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The page takes a bit of working out. The map shows everyone out on the route with a tracker regardless of when they started. The icons are a different colour depending on whether they are on the group start or an ITT, male or female. The map also shows the distance as the point on the route they are at *not* whether they've actually ridden that far - last week someone started round the route "the wrong way" and immediately got shown as being at mile 540!
So Darren has a yellow icon meaning he's doing an ITT and is at 515 miles but if you click on his name in the leaderboard then you will get a new page open up and you can see his track history. In his case it shows that he didn't do any of the route beyond Fort Augustus.
The leaderboard shows the current order of riders on the group start but also has the ITT riders.
It never fails to amaze the sheer pace of these racers. It's tempting to say Lee does amazing for a female, but it's an amazing pace full stop.
I'm not sure she's actually really a human tbh.
I did a big Cairngorm loop on Sunday /Monday and the heat was punishing if I tried to go fast. I quite enjoyed it, bimbling along, soaking it up. Keeping up a fast pace, no thanks!
Thanks for the explanations...one last query - what does ITT stand for? (Will probably be really obvious!)
ITT is an Individual Time Trial. You choose when to start, you're not part off the group start and therefore not racing anyone except the clock.
"I’m not sure she’s actually really a human tbh."
And she's just back from riding round the uk with Richie cotter doing their divided video tour.
Which btw is good. Caught the last show in ellon .last week
It's mindbogglingly that people can function on so little sleep. Seriously impressive.
It seems I am the first to say congratulations to Alex for an amazing ride. No surprise to those who know him.
And Lee has finished, well done to her.
Javi won't be far off, his tracker last pinged on the Devil's Staircase over three hours ago.
Brilliant efforts.
As for functioning without sleep I don't know how they do it. I fell asleep dot watching and missed the finish.
They were having to ride their bikes... 🙂
I see Javier is shown as finished an is placed in front of Lee.
When did he get in? The tracker obviously was broken.
If you click on his name in the leaderboard you get a new page with his details. From the last tracker time he got in just 15 minutes after Alex. Apparently he dropped his tracker and it wasn't working reliably. There's no pings from his SPOT after the Devil's Staircase so not completely sure what's happened after that.
Provisional times:
Alex Pilkington: 3d17h11
Javier Simon: 3d17h26
Lee Craigie: 3d21h49
Edit: Not sure what's going on with Trackleaders as both Sarah Caylor and myself who scratched on the first day are shown as active whereas we were shown correctly yesterday.
On Twitter Lee's finish is announced before Javi, who apparently lost his tracker on devil's staircase. Timings aren't completely clear but it seems Lee narrowly beat Javi to 2nd.
I suppose timings will be sorted out once their GPS tracks are checked.
Looks like Mark Evans scratched last night and has headed from Ullapool along the road to Contin.
Amazing stuff! Well done to Alex, Lee, Javi and all the other riders
Yeah pretty amazing all round! Well done to everyone who took part.
Yep well done all. I am planning to do just the part north of Fort Augustus with proper sleep at hostels/Airbnb (not carrying bivvy gear) and will be pleased to match their pace!
Just bumped into one of the scratch riders at Fodderty.
John? riding a Ti bike, 3" tyres. He reckons it's the toughest event in Europe.
I was in Assynt this weekend and saw some riders who must have been doing this on my way back, riding along the road south from Ullapool on Monday. Pretty gruelling conditions up there this weekend, it was nearly 30C with a very strong easterly in the afternoons, certainly wouldn't want to be pushing into that. Looked like someone was bailing into a 4x4 at corrieshalloch.
@epicyclo - There's only one "John" marked as scratched - John Sedgwick, he lives about a mile from me.
For a "good weather" year there's been quite a toll, by my reckoning 17 of the 45 on the group start have scratched so far. Maybe last year was a good weather year?
He had an accent, not native English speaker, so I may have got his name wrong. On a Ti bike with fat wheels - looked like 3"+.
Super inspired by these guys, can't wait for entry to open for next year 😉
Super inspired by these guys, can’t wait for entry to open for next year
Get your palmares sorted 😉 It's not first come first served, you basically need to show that you can handle yourself on multi-day rides*. There are qualifiers like the Cairngorms Loop, the Lakeland 200, Cambrian Trail as well as foreign rides like the Tour Divide and Colorado Trail. Alan tries to include a mix of ride veterans and newbies; male and female; UK and foreign so it's not just "I've done X, Y, Z".
* you may already know the above 🙂
Postie rich on for a finish today.
Has lost feeling in at least one of his hands and his tongue is buggered from all the sugar
But he's still going.
🙂
Just amazing stuff
I'm looking forward to the pics/blogs/videos shortly.
Once they've all slept for three weeks...
I was asking one of Rich's friends about him yesterday and she told me about him doing this. Absolute machines anyone who attempts this!
Rich finished yesterday so congratulations to him.
Here's my tale - http://bobwightman.blogspot.com/2018/05/went-day-well-no.html
Oh excellent. Was looking for some reports on this.
Here's last years - http://bobwightman.blogspot.com/2017/06/the-highland-trail-550.html
For a good weather year, this year has been tough, by my reckoning 21 out of 53 group start and ITT riders scratched.
I was also out and about under my fake initials of CT and finished last night in 5d15h30. Seemed to cope okay with the heat, less so with the hills and riding fast part. It's a real emotional rollercoaster, going from feeling way out of your depth one minute, to being wildly optimistic about when you're going to hit your next refuel spot the next. I'm pleased with the time, as I had no idea what to expect or even if my knees could survive it! One of the best bits was meeting and chatting with people from the forums here and at bearbones and seeing what a good bunch they all are.
It all got a bit much at the end:
Awesome riding, well done. It’s an amazing ride and one you’ll hold on to for a long time. Was the photo taken at the top of the Devil’s Staircase?
I really missed riding it this year, and hope to be back next year. I hope you loved the trail and within a couple of weeks you’ve forgotten the horrible bits!
Yup, that was me thinking all the hard parts were over. But they never are. Ever! The pain is weirdly addictive though...
Well that was fab missing the trails already!
Totally made up with my effort planned to do within 6 days so was happy with 5 days 10 hours!
High points were Ben Alder which I pretty much cleared up and down and the other side of the Coffin Trail trails and Torridon. I would like to forget about was the infamous Postmans Path and the Fisherfield Furnace.
Rode with various people on route and eventually ended up with a friend Mike Collins as we were at similar speeds for the last two days.
Heat was incredible and not what I expected but kit choice was spot on with just taking the inner free standing msr .Feet were in great condition but I did look after them talc and lots of chill out time in the water at every oppurtunity
Bike was incredible with great tough fast rolling WTB Ranger tyres. Wrists suffered with shooting pains and I have nerve damage as I hate wearing gloves and grips need to be at a different angle.
Brilliant route would I do again probably but not when wet hard thinking about what it would be like when wet and boggy!
Day one 9am till 1am 3 hours sleep 107 miles slept above Loch Lomond
Day two 5am till 2am 2 hrs sleep 140 miles slept next to a lock before Glen Golly
Day three 5am till 1am 110 miles slept outside School House Bothy (full with a school party)
Day four 5am till 2am 6 hours sleep 80 miles slept outside Whistle stop Cafe
Day five 10am till 5.30am two hours sleep mile not sure it was a blur literally crashed on the Caledonia Canel near Fort William
Day six 10am till 7pm
Some pics 🙂 glad everyone ended up safe it was pretty scary out there at times!
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Good summary Rich, I remember you sticking your head in a burn on Ben Alder and were off like a rocket!
Video from Stu Taylor
22 minutes, so put the kettle on first!