Race Director's Tips

• If you are traveling to the event by train check that the trains are running to schedule as bank holiday weekends are often used for engineering work.
• If your support crew is taking you to the registration point make sure they have seen the map and have a map book too with it clearly marked. Do not rely on satnavs.
• Consider staying at a local hotel the night before.  Minibuses will collect you from the Premier Inn Tring or Pendley Manor on Saturday morning and take you to the registration point providing you book in advance. Buses run from Tring Train Station too, see below.
• Print the entry email you received as it has your start time and the Race Director's telephone number on it.  You may need this before the event.
• If someone else entered you into the event make sure you receive the email too!
• Read and re-read your email the day before the event.
• This website will have a clearly marked section added two weeks before the event with last minute information.
• Parking is free at Ivinghoe Beacon car park.  Leave space for other cars and race vehicles.
• If you intend leaving a car near the finish search for car parks in Swindon.  The minibuses will drop you off at all car parks in Swindon Centre.
• Eat something at each checkpoint.
• Remember to set your GPS watches to Ultra mode so they last throughout the event.
• The course is waymarked throughout.  Take a moment at each road crossing, trail crossing and gate to check the route you are on is the Ridgeway.  This will help boost your confidence that you're on the right trail especially at night.
• Always make sure you check in to, and out of, checkpoints. This way the Race Director will know where you are and predict your arrival time at the next checkpoint.
• Always carry enough batteries to see you through the night plus 50% more.
• Carry two torches.  You will need one to use when changing the batteries in your other one.
• You can leave a drop bag at the registration point.  You will have access to this at checkpoint 5 and the finish. Consider leaving a drop bag even if you have a support crew - support crews can become lost, arrive late with your bags or even breakdown.
• Carry your torches throughout the first half.
• Don't be tempted to set off too quickly.  Many of the retiring runners state that setting off too quickly made them slow down exponentially in the second half - even retire.
• Should you find yourself running with other competitors be mindful of your pace.  Running with other competitors can lead you to run faster than your plan.