Laugevegur Ultrarun

mithril

Hi,
I am considering doing this 55KM Ultrarun in Iceland in July.

Anyone done it before orknow anything about it?

More info.on the links below.

Thanks.


http://www.marathon.is/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=43&Itemid=78&lang=en

http://www.acrossthedivide.com/index.php/products/event/p-0080.html

TFBubendorfer

I haven't done it myself yet, but it is on my todo list, and supposed to be really beautiful. I found one very detailed report with loads of photos that give you a very good impression of the whole adventure:

http://the-road-to-utmb.com/2008/07/16/laugavegur-ultra-53-km/

Rusty Cogs 08

Ran the Reykjavik (road) marathon last year and then rented a car to drive around the island. It's a beautiful country and if I got the opportunity to go back I'd love to give the Laugevegur a go.

mithril

I just got confirmation that my entry has been accepted.
Report will be up here in 6 months time.

TFBubendorfer

mithril wrote: »

I just got confirmation that my entry has been accepted.
Report will be up here in 6 months time.

Congratulations. Be sure to let us know.

mithril

Laugavegur Ultramarathon Race Report

Summary: 53.84 KM in 5:51 (6:31 pace)
36th/267 finishers. Winning time 4:48

Introduction
The Laugavegur is a trail race in the interior of Iceland, stretching from the volcanic Landmannalaugar in the highlands to Thorsmork, a natural reservation area which has an unique micro-climate due to the shelter provided by the nearby active volcanoes, Katla and the notorious Eyjafjallajökull, which erupted this Spring.
I had originally viewed the race as a warm-up for the Dingle 50 mile road race on 4th September, but picked up a niggling hip injury 4 weeks previously, so had run very little in the period coming up to the race. I had stretched aggressively in the week prior to the race to try and fix the hip injury but instead just caused an additional issue with very inflamed adductor muscles. A few days before the race, it looked very unlikely I would be able to run this, but with the help of constant icing and intake of IbuProfen, I was able to the cure the adductor muscle problem and I decided to try and run through the hip injury.
I have organized the report following the structure used on the race web site http://www.marathon.is/maps/the-course which groups it into 4 logical sections and provides more information about each. For anyone considering running it, I also recommend the 30 minute Powerade Video at http://www.marathon.is/media/video

Pre-race
Most of the runners took a 4AM bus from Reykjavik to the start at Landmannalaugar, but I headed down the day before and so had a chance to hike the initial section of the route and benefit from a good night’s sleep in the mountain hut there – rare for me before a race. There was no restaurant in Landmannalaugar, but I had brought pasta with me and cooked one meal at 4PM and a second helping at 9PM before heading upstairs to the dormitory for sleep.
I got up at 7, had a breakfast of 2 Go energy bars and a litre of water, and then jogged along the route again for about 45 minutes, stretching every couple of minutes until the hip movement was as flexible as I could make it.
I then headed back to the start; the bus from Reykjavik with the red eyed runners had just arrived, finalized the registration formalities and got my gear ready. Originally there were 400 entrants, and registration has closed within 4 days, but a lot of entrants had cancelled due to concerns over the volcano or injury so only 279 runners started.
The preceding days had been fine and it was clear that weather forecast of good visibility and temperatures up to 20 degrees was likely to be realised.
We were split into 3 streams, 5 minutes apart to reduce congestion, and I was classified into the first stream based on the marathon PB I supplied when entering.

Stage 1 Landmannalaugar to Hrafntinnusker 10 KM in approx. 1:10
I positioned myself in the middle of the group, we had a count-down in Icelandic and started promptly at 9. Almost immediately we hit the first steep but short section of rough steps which all but the elites walked. The first section has the most altitude gain of the course (500m) but is on a good path throughout and a constant procession of natural wonders provide a great distraction from the rigours of the climb.
We passed a pool, bright green from the minerals leaching from the soil, then gushing steam from hot springs and there was an aroma of sulphur everywhere from the volcanically active terrain.
After the initial steep section, it became a gradual incline for a while which I managed to jog without too much effort at about 6:00 KM pace. I have a light build so am a relatively strong up-hill runner and I was deliberately holding back for later. The hill ahead, Brennisteinsald, is a beautiful mixture of colours- black from the lava, red from the iron oxide in the earth and green from the mosses and I counted 35 runners ahead of me after about 3 KM into the race. I was confident at this point that if I could maintain the level of effort and avoid injury they would come back to me later in the race, but this never really happened.
The hip now was starting to growl and I considered stopping and stretching but I did not want to lose contact with the group and find my own way on the route so I decided to persevere and see if I could run it off. After a while , the pain subsided into a dull ache and by the second aid station even this went away. I expected it to be very inflamed in the days after the race, but although there was some pain, no worse than it was a few days before the race.
There was a final steep climb, longer this time than before, and this brought us up to the first rest stop and highest point on the route at Hrafntinnusker . I followed the same routine at each of the succeeding stations - spaced at about 10KM apart on the route. I handed my 600 ml water bottle to the helper for filling and while this was in progress downed a plastic cup of energy drink and a quarter of a banana and then moved on quickly before the body started to stiffen.
I was feeling pretty good at this point in the race. I knew the hip injury was not impeding me as much as expected and theoretically I had the toughest section of the route already completed with plenty in the tank.

