When selecting start times please refer to https://www.ldwa.org.uk/2020Hundred/W/6791/choice-of-start-time.html
A number of entrants who have finished previous 100 mile challenges in fast times have selected the 09:00 to 10:00 start time. They will end up having to wait at the early checkpoints because they won't be open. I appreciate that runners and fast walkers are always keen to avoid the 'second night' but you probably won't if you are held up at check points waiting for them to open. The early start times must be reserved for slower walkers who are likely to take 42 hours or more to complete, and to date that is about 35%.

And if you are keen to walk with people who are walking at your pace, making a sensible choice is likely to facilitate that.

If you have selected an early time, please edit your entry for a later time slot. If this is your first 100 mile challenge, use your qualifier to estimate how long it will take you to complete. For example, if your qualifier was a 50 mile challenge and you finished in less than 15 hours, you need to have a later start time.

It is going to be quite challenging putting people together in groups, especially where they have asked to walk with specific people. We would very much appreciate your support.

Gwyneth (Entries)

Put the time you think most suited to you. When we sort start times we will be looking carefully at a number of criteria. So far, with 150 entrants, start times seem to be relatively equal.

Gwyneth Littlejohn ycsf-entries@ldwa.org.uk Entries

I am also conflicted about the start time to put down given the band width of each option. If leaning over syndrome doesn't get me again and my back allows me to finish my previous times will show I will be well within the last 20% of finishers, therefore I should be in the first 20% of starters i.e. 9am - 10am. But I have always started much faster and anything before 9:40 and I will arrive at CP1 before it opens and will find any time lost waiting almost impossible to make up. For now I've put down 10am - 11am but expect that will be the most oversubscribed being closest to what has been traditional. I can't imagine, given my times, I would be handicapped by being started after 12 o'clock and it does say the most likely solution to oversubscription will be a later start but it would have been helpful if there was space to point out that that for me anything before 9:40 would be inappropriate.

This post has no criticism of the start procedure, as I respect and appreciate the organisers and the choices they have to make. I am just having difficulty choosing a start time and am looking for help

I don’t really know what start time to put down. Looking at checkpoint opening times I would not arrive too early at checkpoints if I started at 10:00 (although It would be close). I am an early riser, unless completely exhausted (not something I plan to do the day before a 100), so the prospect of more time in bed for a later start does nothing for me.

However I have completed the last 2 100s in the following times
Cinque ports 100 35hrs 33mins,
Hadrian’s 100 35hrs 46 mins
So my understanding is I will not get a 10:00 start time. Ok I can live with that

Also I would like to walk with people of a similar pace to me, I have been lucky enough to find someone to walk with on the Two 100s I have done, in neither case was it arranged in advance but a result of someone I knew walking at a similar pace to me.

I have looked at the timing graph and if I read that correctly would indicate a start time between 11:00 and 12:00, probably closer to 12:00. Which is later than I would prefer. So I don’t want to put down 11:40 to find there was a possibility of getting in sooner; and if I put down 11:00 or before if there is a danger I will be pushed back to 12:00 or later which I most definitely don't want.

Any advice is more than welcome

Many thanks
Huw