SJPDP to Santiago in 8 days - 85km per stage

[Bradypus]

Sometimes similar stories seem to appear together. This morning on Facebook I read about a man planning to mark his 69th birthday by running the 69 miles from Sarria to Santiago in 24 hours on Thursday. Moments later I did my usual search for Camino-related news and found there is an article on the La Voz de Galicia website about a Catalan man who has just run from SJPDP to Santiago in 8 days, accompanied by his sister who rode a bike. Both extraordinary feats that I have no intention of imitating!

El Camino de Santiago desde Francia, corriendo y en nueve días: «Hice una media de 85 kilómetros por etapa»

El catalán Sergio Turull, asiduo a las pruebas de fondo, lo hizo para recaudar fondos para el autismo; un cardiólogo observó los cambios que se producían en su corazón durante la prueba

www.lavozdegalicia.es

 

[David]

Why?

 

[Bradypus]

Why?

If you are going to do daft things like running a marathon or an ultra-marathon I suppose you have to think of somewhere to do it. Here in the UK Land's End to John O'Groats naturally springs to mind for challenge walks and runs. Though within the last week a UK man finished a 19,000 mile walk around the British coastline just a few miles from my house here in Wales. That is hardcore stuff! I imagine that if you are Spanish or Catalan then the Caminos have a similar iconic status and the mind naturally turns in that direction.

 

[Tincatinker]

Why?

Seems he spends a lot of time running up mountains or dodging the flight cost to Paris by running there instead. Presumably, with such a busy life, he could only spare 8 days for a Camino. Most would have started in Ponferrada but he wanted to do the "whole" Camino

 

[Anhalter]

There is quite a community of highly motivated persons (others would say: "crazy") that do impressing feats when it comes to distance covered over time.
For example, the current "record" (there is no official institution) for the Camino Frances is 6d 14h 49m

Others have covered the 4265km of the PCT in just over 55 days or the almost 12800km triple crown in 251 days...

 

[Bradypus]

There is quite a community of highly motivated persons (others would say: "crazy") that do impressing feats when it comes to distance covered over time.

Thank you - I will make note of "highly motivated" for use in future when someone questions my movements!

 

[VNwalking]

Why?

Why?
Why not?
Running is as spiritual as walking, when the intention is there. And it is a joyful thing to be able to do.
I fail to understand the anti-running prejudice in Camino circles. If you haven't done it, please don't knock it.

 

[David]

Why?
Why not?
Running is as spiritual as walking, when the intention is there. And it is a joyful thing to be able to do.
I fail to understand the anti-running prejudice in Camino circles. If you haven't done it, please don't knock it.

I didn't knock it I merely wrote "Why?" I feel the same about someone who runs from Lands End to John O'Groats .. I didn't mention spiritual, you did - why do you keep making assumptions about "what I mean" instead of just responding to "what I write"?
I don't understand running for pleasure .. 'fun run' seems an oxymoron to me, so I ask "Why?" - nothing more. Read the whole of my post again .. the one word.

 

[Turga]

Read the whole of my post again .. the one word.

Perhaps the thing is, that you can sometimes make more assumptions/interpretations from a single word than from a sentence, that more thoroughly explains what you mean? The question, of course, is should you do it?

 

[Consigliere]

I didn't knock it I merely wrote "Why?" I feel the same about someone who runs from Lands End to John O'Groats .. I didn't mention spiritual, you did - why do you keep making assumptions about "what I mean" instead of just responding to "what I write"?
I don't understand running for pleasure .. 'fun run' seems an oxymoron to me, so I ask "Why?" - nothing more. Read the whole of my post again .. the one word.

Why? My God man... haven't you seen Forrest Gump?

 

[Murk]

8 days is close to what I have scheduled to do by bicycle in September - and which I'm secretly a bit worried about.
So the thread title gave me great comfort: this is doable! I'm not crazy after all.

But then I read "running"...

 

[Bradypus]

But then I read "running"...

The article also mentions that the runner's sister accompanied him by bike. So that is doable too - for some people anyway!

 

[JabbaPapa]

My second Camino was pretty much a marathon a day for 44 days and from Paris to Santiago.

Absolutely could NOT do that now, but I was 29 years old at the time ...

Don't think I could have done 89K/day at the time though, even with someone on a bike to accompany me and carry my stuff.

 

[Bradypus]

My second Camino was pretty much a marathon a day for 44 days and from Paris to Santiago.

