Hard non IM races, which ones rock?

Hey Everyone

This weeks question is: have you done an endurance events such as coast to coast which is harder than Ironman?

Kia Kaha

Bevan

Comments

[trinick]

Can't believe it, I'm the 1st poster, yipee!!

I haven't done this one, but it looks challenging. Beautiful area, was there last year after IM Switzerland.

INFERNO Triathlon (http://www.inferno.ch/)

Schwimmen:
Thun - Oberhofen
Distanz 3.1 km

Road Bike:
Oberhofen (562 Meter über Meer) - Sigriswil (810) - Beatenberg (1153) - Interlaken (563) - Meiringen (593) - Grosse Scheidegg (1962) - Grindelwald (943).
Distanz 97 km, Steigung 2145 m.

Mountain Bike:
Grindelwald (943) - Kleine Scheidegg (2061) - Wengen (1275) - Lauterbrunnen (795) - Stechelberg (862).
Distanz 30 km, Steigung 1180 m.

Berglauf:
Stechelberg (862) - Lauterbrunnen (795) - Mürren (1640) - Schilthorn (2970).
Distanz 25 km, Steigung 2175 m.

[trinick]

Can't believe it, I'm the 1st poster, yipee!!

I haven't done this one, but it looks challenging. Beautiful area, was there last year after IM Switzerland.

INFERNO Triathlon (http://www.inferno.ch/)

Schwimmen:
Thun - Oberhofen
Distanz 3.1 km

Road Bike:
Oberhofen (562 Meter über Meer) - Sigriswil (810) - Beatenberg (1153) - Interlaken (563) - Meiringen (593) - Grosse Scheidegg (1962) - Grindelwald (943).
Distanz 97 km, Steigung 2145 m.

Mountain Bike:
Grindelwald (943) - Kleine Scheidegg (2061) - Wengen (1275) - Lauterbrunnen (795) - Stechelberg (862).
Distanz 30 km, Steigung 1180 m.

Berglauf:
Stechelberg (862) - Lauterbrunnen (795) - Mürren (1640) - Schilthorn (2970).
Distanz 25 km, Steigung 2175 m.

[bender]

Cant say I did this, but I was the support person for a 6 person corporate team that successfully attempted the Arch-to-Arc (London to Paris) triathlon back in 2006. Run to Dover, swim the channel (No wetsuit!) and bike to Paris.
http://www.enduroman.com/
Only 4 solo challengers have ever completed it.
They are also organizing a Double and Deca Ironman distance soon, for anyone interested in that.
Would love to have a go at the double, but you can keep the deca.

[Fegan]

With no link from the comic styleee website, posts will be low ;~)

The only thing I've currently done that's ahrder than Ironman, is to convince the other 1/2 to let me do Ironman!!!!

But I'm doing this http://www.accelerace.co.uk/ultratriwesthighlands in June and its going to be a toughie, I expect 20 hours or more to complete.

I think all the big multi-day running events such as marathon de sables etc.

Maybe you can hook up an interview with a Runner's World legend the little fat welshman. He's do IM and a whole host of very tough and stupid events. Check out http://www.littlefatwelshman.co.uk/

[Tom the Pom]

Guys, the hardest one day event I have done is.... 12hrs in the saddle from sea level to almost 14000feet elevation, all uphill for 43 miles. Its starts at Hilo on the Big Island and ends up at the top of Mauna Kea. So the heat goes up to 35degrees c, clear blue sky with sweat and sun lotion dripping into your eyes. Altitude sets in at 6000feet onwards, you start to find it hard to breath, it feels like an elephant is sat on your chest. It was tough. The hardest bit was by the time we got to the top and had the photos there was no time to ride down as it was dark. My brother in law and I did this on our own in memory of his mother who passed away a few months before. We raised over £2000 for mcmillan cancer charity. But it was a hell of a way to spend my birthday, having watched the Ironman a few days before. Cheers Tom the Pom

[Nik Cook]

Has to be the Marathon Des Sables which I did in 2000.. aside from the heat, the sand and the blisters its the fact your body is breaking down from day 1. Because you're having to carry all your own food etc you're restricted to 2000 kcals a day max so you're straight into a massive deficit. Nothing heals and your feet just fall to bits... great experience though!

[Towel]

If anyone has any indoor or outdoor rowing experience they will agree that a 2000m race effort is the hardest thing in the world. 6 mins of sheer hell. I'd rather do an ironman than do another flat out 2000m row in my lifetime.

There is also the UK Tough Guy event. Not as hard as it used to be due to global warming, but we used to jump through ice in lat January in order to make the path for others to follow.

There was a summer event too which used to be non stop laps round an obstacle course covered in nettles, thorns and barbed wire. It was in the middle of summer, no water stations, just 5-6 hours of constant running and getting stung.

[Geoff Earl]

One wife, two kids, 16 years of marriage, longest endurance event I've ever done, and its still going!

Geoff Earl
Scotland

[Nik Cook]

good call on Tough Guy Geoff I remember 1999 when they had to smash the ice with a JCB and I slashed my nipple in half breaking it with my chest... Another GB classic to consider is the Bob Graham Round.. 42 Lakeland Peaks, 100.35 Km and a height gain of 7628 metres. Mostly over rough fell and all in 24 hours.. supporting 3 club mates on their attempt this year before having a crack myself next.

[John Hancock, Wellington NZ]

Guys - it's a week or so late but a nice link to the Ironman NZ coverage that you'll no doubt be doing this week. Two of my mates from Wellington were trying the Lake Taupo crossing this weekend - it's not really a race but until tonight only 25 swimmers in the last 52 years have completed it. Read all about their prep at http://fortypointtwo.org.nz/.

For those overseas - it's a 26 mile lake swim in one of the largest (extinct) volcano craters in the world - the hole in the donut that is NZ's North Island. That's a marathon swimming. Without a wetsuit.

The only details I've got so far are a couple of texts - the latest about an hour ago that Jason (who's a sub 1 minute 100m swimmer) finished in 12'38" - this is over 2 hours slower than he was aiming for. It was clearly pretty windy when they cancelled the attempt yesterday (Sat) so tough conditions. I'd say 13 to 16 hours face down in the water swimming 4k an hour without a wetsuit is harder than an Ironman any day.

I'm still not quite sure whether Anna's still out there or whether she decided not to swim given the weather - but you should give her a shout as an age-grouper of the week - she trained up for Ironman NZ in 2006 (the race that never was) went back again and completed last year in a very respectable 12'37" and decided to do the Taupo swim to get out of it this year. Like all your other age groupers she's got a nickname - Nemo (54'17" swim in her Ironman).

J

[Bree]

Endurance event harder than Ironman? Yeah...it's called writing your dissertation.

[Kat]

Oh hell yea, I agree Bree!

[Jubby]

In UK, 'Big Woody'...hardest bike ride according to Spencer Smith, or Helvellyn Tri....only half distance but serious climbs on the bike and the run is an 8-mile fell race up and down Helvellyn. Serious leg wobbler!!

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[Austin Miils]

www.Votwo.co.uk run the Jurassic Coast Challenge event as 3 marathons in 3 days on the South West Coastal Path or as a ONER with a 24 hour time limit so the back to back marathons! Now we are talking brutal.