Unfortunately, I did not complete the race. A bit dissapointed, but also pleased with my attempt. I pulled out at 46 km, (the end of the 2nd leg), after it became clear I wasn't going to be able to make the next cut-off time. Those 46 km took a total time of 8hr15min, with an easy 19km first leg of 2 hrs. I can say with certainty that the 2nd leg is the most extreme terrain I have ever covered on foot for that distance. Have watched previous race videos and read the write-ups, I never really grasped the difficulty of some of the course until I was on it. Included in the 26km were two mountain tops, long steady climbs, and a series of sections titled "slug fest", "bum slide", "stairway to hell", and then some very long drop offs along a power line. I have the greatest admiration for anyone completing the course in 24 hrs. A great experience but I certainly hit my limit, just not fast enough over that terrain. Out of 418 starting soloists, 150 finished. Amongst 4 of us camped close to each other - 2 Scottish runners, 1 Canadian and myself, none of us finished. Photo: The relief on my face when I saw Heather at the end of the 2nd leg was immense ! By that point, I knew my race was over.