Absolutely could NOT do that now, but I was 29 years old at the time ...

I was 28 at the time of my first Camino. Many of my days were around 40km then. Partly because accommodation was much more scarce then but mostly because I was much slimmer, fitter and more reckless about my body! These days 30km is a more comfortable daily distance and 40km is a fairly rare extravagance.

 

[Kathar1na]

read the whole of my post again .. the one word.

I am genuinely surprised that I, too, so thoroughly misunderstood your one word in this one context.

You were seriously wanting to know a reason, it was inexplicable to you, you did not mean to question the whole endeavour? Which is of course what I and @VNwalking and presumably a few other readers understand it to mean when they see this one word in this one context.

When I saw the first post of this thread I even thought that it was inevitable that someone would eventually question the whole endeavour. I was right. Bingo in post #2, a mere 10 minutes after the appearance of post #1.

It's rather funny to see how predictable threads are.

 

[andywild]

It took me nearly 8 hours to walk from las herrerias to O Cebreiro yesterday.. what can I say? Some of us are just made from special stuff!!

 

[andywild]

I am genuinely surprised that I, too, so thoroughly misunderstood your one word in this one context.

You were seriously wanting to know a reason, it was inexplicable to you, you did not mean to question the whole endeavour? Which is of course what I and @VNwalking and presumably a few other readers understand it to mean when they see this one word in this one context.

When I saw the first post of this thread I even thought that it was inevitable that someone would eventually question the whole endeavour. I was right. Bingo in post #2, a mere 10 minutes after the appearance of post #1.

It's rather funny to see how predictable threads are.

I prefer it when things are less predictable

 

[Kathar1na]

It took me nearly 8 hours to walk from las herrerias to O Cebreiro yesterday.. what can I say? Some of us are just made from special stuff!!

Indeed we are . I had a peek at your blog about your current mini Camino … “When the going gets tough, the tough take plenty of breaks and fill themselves with sugar and caffeine”.

 

[andywild]

Indeed we are . I had a peek on your blog about your current mini Camino … “When the going gets tough, the tough take plenty of breaks and fill themselves with sugar and caffeine”.

The scary thing is that I actually make myself look better in the blog!!

 

[Peter Fransiscus]

I didn't knock it I merely wrote "Why?" I feel the same about someone who runs from Lands End to John O'Groats .. I didn't mention spiritual, you did - why do you keep making assumptions about "what I mean" instead of just responding to "what I write"?
I don't understand running for pleasure .. 'fun run' seems an oxymoron to me, so I ask "Why?" - nothing more. Read the whole of my post again .. the one word.

Why???

 

[JabbaPapa]

Why indeed.

Or :

Why not ?

 

[dick bird]

Why?

Apparently to raise money for the Spanish Autism Confederation. At least, that is what it says in the article.

 

[Blister Bill]

I fail to understand the anti-running prejudice in Camino circles. If you haven't done it, please don't knock it.

Do you think we need another rule ?

 

[Blister Bill]

I am genuinely surprised that I, too, so thoroughly misunderstood your one word in this one context.

Maybe it was rhetorical ?

It's rather funny to see how predictable threads are.

Yep !

 

[HappyValerie]

It took me nearly 8 hours to walk from las herrerias to O Cebreiro yesterday.. what can I say? Some of us are just made from special stuff!!

And some from special puff!!!! Gdonya! Keep going, taking time to take in the magnificent scenery of that part.

 

[RobertS26]

It's rather funny to see how predictable threads are.

It never used to be like that. But now days, it seems like many people take instant offense to even the most innocuous comments.

For example, if I said, "I like dogs," it would take only 35 seconds for someone to comment, "Why do you hate cats so much?"

I am thinking about starting a new religion called the Temple of the Perpetually Offended.

 

[RobertS26]

On a lighter note, I doubt either runner made much of a Camino family.

 

[Blister Bill]

On a lighter note, I doubt either runner made much of a Camino family.

Lol he had to take one with him !

 

[Corned Beef]

This morning on Facebook I read about a man planning to mark his 69th birthday by running the 69 miles from Sarria to Santiago in 24 hours on

Wonder if he'll get two sellos. Or will he need 4?

 

[Kathar1na]

I imagine that if you are Spanish or Catalan then the Caminos have a similar iconic status and the mind naturally turns in that direction.

