1. Editorial (Peter Graham)
2. Chairman’s Comments (Roger Biggs)
3. Minutes of Meetings
• Minutes of the Inaugural General Meeting held 5^th December 2004
• Minutes of Committee Meeting held 10th January 2005
4. List of Club Members/Membership Form
5. Club Statistics/Other Interesting Facts
• Stats So Far
• World of Marathons
6. Members’ News
7. Club Competitions
• UK & Ireland Road Marathon Cup
8. Forthcoming Events
• News
• UK & Ireland Marathons
• UK & Ireland & Foreign Ultras
• Overseas Marathons
9. Trips
10. Race Results
11. Race Reports
• 3^rd Unter-Tage Sparkassen M. 11.12.04
• 4^th Louis Persoons Memorial M. 16.1.05
• E314 Border Bridge M. 23.1.05
• Goodenough College M. 23.1.05
12. Readers’ Letters
13. Club Kit
14. Photo Gallery

Club Committee: 

The aims of the Club are:

1 To provide a focal point for runners in the United Kingdom and Ireland who have completed 100 or more races of marathon distance or longer .
2 To maintain a database of marathon statistics relating to members’ achievements.
3 To promote and organise various marathon challenges for members.
4 To assist members to enter races of marathon distance and longer, individually and collectively.
5 To share knowledge and experience and encourage newcomers to the sport of marathon running.
6 To assist the organisers of road marathons in the British Isles by providing constructive feedback.
7 To promote road marathons in the British Isles .

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Welcome to the first edition of the Newsletter of the constituted 100 Marathon Club.
A special welcome to all those who have signed up and paid your subscriptions. 

marathon n. 1 a long-distance running race, strictly one of 26 miles 385 yards (42.195km).
Oxford English Dictionary definition

marathon n. 1. LONG-DISTANCE RACE a long-distance footrace run over a distance of 42.195km/26 mi. 385 yds
Encarta World English Dictionary definition 

So, there is no doubt what a marathon is, it’s a race, a footrace, and one over a very specific distance!

Our club was formed to celebrate the achievement of running in and completing 100 marathons as defined above. In a spirit of friendly competition lists were published of runners’ marathon totals.

Since those days the club has moved on. Initially only road marathons were allowed but as more runners discovered the pleasure of running off road and distances longer than marathon, those events were, by general consensus, included in runners’ totals. Of course not all were happy about this and some left the club whilst others continue to count only road marathons.

Now the club is constituted the definition of what may count towards a runner’s total is laid down in the constitution, though a fair amount of leeway is given as it is recognised that there are often circumstances outside the runner’s control and the runner should not be penalised if participating in an event in good faith.

A list is only worth publishing if comparing like with like, no use comparing apples and oranges! By sticking to the definition we can compare our totals knowing they are comparable! Also, as the definition is almost the same as those used by 100 marathon clubs around the world we can participate in an international comparison.

We should also not forget why we run. We run for fun, because we enjoy running, the fitness, the race atmosphere, the countryside, the travel, the banter, the comradeship of other runners as well as the achievement of targets. So, we should not become so obsessed or addicted to the pursuit of totals that we ignore what those totals are meant to represent, and also lose sight of all the other benefits of running. 

Please start the habit of sending your quarterly list of marathons run to our club statistician (Roger) as soon as possible after the end of the quarter. He hopes to be inundated with these on the 1^st April. So, go on, make his day! 

Finally, as editor, may I make a plea for contributions towards the next newsletter we hope to publish beginning of May. Your letters would be most welcome, the more controversial the better. Your views about what the club should be doing, how it’s doing etc will be of interest to all members. As will your race reports and stories. 

Peter Graham
Editor

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2. Chairman’s Comments

Welcome to the first addition of the Newsletter since the formation of the properly constituted 100 Marathon Club. That’s the last time I will say that, so in future it’s just the 100 Marathon Club.

The Inaugural General Meeting was held following the Luton Marathon on December 5^th. The minutes of that meeting together with those of our first committee meeting held on January 10^th in London are below.

In was always going to take a bit of time to get things rolling, the same can be said of getting the old members to join the new club. I say ‘members’, because in real terms, nobody actually joined, they just gravitated to membership by saying they had done the required number of marathons.

From a membership going forward prospective, I think we have 4 categories:

1) Those who have put pen to paper and signed up.
2) Those who just haven’t got round to it.
3) Those that are thinking about it.
4) and finally those who don’t want to join.

If you are a 1, then welcome aboard!
If you are category 2, then please put pen to paper and join the 60+ who already have.
If you fit into category 3 or 4, we would be pleased to hear from you, as to why you may not/don’t want to join us. Yes, the initial officers and constitution were in the main a ‘fait `a complit’, but once you join, it’s your club. Ok, I’m quite a strong character, but I can assure you I have already lost one committee discussion, so we really are democratic.

I guess this is the single most thing that members are likely to have very different views on, in some cases, enough to stop an old member signing up. While we are of course our own club, we wanted as much as possible to be able to compare across the world, and of course across our own membership, by loosely following the same rules.

I learnt an early lesson when putting results on the website, by quoting a distance other than 26.2 miles. Christian Hottas of the German 100 Marathon Club was soon on asking me why I called it a marathon. That’s when I changed to use the terms ‘Trail Marathon’ and ‘ORM’ (Off Road Marathon). I use this example to illustrate that we believe our rules are reasonably generous, without going over the top.

This is why we feel we need to keep to the 26 mile minimum. In some cases this can be quite unfair, as an event billed as 25.5 miles could end up at 26 plus, while conversely an event at 26, could end up less. However, if you know the rule, then it’s up to you whether or not you do an event you can’t count. As an interim measure, up to the end of 2005, we are going to allow you to count dubious events for membership into the club (full or associate). For the long term though, these will not count. An example would be that you have included two 25 mile events in your first 100. You would be allowed into the club, and receive the medal if you so wish, but in record terms, you will stay on 100, until you have done 3 more qualifying events.

