Mick,

When I did the LDWA 100 in the Yorkshire Dales I averaged around 3.5mph.Fast walking pace by most people's standards but the only thing is I had to run at least half of it to keep up that pace.Just looked at the results 26 miles point 5hr 42 min,50 miles 12hr 5min,63 miles 16hr 34min(this part was in the dark),84 miles 23hr 55min,100 miles 30hrs 30 mins.

Average over fist 50 miles 4.2 mph.Most of this was run on the flat and downhill sections.

Average over last 50 miles 2.72 mph.I went through a very bad patch after 70 miles and only picked up again at the 90 mile point.

I wasn't carrying any kit other than a small backpack with the mandatory safety gear.This weighed no more than a couple of pounds.I finished in 32 place out of 500 starters.Not too bad for a first attempt but far worse than I had expected.Only three guys finished inside 24 hours Cudahy,Harney and Simpson.There were 233 finishers out of 500 starters.Most of them took over 35 hours.Theory is a fine thing but when you get in the field it all starts to fall apart.



Might also be someone who does a desk job and has plenty of time to train.

If Mike Hartley was the person who came into the information centre that I was covering in and spoke to one of my colleagues (I posted it towards the end of last year) then he said that he has covered the route in much shorter times. He cannot, however claim these as they were not correlated. He mentioned that what actually slowed him down was the stopping along the way for various official reasons that did not apply when he was solo.

This visitor (on a motorbike) told her that he had won the annual race a number of times.

(One of) My problems are that I tend to believe everyone that I meet (at least to their faces!). I hear some fantastic tales and it is difficult if it outside my field of expertise to pass judgement. I can only report what I am told!

I would be very interested to see these messages if the posters could PM me too. Am I being taken for a *******. But, what puzzles me, is why did they say this to me when I met them at Sneck Yat if it is a figment of their imagination .... and what were they really doing at that time in a morning?

Sorry, of course, Scarth Nick .... I have been at Sneck Yat today .... sorry.

It is not my intention to enter into any form slanging match about the challenge.


If anyone who has sent a PM to another poster about this challenge would like to copy me in I will try and supply a personal reply to them.

SC,
Don't take any comments on this as personal, nothing is directed at, or being said behind your back about you. You have not been mentioned at all. You just passed on what you were told, nothing wrong in that.
I/we are just having difficulty in working out this challenge is possible walking all the way, and it doesn't add up. Now if it was said that running the flats and downhills was actually what happens, then I/we would not have any problem accepting that. It would still be a hell of an accomplishment, but a believable one. If I/we are wrong then, that's the way it is, but some things just shout out - foul!
Dave.
What is being discussed

The point that puzzles me is ... I came across these people breaking camp at Scarth Nick last year. It was these that told me about the walk. then a month ago I came across this walker doing the C to C in (he claimed) 100 hours, who, quite independently, told me about it as well. A strange coincidence?

100 hours, walking it, yes now that makes sense. My own last year was a little under 112 hours. Without the foot problems I had and if I had been pushing it, which I wasn't, a sub 100 hours wouldn't have been mega difficult. 65 hours is extreme to say the least especially for a group the size being claimed. Things like a fast C2C are so much harder when in the company of others, that's why I go solo. At times in company you can be encouraged when tired, but as everyone has good and bad times at different times, this can overall slow the average pace considerably.
Should I go for the 65 @ 65 next week?
No I'll be happy with 5 days.
Dave.

Having just had a look at the map, I reckon I can shave at around 15 miles, maybe more, off the C2C by judicious use of roads, a couple of more direct paths (eg to Scarth Nick) and and avoiding the headlands at either end. This brings the distance down to around 180 miles or 60 hours (20 hours per day) @ 3 miles/hr.

Nothing I have read here suggests they are carrying a full pack as the are going mufti. I would also assume they use that fast shuffle style whenever possible and they will be young and super fit. It is described as a challenge which suggests that only those who feel capable of it are going to attempt the crossing.

Given these factors I have no hesitation in accepting the claim as achievable.