Running on Old Legs Race Review Gunung Nuang 12hour Ultra Trail
EVENT. NAME: Gunung Nuang Ultra 2017
VENUE: Gunung Nuang
DATE: 26 Feb 2017 Time: 06:30 [06:30]
Headline Event Owners: ?
Event Organising Company: ?
Race Director: ?
Timing company: ?
Registration company: Checkpoint Spot
THE EVENT
EVENT SCORE CARD SUMMARY
PRE RACE.
Entry and information:
Event information and updates: Extensive details were given from the outset on the registration site.
Facebook, Web-site, Phone and E-mail were all available, however, they were obviously not monitored and were no use as a source of further information. Both emails and Facebook questions went unanswered regarding the race organisation. 5/10.
Catagories: The usual Male/female open and veteran [40 [36]+ No Age groups, which is even more of a disappointment as this was a no prize money event. 4/10.
Value of entry: Priced at RM155 early-bird [180] with a 10% discounted for returning entrants I found this to be excellent value for what was provided. 17/20.
Race registration and kit collection: Collection point, ease of collection: It is a pity that I must mark this section down as the registration arrangements were actually very good. There was the normal Kuala Lumpur city centre pick up point and the lack of a postal service was offset by on site early morning pick-up at the race venue.
The problem was that the onsite pick-up was not announced until after the main city centre pick-up was over. This despite an e-mail and a Facebook question, both unanswered, on this very subject. I had to arrange for my kit to be collected by a friend as I was unable to get to KL, which was a good thing because had I made the four to five hour round trip for nothing I would have been pretty well peeved. 15/20. 41/60
Race site Facilities:
Space at the venue: 10/10.
Toilets facilities: The only toilets available were at the park’s entrance area. I did not experience or see any problems but they did number very few for the number of competitors. It was good to have the shower facilities. 7/10.
Start area: staffing and information was top notch. 10/10.
Parking and transport: Parking was a problem, the park’s parking lot was very soon filled to capacity and many cars had to be parked along the narrow road leading to the venue. This is a venue that could benefit with some organised transport, such as a coach from KL or some form of car-sharing co-ordination. 6/10. 33/40
Care of Competitors:
Starting time and control: The pre-race briefing, I was told, covered most of what was necessary, a PA system would have been an advantage. I struggled to hear and I know I missed much of what was said. I assume, from the fact that there was no consistency, that which side of the track runners should occupy was not covered. The out and back track was narrow in places with some very steep sections and there should have been an emphasis on keeping left [or right] and to give way to runners coming down-hill. 7/10.
Safety and Medical facilities. Start/finish and on course: As mandatory items were the bare essentials, as this was an out and back with just two point five kilometres between aid stations, there was no need for any inspection.
If there was any first-aid on site it was not evident to me. 10/20. 17/30
THE RACE.
Organisation:
Course and course management: The trail lent itself to very easy preparation, a simple up and down with no turn offs. It would have been very difficult to have not scored high for this section. It was just the lack of course instruction that stops full marks. The track itself started, and ended as it was an out and back loop, with around one-kilometre of concrete road, unavoidable but very jarring on the way down, followed by a short section of compacted gravel before getting onto the main trail. The trail itself was a fairly straight up hill, deeply rutted, rock strewn affair. Tough on the way up, very technical on the way down 28/30.
Enjoyment factor: High – Med – Low. This was a tough, both mentally and physically, challenge that I, and all those I have spoken to, really enjoyed. 17/20.
Marshaling: Both quantity and quality of volunteers was just right, a very enthusiastic bunch who looked after us throughout a long hot day. Many, many thanks to all of you. 15/15.
Feed stations: The number was perfect, staffing was great and the stocking almost made it. On my last loop the top aid station had just about run out of water. They said they had called for restocking but I did not see any evidence of replenishment as I was on my way down, and there were a significant number of runners still on the course. I love the BYO bottle policy, save cups, save the planet. 11/15. 71/80
POST RACE.