Looking at my own record, I haven’t lost any events, but to conform with the rules I’ve had to switch round between road & trail, and transfer at least one marathon into an ultra. Ask me personally how many marathons I’ve done, and I’ll tell you my figure, not the one on the website.

So far I’ve vetted 25 full lists. On these I have rejected just one ultra as a dnf (pulled up beyond the 26 mile point), plus 2 off-roaders, ie. Stonehenge Stomp & Amesbury Amble. These two have always been advertised as 25 miles something, so I can’t let these through. Before I finalise any totals, I will communicate with the sender, and give them the opportunity to convince me otherwise.

We have it as a committee action to approach events that come up a little short, and see if we can get a marathon option. The Salisbury 5-4-3-2-1 was a recent example where we achieved this. We’ll keep you informed of these and in fact, all marathons. If it’s not on the marathon list, then assume it’s not a marathon. We could have it wrong, or be missing one, so please advise, preferably before the event!

To finish this section off, be aware that no event statistics will be taken forward until you submit your marathon list. We would obviously like date; venue; distance and actual time, but will accept what ever you give us, eg. 10 London, 5 Beachy Head, etc.

Once this newsletter is available, it will also be placed on the club website. I will continue to update the website as much as time allows, but I need your help in 2 ways:

1) To supply me with information and report on errors/omissions/broken links etc

2) Is there someone out there with suitable web skills who would be prepared to help out?

Once my next big trip is out of the way, I will get our site upgraded, so that we can start perhaps to do some clever things, and be able to enable better forwarding, so that things still progress in my absence.

Regards
Roger Biggs
Chairman
100 Marathon Club

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Minutes of the Inaugural General Meeting

Held at Lea Manor Recreation Centre, Luton - 4 pm 5^th December 2004

Chairman designate Roger Biggs opened the meeting and started by thanking those who had been involved in the Club in the past and those who had voted to move the 100 Marathon Club forward.

In his opening statement Roger outlined aspects of the activities of the constituted Club should the vote be in favour of formation.

Starting from 2005 it will be the responsibility of members to notify the Club quarterly of any marathons/ultras completed. As is the case now, members will be trusted that they actually completed any event notified, but the 100 Marathon Club will reserve the right to exclude events which do not meet the criteria set out in the constitution. How we take forward statistics from the past will be discussed at the first full committee meeting. Notified results will be posted on the club website, and be included in the Newsletters (expected to be quarterly).

As previously suggested, the first 100 Marathon Club competition for members will be to complete the most British & Irish marathons which have race permits and course measurement certificates in 2005. The committee will decide the extent of the awards. The first Marathon of the year will not be until March, so runners will have time to get involved.

The proposed opening membership subscription is a starting point; the club will need to see what expenses are incurred through the year. Potential/known expenses are:

SEAA affiliation fees

Stationary, copying & postage for Newsletters and other circulars to members.

Website.

Competitions.

Club Kit – advance payment for stock.
Roger thanked those members who had loaned the club money to help with the first order

Peter Graham the Club Secretary announced the results of the voting:

1. Ratification of the Constitution.

There were 52 votes for the Ratification of the Constitution and none against

The Constitution was then signed by the Chairman and Club Secretary.

2. Election of Committee.

Roger Biggs 52 Votes - Chairman
Peter Graham 52 Votes - Secretary
Tad Lancucki 52 Votes - Treasurer
David Major 35 Votes – Elected Committee Member
Merv Nutburn 37 Votes - Elected Committee Member
Darren Fazackerley 3 votes
Steve Edwards 13 Votes
Rory Coleman 16 Votes

No-one voted against any of the nominees.

Roger thanked those members who had stood for Election.

3. Determination of subscription rates for 2004/5.

There were 52 votes for and none against. The subscription rate for the year ending 30.09.05 will be 10 pounds for Full Membership and 7.50 for Associate Membership.

4. Any Other Business.

Darren Fazackerley asked about Club places for the London Marathon.

A place for London will not be available until 2006. The committee would decide/propose rules, but it was thought that a simple ballot for members who had been rejected was likely.

John Wallace mentioned he would like to organise a special 50^th Birthday marathon in 2006 which the 100 Marathon Club may want to be involved in.

The 100 Marathon Club has a Bank Account. Any cheques should be made payable to the 100 Marathon Club.

There were no other questions so the meeting was brought to a close.

All members who were at the Inaugural General Meeting of the 100 Marathon Club were asked to sign a record of attendance.

More members said they would have come if the meeting had been earlier in the afternoon but we were pleased with the number who took the trouble to attend.

Peter Graham
Secretary
100 Marathon Club

Minutes of the 100 Marathon Club Committee Meeting

Held at the Pommelers Rest, Tower Bridge Road London 10^th January 2005 

Present: Roger Biggs - Chairman
Peter Graham - Secretary
Tad Lancucki - Treasurer
Merv Nutburn
Dave Major

Apologies for absence: All committee members were able to attend.

Approval of last minutes: The minutes of the Inaugural General Meeting held at Lea Manor Recreation Centre, Luton on 5^th December 2004 approved.

Matters arising: There were no matters arising from the minutes.

Correspondence: The Secretary referred to the good response to join the constituted 100 Marathon Club

Financial Report: The Treasurer presented the summary of accounts.

Membership report: Peter Graham would prepare Club Membership Reports as part of his duties as Club Secretary. To date 40 full and 2 associate members had joined the Club.

Roles of committee members:

Merv Nutburn agreed to be trail member. He would contact organisers of trail races of distance close to but less than full marathon distance and encourage them to offer runners the full distance of 26.2 miles.

Dave Major agreed to be travel member. He would co-ordinate any 100 Marathon Club overseas travel. Runners would be encouraged to take out their own insurance as the Club could not take any responsibility for unforeseen events.

