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1. Series Update
The spring weather may be finally arriving but it
wasn't in evidence for the Manx and it certainly wasnt around for race 3, the
Calderdale. 36 hours before the Manx there were considerable storms off the West
Coast resulting the cancellation of some ferries and some truly epic journeys
for a few people. As far as we know everyone made it to the start and conditions
for the race were actually quite good although a little cold. As for the
Calderdale - well, 2007 saw temperatures up to 24 degrees, this year it was more
like 2.4 degrees with a couple of inches of snow over the tops and some sharp
snow/hail showers. Coupled with a tougher finish from New Bridge and some wet
conditions and it looked as though times would be slow. Matt Giles clearly
hadn't heard that prediction though as he blasted around the course a full
half-hour quicker than last year and well clear of the rest of the field. With
two perfect 1000 point scores under his belt already he is clearly a serious
contender for the series.
It was hugely satisfying being at Calderdale.
Two years ago this was a race whose future was very uncertain. With under 30
runners on the long course, the organisers were doubtful about continuing the
event but decided to become part of the Vasque series to see how it went. This
eyar we had 126 registered for the longer race and almost 300 competing across
all the categories. Competition was fierce, organisation was stepped up and
worked really really well with good food at checkpoints at the finish. We are
aware of a couple of issues with the later finishers and will work to ensure
these are addressed for next year but overall - it was a brilliant, well
attended, well organised event and a big thanks to you all for supporting the
series and this event in good numbers.
Fellsman are already reporting
that they might be up to 350 this year too - an increase of about 30% on last
year - so this could be the start of something big. I'm biased (Mark Hartell) but personally,
I think its the best race in the series so get yourself signed up.
2. Series Leaders
It's early days yet but we can start to see who is
aiming at the Vasque Champs this year - in the mens categories the V60 class
looks to be a repeat of the battles between Yiannis and Adrian Dixon with a
couple of others nipping at their heels. In M50, David Waide is new to the
category and will be hard to beat but I'm sure John Vernon and Phil Hodgson will
give him a good fight. In Male open, Matt has had a great start with 2 clear
wins but some like Matt Davies and Allen Smalls (2007 champion) are yet to open
their account. Runner up from 07, Martin Beale is not far behind and Steve
Birkinshaw, targetting the series for the first time only spoilt a strong debut
with a rare navigational error at Wuthering.
In the ladies, Wendy Dodds
has opened the F50 category with a strong challenge and the ladies open looks
like including Clare Kenny and Christine Preston in the thick of the action .
Jess Palmer and Nicky Spinks both had great scores from the first race but none
as good as Lizzy Hawker. With a TMB win and world 100km championship under her
belt I'm guessing the rest of the field are just hoping that her race schedule
demands keep her away from most of the series races.
Either way - well
start to publish the series leaders table after Fellsman, the next event, so you
can see how the leader board is shaping up.
3. Grand Slamming
Just think about it for a minute - the Vasque
series races are no 10km event you can recover from in a couple of days, these
are tough outings; some at 50 miles and more. They are spread from Scotland to
Sussex and will involve - rain, snow, wind, tussocks, mud, navigation, cold and
darkness. Completing each one is an achievement, completing all 12 is something
special.
In that "something special" category we currently have one
person - Julian Brown - who slammed in 2006. Last year there was no-one. 3 races
into the 2008 series and we have 6 potential candidates and to prove that the
ladies are every bit as tough as the men when it comes to stamina and endurance,
3 of them are women.
Because we respect the commitment and motivation
that goes into a successful slam we will be presenting a special award to anyone
who completes all races in the series this year or in future years. This will be
a specially produced garment detailing all the races and will only be made for
the "slammers".
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4. SPOT PRIZES - APRIL 2008
Each month of
the series races we will be giving away spot prizes to registered
runners of the Vasque Ultra-running champs 2008.
The prizes will
be posted here on the monthly newsletter and again on the website. the
winners will then have to email us through the website their prefered
delivery address and we will send out the prize or voucher. See the
sponsored links below to see what sort of stuff is on offer each month.
Vasque trail shoes - Paul Smith
Box of Cliff Bars - Helen Macdonald-Jones
Thorlo Sox - Harry Johnson
OMM Last drop 10L Pack - Simon Bowens
Capestorm Base Layer - Susan Denham-Smith
Contact us
(Please email us from your registered email address so we can match your ID - don't forget to include your delivery address)
Some of the March Spot prizes have not been claimed yet - please click here to see if you are one of them and if yes please contact us
to claim your prize. All unclaimed prizes will go into the bag for the
prize giving at the end of the year as spot prizes at the presentation.
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5. Web news and updates.
Check out new articles here:-
HURT 100 by Mark Hartell
Dean Karnazes to run accross Five Deserts in one year
Manx Mountain Marathon Race Report
The Tour du Mont Blanc gets longer and harder "Le Petit Troitte a Leon" (the new team event)
If you want to write us a race report for the series or any other Ultra you have taken part in please follow these instructions
for sending in the information. We are looking for articles all the
time from everyone not just the top racers, we want to know everyones
experiences out there on the hills.
6. End of Season social.
We would like your views on an end of
season social. For the past 2 years we have had a series prize-giving and cake
eating fest at Meerbrook following the Roaches Race. What we want to know is
"should we be a bit more ambitious?". At the end of a season you will all, no
dount have done some amazing runs, had epic battles with clubmates and the
weather and worked up plenty of stories to tell.
Would you like the opportunity of an evening/overnight social -
following a suitable race to work up an appetite, of course? What we have in mind is a venue where we can get fed at
reasonable prices with a decent bar and some different accomodation options.
Probably in late October/early November and probably in the Peak District area.
Please respond with a quick a summary to "NO, keep prize giving as it is" or "YES, go for a full
evening/overnight do" or you can make a suggestion of something else! RESPOND HERE
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