Viking Way

Challenge description

Challenge Description

The winter edition Viking Way Ultra combines a few classic ultra elements to give an 'extremely hard to achieve' challenge. It's a non-stop 147 mile ultra-marathon that starts in the shadow of the Humber Bridge. The route winds its way through beautiful historic countryside across the Lincolnshire wolds and down towards the finish at Oakham near the banks of Rutland Water. It is named the Viking Way because of the strong influence of Viking settlements and Viking trade routes in the east of England.

This challenge is a very runable well marked route, but it's not flat, with a 2,295m ascent. This is a non-stop race with the distance to be completed within 40 hours - there will be cut off times at 50 and 100 miles. Runners will be supplied with 'basics' at checkpoints approximately every 15-20 miles. This race is designed to suit experienced ultra runners with self sufficiency and non-stop experience.

There will be cut-off times at 50 and 100 miles.

Date

7th December 2024

Price

£165

Date

Price

Enter

Enter Viking Way

2024 Viking Way entries limited to 40.

This race is designed to suit experienced ultra runners with self sufficiency and non-stop experience

Entries will be prioritised based on ultra-running experience. A 100 miles non-stop race finish is the minimum pre-requisite.

£165

No refunds, transfers, or deferrals.

Questions? Contact us

Email us to know more about Viking Way: cockbainevents@outlook.com, or follow our Facebook group!

Registration information

Race numbers will be given to you at registration which will be the evening before the race, or on the day. All runners must have signed the disclaimer provided before starting. All runners must register no later than 6:30am on the day.

The race will start at 7am sharp on the Saturday morning.

The route

The race will start outside the old coastguard station at the Humber Bridge viewing area, down Waterside Road, Barton Upon Humber. There is ample parking, some shelter and possible toilet facilities, but they are not guaranteed to be open before 7am.

The finish of the Viking Way and the race is at Oakham library. Runners must reach the finish by 11pm Sunday. Runners finishing after this time will not be ranked and will not receive finishers awards. There is ample parking for relatives here, but please be respectful of noise levels in this residential area. There are nearby hotels for those who require accomodation and the train station is about half a mile walk.

What's included

There will be around 8 checkpoints in total, spaced at approximately 15-18 miles apart. There will be two major CPs. One at around 50 miles which with have a cut off time of 12.5 hours, and another at around 100 miles with a cut off time of 26.5 hours.
Basic foods such as sandwiches, rice, jam, bread, and cake will be available at major CPs. Hot drinks not guaranteed.
Snacks such as biscuits and energy bars, gels will be available at all CPs, along with water and coke.
All runners will be tracked with track-trail.
Viking Way Ultra Finishers medal, and finishers t-shirt.
Results and photos.
We will send you a list of local accomodation before the race - you need to arrange your own accommodation.

Rules

No refunds, no deferrals.
You must not come if you feel unwell/have any Covid symptoms.
All runners must provide their latest mobile phone number and emergency contact details.
Although the route is well marked you must have basic navigation/map reading skills especially during the night.
No GPS allowed.
All runners must be able to carry up to 2 litres of water, and have personal emergency snack food for the entire race.
Runners can have one kit bag that can be accessed at the two major CPs only. This should contain foods personal to the runner. NOTE THIS RACE IS NOT FULLY SUPPORTED FOOD WISE.
A compulsary kit must be carried at all times for your own safety. This must consist of a 2 litre water container/camelback or bottles, space blanket, waterproof jacket, emergency food, head torch, money, a reflective band for the night and a fully charged mobile phone.
Runners must wear their numbers at all times on the front and give their number to CP staff on arrival.
Anyone caught littering the route will be disqualified.
All runners must follow the country code and leave all gates closed behind them and respect other members of the public on route. It is a popular route with ramblers and cyclists.
Runners must only follow the route shown on the maps provided. All routes are indicated by a yellow Viking Way symbol. All other byway signs should be ignored. Any runner seen or thought to have taken a short cut from the route will be disqualified. (You are only cheating yourself!)
No crews are allowed. (Spectators are allowed, and handy for transporting you if/when you drop out.)
No pacers are allowed.
All the route must be covered on foot only.
If a runner gets lost they should backtrack to the last Viking Way marker and try again.
If you need to retire from the race you must inform the Race Director or CP staff. It is then YOUR responsibility to arrange your own transport to wherever you need to go. It may be possible for CP staff to help you reach public transport, but you may have to wait for some time, especially during the night section. Note that you may not be able to retrieve your drop bag until the end of the race or until a convenient point.
There will be no medical support during the race. If you are injured, but can walk, then please contact the emergency number on your race number and try to reach your nearest CP or village and we will try and help you with local hospital information. For all serious medical issues you should call 999 immediately.
By entering the race you agree to be photographed during the race, with the images used as part of the Viking Way Ultra website or other promotional material for the race.
Cut-off times will be strictly enforced and runners should retire if they fail to meet a cut-off. Those who wish to carry on can of course do so, but without a number and will no longer be part of the race. (There's always next time!)
This is a low key 'fun' event for experienced ultra-runners only. However, it will be extremely difficult to finish, and participants must be aware of the risks involved in ultra-running and the potential hazzards that could arise. They should be aware of their surroundings at all times and take care when crossing roads. The organisers accept no responsibility for the personal safety of the participants, any injury or the loss of any personal items and it is advised that runners take out their own personal insurance if they have concerns.
You must be aware that you enter this race AT YOUR OWN RISK.
We will email you maps, but we also recommend the following: Maps Ordnance Survey Explorer 234, 247, 272, 273, 281 and 282.
GPS co-ordinates must not be used as there are too many variations. Use the supplied maps and route only. GPS should be used as a distance/speed guide only.