11 replies to this topic

[downunder runner]

hi,  I want to go in the puffy billy race this year, but remember how difficult it is standing in long lines for the loo...

does anyone know of a place to go on the way to Belgrave.???..I will be coming through Ferntree gully/upwey/tecoma.......are there public toilets around there?

[trav]

I did not say this....... near the carpark , other end to the start line. Just do it !

[KevinCassidy]

Melway reference  73 F6.  A large and modern toilet block is highly visible on the north side of the main road as you pass through the shopping centre.

Or do as I did last year and find a large secluded tree.....of which there are many

[downunder runner]

kevin,

which shopping centre?  This Melways reference is Mountain Gate??? a toliet blockt there??

thanks,

[KevinCassidy]

Whoops.....wrong map number.....it should be 74G6
A small strip shopping centre on the Burwood Highway oppositr the Upper Ferntree Gully railway station.  It is marked in the melways as a black triangle with a white T in the middle.....right next door to the fire station.

These toilets have undergone a recent renovation and are modern and clean

[downunder runner]

thanks Kevin......might come in handy race day!!

[buddy45]

[mickmcc]

CK,

Regarding the course, I found it rather hilly - more so than I had expected - you don't run the same grade as the train. I have only run it once, but this is how I remember it (others might like to correct me)...

There is bascially zero net gain in elevation from start to finish. It is likely to be crowded at the start. With about 1 K of downhill and most people running quickly, it is hard to pass people if that is your thing. There is a relatively constant uphill after about the 1-2 K point until about ~7(?) K. It is almost entirely downhill soon after the 10 K mark.

I drove to the start last year (maybe 45-60 minutes from the city). I got to the start about 1 hour prior to the gun and had plenty of room to park.

There are 2 or 3 drink stations on the course.

Have fun.

Mick

[Benny]

CK,

In quite Sunday am traffic, it is about a 45 minute drive from the city.  We arrived there 30 minutes beforehand last year and had a fair bit of trouble parking.  This year we might arrive closer to an hour early and warm up and stretch on arrival.

If you chose the train option, I would go for one scheduled to arrive a good 30 minutes before start time.  The Belgrave station is right next to the race start.  It does get VERY crowded near start time.

Not so sure if the race is a zero net gain in elevation, but if it is, it is only because the last 1k or so is solid down hill.  From the 1k mark to the 9k (?) it is nearly all up hill with the odd quick decent.

A great run.  Good Luck

B

[gunnin']

I shouldn't give this secret away but I will anyway. If you walk down to the station (where PB leaves from) there are toilets there on the platform. Did this last year, no queues and no smell. I couldn't believe how few people were there!

tgm

[mickmcc]

CK,

Last night I found the course map that was mailed out with race numbers last year. It has elevations and drink stations marked along the course. According to that and my memory...

The start has an elevation of 227.7 m. there is a decent to the lowest point on the course, which is the trestle bridge (no elevation is given, but I'd guess it is about 50-75 m below the start?). There is then a relatively constant climb (with a few descents) until about the 6.5 km mark (elevation ~ 300 m). The course is undulating from there until Emerald at about the 10 km mark (elevation 318.5 m). The course then descends to the finish (13.2 km), which has an elevation of 242 m.

There were drink stations at the 4.5, 6.5 and 10 km marks.

I remember two particularly sharp descents (one very close to the finish).

I had been told that you need to beat the train at all four crossings to beat it at the end. However, I met the train at the first and second crossings and managed to beat it home (but only by a few seconds).

Cheers,

Mick