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A good friend in Oviedo sent me this announcement today — Red Bull is planning a three day race on the Primitivo from September 24-26.
Red Bull Buen Camino
Red Bull Buen Camino es un reto al alcance de todos los enamorados del trail running; el Camino de Santiago como jamás lo ha vivido nadie. ¡Inscríbete ya!www.redbull.com
It seems that this will be done in three stages by relay teams of 5 or 6. Maximum number of teams allowed is 40. I have no idea how much interference there will be for peregrinos who are actually walking the camino on those days, but I personally would not want to be there.
I wonder if some official entity received compensation, if some government will provide security — basically I wonder how in the world this came to pass!
I was under the impression that the Red Bull race was the Red Bull soapbox race! Good grief I thought, I've been run over by a few things in my time but this really takes the biscuitThere's an ongoing discussion on another thread which mentions reasons for doing a camino and what qualifies for a compostela. It is interesting to note that in their blurb they mention being accredited as a pilgrim and collecting the compostela. I can't imagine how running a race across the primitivo over three days in relays could be considered or interpreted as anything other than recreational. There may be some interesting debates at the pilgrims office on Sept 26th...
The cathedral must have signed off on this, or else they are making promises they cannot keep.It is interesting to note that in their blurb they mention being accredited as a pilgrim and collecting the compostela.
”Además los corredores-peregrinos llevarán consigo una compostelana que será sellada en todas las paradas.” Translate — the runners-pilgrims will carry a “compostelana” (what??? They are going to carry a young woman from Santiago de Compostela on their backs???
The wife deserves a medal for driving a camper across Spain. The lack of support crew is what holds back my coach, his wife has made clear if she goes to Spain it won’t be as crew.I have a friend who is an ultra/mountain marathon runner, and he is planning to run the Camino Frances in the next year or 2. Don't worry, he is NOT sponsored by redbull (or anyone else for that matter). He's just a bit crazy, and enjoys long distance running.
No details are finalised yet, but the current plan is his wife (accompanied by their 8 year old daughter) will drive their camper van across Spain, and he will run approx 50-60km a day, then meet them in the afternoons.
I think he will definitely deserve a Compestela after that.
I'm panicking about walking it, yet my friend is cool as a cucumber about running it lol
This made me laugh recalling a conversation I had with a fellow officer the day before I left to participate in the Nijmegen March. I hadn’t had time to train bc of work, but figured it was only four days long, and the distance was in km which I always ignored. “I’ll be fine, I told him, we’re wearing packs but I think it’s only 40 or 50 km a day”. He replied “that’s a marathon a day for four days carrying a full pack and water”.I have a friend who is an ultra/mountain marathon runner, and he is planning to run the Camino Frances in the next year or 2. Don't worry, he is NOT sponsored by redbull (or anyone else for that matter). He's just a bit crazy, and enjoys long distance running.
No details are finalised yet, but the current plan is his wife (accompanied by their 8 year old daughter) will drive their camper van across Spain, and he will run approx 50-60km a day, then meet them in the afternoons.
I think he will definitely deserve a Compestela after that.
I'm panicking about walking it, yet my friend is cool as a cucumber about running it lol
I guess I understand your friend ( and perhaps even the other runners on the Primitive.) Having been a long distance runner in the past it truly can be a very thoughtful process. Actually my favorite runs were in the dark (NO would not recommend this on the Camino!). Found it to be very zen. Me and my tiny little patch of road in my headlamp. The rest of the world and all its worries and things just fell away. So...I would't choose to do the Camino in this way, but...to each his own. I just hope they do remember to watch out for us slowpokes!! Buen Camino a todo!I have a friend who is an ultra/mountain marathon runner, and he is planning to run the Camino Frances in the next year or 2. Don't worry, he is NOT sponsored by redbull (or anyone else for that matter). He's just a bit crazy, and enjoys long distance running.
No details are finalised yet, but the current plan is his wife (accompanied by their 8 year old daughter) will drive their camper van across Spain, and he will run approx 50-60km a day, then meet them in the afternoons.
I think he will definitely deserve a Compestela after that.