Newsletter reports: It was agreed that if we are putting up statistics then we need to print a Newsletter 4 times a year and try and get all members involved so it’s not the same thing every Newsletter. Peter Graham agreed to edit it with help from Roger and Tad.

Website and Forums: The 100 Marathon Club website would be run by Roger Biggs. However, he will need help from someone knowledgeable to help run and expand the site.

Membership Vetting Procedures & Overseas & Life Members: Vetting of marathon lists would initially be dealt with by Roger Biggs according to Club rules. He would involve the Committee if he could not agree with the runner concerned. Currently life membership will not be offered. The discussion on how to treat overseas members was deferred, though it was proposed to charge either US$10 or Euro10.

Club Kit: A sample of the new Club vest and tee shirt were viewed and approved.

Race Statistics: The new Club competition for 2005 which is to see who can run the most UK & Ireland Road Marathons was discussed at length. It was agreed finally that a runner may substitute one of 3 named trail marathons for London which you may not get a place for.

There was no time for any further business.

The next Committee Meeting would be held on Monday April 5^th but no venue had been set.

The Meeting closed just before 10PM.

Peter Graham
Secretary
100 Marathon Club

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4. List of Club Members / Membership Form

Paid up members at 06.02.2005

Do you wish to join the 100 Marathon Club as a first claim member?   Yes / No

I declare that I am an amateur as defined by UK Athletics rules and am eligible to join the 100 Marathon Club. I enclose a cheque in the sum of £............. made payable to 100 Marathon Club. Fees for 2005 are £10 (Full) & £7.50 (Associate **)
** - Known as ‘Wannabee’, for those who have completed at least 50 marathons/ultras

Signed: ...................................................................... Date: .........................................................................

Please send this form to the Club Sec. Peter Graham, 2 Trinity Court, Trinity Road, London N2 8JH.

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5. Club Statistics / Other Interesting Facts

Below are those members who have submitted their races for scrutiny. All figures to the end of 2004

In bringing the marathon details and event links up-to-date, I came upon a few figures that I thought I would share with you.

Based on the implied membership, these were the most popular events of 2004:

I take these figures as a personal endorsement, and also thank you for supporting events I was directly involved with. Obviously I can’t compete with London, but my events sit in 2^nd and 3^rd places, with the Calvia foreign trip attracting a whopping 35 in 8^th place.

Going out on the world scene, New York took the record from the 1996 Boston (35868), with a staggering 36544 finishers

Biggest events at home and abroad in 2004 were:
(Only Boston & Honolulu had no 100 Club presence)

Interestingly, if we judge the size of event by the total mileage run (expressed in marathon terms), then the biggest events of all time are: (This is of course, unless you know different)

It probably won’t surprise you if I say I ran in the 3 biggest, until New York gained the number 3 spot above.

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6. Members’ News

I am surprised that I have run over a 100 marathons. I never set out to run a hundred marathons. It just happened. I run marathons and ultramarathons. After starting as a marathoner, I concentrated on ultras for quite a few years. At the time of writing this I have run 118 races of marathon distance or longer.

I started running in 1985. Eight months later I ran my first half marathon. My longest training run had been 16 miles. With this vast amount of training and racing experience behind me, I ran my first marathon five weeks later! I was, of course, going to break three hours in my first attempt. The good news is that I got to the half way point in half of three hours. And the best of the remaining news is that I did actually finish! I was 39 years of age at the time. After a bit more training and a longest training run of 18 miles, I ran my second marathon six weeks later. Maybe six weeks wasn’t quite long enough to recover, build up my training and then taper. But I did finish and it was a PB. Rather than get very tired with excessive training I decided to run my third marathon two months later. This one went better. That was three marathons in just under a year since I took my first training step.

But my most memorable marathon of all occurred eight months later on my fourth attempt. In ideal conditions I set out at 3 hour pace, the same pace that I had started, but definitely not finished, my previous three marathons! I monitored the pace continuously and all was going well. At the 20 mile mark I checked my watch and was still exactly on three hour pace without a second to spare. For the next few miles I was just waiting to see if I could hold the pace or if I would hit the dreaded wall again. A few more miles ticked over and then I got a second wind and I found myself picking up the pace. I ran six minute miles for the last two miles. I was over the moon to finish in just under 2:58. I’ll never forget my first sub-3.

The next two years were very exciting. I was really enjoying the twenty mile training runs every Sunday morning with my then running club, the Sydney Striders. I ran all my PB’s on the road during those two years and ran lots of track races too. The lungs were bursting during those 3000’s on the track! Road PB’s included 10K 34:52, half marathon 1:16:36 and marathon 2:52:54. But the excitement did not continue indefinitely and, within a couple more years, my times were slowing. There were two 30 mile trail ultramarathons that my running club mates used to do each year so, in 1990 I ran both of these. In 1991 I ran the last of my five sub-3 marathons. My race speeds were deteriorating and I only just sneaked in in under three hours. Maybe I needed to do something different now. So after six years of racing I had run ten marathons and two ultramarathons.

Several of my club mates were good ultramarathoners and got me interested. Or, some would say, the lunacy began! In late 1991 I ran my first 24 hour track race. These are events where people of dubious sanity run around and around an athletic track as many times as they can for 24 hours. I had no idea what was going to happen but one day and 97 miles later I was a basket case. For several days afterwards I was virtually unable to walk. But I was hooked!

Three months later I did the Cradle Mountain Run which is a 50 miler along magnificent trails through the mountains in Tasmania. Seven months later I was back at the track and this time I managed to break 100 miles for the first time during the 24 hours. In another two months I was in New Zealand doing the Australasia 100 Kilometre Road Championship and managed to finish within my target of 10 hours. In a further six months I was in Melbourne doing the Australian 50 Mile Track Championship and was a little disappointed to miss my target of seven hours by seven minutes. It was terrific mixing ultras on the road, track and trail. The ultras were taking me to such interesting places too. I did a few lesser events in between and after eight years of running I had completed 23 marathons and ultras.