Stage 2 Hrafntinnusker to Álftavatn 11KM in approx. 1:13
There is an elevation drop of 500m on the second section of the route and I had expected that I would be able to use this to make good progress until the next aid station at Álftavatn. However, it posed a number of challenges which I failed to deal successfully with and this was where I lost a lot of time relative to the other runners.
Normally, due to the elevation, this section is covered with snow but under the unseasonably mild conditions this had melted and turned to slush and I discovered I had virtually no grip on the surface. I had chosen a Montrail Continental shoe for the race, since it provides excellent shock absorption, good ankle protection and had performed well for me on the North Downs Ultra earlier on the year. However, I slipped all over the brief section of slush and better equipped runners powered past me without any issues. This was relatively short section of only about 300m but provided a foretaste of bigger problems to come.
There then was a spectacular vista before us of ice covered peaks with a deep blue lake in front of them – Lake Álftavatn – the location of the next aid station. The only time I have seen anything like it before is in “Lord of The Rings”.
To get to the lake though we first had a very steep decent off the Jokultunger plateau and again the lack of traction on my shoes was a big issue. I came near to taking a tumble on a couple of occasions before I used the contour hugging technique to reduce the gradient and finally made my way to the bottom.
We next had a series of ravines to cross. I saw a few athletes handle these with aplomb – the technique is to run at speed into the ravine and use the momentum and a jumping action to climb the other side. I was not prepared to risk my hip by jumping and had to use my hands to pull myself out which slowed me considerably. On one occasion, I could not climb out and did not have the strength to pull myself out until another runner saw what was happening, gave me a hand and pulled me up.
I noticed a few runners wearing Raidlight gaiters and I realized why these might have been a good idea when some grit got into the back of my left shoe. I first tried to dislodge the stone with my finger, when that failed took the shoe off and searched without finding anything. I started to run again but still in pain so stopped again, took the shoe off, turned the sock out and cursed as I noticed a big tear in the sock and underneath it a section of skin nearly a penny in size had been cut through and was running directly against the shoe. I had foolishly forgotten to bring any plasters with me so had no option but to run through to the next aid station.
I reached the end of the second section in a lot less confident mood than I had started it and yelled “plasters” “medical aid” until I was directed to a woman who was looking after this. I knew that there was a river shortly ahead which might cause the plasters to fall off so I asked her to cut two plasters for me and I would put them on later. Once this was done, and I had refuelled as before, I headed off again.

Stage 3 Álftavatn to Emstrur 17KM in approx. 1:39
The river was further than I expected at around 26KM but I managed to make quite good progress over the next few KM.s . There was one short , steep climb which cut badly into the heel but I was able to adjust my posture so that on the level ground I was able to run without pain. The river Blafjallakvisl which was the half way point, was only up to the knee and easy to wade, and on the other side , I found my drop bag.
The original plan was not to delay at this point, just to pick up new energy bars and go but I knew my feet would not survive without treatment until the finish. My calf muscle went into a spasm as I bent down too quickly but this was momentarily and I dragged the soaked socks off First priority was to get the feet dry which I found tougher than expected since all the garments I had with me had been designed to expel rather than absorb moisture. I carefully got the plaster on and pressed down to get as much grip as possible. I also changed my socks at this point so that I had a covering of un-ripped material between my foot and the shoe. It felt a lot longer at the time but the Garmin indicates I lost about 5 minutes during the repairs. I had expected the plaster to fall off and to be back to square one before too long, but the time taken was well spent. When I finally started running again, I was no longer in pain and I never had any further issues until I finished. I reckon I was about 50th at this point which was the lowest position I occupied in the race.
The next few KMs to the third aid station were flat across a barren, desert lava field on a good trail so I rattled off a few sub 5 minute KM and picked up 5 places in rapid succession. It was getting hot at this point and we were very exposed. I regretted not carrying a cap to provide some relief but I generally like to have my head uncovered while running and I never anticipated a heat wave in Iceland.
There was a slight climb up to the next aid station at Emstrur, I jogged up it while everyone else was walking which gave me a lift , topped up my water and got another boost as I realized I had beaten the final cut-off. Barring catastrophic injury between now and Thorsmork, I was going to finish.