I'm panicking about walking it, yet my friend is cool as a cucumber about running it lol
That’s exactly what my friend said, he likes the mental challenge of planning his pace, and the zen of the run, and feels he can see things just as well as if he walked.I guess I understand your friend ( and perhaps even the other runners on the Primitive.) Having been a long distance runner in the past it truly can be a very thoughtful process. Actually my favorite runs were in the dark (NO would not recommend this on the Camino!). Found it to be very zen. Me and my tiny little patch of road in my headlamp. The rest of the world and all its worries and things just fell away. So...I would't choose to do the Camino in this way, but...to each his own. I just hope they do remember to watch out for us slowpokes!! Buen Camino a todo!
I have been up in some 3500+ meter mountains in the Alps-where several hundred hikers were climbing almost 3000 meters in altitude by running a marathon. There were enough volunteers all along the-route keeping everyone safe. Alternative starting points forrunners or pilgrims might be wise…after that, 40 runners will thin out after each relay station. If there are any very narrow paths, someone should be there to head off potential collisions. Hopefully, trails will be marked and announcements made so pilgrims know what is coming.My reaction is not so negative, although I do hope that arrangement for security and other logistics take pilgrims (and locals) into consideration. The Camino is not the only acceptable land use!
If I were planning to walk that route at that time, I would either enjoy the event or adjust my plans to avoid it. One year, the hotels in Merida were quite full. Turned out that a marathon was being run, so we stopped and watched it.
This seems very similar to 5 and 10K races that we have done recently in cities with greenways. People in the race use the same space as the locals out for a walk or run. We walk, not run, but try to be polite with passing, and always move to the right and stop for those who are faster to let them pass us by.!! (Helps to keep us ready to walk a camino!)My reaction is not so negative, although I do hope that arrangement for security and other logistics take pilgrims (and locals) into consideration. The Camino is not the only acceptable land use!
If I were planning to walk that route at that time, I would either enjoy the event or adjust my plans to avoid it. One year, the hotels in Merida were quite full. Turned out that a marathon was being run, so we stopped and watched it.
If you look at @t2andreo’s comments above (post number 21) the problem has nothing to do with spirituality. It is because the cathedral regulations clearly state that to qualify for the compostela, an individual must walk the last 100 kms him or herself and have two stamps a day. And it has to be an individual, not a team, that covers those 100 kms.I don't see why the participants are any less worthy of a compostela than walkers; trail running can be a deeply spiritual practice.
Using standard accumulator methodology (adding up the numerical intervals on Gronze's profiles) I make it iro 1700 metres between Oviedo & Pola de Allende.
Indeed, sure, but individual members of the teams will be completing the full distance, so as long as they have a system for their twice-a-day sello (they're bound to; probably at the time checks), then they should qualify.If you look at @t2andreo’s comments above (post number 21) the problem has nothing to do with spirituality. It is because the cathedral regulations clearly state that to qualify for the compostela, an individual must walk the last 100 kms him or herself and have two stamps a day. And it has to be an individual, not a team, that covers those 100 kms.
Red Bull surely knows the rules, so I assume they have worked something out with the cathedral authorities. I would be surprised if the runners will get a compostela, but perhaps some kind of completion certificate as t2 suggested.
Ooh, thanks - much less fun as a relay! I'm not about to register, though ;-) Think I prefer your measurement-by-tintos approach...It's a Relay race according to Red Bull. Relay teams don't all run together. Perhaps all the runners will run together from Lugo. And, as the rule is that Pilgrims collect two stamps per day from Lugo they'll not need many stamps 'cos they're planning to run it in one day
That might be the difference between lowest and highest point of the leg. I very much doubt that it's the total elevation gain, as e.g. from Grado to La Espina my equipment recorded 1000+ metres, and from Oviedo to Santiago ~7500 …Reading a bit more from the website, there is one bit of information that is really useful for the discussion about how much elevation gain there is on the Primitivo. I’ve read posts here on the forum describing an ascent of 1000 m in a day (much like SJPP to Roncesvalles), which always seemed very high to me.
I’m fairly confident Red Bull got it right for their racers. And here is what they found
In the first 100 kms, Oviedo to Pola de Allende, total elevation gain 659 m
Pola to Lugo, total elevation gain 689 m
Lugo to Santiago , total elevation gain 425 m
That comes out to a total elevation gain of about 1800 m over about 320 km. There is certainly a lot of up and down on this beautiful camino, but we should tone down the hype!
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