RACE BRIEFING PACK 7th November 2015
Dear runner, Here s all you need to know about this year s Glen Ogle 33 Ultra Marathon. I know we say it ever year, but we can t get over how popular the race has become, so thanks to all of your for supporting our end of season race and for this year helping us to celebrate our fifth Birthday. Race registration, start and finish will take place in Killin (FK21). Registration and the ceilidh will take place in the McLaren Hall. The race will start and finish from Breadalbane Park. Car parking will be in local public car parks spread through the town which are clearly signposted. In addition we will have some extra car parking arranged which will be signposted. Please park considerately and not like a fanny. Also, please car share wherever possible to reduce the impact on the local community and given the long tiring day in store for those of you driving to the race on the day, it makes sense from a safety point of view too. Check out our Facebook page if you re looking to car share. This is an unsupported race. For reasons of safety & also in keeping with the spirit of the ultra marathon, this race must be run unsupported. The local roads close to the route simply can t cope with a lot of extra traffic & there s very limited places to park without causing a potential hazard. If you have anyone coming to watch, the best places for them to go are either to the finish in Breadalbane Park or the Forestry Car Park just off the main road in Strathyre. Only marshals and runners are permitted at race checkpoints. There are no strict cut-off times to meet although we all hope to be getting ready for the ceilidh by 5pm. We ll have sweeper bikes at the back of the field, but they re for your safety as much as anything and won t be hassling you along. Julia s Snack Van will again be at the top of the valley, so you might want to put some money in your pocket as its a good chance to get a nice hot cuppa. Just don t go near it if you re one of those weak-willed individuals who might be tempted to pack your race in at the slightest hint of a bacon roll. Although that s only happened the once before that we know of.. Please take the time to read every page of this briefing pack, even if you have run this race before. Best of luck, Bill, Mike & Cat. www.runyabam.com email: info@runyabam.com 2
Race Rules & Information Race registration Will take place in the McLaren Hall, Killin, Main Street, FK21, on Friday the 6 th of November from 18:30 20:30 and the 7 th of November from 06:00 07:30. Drop bags can be deposited at registration either on the Friday night or Saturday morning. Photographic ID is required to collect your race number. This should also show your date of birth runners must be 21 years old to take part in an ultra marathon event run under a Scottish Athletics Permit. Race places for the Glen Ogle 33 cannot be transferred to another runner. Your race number should be pinned on to the front of your t-shirt/vest. Do not bend the timing chip which will be attached at registration. All runners must also complete the contact & medical information on the back of your race number. Pre-ordered race t-shirts and ceilidh tickets will be available for collection at race registration. If you have a pre-existing medical condition, ensure that you bring any medication you require with you to the race. It is each runner s responsibility to ensure that you are fit and healthy to take part in this race. Please do not be tempted to start the race if you have any doubts over your health or fitness on the day. Compulsory kit A foil blanket is compulsory kit and it must be a full sized one you get in proper first aid kits and at the end of over-priced road races sponsored by certain private medical firms. They are very lightweight and will fit in to the smallest of race belts, or the pockets on a race vest, rucksack or jacket, so there is no excuse for not carrying one. These make all the difference in keeping an injured runner warm until help arrives so please do not try and cheat this rule by cutting yours down to the size of a postage stamp. We will be doing random spot checks to make sure you all have them with you on race day. We strongly recommend carrying a mobile phone with the important race numbers programmed in to it. www.runyabam.com email: info@runyabam.com 3
Bill 07920 254 145 Mike 07860 158 682 Cat 07789 441 416 Please be sure to check the weather forecast in the run-up to the event and pack accordingly. The Race The race starts at 8am on Saturday 7 th November from Breadalbane Park, Killin. You are not allowed to run with your dog!! This race is to be run unsupported, so that means no support runners, pacers or outside assistance. This is in the interest of fairness and the ethos of the event. The course will be fully marked with yellow signs, but normal race rules apply - don t deviate from the route you re on unless we tell you to! As an aid for those who are navigationally-challenged, a lot of the course follows the national cycle route which is marked with blue signs. You are running from Killin to Strathyre via Balquhidder and then back to Killin. There will be water available at the checkpoints. ipods are fine but earphones must be removed as you approach any road crossings or marshals and must be removed when running on road sections. Crossing roads are your responsibility! We have no authority to stop the traffic so please pay attention and wait for a safe time to cross. Please pay particular attention at the Glen Ogle crossing as this is a very fast road. Listen to and obey instructions from the marshals they re giving up their time to make sure all goes smoothly & to keep you safe. Please shout your number when approaching through the Checkpoints. This will help us find your drop bag quickly. Look out for fellow runners & give encouragement/help where needed. Take care on the shoogly bridge in Strathyre! Unless we get an epic amount of rain or snow, road shoes will be fine. If you drop out, you must let a marshal or race director know. When running through Killin towards the finish, please respect the other path/road users & use common sense as well as your road sense! www.runyabam.com email: info@runyabam.com 4