Then I had the confidence to enter longer races. The Australian 48 Hour Track Championship in Brisbane followed and I found out what it was like to run into a second day and a second night during a race. Whilst I finished quite well up in the field the distance covered was disappointing and I slowed badly in the second half of the race. After doing a couple of 24 hour races as training I was about to fulfil a dream. I went to Colac, in Victoria. 

Colac is the site of one of the most famous six day track races in the world. Yiannis Kouros had set the world six day record there several years before with a distance of over 1000 kilometres. The field included Anatoli Kruglikov of Russia in his first attempt at six days. Six years later this great champion won the 64 day Race of Fire across the length of Australia of over 3000 miles averaging 3 hour marathon pace and he holds the course record for the 135 mile Badwater Ultramarathon through Death Valley in California which he completed in 25 hours and 9 minutes. The Colac race went along quite smoothly at first and my split at 48 hours was better than in my previous 48 hour race. But late in the third day the great dread of ultrarunners hit me went shin splints developed. I spent the next two days hobbling around the track in pain and received medical treatment every hour around the clock. I had entered this race with the objective of breaking my running club’s six day record of 398 miles. With less than 24 hours to go my hobbling was getting slower and slower, and that possible club record was slipping away quickly. In a desperate and risky move my despondent team manager decided that I should sacrifice three hours and come off the track to sleep and rest the injured legs. To everybody’s amazement, including mine, the rest did the trick! When I returned to the track my legs felt brand new and I finished the race with 407 miles. I had only had four hours sleep in six days and still wonder what distance I might have covered if I had not been injured. Kruglikov achieved somewhat more that I did!

It was over a month before the swelling in my legs receded so that I could commence running again. But five months after Colac I managed a good enough time in a 50K road race to qualify to start in the front group at the Comrades Marathon. This is another of the great ultramarathons of the world which I had always dreamed of doing. The race is of 54 miles and is between Durban and Pietermaritzburg in South Africa. The race alternates directions each year so there is an up year followed by a down. Just to prove I am not completely looney, I chose a down year! This is a race of enormous proportions which is more important to South Africans than the London marathon is to us. 13,000 runners do the 54 miles each year. The nation stops for the race, it is televised all day and a million people line the race route from start to finish. Runners completing in less than 7 hours 30 minutes get a silver medal. I took a risk and tried for the silver. The first half of the race went fine (where have I heard that before?), but….. Well my 8:23 was way off the mark and I got a bronze medal along with 10,000 or so others! It was a privilege to take part in such a wonderful event.

In late 1995 I made a change in my life and left Australia to return home to England, the country of my birth. After ten years of running I had completed a total of 36 marathons and ultramarathons. I decided to scale down my training and racing. I adopted a new, reduced training regime that consisted of only three easy runs per week of one hour each. After over a year without racing I casually entered the Leeds Marathon and carried money with me for a taxi fare in case I could not finish! I was amazed to finish in 3:16 which just shows the ongoing benefits of ten years of solid training. I was shocked but inspired by the Leeds result and did a short ultra the following month, then two months later, I completed the 54 mile London to Brighton road race. Yes, here we go again. Hooked again!

I was now gathering confidence after my lay off. I did a couple of 50 mile trail races and then a few months later went to Barry in Wales. Barry hosts a long standing 40 mile track race which is mainly for elite runners and many world records are set there; but they allow some ordinary runners too. I managed to finish just within the cut-off time of six hours and was almost last in the race, but I enjoyed the experience.

In April 1997 the George Littlewood 12 Hour Track Race was held in Sheffield. George Littlewood was one of the great champions of British athletics of the late eighteen century. In 1888 he set the world record for six days of 623 miles which was not broken until 1984 by Yiannis Kouros, after 96 years. I wanted to do this commemorative race. I was thrilled to finish third with just over 73 miles. The next month I did 100 miles in 24 hours then two months later I went to Hull for the Humberside 24 Hour Track Race. I was running about tenth at the half way mark of the race and then unexpectedly started to feel stronger. With four hours remaining I was up to second, but six miles behind the leader. The leader faltered and started walking so I took off to see what would happen. I overtook him with 25 minutes remaining for my only ever race win and a completed distance of just over 120 miles. 1997 was a good year for me.

Six months later I was back at Barry again, mainly to see what time I could do for the 50 km split and managed to get there in just under four hours after going through the marathon in 3:19. I did not go to Barry again as I am simply not up to the standard of most of the competitors there. I had now been running for thirteen years and Barry had been my 50^th marathon or ultra.

Two months later I had one of my worst races. In the London Marathon the wheels fell off completely and I had to struggle to walk to the finish. I lost my "fast for your age" starting position forever. I don’t know what happened but it was not nice. I went back to Humberside later that year but only managed 105 miles, whilst the winner did 140. Gulp! I guess they call that talent. The next three years were very ordinary. I completed 18 more races but they were mostly well below what I had done before. These included two more 24 hour races but I only managed 80 miles in each, and two 50 mile trail races both of which took a slow twelve hours. In addition I attempted the Spartathlon in Greece twice and DNF’d both times. Things were not looking good.

In early 2001 I read about a new race that was to be run for the first time called La Transe Gaule. This was a race in France from the English Channel to the Mediterranean with a total distance of 712 miles averaging 40 miles per day for 18 consecutive days. The idea really excited, but also terrified me. I knew I could run 40 miles and do it more than once, but for 18 consecutive days? The thought of being somewhere in the middle of France, having already run for many days, knowing that the next day I would have to run about 40 miles again plus keep something in reserve for later days really frightened me! Just thinking about it sent a chill down my spine. Would I fall flat on my face and be out of the race after the first few days? But I knew this might be my only chance to attempt something like this; succeed or fail. I was the first to enter so ran each day in race number one which made it harder for me because people might think I was one of the better runners. The finish point of the race was Narbonne-Plage. I trained all year with this place name always in my mind. I did regular 40 mile training runs through the Chilterns always followed by a short run the following day to remind my body that after a 40 mile run there is no rest day. Nine months later I staggered past the road sign "Narbonne-Plage" and could hardly believe that I would be at the finish in just one more mile. The emotion cannot be explained. I will never go back to Narbonne-Plage. I think of it frequently but will never return for it cannot be the same again.

