UKC

Ive just entered the 2013 spine race and wondered if anyone else had attempted it or has entered it?

http://thespinerace.com/

In reply to colinkeb: would love to, looks ace, but is it really 500 squid!!?? wow!

In reply to colinkeb:

Wow. Good luck with that!

In reply to colinkeb: Looks like a fantastic challenge. Good luck!

In reply to colinkeb:

OK, it's in winter but is it as tough as The Dragon's Back which is also making a reappearance after its one and only running about 20 years ago.

ALC

In reply to a lakeland climber: I reckon it's tougher than the dragon back. It's not a stage race, so if you are planning on winning it rather than just completing it you can't afford much sleep. Imagine day 3, no sleep, blizzard, middle of the night and having to decide if you are going to stop and pitch your tent and loose the race or keep going to the next check point to escape the conditions or just have a little sit down on that rock - with obvious consequences if you fall asleep.

The wrong decision could be fatal. The dragons back might be long and tough, but it probably won't kill you.

This year there was a small field of about 25 people I think and most of them dropped out on day 1 in near perfect conditions - only about 3 people finished the race. Suggests it didn't attract a very high quality field, so I hope if the OP is wanting to test himself against the best ultra runners in the country he isn't dissapointed.

Andy

In reply to ablackett: Ive got no delusions of winning I just want to finish and i believe i can do that despite the obvious hardships involved. ive done a continuous 100 mile without sleep and am hoping that the ability to have small breaks at the check points will let me carry on for the additional mileage. i found that it was the lack of sleep that hit me hardest not the mileage. i would have entered the dragons back had i known it was on again, ive looked for it for several years but presumed it had died altogether, even thought of just doing it as a solo trip, it looks amazing. as you pointed out it was a small field this year and most dropped out, my guess is that many long distance walkers/runners are not actually competitive and may have been put off by the "race" title. also its in winter so you lose the scenery and a lot of the comfort with that, im still surprised it was so low though despite the price. it looks a fantastic challenge and as long as you are experienced enough to know when you are in trouble and how to stay safe it should be a trip of a lifetime, I cant wait

hey guys! Great to read some discussion on the race. I like being able to discuss the event and thought I'd comment on a few of the points raised, if you guys don't mind? I wouldn't want to hijack a forum and this is in no way a sales pitch!

Regarding price - its high but it has high operating costs because of the level of expertise required for the support team and the fact it is not staged. We are trying very hard to reduce the entry fee and did have a £350 promotion on, which we may be extending if it is successful. it's a numbers game really, the more popular the event the better we can be on price but as the event is in its infancy we have to base this on sensible projections. We ran almost exactly at cost for the first race and many of us worked for free. We love doing this more than anything.

Experience - we had a real mix, some incredibly experienced athletes who have raced around the world, to newcomers looking for a challenge. We will always welcome athletes and advise as best as we can and if we feel you may not be up to it we would have that conversation, rather than accepting your money. There were a few instances last year were we refused entry. We have a training event this year and hope that we get good attendance to advise on areas to improve if required.

We hope that 2013 will be as memorable as the first race.

Btw good luck!!