HT550 - 2024

[redefined_cycles]

NB. I knw my names not Sean

[Lazarus]

No sleep and maintaining the pace will be hours broken.
No idea how they do that though.

[whitestone]

There's a bit of difference between an event that's had a century of attempts by lots of athletes and one that's only been going for ten years and attempted by a handful of riders at the pointy end. The marathon record has only progressed by "seconds" in the last ten years or so https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marathon_ ... rogression.

Generally record progressions are asymptotic, i.e. the jumps are big to begin with then lessen as things approach what the absolute limit is (or is thought to be). There are exceptions - think Bob Beamon's extraordinary long jump in the 1968 Mexico Olympics and is still the second longest 56 years later.

Slightly awkward comparing times on the HT550 as the route tends to vary a bit each year but the progression of the fastest time is:

2014 Phil Simcock - 4d1h43
2017 Neil Beltchenko - 3d10h22 an 8% improvement
2023 Angus Young - 3d7h15 a 4% improvement

Weather, both before and during the event can play a big part simply down to the fact that the event lasts so long and you aren't going to get perfect conditions for that length of time. Get a low tracking in as you leave Dornoch and you are likely to have a block headwind for the 50km down the Great Glen as one example.

Personally I think there's a few hours to come off the fastest time and I think we'll end up somewhere around the 3 day mark, there's a chance of it being below that if you get two or three evenly matched riders at the front who are prepared to push it.

[redefined_cycles]

V good point Bob

[boxelder]

2017 Neil Beltchenko - 3d10h22 an 8% improvement

I think that was the first year where the leaders didn't stop on the first night. I remember Chris Hope hinting before hand that he was going to ride for 36 hours, as he'd done it on numerous adventure races. In 2015 the chat was about getting far enough on day 1 to hit opening at Contin stores on the Sunday morning, so don't think anyone went beyond the old hydro bothy (RIP). Knowing that you could get supplies at Drumbeat outside of normal hours probably helps.
Alex M doing Lochinver to Ledmore in 3 hours after all that riding is impressive.

[whitestone]

2017 Neil Beltchenko - 3d10h22 an 8% improvement

I think that was the first year where the leaders didn't stop on the first night. I remember Chris Hope hinting before hand that he was going to ride for 36 hours, as he'd done it on numerous adventure races. In 2015 the chat was about getting far enough on day 1 to hit opening at Contin stores on the Sunday morning, so don't think anyone went beyond the old hydro bothy (RIP). Knowing that you could get supplies at Drumbeat outside of normal hours probably helps.
Alex M doing Lochinver to Ledmore in 3 hours after all that riding is impressive.

I might be wrong but I don't think the Drumbeg stores did the dot watching, open early/late until 2016 or 2017 but definitely a comfort if you aren't quite going to get there by the usual closing time.

3hrs for the Ledmore Traverse is good going, for many years John Fettis who's riding this year had the Strava KOM. One thing about Strava segment times isn't that the fast HT550 riders do them quicker than everyone else but that they do decent times after many hours on the go. In 2017 I had quite a few better segment times than Neil Beltchenko but he was doing them towards the end of a long day after very little rest, I'd be doing them in the morning after a good kip!

Just checked - the Tesco in Ullapool shuts at 8pm so I don't think he'll get there in time for resupply.

[fatbikephil]

Just catching up. Alex M did the northern bit in 3 1/2 hours after going all through the night so that's pretty good going. I suspect he'll stop tonight for a bit... His speed will run him into thunder storms through Fisherfield tomorrow!

Bob, Tom Bruce has the fastest time on the Ledmore traverse - 2hrs 45 in 2018 (according to Alan). I did it 3 last year including photo stops

[whitestone]

Just catching up. Alex M did the northern bit in 3 1/2 hours after going all through the night so that's pretty good going. I suspect he'll stop tonight for a bit... His speed will run him into thunder storms through Fisherfield tomorrow!

Bob, Tom Bruce has the fastest time on the Ledmore traverse - 2hrs 45 in 2018 (according to Alan). I did it 3 last year including photo stops

Actually it's 2hr31 https://www.strava.com/segments/12275747, 3hrs 09 is my PB

[fatbikephil]

Just catching up. Alex M did the northern bit in 3 1/2 hours after going all through the night so that's pretty good going. I suspect he'll stop tonight for a bit... His speed will run him into thunder storms through Fisherfield tomorrow!

Bob, Tom Bruce has the fastest time on the Ledmore traverse - 2hrs 45 in 2018 (according to Alan). I did it 3 last year including photo stops

Actually it's 2hr31 https://www.strava.com/segments/12275747, 3hrs 09 is my PB

Blimey, that's quick - looks like he's done it outside the Highland trail, which is dedication for you. I wonder what the fastest time someone has run it is?

Alan's insta account has pics on it apparently - I'm not on insta so can't get access.

[Mart]

Noticed Colin Baird (on the ITT) is moving quite well

[Richpips]

If my math is right, at Clachtoll, Kerry is just 20 mins of Lee's record.

