Ultra Marathons

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Duchess Aug 2016 7:32pm, 29 Aug 2016 7,071 posts	0 Duchess Anyone contemplating a trip to Chamonix next August, make sure you actually book the first week in September. They've done the unthinkable and changed the dates.
Northern Exile Aug 2016 9:49pm, 29 Aug 2016 4,100 posts	0 Northern Exile Really? That's interesting. Wonder why?
zolluppepe Aug 2016 10:06pm, 29 Aug 2016 7 posts	0 zolluppepe More likely to have better running weather?
Duchess Aug 2016 10:31pm, 29 Aug 2016 7,072 posts	0 Duchess utmbmontblanc.com Not a clue. I wondered if there might be some desire to link it into some kind of series of events, but it's hard to imagine UTMB being the one to move.
zolluppepe Aug 2016 10:40pm, 29 Aug 2016 8 posts	0 zolluppepe Is HM55 not a qualifier? I thought it was, but not seeing it
zolluppepe Aug 2016 10:42pm, 29 Aug 2016 9 posts	0 zolluppepe Sorry, I'm an idiot. It is. Think I have enough for TDS, which is more than far enough anyway 10 Peaks Long + HM55 + 3x3000 should do it?
flanker Aug 2016 11:18pm, 29 Aug 2016 16,605 posts	0 flanker Is it? I thought Jon wasn't going to play ball with paying them to be a qualifier? This makes it far more viable with UTLD100...
zolluppepe Aug 2016 11:27pm, 29 Aug 2016 10 posts	0 zolluppepe Yeah, I remember some FB chat about it a while back when the rules changed (and UTLD100 lost accreditation), with some worried they'd end up paying more for races just for UTMB points, when a lot of runners had no intention of doing them. I think all the Hardmoors races are i-TRA registered now though, and I've not noticed any price increases beyond the occasional expected inflationary rise. Searching for UK races from 2015-2016 on the UTMB qualifiers site brings up all the Hardmoors ultra series except the 30.
Duchess Aug 2016 11:53pm, 29 Aug 2016 7,073 posts	0 Duchess It's not so much accreditation as the cost and effort of the privilege of being a qualifying race. And having to redo it every year. I know some of the Scottish RDs made the call they weren't going to do it.
zolluppepe Aug 2016 12:18am, 30 Aug 2016 11 posts	0 zolluppepe Sorry Duchess, you're right - accreditation maybe wasn't the right word! I know it's essentially a matter of money and effort - I think Marc Laithwaite wrote a post on FB explaining why he wasn't going to pay for it, whereas Jon was struggling to prove the HM60 met their requirements, asking around for gpx files and whatnot. I can appreciate it becomes a colossal faff from a race organisers perspective when they have much more important issues to consider, but commercially the UTMB is such a draw that if a race can offer UTMB points I suspect the chance of that race filling up grow significantly. My first HM55 back in 2012 had 85 finishers; my most recent, this year, had 286. I've no idea why the huge increase - but it's surely not just just the random North Yorks weather Some race directors must feel the time and effort of getting on the list of qualifiying races is worth it for the increased race attendance and money that brings in. UTLD, WHW, HF I imagine will sell out regardless of whether UTMB points are on offer, and so there's little incentive for them to just through the necessary hoops; Hardmoors, I'm not so convinced. I didn't realise it was an every year thing though, that does sound a proper headache