Grand Union Canal Race

[RuJ]

This isn't strictly a boating thing, and I ought to be excited about the fact that Peggy Kay will be on the water by the end of June, but I hope you'll understand...

 

This weekend sees the 18th annual running of the Grand Union Canal Race. The 145.5 mile race from Gas Street Basin to Little Venice is the longest Ultra Marathon race in the UK, and attracts runners from all over the world. That's right, you didn't misread it - runners

 

In the delightfully low-key event, there are 100 starters and very few rules:

1. It's a race.

2. It's a stupidly long way.

3. You're not allowed to stop in one place for more than 40 minutes.

 

6am on Saturday at Gas Street and the clock starts, and it stops when you cross the line at Little Venice - it's as pleasingly simple and as robust as a well-balanced lock-gate. Oh, and if you don't finish inside 45 hours, you don't officially finish: if you haven't made it by 3am on Monday morning, you haven't made it at all.

 

This is, of course, all going on along the towpath, and of only very limited interest to people on the cut. But, just for the record, if you see a runner (or, much after Stoke Bruerne, probably a stumbler ) tottering along the towpath with a GUCR 145 number on the front, then they would love a wave. They may be a strange bunch, but they're quite a friendly lot, and their support crews (the patient ones with the tea and food and fresh socks and sympathy) led by organiser Dick Kearn are absolute angels in human form.

 

If you wanted to know any more, or you thought this might be some strange belated April Fool, then the GUCR link might intrigue you.

 

Thank you in advance for your smiles and support, your waves and encouragement, and for the regular and repeated beauty of the boats on the cut that makes a long pound a whole lot lovelier. And we promise to shuffle as quietly as we possibly can past sleeping crews as we stumble on through the dark.

 

Ru

Runner 234

[matty40s]

ah, i was at bugbrooke the first year I saw this happen, and didn't know what was going on, just lots of knackered folks stumbling by. IT was a hot day!

The second year I was on Tring summit, by then knew about it and handed out a few bottles of water. It was a hot day!!!

The third year I was moored at little venice, and saw the gazebo at the end waiting for the incumbents to arrive. It was a hot day!

Last year, unfortunately, I was coming up the GU rapidly and had just popped onto the Leicester Line on the weekend it happened, and it was a hot weekend!

It is a marvelous achievement for anyone to finish this, let alone do it in 25 hours. The towpaths are none too good in places (although improved in the last few years)

 

I just wondered with a bit more notice, that canalboaters couldn't be more involved in the events, as water stations, first aid (plasters) administers, and to add a bit of canal lore to the race?

[Dekazer]

That's absolutely amazing! Good luck to all involved!

 

Lucy

[NB Alton]

Best of Luck RuJ!

 

I dreamed of doing a Marathon before I was 40 & was pleased a punch to complete the Manchester Marathon a while ago. I'd love to do the Grand Union Race before I'm 50! Just need to make some time to get back running.

 

Cheers, Brian

[Leonie]

Just wow. Good luck all the crazies involved :-) I won't be over that way on the weekend but if I was, I,d definitely have some water ready. Im so lazy, I can't be bothered running for the bus let alone for fun over a short distance, never mind that epic trek!

[calamity507]

1st 3 runners just passed us near Weedon and didnt look too bad.

[Odana]

And we thought the bcn challenge was challenging! We were lightweights. good luck all you mad runners!

[Leonie]

This morning about 500 walkers (some jogging) from the Long Distance Walkers Association set off from East London on their annual 100 mile walk from the Olympic Stadium to Windsor. I played Nancy Sinatra's These Boots are Made for Walking for them on the stereo as they streamed past and took lots of photos.

 

One of their members had leafleted boats (and houses) along their route to give people a 'heads up' on the disturbance and I must say that these walkers filing past was the least disturbing thing to have happened on the towpath this week heh heh.

 

Anyway, nice to see people out and about with their challenges and follies. I'm looking forward to passing my photos on to their club to use and enjoy.