Stage 4 Emstrur to Thorsmork 15KM in approx. 1:49
There was only one big hill between Emstrur and the finish but the ground was continually undulating. There was less interaction during the race with other runners than in other ultra-marathons I have previously competed in - The Icelanders are a friendly but very reserved people and not inclined to start a spontaneous conversation with someone they don’t know. I was still able to jog the hills -which is noticeably faster than walking - and was overtaking on any hill but giving back most of the advantage on the descent and wherever there was broken ground. When I crossed path with another runner for the sixth time, he told me we must be destined be lovers ,and introduced himself as Gardar. He was generally a faster runner than me but could not match me on the up-hills so I left him in my wake as I headed up the final climb which was Kapa Hill, 49 KM into the route. I had planned to keep jogging this the whole way but near the top, my calf started to cramp again – very unusual for me to have cramps - so I walked to the top where at last we could see Thorsmork.
We had a steep descent first to Pronga River. The river itself is normally a substantial enough barrier but was swollen by the run-off from the melted Eyjafjallajökull glacier and was up to my waist. There was a rope to hold as we crossed, which was just as well, since otherwise the current would have swept me away.
There was just 2.5 KM now to the finish but I had not memorized the elevation map properly . I anticipated it as being flat, but it was very hilly and a final test for tired legs.
I had completed the North Downs Ultra earlier in the year in 5:08 and had targeted 5:30 for this one which I knew was a good tougher. I had realized I was way off the pace by the half-way point and decided to go for under 6 hours instead and leave something in the tank for Dingle. At this point, I knew I would make my revised target, so I relaxed and took in the increasingly lovely views before me. The final section was through a birch wood with a profusion of Alpine plants all around which was a total contrast to the barrenness of the preceding lava field. I was just saying to myself , “at least I am going to finish ahead of Gardar , he won’t be able to handle these hills” when he came streaming past me. He told me later that he had a sugar rush from some chocolate once he crossed the river and had a final burst of energy. Looking at the Garmin told me I now had less than 1KM to the line and it was now flat. There was a variety of paths through he wood which could have been confusing but the correct one was well marked with tape. I could now hear the cheers up ahead and saw the finishing line about 200 M ahead as I emerged out of the woods.
I managed a final sprint finish – paused to shake hands with Gardar - who won the under 30 category with a 35th overall place! - and crossed the finishing line in 36th place in 5:51.
I was a bit disappointed when the buzz wore off with the finishing time and final place since I know injury was not a huge factor and it was some way behind my original target. I have to admit I am much more competitive runner on road than on an uneven surface even though I prefer running on trails. Still I have picked up the qualifying point I was looking for the Mont Blanc Ultra race – my goal next year - and seem to have come through it uninjured.

Equipment.
Montrail Continental running shoe.
X—Socks Sky Runner socks
Adidas running shorts
Helly Hansen long sleeved base layer
Salomon Twin Belt (carried one 600 ml water bottle only)
Also carried running gloves and very light windproof layer in pack without using them.

Food
2 Go bars and litre water for breakfast 2 hours before race.
2 Viper caffeinated bars, 1 Go energy bar , 1 power gel and a few jellies during race.
Also ¼ banana and small plastic cup of energy drink (Powerade?) at each of the stations.
Never had slightest hint of digestive trouble during race. Tried to continuously take in calories during race but this still does not seem very much for nearly 6 hours of highly intensive activity.

RacoonQueen

That's a report of TBF proportions!

BeepBeep67

Well done and a fantastic race report, makes me almost want to do one (only almost)

hunnymonster

fantastic!

TFBubendorfer

Great race report, even if I disagree that it reaches "my" proportions.

I'd love to do this race, if only I could win that damn lottery to afford to fly to all the places I want to run in!

I've heard that some runners switch into road shoes after the river crossing. Do you think this would be a good idea?

Recover well, take care of that injury and all the best for Dingle!

mithril

TFBubendorfer wrote: »

Great race report, even if I disagree that it reaches "my" proportions.

I'd love to do this race, if only I could win that damn lottery to afford to fly to all the places I want to run in!

I've heard that some runners switch into road shoes after the river crossing. Do you think this would be a good idea?

Recover well, take care of that injury and all the best for Dingle!

There is a lot to write about in 6 hours of running and that was the condensed version. You would knock a book out of it!

I can see where they are coming from in terms of changing to road runners after the river - you are over the worst of the terrain by that point and probably can make better progress with a lighter shoe and reduce the chance of blisters if its dry. Personally, I would prefer to plough on if I did not need to treat an injury. It’s hard to give up time and places voluntarily in the middle of a race.

Money is tight for most people at the moment and its always a tough call as to how much to spend on running versus your other priorities. Certainly if I lost my job, it would be the Newry marathon rather than Laugavegur I would be running. The entrance fee to the race is quite steep but other travel costs were not as high as I expected. When you are 70, the memories of the road marathons will blur together but this is one you will remember the rest of your life. Up until last week, the two trips I really remember as special were the Inca Trail in Peru and the Grand Canyon (both hiked). I would rank the Laugavegur as at a par with them.