Race report: LAUGAVEGUR ULTRA MARAÞON
Distance: 55km
Elevation: 1900M+/2200M-
Landmannalaugar to Þórsmörk, Iceland
Conditions: Ranging from 3-10 degrees Celsius. Rain & wind at start, drying later. Several kilometers of snow. 330 finish / 345 start.
Conditions: Ranging from 3-10 degrees Celsius. Rain & wind at start, drying later. Several kilometers of snow. 330 finish / 345 start.
Here we go! At 09h we begin the journey of 55 kilometers from Landmannalaugar to Þórsmörk, but before the race begins, we had to drag ourselves into the rain, strike the tent, load our packs onto the bus, and hustle to the start. It was cold and wet and windy in the morning, but we are running in Iceland! We knew the beautiful, rocky terrain we would encounter at the beginning, but the majority of the Laugavegur Ultra Marathon would be a surprise. Count down from ten in Icelandic, and we are off! A slow, narrow climb to begin, but then a frolic over black rocks and steam. We climb steadily, against the wind and rain, but at a runnable incline toward Hrafntinnuskeri (raven's rock), the highest point (already!). Derek and I started together, but I keep looking over my shoulder, hoping he will be close behind.
On the way to Álftavatn (swan lake), the fog is thick and I am chasing two neon jackets in front of me, pushing to keep them within view so that I will not be alone in the disorienting sea of snow and sky, all white and wet. The snow is slick and some is not solid, a cold surprise of ankle deep slush. After several snow fields, there is green - we start a rapid descent and carry on through a series of ups and downs, splashing through streams, sticking in pale blue mud. I am free and bounding, keeping close to a fast pack. I had no choice, but to make a pit stop after passing through the check point at Álftavatn and lose a little time.
Soon after, we cross Bláfjallakvísl with a current strong enough to pull my legs from under me and leave me dangling from the rope, submerged in the cold water until a race volunteer pulled me up. I was hoping to gain some ground over the stretch of flat black sand, but the next kilometers were surprisingly tough. I was feeling cold, and heavy from absorbing river water, and my ankle gaiters felt like wearing weights, but I kept running, even at a labored pace. Near the river crossing there was a sign "Þórsmörk 30 km." This gage was somehow encouraging since I knew few other markers and didn't even a wear watch to know how much time had passed. I ran beside someone for a while until I felt stronger and pulled forward. There was nothing but black expanse until a sharp green cone rose high out of the ground. I noticed the rain had stopped somewhere along the way, and that I had become a Viking warrior on a legendary quest through mystical lands (disguised in spandex to confuse the trolls, of course).
At Emstrur, I ate a piece of banana while a volunteer clutched both of my shoulders asking if I was ok. I said I was fine, but couldn't focus on her as I was grabbing a chunk of Icelandic candy bar with nuts and looking for the continuation of the course. After running much of the course with space in front of and behind me, I started seeing more runners, pressure to keep steady and to push to the finish. There were more hikers cheering us on, too. The final kilometers drug us up and down hills (I underestimated those steep hills) and into one more river before hauling through birch woods to a sudden clearing at Þórsmörk and the finish line.
I crossed the line in 06:20:43, 11th overall for women, my longest race so far and only a little behind where I hoped. I went straight for the beer and watched for Derek. Feeling chilled and getting nervous, I was relieved to see Derek finish in 07:06:50. Now we could celebrate together before pitching the tent for a well-earned sleep and dreams of this epic run.
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| Landmannalaguar - Þórsmörk |