The following year I again attempted to run the 152 miles from Athens to Sparta in Greece. I had failed three times before. This race traces the footsteps of Pheidippides, the Athenian messenger, sent by his generals to Sparta in 490BC to request military reinforcements for the battle which ultimately took place at Marathon. I love doing races that are famous and have a historic significance. They have a character and meaning to me that other races do not have. On the fourth attempt I did manage to finish Spartathlon, though only 25 minutes within the 36 hour time cut-off. This was a special race for me.

Three weeks after returning from Greece I did the Abingdon Marathon and a few more followed then, in February 2003, I completed a trail marathon at Belvoir, Leicestershire which was my hundredth marathon / ultra. It only took 18 years!

I went to California in June 2003 to attempt the Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run, but in temperatures up to 107 degrees, I failed to finish. At the end of an indifferent 2003 I was heartened to finish the Luton Marathon in 3:25.

Nine races followed in 2004. I had a good run at the 100 kilometre championships at Winschoten in the Netherlands. I ran a lifetime worst ever marathon at Halstead but then enjoyed a number of events with the 100 Marathon Club group. The trip to Belgium for the Night of Flanders was very enjoyable and a 3:28 marathon was pleasing too. I was introduced to the spectacular Beachy Head Trail Marathon which is now on my annual "must do" list. I finished the year with the 100 Marathon Club trip to Majorca which was thoroughly enjoyable. The trip also included my best marathon for seven years when I managed 3:19:30 at Calvia.

I have mentioned above some of the races which are memorable for me (and a few that were not). I plan to do quite a few marathons in 2005 plus a 100km road race and probably Spartathlon again. I only plan to seriously race a small number of races per year. My training will continue to consist of three easy one hour training runs each week supplemented by a marathon or ultra about once per month. More than half of these will be at less than maximum effort. Training in races is fun and, if I did not do that, I would have difficulty getting my body out of the door for long training! In addition, of course, I get to meet many of my friends in the 100 Marathon Club. By training this way I hope to remain injury free, avoid burn-out and still be moderately competitive as I get even older!

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7. Club Competitions

Firstly, feel free to suggest a better name for this perpetual competition.

While not necessarily a view of all the members, it is felt that we should encourage our members to run the true marathon distance of 26 miles 385 yds, without discouraging the other events, ie. Trail marathons and Ultras. With this in mind a competition was suggested that did just this. In simple terms the person that completes the most UK & Irish marathons of the exact distance during 2005 will be the first holder of this prestigious trophy.

As usual the London Marathon got into the discussions, mainly because you can’t guarantee an entry. Hence not to penalise either way, we have come up with an ingenious way to have a level playing field. We have added 3 popular Trail Marathons into the equation. This means that if you run any of the 5 marathons shown below in 2005, this will count as one, and one only in the competition.

We had to put Tresco in the frame, otherwise they would have had an unfair advantage; FVC & BH were the 2 most popular non-road events of 2004; all 3 do not clash with British road marathons.

As this is about numbers, not strength or speed, then the committee felt that both sexes have an equal chance. As such the top five irrespective of sex will receive an award, although as a concession, if all five are won by the same sex, then an extra award will be made to the first person of the other sex.

A full list of known marathons, and whether they qualify for the competition will be printed in this newsletter, and kept update on an ongoing basis on the ‘events’ page of the club website.

Roger Biggs

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8. Forthcoming Events by Roger Biggs

1) It's official - the Potteries is no more. In 2005 it will be a half marathon on Sunday, 12th June 
2) The 2005 Anglesey Marathon date has been set for September 25th
3) The Lake Vrynwy Marathon will not take place in 2005!
4) No Enduroman Marathon in 2005!

All those in CAPITALS are eligible for the Challenge Competition
For those marked ‘#’, just one of these may count for the Challenge Competition
For website or email Hyperlinks please click here for the normal website page

For website or email Hyperlinks please click here for the normal website page

For website Hyperlinks please click here for the normal website page

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9. TRIPS by Roger Biggs & Dave Major

(The ‘Trip’ page has been changed from the hardcopy edition sent out by Peter Graham)

We are still working on the way to present this, although Dave has come up with a suggestion below. Basically we are looking to co-ordinate a trip each quarter or more if appropriate. This needs to be a few months in advance, so each newsletter will contain specific details on one trip, with intentions for future trips.

With this in mind, base details are shown for a trip in June, with a suggested itinerary of events going forward supplied by Dave below. Calvia have muted about moving the marathon to another time in the year, if this happens, we (Dave actually!) have other ideas in mind, but still in December!

Please note that we use the term ‘co-ordinate’ carefully. We are not travel agents, and can only assume that when an event is advertised for a certain date, it happens on that date. We can take no responsibility if this is changed or cancelled, hence you all take that risk. We will always assume that you have arranged Insurance to cover trips you go on, although a cancelled event is unlikely to be a reason for a refund.

Belgium/French Double by Roger Biggs

Jun.17 – Night of Flanders
Jun.19 – French Marathon

I have for some years been taking a party to the Night of Flanders event in Torhout, Belgium. The event has 100k, Marathon and 10k options. What is unusual is that it starts at 20:00hrs on a Friday night.

We travel out via Calais on the Friday, usually by minibus, returning on the Saturday.

Although I can’t guarantee it, we have always managed to find a corner and a mat, to crash out for a few hours, unless of course you get drinking with Mr Major, then it’s a very few hours. At around 9am, we all troop off and take over a local café for a really nice breakfast, before heading for home.

Last year the cost for the minibus, ferry and race was £60. This year I’m thinking at doing something different, although there is no reason why we can’t cater for the normal trip as well.

