Will we start to see more 100 mile events?

[HillBilly]

Hi

Just observing the rise in popularity of "ultra endurance" events in the USA over the last few years - generally classified as 100 miles - and am wondering whether or not the consensus is we will start to see more 100 mile (or 160 km) events here? The Highland Fling offers a 100 mile option but that's about it as far as I know.

My belief is we will start to see more "ultra" endurance events because like it or not - we have an uncanny habit of following what is happening in the USA. We are now seeing a proliferation of 100 km events and they are selling out faster and faster. It seems to me the logical next step is to go longer.

What do you guys reckon?

HillBilly.

[spudatm]

Its hard to say. We already have one and not many people do it. We are starting to see some multi day events pop up but 160 in a day is a big effort. But you might be right

[DaGonz]

We kind of already do...

what we do have seemingly more of in australia over the US is things like 6 and 8hr events. While not a point to point, I'll routinely break 100miles at the 8hrs over the course of the year (or go close there to it). Places like killy and sparrows are perfect venues to break 100miles over the course of a day ;)

I think we will see more as competition between 100k events breeds the necessity to create the next "hard mans" event and events like the highland fling show that 100miles is really quite achievable. I would suggest most will be an extra lap of an existing loop within a 100k though (as per the fling) and may for a while have harsh cut off times.

as for getting numbers. The fling is quite a hard 100miles, not so much for the terrain or course but because of the time limit. Based on my splits, I would have finished the 100k at the pointy end of the "open men" category and I think maybe top 10-15% over all and that was pacing myself for an all day effort, yet wasn't exactly gobs inside the time cut offs. Sub 9 in the leadville 100 gets you fame and glory. for the fling? it gets you a finish time...

I know quite a few riders who'd love to have a crack if they were allowed to do it in say 10 to 12 hours but such long time frames to complete a point to point raises issues for event promoters.

Yes 160k's is a long day in the saddle no matter how you look at it, but for someone that's already conquered their goals, is used to long days in the saddle and looking for something different, it's easily achievable!

Cheers
Craig

[Some Guy]

100km. It's all about the metric baby.

[...jim]

Actually, if you look at the history of events like the Leadville 100 (miles) you'll see they way pre-date 24hr racing. The 100 mile format is not a new one.

That said, I reckon 100km is much more punter friendly - much like enduro vs "Olympic format" XC - so if promoters wanna make money they'll stay there. What was the fling last year 1490 for the 50/100km - 10 for the 160? The maths is simple.

[jmcavoy]

10 for the 160? The maths is simple.

That's probably because of the pressure of time cutoffs at the 100 Mile Fling, not so much the distance, although I totally agree that the 100k is tough enough for most punters. If they started the 100miler Fling earlier and had more lax cutoffs, they would get a bigger field I think, but is that what Huw would want? I doubt it...

PS: They got 20 100 milers for the Fling this year (5 or so in 2006, 11 in 2007), so it's a rapidly growing field, doubling every year ;)

[Turner_rider]

100km. It's all about the metric baby.

Yes no one talks miles anymore and 160km doesn't have a great ring to it either.

I prefer the double century and say we should be aiming for 200km enduros so at least we can call the yanks soft with their puny 100 mile events. ;)

[tjb]

Yes no one talks miles anymore and 160km doesn't have a great ring to it either.

I prefer the double century and say we should be aiming for 200km enduros so at least we can call the yanks soft with their puny 100 mile events. ;)

How about when the Euros call everyone soft:

http://www.salzkammergut-trophy.at/

Also

http://www.bikemagic.com/news/article.asp?UAN=6379&v=1

"On 12 July the 2008 edition of the Salzkammergut Trophy took to Bag Goisern, Austria and offered the 3,400 competitors who made the trip a choice of four distances. Many opted for the eye watering 209km choice.

Thomas Dietsch from France won the 209km event. Dietsch was in the leading group from the beginning before he was able to break away after 70km, with the increase in speed leaving many of his rivals in his wake.

Taking a break from road racing, Giro d'Italia winner Gilberto Simon won the shorter, but no less tough 110km event. “Not quite as difficult as the Giro, but just as beautiful" an enthused afterwards. "

[DaGonz]

That said, I reckon 100km is much more punter friendly - much like enduro vs "Olympic format" XC - so if promoters wanna make money they'll stay there. What was the fling last year 1490 for the 50/100km - 10 for the 160? The maths is simple.

Of defiantely, but that won't stop the "my event is tougher than yours" competition from spawning extra stages. Most the 100mile events over seas likewise include the smaller options And there are plenty of punters who attack things like the ironman with but the goal of just finishing the thing...

People will (hopefully) always aspire to challenge themselves and achieve great things. I think if you put the carrot out and surround it with some reasonable expectations (ie not silly tight cutoffs) the punters will come...

At the moment, the fling 100mile is more of a freak show. I think the restrictions Huw has on it will see it more or less stay that way. My hope though is the field does grow and that by competing and completing it, it inspires others to push their own limits whether that's taking the 50, 100 or 160k on, or something different.

...I'll stop now before I get all martin luther king on y'all

Cheers
Gonz

[Dreggsy]

I reckon they should run a 160km option......on the oaks fire trail.

7 laps of the oaks should sort everyone out, could you imagine the confusion regarding which lap you were on....

I would enter the 160km at the fling but I didn't get my collective shit together.

[Le Matelot]

Softies!

You want distance? Enter the Scott 24Hr as a Solo and you'll need to knock off around 400Km to win it. Of course, you get a bit more time to do it.

[dain2772]

Softies!

You want distance? Enter the Scott 24Hr as a Solo and you'll need to knock off around 400Km to win it. Of course, you get a bit more time to do it.

how long do you get?:D

The 100-miler event needs to be around to give people that extra push when they get tired of doing a 100km. some people like to be faster at a certain distance and some prefer to do further (while still being pretty quick usually), it is just different tastes. It will never replace the 50/100km races for the average punter though.

[m_g]

id love to do it, but as already mentioned the cutoff times at the moment are harsh...I hope we see more of them, especially if they adopt more relaxed cutoffs...Would be cool to see some epic Ironman style night finishes...

[climbo]

I did a 100 mile race before I ever did a 100km race. Crazy? No, I was living in the US and that was the distance everybody did. They do run metric 100's over there sometimes but usually they are 100 miles, anywhere from 7 to 15 hours riding. With the popularity of 8 hrs and 24 hours, no different to running a 100km, 150km, 160km or 200 km race. Who cares what the distance, it's all about endurance racing. Daylight saving gives you so much daytime to run a race you could do anything you wanted, it just depends on promoters to run them. With the current expansion in to multi day MTB races, no doubt we might see a point to point race over more than 100km in the future.

[Some Guy]

With the current expansion in to multi day MTB races, no doubt we might see a point to point race over more than 100km in the future.

Well there's already at least one, in the 100 mile fling.

[Lanky Love]

As Climbo sorta said, multi day races seem to be the shit these days, mabey in afew years we will see 160km races poping up all over the place. however, i think 160km is a distance for serious riders, where as 100km is achievable by newbies and what not. promoters might have trouble getting the same numbers as a 100km race due to the fact that it is outside of the limits of most riders.