Apocalypse 50
Saturday 20 May 2017
50 miles (80.5 km); 9,800 feet (2,987 m) of ascent
Route description: The event was centred on the Church Stretton School which operated as the start/finish/central checkpoint/base for refreshments and bag drop. The route consisted of four loops from and back to the HQ as follows:
Conquest: Caer Caradoc Hill; The Wilderness; Willstone Hill and Gaer Stone.
War: Over The Long Mynd via the Carding Mill Valley; through Ratlinghope and back over the Betchcott Hills
Death: A double ascent of The Long Mynd.
Famine: Out to Wenlock Edge then back over Ragleth Hill.
The loops could be completed in any order and, indeed, in a clockwise or anti-clockwise direction so long as all the self-clip checkpoints on the course were duly clipped into the race “passport”. The permutations meant that at the start runners scattered in all directions and it was never possible to know where you were in relation to other competitors until the end. With everyone coming back to the race HQ at the end of each loop the organisers only needed one main central base to monitor proceedings and keep the runners fed and watered.
|
Name |
Miles |
Ascent (feet) |
|
Conquest |
9.5 |
2,350 |
|
War |
13.5 |
2,600 |
|
Death |
12.5 |
2,400 |
|
Famine |
14.5 |
2,450 |
|
Total |
50.0 |
9,800 |
Starters: At least 67
Finishers: 32
Retired: No details
First Man: Daniel Hendriksen; 9:52
First Lady: 5th overall; Helen Pike; 11:03
Steven Jones: Joint 30th; Dark Peak Fell Runners; 14:33
Trevor Matty: Joint 30th; Dark Peak Fell Runners; 14:33
Weather: Initially warm but on the second loop the rain started but eased off. On the third loop the rain was very heavy but it was dry again on the final loop.