(All travel out by ferry on Friday)

Option 1: NOF, return by ferry on Saturday
Option 2: NOF, travel to France; overnight in France; Marathon on Sunday; return home by ferry pm

Looking at races from 2004, I found 3 marathons in France on the Sunday, ranging from 80 miles from Torhout, to 400 miles. The most well known, The Mont Saint Michel, is of course the furthest away from Torhout and the only one of the 3 with a confirmed 2005 date of June 19^th at the time of going to press.

At this point can you please let me know if you are interested in this weekend, and which of the 2 options would interest you. If no, fair enough, if in doubt, just express an interest! If there is interest, and I know there is, then we’ll worry about which French option we choose a bit later. Please respond asap!

The 100 Club travel page has been designed to co-ordinate some planned races that are routinely participated in each year. Calvia and Night of Flanders are events that Roger has kindly co-ordinated over the years and he has decided to take an apprentice under his wing to help out.

I have recently organised the Genk trip( as per Colin Poole’s write-up) and last years Amsterdam for a group and will help share some of the workload with Roger.

Although making your own arrangements for most can be fun it can also be costly.

Bank Transfers, single room occupancy are just two of the obvious charges we sometimes face. The main purpose of the travel page is to:

1) Offer out to all members the chance of participating overseas with the minimum cost.

2) To travel as a social group.

3) To utilise existing knowledge or areas which will enhance everyone’s race experience. ( hotel proximity, language barriers etc.)

4) Non-Profit making.

5) To demonstrate to race organisers the strength of the 100 club. ( Genk we were 10-15% of the marathon field) and too negotiate where possible a good deal as a result.

6) To encourage new runners to join.

These are the planned trips below and will be confirmed and issued approximately 3-6 months in advance.

June – Night of Flanders / France Double – Roger
August – Longford, Ireland - Dave
October –Budapest or Amsterdam- Dave
December – Calvia, Majorca – Roger
January 2006 – Genk, Belgium – Dave
April 2006 - Madrid - Dave

Next Marathon: Louis Peersons Marathon

Venue: Genk, Belgium

Race Options: 6k, 12k, Half and Full marathon

Date: January 15 - 16^th 2005

Travel Arrangements: Recommended Eurostar from Waterloo to Brussells.

Accommodation: One nights accommodation at local sports centre ( hostel type accommodation)

Meeting point: Eurostar terminal at 07.45 latest Saturday 15^th January.

15^th January
0839 train to Eurostar arrive Bruxelles 1210.
1227 train to Genk arrive 14.08.

16^th January
Race numbers will be issued at 0900 by trip organiser.
Marathon at 10.00. All other race distances start as per the local program which will be advised on collection of number.

Eurostar £69 – 99 subject to availability.
Accommodation: 40 Euros with breakfast included.
Race entry: included in entry fee.
Other costs: allow 10 euros for taxis.

Trip Co-ordinator: Dave Major contact: <e-mail address here> or < Tel number>

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10. Race Results  by Roger Biggs

Printed below are the 2004 results back to the Stevenage Marathon, based on the assumed membership of last year. 

2005 results when shown will only be for paid-up members.

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11. Race Reports

Whilst over 30 runners were sunning themselves in Calvia I was shivering in sub-zero temperatures waiting for the 3 minute descent in a steel cage down into the bowels of the earth for what must be one of the oddest marathons on (or rather in) the planet.

The bare facts speak for themselves.

The marathon takes place in a salt mine in central Germany.

At 700metres (2300ft) below the surface and 500metres (1640ft) below sea level this marathon is both deepest and lowest in the world.

On each of the four laps there is 310metres (1020ft) of climb and descent, a total of 1240metres (4080ft) for the marathon.

The temperature can reach 28C and the humidity is very low at 30%.

Helmets are compulsory for safety reasons. Headlamps or torches are not strictly necessary but many runners chose to run with them.

There are over 200km of tunnels in the mine at various levels but the course is well marked with the side tunnels taped off so no chance of getting lost.

Experience has shown that you can expect to take about 25% more than your current road marathon time. There is a strict 2.45 cut off at halfway and a time limit of 6hours with a bit of leeway for the marathon.

The mine is no longer active and is now a tourist attraction with an auditorium and bars so you can have a well earned beer (first one free) immediately after the race. As well as sporting events such as running and mountain biking it is used for concerts, receptions and even weddings.

The runners gather in the main cavern and jog a few minutes up a tunnel to the start line. The first couple of kilometres are mostly uphill with a few steep sections. The surface underfoot is good, with few ridges and loose rocks. This is just as well as the lights are strung 50meters or so apart so you are running from pools of light to pools of dark where you cannot see the ground. A short downhill a right angled left turn and there is the first refreshment stop with water, cola, fruit and biscuits. This also serves as the third stop on the return run at around 8km, the course being a distorted hour-glass shape. Next comes "the road to hell" a 2km descent to the lowest point on the course, you can feel the temperature rising the further down you go, your mouth dries out and you start looking forward to the next water station. You hit bottom, a few undulations twists and turns, and there it is, a very welcome sight. Unfortunately for the last two years on the last lap this station had run out of water so the back markers had to do without! As the runners thin out you can be alone in the tunnels with their cathedral like atmosphere, the silence only broken when lapped by a faster runner with a few murmured words of encouragement before returning to a trancelike state of quiet reverie. The next section is the toughest, up and down with many steep sections, to regain all the height previously lost. This seems never ending especially on the last lap when the mind starts playing tricks and you are sure that the next water station is just around the next corner, then the next, and the next… But then you’re there and take quick sustenance. This is followed by a short section (the waist of the hour-glass) when you pass runners going in the opposite direction 5km (later 15km) ahead of you. The next section is relatively easy and one you can look forward to on the next laps, 1km essentially flat followed by 1km downhill most at a perfect slope for running, then a couple of turns and it’s the end of the lap. Only three more to go!