[touch]

Caught Marcus, Niall and Max on their way past Achmelvich.




Nice night for it here. (Nicer night for drinking beer on the beach though )

[redefined_cycles]

Sorry if this has been discussed already. But, in the dotwatcher day2 page it states

It looks like both Alex and Thomas are travelling incredibly light with little to no sleep kit. This seems to be becoming more common place in ultras - the thinking being if you don’t have sleep kit then you won’t sleep.

I was always under the impression that most/all these type of 'wild place bikepacking races' came with compulsory minimal sleep kit as part of 'the rules'. Does this mean that soon we will see people taking no sleeping kit for the TD (or has that already happened).

Asking out of curiosity. Not that I'm fast enough to even think about entering, never mind entering and riding without ok sleep kit!

[sean_iow]

No compulsory kit as far as I know, never has been on any of the races I've done.

It's not just about the temptation to sleep, with less weight you are faster so finish before you need to sleep?

[whitestone]

You'd have to look on the Highland Trail website Shaf but I think the only required kit are helmet and SPOT - nothing required, nothing forbidden.

Most ITTs follow the standard set of rules but some, like the TDR, deviate slightly. The TDR lets riders use motorised transport away fro and back to the route in cases of mechanical or medical emergency, probably due to the sheer distances involved.

Looks like Alex did stop for 3hrs at Shenevall bothy, but even with that he took just 10 1/2 hours from Inverbroom to Poolewe!

[boxelder]

Imight be wrong but I don't think the Drumbeg stores did the dot watching, open early/late until 2016 or 2017 but definitely a comfort if you aren't quite going to get there by the usual closing time.

Yeah I know it wasn't the case in early days, so is a bonus now. What's the welcome like at OBH now?
Looks like (acc to starve) I took 4.5 hrs from Lochinver to OBH and 2.75 from Lochinver to Ledmore. I'd spent 10 hours in a B&B that night though and stuffed with pie shop treats.

[voodoo_simon]

If my calculations (and memory!!) is correct, looks like Alex has lost about 20miles to seconds place. Think yesterday the lead was about 40miles for a long time but it’s shrunk to 20 or so

*obviously miles in this terrain isn’t the best indicator

[psling]

If my calculations (and memory!!) is correct, looks like Alex has lost about 20miles to seconds place. Think yesterday the lead was about 40miles for a long time but it’s shrunk to 20 or so

*obviously miles in this terrain isn’t the best indicator

Another way to look at it is that the guy in 2nd place is currently making his way over Fisherfield still with a while to go to the checkpoint and already over 3 hours down to that point. Meanwhile, the guy in 1st place is approaching a lengthy stretch of tarmac....
A lot of ups and downs still to come. They both grabbed a couple or three hours rest in the night.
I've no idea how they do it!!

[whitestone]

Imight be wrong but I don't think the Drumbeg stores did the dot watching, open early/late until 2016 or 2017 but definitely a comfort if you aren't quite going to get there by the usual closing time.

Yeah I know it wasn't the case in early days, so is a bonus now. What's the welcome like at OBH now?
Looks like (acc to starve) I took 4.5 hrs from Lochinver to OBH and 2.75 from Lochinver to Ledmore. I'd spent 10 hours in a B&B that night though and stuffed with pie shop treats.

I took 24 1/2hrs for the complete northern loop, i.e. OBH back to OBH, that included a bivy around the Merkland Lodge area of four or five hours. Alex took 14hrs for that loop!

Not sure about the OBH these days, last year Cath said she called in at the hotel at Rosehall/Glen Cassley.

At a rough guess from looking at the SPOT timings, Alex has about four hours lead on Thomas in second place and a further 90mins to the third/fourth placings. Last year Angus Young got to Kinlochewe in 2d 6hrs, he took about an hour to cover the road section along Loch Maree so Alex is roughly 5hrs up on the current fastest time.

[Valerio]

These guys should be ashamed of themselves. What they're doing (not just the first 2, but really the whole group at the front) is just bonkers.

Theyve put me off entering any event ever

[psling]

[voodoo_simon]

More observations

Colin Baird (yellow flag) is flying along, penny just dropped as he had a very late start too from the mass start

Kerry Macphee has been remarkable, got a good lead over 2nd place

[redefined_cycles]

Lars is almost at 300 miles and Alan Boardman at 185... soon to be 300. Well done you lot (and the rest) keep plucking away at it

[fatbikephil]

Pace seems generally high - lots of people have cleared the northern loop whereas previously you see the most traffic about now.

Looks like Alex did stop for 3hrs at Shenevall bothy, but even with that he took just 10 1/2 hours from Inverbroom to Poolewe!

Took me 8 1/2 none stop

Anyone know what the weather is like? It's horrible here...

[Dave Barter]

Shout out to Zoe Chauderlot who I met on the Tour Divide. She was hesitant about this race as in her words she’s not really a mountain biker. But she’s right up there at the sticky end