I could not have said it any better . In a post that is no longer visible I wondered how many who comment actually bother to read the article. An interesting read, IMHO, especially since its information content goes beyond "man ran Camino Francés in eight days". I also wondered about the difference between the reactions in this thread and in the current forum thread about "man walks 40,000 km including the Camino Frances" where there appears to be nothing other than admiration with no jokes or dismissive remarks.

What I found interesting in the article was the study of his cardiovascular capacity before and after the run; that he raised money for autism in Spain and why; that it was the third time that he had accomplished a long-distance run from SJPP to Santiago; that he says that the Camino has always been very special for me, it is a very restorative time that I use to reflect and be with myself. In addition, since there are fewer races in summer, I always try to look for a challenge to do on my own and make it supportive [by supporting a charitable project].

This was also interesting although I knew it already: He recognizes that he is "quite young" for ultrafondo competitions (longer than 42 km). He usually competes with people aged 50 and older, who are the ones who lead in this type of competitions. He is 34 years old.

I had to google for ultrafondo. The first website that turned up was in Dutch and explained the Spanish terms granfondo and ultrafondo in the world of cycling. Not surprising because cycling by both amateurs and professionals is popular in both Spain and the Netherlands. Quote: Ultra fondo - when a gran fondo is not hard enough. Since time immemorial cyclists have always had the urge to go further, longer and higher. Ultra cycling has long been a niche in the cycling world, but it has become one of the fastest growing sections of cycling in recent years.

Maybe people like Sergio Turull are ... called?

 

[Kathar1na]

gran fondo and ultra fondo

LOL, I noticed only now that the word appears in the first post of the thread: Sergio Turull is a regular of the pruebas de fondo.

 

[Kathar1na]

For those who are interested: Sergio Turull is on Strava. His account name is @pitufollow. There are photos, track details, and short descriptions of each of his 9 etapas between SJPP and Santiago. It's nine etapas, not eight.

He took the Route Napoleon . And the Alto del Perdon on the same day. Click on the map to see the altitude profile.

"Corro porque caminar me cansa" - "I run because walking tires me"

 

[VNwalking]

Maybe people like Sergio Turull are ... called?

Inspiring.

 

[Bradypus]

Another speed/endurance story today. Vigo to Santiago in just under 20 hours. Word of warning for the easily disturbed - horrible blister photo in the article

Dos vigueses hacen el Camino en 19 horas: "El cuerpo llega hasta donde la mente quiere"

Sin dormir, haciendo frente a una climatología adversa, con ampollas y dolor, pero estos dos amigos batieron, un año más, su propia marca. Desde la viguesa Plaza de España y tras 100 kilómetros contra el crono: Esta es la historia de Emilio y Kike

www.elespanol.com

 

[Wippe]

8 days is close to what I have scheduled to do by bicycle in September - and which I'm secretly a bit worried about.
So the thread title gave me great comfort: this is doable! I'm not crazy after all.

But then I read "running"...

Good luck

 

[Wippe]

Sometimes similar stories seem to appear together. This morning on Facebook I read about a man planning to mark his 69th birthday by running the 69 miles from Sarria to Santiago in 24 hours on Thursday. Moments later I did my usual search for Camino-related news and found there is an article on the La Voz de Galicia website about a Catalan man who has just run from SJPDP to Santiago in 8 days, accompanied by his sister who rode a bike. Both extraordinary feats that I have no intention of imitating!

El Camino de Santiago desde Francia, corriendo y en nueve días: «Hice una media de 85 kilómetros por etapa»

El catalán Sergio Turull, asiduo a las pruebas de fondo, lo hizo para recaudar fondos para el autismo; un cardiólogo observó los cambios que se producían en su corazón durante la prueba

www.lavozdegalicia.es

Buon Camino ! We all have our own things we wish to do, so, good luck !

 

[K_Lynn]

Somewhere on this forum is a thread about a man who ran SJPdP to Santiago in under 7 days last year. IIRC he missed out on the record by 10 or so hours. There was a Reddit thread a month ago of a guy that did Camino Ingles in less than 24 hours

https://www.reddit.com/r/CaminoDeSantiago/comments/14ikv3s

In a lot of way Camino trails are perfect for ultramarathon/speedruns as everything is clearly marked and there are facilities and infrastructure available if things go sideways.

People do weird things to challenge themselves. I still think wanting to walk across Spain is weird even though I do want to and have done so and want to do it again. Now the thing to discuss would be: is a speedrun of Camino a pilgrimage or it just a race? lol I hope people realize I'm being facetious with that question.