There were 221 finishers for the full marathon, including five from the German 100MC, and 24 in the half.

The logistics for getting there: Ryanair, Stansted to Erfurt Friday, fly back Sunday. Hire car, it is possible but not easy to use buses/trains. B&B 2 nights in the youth hostel Sondershausen.

The race is usually 2^nd Saturday in December. www.sc-impuls.de 

I can only give my personal report but believe it will represent the feelings of all those who visited Genk this weekend as part of the 100 marathon club 

Take the Euro star to Belgium , what a fantastic thought - let the train take the strain a fast comfortable high speed ride under the English Channel 

Another high speed train from Brussels to Genk in the comfort of Belgium railways  [ different to my regular South East service ] and in the company of fellow runners - fantastic 

Enjoy the town of Genk, drink it dry, eat at a superb restaurant at very reasonable costs - and enjoy a Merc drive back to base - "yippee" 

Kip down in a very warm hostel with ensuite facilities and enjoy a continental breakfast " as much as you can eat " - cant be bad !! 

Run a race around one of the best courses that is in the racing calendar what more can really be said even at temperature of approaching " minus 5 centigrade " 

The Genk marathon of 7 laps of 6 km each through the woods with a small amount of very nicely designed Belgium Houses all on tarmac based roads proved to be " icing on the cake " 

The course, the marshalls, the water station, the bananas, cake, chocolate, water, coke and tea on every lap - who can ask for more !! 

The shower facilities and changing were OK and the final " free soup and roll " at the end was a nice finish to an enjoyable racing day 

Finally to enjoy a last beer in the equestrian centre as the young ladies " pranced around on the gee gee's" just finished the day off before departure to Genk , Brussesls and Eurostar to Waterloo 

Waterloo at 2200 hrs was much warmer than Belgium in air temperature term but NOT in hospitality since the Belgium people " did themselves proud " 

What of 2006 - yes it will be back again but have a few more days to look around

"What would you like for Christmas dear", "a nice romantic weekend away would be great," I said. AND SO the tale begins!

Eurostar is something that I always wanted to do and being told it was all booked I started thinking about romantic candle lit dinners (like the Orient Express) ha ha.

How wrong I was, I was being accompanied by another 13 runners and YES he had only gone and found a bloody marathon!!!

Early Saturday morning start we all meet up at Waterloo taking the 8.30am Eurostar to Brussels. When we arrived at Brussels we then had to catch another train to somewhere I never bloody heard of called GENK. Our Eurostar ticket came with the added bonus of free travel to any destination in Belgium. Now I know I have only been married less than a year but I now that crafty bugger was already beginning to work out what other marathons he could do in Belgium via Eurostar. At arriving in Brussels it was a quick change for the Genk train but as usual when there is 14 people all waddling along like ducks in a row nothing ever seems simple so we just managed to jump on the first carriage before the whistle went and the train departed.

All on the train and all starting to relax and the ticket inspector arrives. In broken English he says "you are on the wrong part of the train and when you get to ‘LANDEN’ you must get off and go to the next carriage". At this point we thought he was taking the P*** because we have just come from ‘LONDON, WATERLOO’ after confirming ‘LANDEN’ was one of the stops we were going through we all moved to the next available carriage. After a small debate by one of the dodgy ones in our party, we worked out that we actually were not in carriage ONE but FIRST CLASS and I guess the giveaway was the seats were bigger and the other passengers didn’t look like they have just been dragged through a hedge backwards and been up for 10 hours. The ticket inspector was kind or just couldn’t be bothered to tell us to move again so we continued our journey.

On arrival in Genk we were met by the race organiser who luckily recognised Brian and soon worked out that the British invasion had begun. He used the word invasion because we represented 10% of the marathon field. He kindly offered to take all our luggage to the hotel so that we could look around Genk and relax further without lugging our race gear everywhere. Now at this point most of us who are well travelled might be thinking that this could be the easiest robbery of a tourist party in Genk’s history, but after climbing in his car and driving of for thirty seconds he stopped and showed us the way to the main centre. Two minutes later he had told us where we are eating that evening, booked the table and informed us of where to get a drink. This is where the one group splits into two which is equally divided between serious runners (those that cannot miss a meal) and serious drinkers (those that have been up 12 hours on a Saturday and hadn’t had a snifter yet).

The afternoon was spent by the drinkers harassing a poor over worked barman for NUTS, NUTS, NUTS and of course the odd pint of Belgium beer. The rest took the long walk to the hotel to freshen up for the evening.

Race Day: -

The hotel was 50 metres from the start line so a nice leisurely breakfast was in order or as the start was not till 10am us women could catch up on our beauty sleep.

Freezing cold, minus 10 the night before but a lovely crisp day. The race I wasn’t sure about as it meant completing 7 laps of 6k per lap around the sports park where we were staying. I know that I wanted a romantic weekend but this course couldn’t have been any more romantic, it had it all, the forest, the horses, the rising of the freezing mist and the frost glistening on the leaves and the most important part the sun. Who needs candle lit dinners?

The race finished and all were fed and watered. We even had time for a celebratory pint at the Sports bar next to the finish.

Now the time was for us all to head back the same way we had ventured a day earlier and although all them months ago when I was first told that I was going on Eurostar I didn’t think I could have enjoyed this weekend as much without the race, company and the Belgium hospitality that we received.

The First Marathon of the year you would try to run a Marathon that was not too demanding. So running 11 ½ loops on a bridge would seem very easy.

This was the Birthday Marathon of the race Organiser Han Frenken who was 42 years old and 195 days old. It was a nice gesture that the competitors sang Happy Birthday and presented him with a card.

This was my first time I had run a marathon in two different countries. The race started in Belgium and finished in Holland. The border being along the bridge so each loop involved crossing from one country into the other.

The start was along the road just underneath the bridge near a Tank Monument in a place called Kotem Belgium and the finish was in Stein Holland. The weather was sunny cold and clear so good running weather. There was some frost this made some of the pathways very slippery under foot.

