An achievable 100 mile run in Viking Country!
We've been very fortunate to have been granted permission to hold a 100 mile ultra event out of Brook Farm, Reculver Kent. The kind farmers there allow us to use their land and facilities to hold a running event and 98% of the route is on their land which does make for some lovely running! (And a huge barn makes a brilliant base camp!)
2022 Runners Handbook Can Be Read Here
2022 Route Change Details
2022 is going to be the 5th and final edition of Viking 100, so your last opportunity to get your hands on this very impressive buckle and finishers shirt.
Why Viking 100? Well the route actually is right in Viking Country where the Vikings first landed in Kent, the route is partially on the Viking Coastal trail and gives an excellent excuse for some Viking themed buckles, medals and general Vikingness!
We want runners to achieve incredible things. The main event will be a 100 mile endurance run of 16 times 6.25 mile loops. In addition we'll hold a 24 hour Challenge Event and a Pacer Challenge to complete as many 6.25 mile loops as possible in the time limit chosen.
The course is a mix of tarmac roads (about 2%), decent trail (about 10%), not quite so decent trail (about 5%), and the rest is high quality concrete and tarmac farm roads and bike paths, so an awful lot of it is on good runnable surfaces and its pretty flat, about 180' a lap with some lovely views across the Kent Countryside towards Reculver, Thanet, a railway line and the A299. OK, confession, the A299 not quite so lovely, but its something to look at and does make access to the location really simple as only half a mile from a major road.
The Finishers Shirt Front & Back
This event is the successor to the Challenge Hub 24 hour event run for many years by the ultra running legend that is Mike Inkster and to keep the spirit of that event alive we'll also be holding a concurrent 24 hour event and several other Challenge events very much keeping with the ethos that Mike created about being inclusive, runner friendly and making events achievable for as many people as possible.
We want runners to achieve incredible things and so we've set up this 100 mile run to be as achievable as possible. This event is ideal for first time 100 mile runners as we take away many of the issues with the bigger point to point 100 milers such as navigation or tricky terrain or for more experienced ultra runners looking for a quicker 100 mile time, or to hone ultra skills or simply to earn an ace buckle. The key features are
1) A 32 hour time limit. Start is 0800 on Saturday. Cut off is 1600 on Sunday.. (That allows an average pace of over 19 minutes per mile)
2) No navigation. It's a simple loop, there is a small amount of variation in elevation to provide the legs with some changes, the terrain is also mixed, again providing the legs with some variation in work. We'd estimate the total elevation gain for the 100 miles to be about 3000'
3) No compulsory kit aside from lights required from 2100 - 0500.
4) No large gaps between aid stations. You'll be able to get fluids/food/access your gear every 6.25 miles and we'll have a mid lap "Jelly Baby Junction" which will provide fluids, jelly babies and encouragement at the 2 & 4.5 mile point of each lap (there is a loop at the far end, the course is a bit like a dumbell shape) so basically, 2.5 miles is the furthest you'll have to go without seeing a friendly face!
5) Get out of jail card. We appreciate that the reality of 100 milers is that not everyone finishes. You'll be able to drop down to the 24 hour event any time before 0800 on Sunday and receive an official finish, a Viking Challenge medal and goody bag.
6) For 100 mile finishers there will be a kick-ass buckle and finishers shirt. And although we doubt you'll fancy it at the finish, a goody bag of course!
7) We always feel pacers get a raw deal at ultras, nobody ever knew they were there, we want to change that! For people supporting 100 Mile runners we have the Pacer Challenge. They can keep their runner company for as much or as little as they wish after 1800 on the Saturday, one lap and they are an official finisher.Thus they can keep runners company, be very much part of the event, they'll have their laps recorded, receive an official finish, receive a Viking Challenge medal and a goody bag.
8) There are no qualification requirements, we'll have an on site medical team and simple logistics!
Please have a careful read through the FAQ section and consider joining us to earn what we hope will be the most impressive buckle you are able to earn in this side of the Atlantic.
Please note that this race falls outside of our "Fair Runner Policy" due to the far larger financial commitments we are having to take. Please read the cancellation section in the FAQ before signing up.