 

[tigermike]

Have just waded through this thread and it has convinced me, (contrary to the advice of many peregrino buddies from around the globe who urged me otherwise), not to open a thread about what is about to happen in September.
Why ?
Well that's just it.
The keyboards warriors who just can't resist asking that most intrusive of questions...
For those new to the Camino please; never, never ask the reason why.
If, along The Way, someone volunteers their motivation then listen, absorb and do not judge.
It is IMPORTANT for them, even if you can't see it, they have committed, so if you are not prepared to call them them out as as bonkers to their face, why imply it online ???
September ...?
CF end to end, that is SJPdP to Muxia, walking, in 20 days.
With my apologies to the OP.

 

[Kathar1na]

The keyboards warriors who just can't resist asking that most intrusive of questions...
For those new to the Camino please; never, never ask the reason why.
If, along The Way, someone volunteers their motivation then listen, absorb and do not judge.
It is IMPORTANT for them, even if you can't see it, they have committed, so if you are not prepared to call them them out as as bonkers to their face, why imply it online ???

You made your point and I could not agree more. However, in this case, Sergio Turull is not on the Camino. The news article is about one of his three Caminos. They are in his past, and like numerous posts on this forum can attest, he is not different from many of us who are happy to talk afterwards about our experiences including about at least some of the reasons why we were on the Camino (Francés), enjoyed being on the Camino and like to be on the Camino again. Quote from the article:

He was not alone, but was accompanied by his sister Ana on a bicycle. "We had been wanting to do something together for a long time". And this was the perfect opportunity: "The Camino has always been very special for me, it's a very restorative time for me to reflect and to be with myself. Besides, as there are fewer races in summer, I always try to find a personal challenge that I can do on my own and also to sponsor a charitable cause [by not only raising money but also awareness for the cause]​

​

Elsewhere he describes how he and his sister supported each other: When one of them felt exhausted or wanted to give up (I am ad-libbing here, I can't remember his exact words), the other one provided encouragement and support. On his Strava account, there is a video clip where they walk through the gate to the Obradoiro and he lifts up his sister's bike by grabbing the saddle while they walk down the steps - it's a small gesture, perhaps routine, but I found it quite touching.

Perhaps readers imagine that someone with a 800 km in 9 days Camino must have done it at neck-breaking speed and had no time for reflection. He is used to endurance running, he was on the move for 10-12 hours every day and roughly at a speed of 8 km/h. That's actually not terribly fast - and as many who are able to run at such a speed for an hour or more can confirm there is plenty of opportunity for thinking and enjoying and absorbing what you hear, see and feel in your environment.

We must assume that anyone who asks "Why" is genuinely ignorant when this is so outside of one's own level of physical and mental capabilities that one simply does not comprehend. Surely, such a question is never an implicit negative judgement.

 

[AlwynWellington]

the runner's sister accompanied him by bike

8 days is close to what I have scheduled to do by bicycle in September

In April 2016 I stayed at the hostel at Uhart-Mixte. Just one other - a cyclist. If I recall he was from the Netherlands, having cycled from his home in a little over a week.

He said it was his intention to arrive at Pamplona the next day - more then 90 km.

So doable.

 

[JesperK]

8 days is close to what I have scheduled to do by bicycle in September - and which I'm secretly a bit worried about.
So the thread title gave me great comfort: this is doable! I'm not crazy after all.

But then I read "running"...

No need to worry at all. I met an american on bicycle a few years ago about halfway through the camino. He later phoned me with end result. 6 days - 130 km a day. He drove 5-7 hours every day.

 

[Anamiri]

Why?
Why not?
Running is as spiritual as walking, when the intention is there. And it is a joyful thing to be able to do.
I fail to understand the anti-running prejudice in Camino circles. If you haven't done it, please don't knock it.

Back in the early 90's my aunt (who was a competitive distance runner), ran the length of NZ. That meant averaging 80-90kms a day, she held the record for the fastest time by a woman for a few decades. She ran with another runner and they had a support driver with a campervan. They were also raising money for a charity. The logistics was challenging, but she loved running.
Imagine how much easier it would be to run the Frances, with the infrastructure already in place.

I used to think she was Superwoman. She used to compete in multisport (triathlon) events as well.
She also cycled through Europe and has walked the Camino twice. These days she is in her late 70's, not running but still walking long distances.
I think some people are more easily able to maintain vigorous high impact exercise longer, she never had issues with knees, feet or ankles.