SHILAJIT

[Milzy]

Not in the same mass participation it's got now. No park runs or running groups in the same numbers. Obviously it happened and as a nation we've often followed top flight athletics, Olympics etc for much longer. The difference is volume that I was meaning. Afterall London marathon only dates from 1981. Nearly 7000 took part but 48000 finished last london marathon. Big increase that isn't it!

In this day and age marathons are not hardcore enough. Ultra marathon running is more popular. You don’t have to be fast, just determined to keep going which opens it up for everyone. I’ve done a 30 & a 35. I could probably squeeze a 50 but those doing 100’s are insane.

 

[lazybloke]

In this day and age marathons are not hardcore enough. Ultra marathon running is more popular. You don’t have to be fast, just determined to keep going which opens it up for everyone. I’ve done a 30 & a 35. I could probably squeeze a 50 but those doing 100’s are insane.

One of my team at my last job was a bit of a machine in her choice of 'leisure' activities - on one occasion finishing the Marathon des Sables.

That's the equivalent of 6 marathons, venturing into the Sahara!

Her enthusiasm has washed off on me a bit, so i might try a Parkrun

 

[Time Waster]

In this day and age marathons are not hardcore enough. Ultra marathon running is more popular. You don’t have to be fast, just determined to keep going which opens it up for everyone. I’ve done a 30 & a 35. I could probably squeeze a 50 but those doing 100’s are insane.

I did a 40 mile charity walk actually two different ones. 9 hours walking, I'm not a runner. The one I did across Wales had time cut offs and you could take slight route detours that were longer but quicker between checkpoints, like the runners going for records. We also got lost so ended up doing 50 miles, in 16 hours.

We were wrecked afterwards but one guy did it 4 times back and forth over the weekend as a challenge to himself!

The Keswick to Barrow is a fun walk or run out if you like distance events. Record when I last did it was 4 hours by a guy who the did a 10 mile Cumbrian fell race in the afternoon. It was his warm up before the race!

 

[Venod]

In this day and age marathons are not hardcore enough. Ultra marathon running is more popular. You don’t have to be fast, just determined to keep going which opens it up for everyone. I’ve done a 30 & a 35. I could probably squeeze a 50 but those doing 100’s are insane.

I have done a couple of road marathons, didn't enjoy either of them, but I have enjoyed longer distances in the hills, some LDWA events and several Mountain Marathons, a combination of running and walking, done the Three Peaks several times, mostly just walking, but once a combination of running and walking.

 

[Drago]

If a near death experience is what you desire then visit a domination and ask for an extra hard spanking. Much easier.

 

[Time Waster]

I've done the Yorkshire 3 peaks 3 or 4 times. Once solo in winter which made it a bit tough. I know people who did it twice in 24 hours in the depths of winter and through a big blizzard. We just did two of them that day and sat the blizzard out in a pub mid route. They are an easy set of hills to do. In hear of some people making a bit more of it by adding Gragareth in Lancashire just north of them.

There's a good LDWA group in westmorland.

 

[Venod]

There's a good LDWA group in westmorland.

The Ulfkil Stride was the most enjoyable LDWA event I remember, not sure if they still do it, this link is for the 2022 event.
I seem to remember it was about 33 mile when I did it

https://ldwa.org.uk/WestYorkshire/E/26088/ulfkil-stride-2022-challenge.html

 

[Time Waster]

There used to be a nice event circling borrowdale or at least the lake. Up catbells, Maiden Moor then across to castle Crag via watendlath then round towards Keswick. Dropping down off walla Crag past the mast then back to the start. If I recall correctly that is.

I also did one in Rivington Pike area too. That was my first LDWA event of the year that I used to do.

 

[Ian H]

I did a 40 mile charity walk actually two different ones. 9 hours walking, I'm not a runner. The one I did across Wales had time cut offs and you could take slight route detours that were longer but quicker between checkpoints, like the runners going for records. We also got lost so ended up doing 50 miles, in 16 hours.

We were wrecked afterwards but one guy did it 4 times back and forth over the weekend as a challenge to himself!

That'll be my old mate, Rod. He does ballroom dancing as well.

My younger son ran a 24hr event last year. He got cramps in the heat but still managed 70 something miles.

 

[Time Waster]

I knew a guy who did a two person team mountain marathon. A keen runner he'd done it a few times with his mate. Anyway, the last time he'd done it he got injured badly in a stumble on the last day. His teammate was a doctor so checked him out, told him it was just a sprain and to take a paracetamol and he'd be able to finish. I think he said he did finish on incredible pain then went to the hospital. He had a broken ankle and was out of running for a year! No way the doctor friend didn't know that he just wanted to finish!

I think that would make me mistrust doctors in future!

Do you remember a few decades ago that mountain marathon, one of the big name ones, held in borrowdale during horrendous weather? It made national news and probably international too! The second day got cancelled and they were actually worried about whether they'd get out of the valley what with the flooding.

 

[Venod]

Anyway, the last time he'd done it he got injured badly in a stumble on the last day

I used to like the Lowe Alpine MMs the best usually in Scotland. We did one on the Argour Penisular, on day two we came across an injured competitor who had sustained a fall and a very bad head injury, he was a bit incoherent, but we gathered his partner, had gone for help, we managed to get him of the hill to a track where he was picked up by a land rover, we retired as we were knackered and not far from the finish, to complete the route would have meant heading back up into hills.

 

[a.twiddler]

Marathons ain't what they used to be. They're called Snickers now, I believe.

 

[ColinJ]

Marathons ain't what they used to be. They're called Snickers now, I believe.

They are a lot smaller than they used to be so I'd say that Snickers are actually Half-Marathons!

 

[a.twiddler]

They are a lot smaller than they used to be so I'd say that Snickers are actually Half-Marathons!

Badaboom tish!