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Kurrawah To Duranbah, And Then Some
Posted by
Unlikelyrunner
,
07 December 2011
·
283 views
This weekend is the annual race from Kurrawah to Duranbah and back. There are three race options; (1) the full 50km (there and back); (2) 30km solo; or (3) 2x 25km in relay format. I have taken the 3rd and softest option, well thats how it appears at first glance anyway.
Its a bugger of a race. I did it last year and had a shocker. I think it took me 2hrs 14mins and I was well below half way in the field. I also did the first leg, which is the easier one due to the fact that by 7am the route is normally 30c and 90% humidity. Oh, and its easy to get lost, there are only 4 drink stations in the 25km, and its pretty hilly in parts as well.
This year I have the 2nd leg, which means 25km of hard running in hot and humid conditions. The only plus is that it is raining here right now and the predicition 4 days out is that it will be cool conditions on Sunday. Oh, the final spanner in the works is that I am going to the Foo Fighters the night before. I wont be drinking (Ive promised my team mate) and because its an open air concert it has to finish by 10pm. So, no excuses basically!
And what to from there? Lots of running of course. As people may know, I am going back to South Africa to complete my double, 1 up and 1 down run. Sure I get my back to back medal, but I am also going to have a serious crack at a Bill Rowan medal, sub 9hrs. That will be a 43 min improvement from 2011 - a tough ask but worth a shout. Comrades is the greatest foot race in the world so why wouldnt I want to give it another go......hmmm, maybe its like child birth (I wouldnt know but I am guessing) to the extent that the pain at the time is excrutiating, but the reward at the end is worth it. Also, you tend to forget the pain over time and before you know it you are lining up for another bout of punishment.
Finally, there is the 6-Foot Track. 2011 was my first and I managed to get another spot for 2012 - lucky me
A lot of people are complaining about the process/system that is used. Its certainly not perfect and does have bugs. The problem is that this race is so darn popular (to the credit of the RD and his team) that it is way over subscribed and therefore people get upset when they are stopped from entering because of a technical error. Something has to change, it cannot go on like this. The RD unfortunately feels its as fair as its going to get, and I feel this is becasue people are looking inside the box for a solution - which is either live with it or spend a truck load more on testing which would have to be passed on via an increased entry fee.
Its actually much more simple than that. My guess is the problems are load related, menaing too many users trying to smash the system at once. Does anyone remember when there were fuel shortages back in the 80s and only those with odd number plates could get petrol on certain days, well its pretty similar. Break the entry down to smaller groups - male/female, age categories, etc. Put them into groups where there is likely to be less than 200 people entering on any given day. Limit the number allowed to a maximum that is fair (based on the phone book or past entrants or something similar).
Anyway, I have offered my assistance which hasnt been taken up yet, so here is hoping.
2012 will be a big year for me, with a few massive goals. I hope I tick most of the boxes and hope others out there have a great time on the roads and trails as well.
Its a bugger of a race. I did it last year and had a shocker. I think it took me 2hrs 14mins and I was well below half way in the field. I also did the first leg, which is the easier one due to the fact that by 7am the route is normally 30c and 90% humidity. Oh, and its easy to get lost, there are only 4 drink stations in the 25km, and its pretty hilly in parts as well.
This year I have the 2nd leg, which means 25km of hard running in hot and humid conditions. The only plus is that it is raining here right now and the predicition 4 days out is that it will be cool conditions on Sunday. Oh, the final spanner in the works is that I am going to the Foo Fighters the night before. I wont be drinking (Ive promised my team mate) and because its an open air concert it has to finish by 10pm. So, no excuses basically!
And what to from there? Lots of running of course. As people may know, I am going back to South Africa to complete my double, 1 up and 1 down run. Sure I get my back to back medal, but I am also going to have a serious crack at a Bill Rowan medal, sub 9hrs. That will be a 43 min improvement from 2011 - a tough ask but worth a shout. Comrades is the greatest foot race in the world so why wouldnt I want to give it another go......hmmm, maybe its like child birth (I wouldnt know but I am guessing) to the extent that the pain at the time is excrutiating, but the reward at the end is worth it. Also, you tend to forget the pain over time and before you know it you are lining up for another bout of punishment.
Finally, there is the 6-Foot Track. 2011 was my first and I managed to get another spot for 2012 - lucky me
A lot of people are complaining about the process/system that is used. Its certainly not perfect and does have bugs. The problem is that this race is so darn popular (to the credit of the RD and his team) that it is way over subscribed and therefore people get upset when they are stopped from entering because of a technical error. Something has to change, it cannot go on like this. The RD unfortunately feels its as fair as its going to get, and I feel this is becasue people are looking inside the box for a solution - which is either live with it or spend a truck load more on testing which would have to be passed on via an increased entry fee.
Its actually much more simple than that. My guess is the problems are load related, menaing too many users trying to smash the system at once. Does anyone remember when there were fuel shortages back in the 80s and only those with odd number plates could get petrol on certain days, well its pretty similar. Break the entry down to smaller groups - male/female, age categories, etc. Put them into groups where there is likely to be less than 200 people entering on any given day. Limit the number allowed to a maximum that is fair (based on the phone book or past entrants or something similar).
Anyway, I have offered my assistance which hasnt been taken up yet, so here is hoping.
2012 will be a big year for me, with a few massive goals. I hope I tick most of the boxes and hope others out there have a great time on the roads and trails as well.
Looking forward to getting the ball rolling in January.
Hope your training goes well.
See you on the road to Durban on 3rd June.
Basil