Please be careful not to drop any litter on the course. We always like to leave the countryside exactly as we find it. Failure to respect any of these rules may result in a time penalty being applied or disqualification from the race. All of our marshals are empowered to make decisions like this out on the course. The decision of either race director is final & must be respected. Checkpoints Checkpoints 1 & 4 are in the same location at the top of the valley. Checkpoints 2 & 3 are in the same location past Lochearnhead after descending down the viaduct and then on the return after coming out of the forest section past Kingshouse. There will be cold water available at the checkpoints for you to refill your bottles/flasks/bladders. But please note, we won t be providing disposable cups any more in order to try and cut down on waste. Drop Bags If you are going to make use of drop bags, please make sure they look like the one on the right and not the one the left. Your drop bags should be clearly labelled with your race number so that we can sort them and find them quickly. We know that 33 miles can be daunting if this is your first ultra marathon, but you want to spend the bare minimum amount of time at checkpoints. As well as wasting time, you don t want to risk cooling down. www.runyabam.com email: info@runyabam.com 5
Don t dawdle or hang about be tempted to join Ray who will probably be sitting down in a chair having a cup of tea and a cigarette - he s a pro. Anything left in drop bags will be put out on the tables for other runners to take. We can t return drop bags to the start/finish so please don t leave anything valuable in them! Post-Race Killin s Cancer Research UK ladies will have a stall in the McLaren Hall from 12 midday on Saturday and will be selling tea, coffee & cakes, all in aid of the charity. Please pass the word on to any friends and family who will be coming along to see you finish. When you finish the race, pick up your goody bag and go and get warmed up. Get out of your race gear and in to some nice dry & warm clothes. If its particularly cold and/or wet, stick your foil blanket on to keep you warm whilst you go to get changed. But please keep moving around when you finish! Don t just stop or sit/lie down as your body won t thank you for it. Your body needs to take some time to normalize after all that running you ve just done so that last thing you want to do is suddenly stop. And whatever you do, don t be tempted to drive until you feel back to normal and have managed to get some food and drink in to you. Ceilidh The ceilidh and prize giving will take place in the McLaren Hall from 18:30 to 00:00 on Saturday night after the race. Its Bring Your Own Bottle (and cup/tankard/straw) and we ll provide some food thanks to the ladies from the local Macmillan Cancer fundraising team. Ceilidh music will be courtesy of the braw Reely Jiggered, so be sure to bring your dancing shoes. There s some tickets left on our website but we ll be taking them down in the next couple of days so we can finalise numbers. http://runyabam.com/product/glen-ogle-33-2015-ceilidh-ticket/ Ceilidh tickets (and pre-ordered race t-shirts) will be available to collect at rage registration. www.runyabam.com email: info@runyabam.com 6
Safety We just want everyone to have a great race and finish in good shape, so please look out for each other. All CPs will be manned by people who are used to marshaling at these sort of races and many of them are ultra runners themselves so will know what you're going through! We have qualified first-aiders throughout the race team as well as a firstaid kit at each CP. We recommend you carry a mobile phone for emergencies, but like any race in this part of the world, mobile reception will be patchy. Just remember that you'll never be far from other runners, marshals or sweepers and even members of the public as the route is never that far from roads or trails. If you see someone who needs assistance or even just a quick word of encouragement, please take some time to make sure they re ok before going on. Please also bear in mind that given the time of year, it could be a long, cold day out for some of you and it may be getting dark by the time you're finishing. If this is the case, please pay particular attention to what you're wearing to make yourself stand out and also consider taking a head-torch with you. After running down the viaduct, some miles are on a road which takes you to Balquhidder & Strathyre. While this is an unclassified, quiet country road and there will be signage up, please use your common sense & dress as you would for any run at this time of year if you plan to be running on a road. Dress to be seen. Take a head-torch if you think you re going to be out in the dark. Don t use your ipod when running on the road or approaching any road crossings. Run in single file on the right-hand side of the road unless on tight/blind right-handed bends. This means you will see cars coming from the earliest opportunity. The race will finish in Killin - roads will not be closed so you ll have to run on paths and the road with other users. Please be considerate to others and pay attention to your surroundings. www.runyabam.com email: info@runyabam.com 7