Phil, Phil, Ed and Tom have surprised everybody (but mainly themselves) again by finishing Oxfam Trailwalker in a new best time of 22 hours and 57 minutes (thats 40 minutes quicker than last year) and ending up in THIRD PLACE!!!
A big thank you to everybody who sponsored them - the conditions on the trail were horrid this year, and without your support they feel sure they would have quit.
The four boys are now off boasting to all about their podium finish. If only they could find somebody who cared...
Highlights of the 100km were as follows:
Start - Tom decides to start the race from a racing position, whilst holding a water bottle in each hand. Mutters of "Doofus" etc. fromt he competition.
5km - rain
10km - rain
12km - The team arrive into checkpoint 1 to hear they are in third place, everyone has a good laugh and starts placing bets on how soon other teams will start flying past them.
15km - rain
17km - Tom slips and falls whilst jogging down some stone steps and badly twists his ankle (which swells up like a tennis ball but does not stop him from keeping the pace the remaining 83k)
20km - rain
25km - rain
30km - rain
35km - rain
40km - heavy rain
42km - They boys receive their much needed change of clothes from the Kuroneko guys (delivery service) at checkpoint 4. Phil "the Metronome" Rodd soon has them back on the trail.
45km - rain
50km - rain
54km - Ed changes his socks at the temple checkpoint to find he has lost at least three of his ten toenails (his feet looked seriously nasty)
55km - rain
60km - heavy rain
63km - It is crunch time, and the boys seriously consider whether they can carry on, as some very pretty girls hand them yakisoba and soup at check point 7.
65km - rain
70km - rain
75km - Hooray - The weather forecast was spot on, and it stops raining at 2am!!!!
78km - It starts raining again, bloody weathermen...
79km - Phil Ryan hands around his homemade nuts and choc combo bags, and gives the team a much needed energy boost (that and the Red Bull)
80km - rain
85km - It stops raining
88km - It starts snowing
90km - The team climb their first snow-capped peak of the trail, mount Mikuni. Phil Ryan takes some artistic shots of snow and oddly shaped greenery.
92km - The team arrive at the final checkpoint to hear that the fourth place team are only 30 mins behind them and decide they need to get a wriggle on
97km - Thick fog causes Phil "the Metronome" Rodd's Car-navi-like sense of direction to falter, momentarily sending the team off down the wrong side of the final volcanic mound.
100km - The team cross the finish line at 7.57am.
8am - The sun comes out.