The course started along the road we ran under the bridge past the Tank Monument and turned a sharp right along a path which seemed to go nowhere. Then the first climb onto the bridge. This was the worst part of the course as it involved climbing 50 steps straight up and you knew that this had to be done 13 times to complete the course. At the top of the steps you turned right and there was a marshal so they made sure you went the right way. The pathway along the bridge was narrow and you were right next to the busy 3 lane traffic which I did not like. On the other side below us there were green fields as well as the river where you could see a few boats going by.

After a short distance along the we turned right again through a small gate which led down to a steep path along by the river There were marshals so you turned right following the river before turning up a steep embankment and into a wooded area. As you came around the corner there was a table full of things to eat and drink and a small crowd to cheer you along.

The through the woods and then a right turn lead you back onto the bridge and running down towards the way you had run So if you looked closely enough you could see runners on the other side of the bridge.

In both directions the cars and lorries were travelling the same way that you were running so it was very loud the only a few cars stopped and waved as you were running past. The fields and the green area to our right was a lot nicer to look at. The distance back to the start seemed further than going out but at least you could see the Tank Monument from the bridge and you knew you were getting closer towards the turn.

This time around which again was the easier part of the course the pathway went down so you just followed the path as it went away from the traffic and circled down towards the road below. This was down so at least you could pick up some speed and keep going.

Then at the bottom of the slope you turned right again and found yourself on the road where you had began. The road was half closed so there was no problem with the occasional car that came by. I

The finishing times of 100MC members were as follows:
Han Franken 3 hrs 23 51
Klaus Neumann 3 hrs 48 52
Tad Lancucki 4 hrs 46 12
Barbara Szlachetka 4 hrs 52 47
Christian Hottas 4 hrs 52 47
Peter Graham 5 hrs 30 00

Goodenough College Marathon 23.1.05 by Peter Burns 

23 January saw the second running of the Goodenough College Marathon, the inaugural run having taken place in April 2004. Goodenough College is a residential college for Masters and PhD students from all over the world and the marathon requires the completion of 138 laps of the College’s garden in Mecklenburgh Square, in London, just South of Euston. Hugh Jones and Geoff Hall measured precisely the lap distance of 305.8 metres so there is no argument about a long or short course.

The January event was hastily arranged to raise charity funds for a project to benefit children in Sri Lanka affected by the Tsunami. The marathon was run in conjunction with a 24-hour relay run by College residents. The activities had a special focus as they were held in remembrance of a celebrated Finnish ultra-marathon runner Marko Silventoinen and his three children who died in the disaster and his wife who was seriously injured.

Given the short time available, Siri Terjesen, accomplished marathon and ultra marathon runner, and her college friends organised a first class event. Because of the restricted width of the garden path marathon participants were limited to twelve, which comprised a goodly number of 100 marathoners – probably because of our continuously honed condition so that we don’t need to train from scratch (!?)

Lap counting was a matter of honour. Each runner was given personalised strips with numbers 1 to 138. Numbers had to be torn off sequentially on the completion of each lap and thrown in a bucket. I had my first hit in the bucket at lap 44!!! The absence of mile markers made it difficult to judge pace, though 69 laps for half marathon was a helpful marker. Water stations were ideal with an ample supply of water, fruit juice, coke and nibbles that could be taken on every lap if desired. Alternatively, runners could carry drinks round with them. Pit stops were accommodated off-piste in the college across the road from the garden.

The garden is pleasant, though lack of colour in January, and the never changing scenery throughout the 138 laps (276 for those of us who have run it twice) tested mental resolve to the full. It was perhaps even more testing for those, like myself, at the rear of the field who were constantly being overtaken and who then had to watch the early finishers relax while they themselves still had umpteen laps to go. Roger Biggs 100 Marathon Club supremo recorded a negative split, which is all the more creditable as the second half was clearly more uphill!!!!

Dave Lewis’ record for the course of 3:40 set in 2004 remains intact but Siri Terjesen wrested the ladies’ record of 4:30 from Pam Storey.

There may not be another Goodenough College Marathon in Mecklenburgh Square. Siri Terjesen, the inspiration and prime organiser completes her PhD course this year. Even worse, if Siri, who hails from the U.S., leaves the UK we will lose an enthusiasm and energy that has provided 100 marathoners and others with a couple of unique marathons. Siri was also responsible for the Cranfield College Marathon last September.

Thanks Siri for an imaginative run and a fun day all for a good cause. We look forward to your next marathon venture, whenever, wherever!

Full results:

1. Tony Pickup 3:49:33
2. Peter Reed 4:07:00
3. Roger Biggs 4:09:47
4. Siri Terjesen 4:10:47
5. Carol Paul 4:28:07
6. Dave Lewis 4:33:00
7. Lisa Tomas 4:39:39
8. Michaela Norton-Lay 4:39:57
9. Peter Burns 4:52:53
10. Moira Reed 4:57:19
11. Alan Saunders and Dave Vaughan (Equal) 5:03:48

 

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12. Readers’ Letters

Please write! We want your views and comments!

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13. Club Kit

We have now decided on a kit (vest only) with a yellow strip under each arm. The printing on the back will be done to match this yellow strip. T-shirts will remain as fully royal blue, although the printing on the back will be yellow. We are expecting a full sample by early February. As soon as this is available, I’ll get the digital camera out, and send you all a copy, plus on the website!

We haven’t work out prices yet, but they are likely to be cheaper than previously quoted. Don’t worry if you have already paid some money, it’s all happily sitting in the bank vault.

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14. Photo Gallery

 100MC IGM 1.Signing the constitution                          2. Group photo

Unter-tage Sparkassen Marathon, Brugman-Schacht salt Mine, Germany

Louis Persoons Memorial Marathon, Belgium

E314 Border Bridge Marathon, Netherlands/Belgium 

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