The Ultimate Midlands 100 Miler,
organized by the Natal Carbineers, will take place on
Friday night, 27th & Saturday, 28th August 2010.
CLICK HERE TO READ ABOUT THE 2009 M100M EXPERIENCE
To put the race in perspective, let's compare it to some of the recognized distances:
* A standard marathon such as is run in the Olympics is 26 miles 384 yards (42,195km)
* Comrades Marathon is 86,7 km
* Midlands 100 Miler is 160,915 km (YES! 160km 915m)
Run the "Up" Comrades & turn round and go back to Westville!
In the days before motor cars, you wouldn't normally even ride a horse that far!!
Each participant will take about 200 000 steps on this journey!
Races of this distance have been taking place for about 100 years. They were formerly walking events.
For the sake of statistics, let's assume that there have been 20 races each year all around the world for 100 years (2000 races in 100 years). This may be a mammoth exaggeration but it makes the calculations easier.
For the purposes of this exercise, let's assume that 100 athletes completed every one of these races (200 000 athletes).
Another vast exaggeration!
Now allow for people like Derek "Mad Dog" Parker with 38 finishes, Paul Selby and Eric Wright with more than 20 each and local librarian, Jane Bentley with 10, and many, many more multiple finishers and you get to a realistic situation.
When these intrepid athletes pass your home or place of business on their way from Winterton to Pietermaritzburg, you will be looking at unique individuals who number among less than 50000 people to achieve this goal, in the world, in the past 100 years!
Please support and encourage them and, above all, drive carefully along this route to allow each one to safely achieve their goal.