Finish line: Ease of medal/shirt/food collection, choice of food and hydration 10/10.
Resting and cool down areas: Good – Sufficient – Lacking. 8/10.
Finishing information: There was an on-going instant up-dating computer system in place to check time and current position. As for any top placings posting board, announcements and the prize ceremony, I have a confession to make. I was so knackered after my run that I did not stay to witness the prize giving, nor even see the winners cross the line. So I feel it only right that I do not score this section. 18/20
Team Happy: Me, Ed and our favorite photografer Rany
AFTER EVENT
Results: Timely reporting of the results, very detailed individual results showing splits, half loop and final placing. Unfortunately there was nothing more than the bare-bones as far as age grouping was concerned. One day someone will produce full results. 15/20.
Post event communication: Good – Limited – None. 7/10. 22/30 Total 202/260 My overall score for this event is 77.7%
COMMENT: Despite the modest score this was a well organised, very runner friendly event put on by some dedicated people, who I whole-heartedly support. There is a need for them to look at their communication channels and the lack of first aid at the event.
Would I return to this event: No – Unlikely – Possibly – Yes I will be back next year, hopefully fully fit and ready to take on more than just the fifty kms.
Happy Running
When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
My personal race.
Gunung Nuang is not the ideal event to be your come-back event after almost three-months out injured, but that is how the dice landed and I entered into it without trepidation as my plan was very simple ‘Run as hard as is comfortable for just as long as it is comfortable, then stop! No heroics and putting myself back on the physio couch.
Not knowing the course, other than the daunting elevation map, I set out quite sedately, from fairly near the front of the pack I was steadily passed by runner after runner. Also after several very heavy down-pours in the past few days, the top surface of the trail was very slick.
The good thing about out and back courses, they give you something to occupy your mind, well they do me, counting the runners in front of you.
So loop one over in 1:26 and in 118th. place, a solid start given the incline and the GI problem that welled up after around seven-kilometres, thankfully relatively close to the toilets for a three-minute potty break.
Loop two was easier as I now knew what to expect, it was no longer dark and the weather was proving to be kind to us, a pleasantly warming day was rapidly drying the track off. 1:28 less the potty break, food and water 1:22 and feeling good and now in 90th. place.
Further progress through loop three had now put me in a creditable position of 68th. place and 23rd. in the veteran category.
Seven more places were captured by the time I got to the top on loop four but that was the end of my push for a top fifty placing. Just beyond the U-turn, at about thirty-five-kilometres, I just lost it. I wouldn’t say I hit the wall, more sort of tripped over the garden picket-fence, but whatever it was sapped every ounce of strength from my body, even going downhill I didn’t have the strength to properly control my movements, so it was slowly and carefully down to the resting area to regroup, have lunch and a change of shoes and vest.
A fifty-minute break, but my work for the day was done. Given that prior to today my longest run of the year was just seventeen-and-a-half-kilometres I was satisfied with what I had achieved and not too surprised that I blew-up as I did. Just for the record, and to prove that I am a medal junky, I walked the fifth loop with a friend in distress so we could both claim our well-deserved bits of bling in the heat of the day with the temperature reaching a strength sapping thirty-six degrees.
9:47:10 [50.3 kms] but irrelevant, I did it.
34th. of 63 Veteran [40 plus]. 108th. of 232 Overall.
Congratulations to all who took part and met their expectations.
Special mentions go to:
TAKASHI YAMAMOTO the overall and veteran winner who completed eighty-five kilometres.
SAIFUDIN BIN RAHIM the open category winner eighty kilometres.
JOCELYN CHEUNG the ladies open category winner.
NAZREEN BT TAJUL ARIF the veteran ladies category winner.
And, also to my good friends David Spence and Amaury D'Oleon both runners-up in their categories.
Also a mention very special mention for my fellow MKRC team member and buddy Chris Goodwin who stormed around the course to put in a magnificent time of just 5:31:57 for his allotted 50 kms. Brilliant!
