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| The start line of Coast to Kosci 2010 |
Apologies: delayed Rockhoppin’ update on the C2K due to festive season slow-down :-)
Marie achieved her third Coast to Kosci, finishing as 4th woman and 11th overall in a blistering time of 37:28. Seven of the 38 competitors did not complete the full 240km, and the final finisher crossed the line in 45:49. This race is gruelling.
Despite her good result, my crazy SiL says she’s disappointed. She’d wanted her PB – a sub 35 hour. To achieve this she knew she’d not be able to sneak in any breathers or rest breaks. And that she did: aside from two 5 min massages, she went continuously for more than 37 hours. But, in her words, she got her nutrition wrong, she felt nauseous so couldn’t take in enough calories, and she ran out of energy.
“Anyway, I feel reasonably pleased that I was only an hour slower (than last year) even though I felt so weak. I've learned a few things for next year!”
Spoken like a true fighter – bring on Marie’s C2K 2011!
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| Competitor + crew in the mist at the summit |
The weather conditions of this year’s event were not great. The runners fought a headwind for most of the 240km, and it became stronger as they neared the summit of Kosciuszko. This was even worse for those finishing later, as conditions deteriorated into the afternoon and it became dark, cold and misty.
“But while it was bad out there, the conditions were nothing compared to the 2008 run when we couldn't get on to the mountain at all. This year, although the wind made it harder, closing the summit route was never considered.”
Most of the times this year were slower than in 2009 except for a few stand-out performances. Of the 15 repeat offenders, four were quicker and the rest were slower than last year. To put this into perspective, Jo Blake, winner of C2K in 2009 and 2010, was a full 2hrs45 slower this time, finishing in 28:45. Still a phenomenal time though.Labels: C2K, Coast to Kosci, Coast to Kosciuszko, Jo Blake, Marie Doke
