Further - Salomon Skyline Scotland

Further Details On The 2016 Route

20th Jun 2016

This news simply elaborates on current details already available on the website; there is no 'change' to previously published information. It relates to the Salomon Glen Coe Skyline™ race only, taking place this Sunday 18th September 2016.

With the change of start and finish location from Glencoe Mountain Centre to the village of Kinlochleven, this has increased the length of the route from 52.96km / 4,256m in 2015, to 55.06km / 4,746m in 2016. The additional distance is split equally between the slightly longer route out from, and back into, Kinlochleven. However, all the additional height gain is front loaded, with a long climb uphill out of Kinlochleven via the West Highland Way, before descending via the Devil's Staircase into Glen Coe. 

 

 
Further Details On The 2016 Route

Are you ready for the blisteringly fast descent back to the finish outside the Ice Factor, Kinlochleven this year? The length of the route has increased from 52.96km / 4,256m in 2015, to 55.06km / 4,746m with the new event centre location. So what about the cut-off times? Find out more: www.skylinescotland.com/news

Posted by Salomon Glen Coe Skyline on Monday, 20 June 2016

 

Race Director, Shane Ohly explains, “There is no doubt that the 2016 course is harder than 2015's. This seems fitting for a race in the Skyrunner World Series®, and the additional height gain at the beginning of the event will result in greater spread of the runners before they reach Curved Ridge. We like this, as it will greatly improve competitors' experience on Curved Ridge with less likelihood of queues in the most technical sections. Also, it means that the finish is very much downhill, initially on an excellent rolling ridge-line, then some technical trail, before the West Highland Way widens into a 4x4 vehicle track. For those with anything left in their legs it will be possible to have a blisteringly fast descent into Kinlochleven and our finish at the Ice Factor.”

Ohly continues, “Aesthetically, the new start and finish is much more scenic and in keeping with the remote and mountainous nature of the rest of the course, because competitors no longer need to run alongside the busy A82 as they did in 2015. My only concern, is that the additional distance and height gain, will make the 15:00 cut-off at checkpoint 11 a little harder for the runners at the back. In 2015 only 16 out of 148 starters (~11%) were stopped at checkpoint 11 so I am hopeful that this cut-off will affect few runners, as we obviously want as many people as possible to experience the full course.

 

Shane-recce-June-2016

Shane Ohly at the apex of the West Highland Way, where competitors get their first view of the massive Buachaille Etive Mor with the distinctive edge of Curved Ridge on the left-hand skyline. The summit of the mountain is shrouded in low cloud. 

 

For the record, the move from the August date (in 2015), to the September date (in 2016), was so that the event could fit into the stacked international skyrunning calendar. However, the change in date means that sunset is expected at 19:29, rather than 20:44 as in 2015. Hence why we can’t make the cut-off time more lenient.

Good luck in your training!

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