The first of three longer films about the Elephant Bear and Bull 100 has just been released. Fabulous editing by Simon Pipe and there is a good chance that entrants might see themselves in the videos. We follow the stories of a few entrants throughout the three videos.

Are you thinking about Speyside 100 but haven't yet made the jump to entering? If not, these videos might just persuade you to get involved.

Parts 2 and 3 will be released at 6pm on Thursday and Friday this week respectively.

https://youtu.be/6enHBSJVFfU

Ben Cooley is a veteran of the LDWA 100s but this affable and down to earth chap is also a legend of what is considered one of the world's hardest races. Ben is a Montane Spine Race finisher and he describes how the LDWA 100 is considered to be great preparation by the Spine Race organisers.

Ben is currently walking the Montane Spine Race Challenger North and is raising funds for Herefordshire Veterans Support Centre.

https://youtu.be/p4ojRckp6mo

https://www.justgiving.com/page/ben-cooley-1703682662079?utm_medium=fundraising&utm_content=page%2Fben-cooley-1703682662079&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=pfp-share

Walkers pass half-timbered buildings at Aston Cantlow and Wilmcote on their way to Stratford on the LDWA's 50th annual 100-mile challenge event in 2023. Few locals are about to see them stride through town towards Shakespeare's last resting place and then along the river, before heading into the night towards Warwick.

This is the latest video in a series documenting the Elephant Bear and Bull 100 LDWA 100 that took place in May 2023.

https://youtu.be/qideclUPbdo

Veteran oak trees reminded walkers they were passing through the ancient Forest of Arden on leg 5 of the LDWA's annual 100-mile challenge in 2023. By day's end, the effects of walking on sun-baked ground were beginning to tell.

The latest video in the series covering the Elephant Bear and Bull 100.

https://youtu.be/R3XBkvfo8i8

If you'd like to receive notifications when videos are published, ease subscribe to the LDWA YouTube account and click the bell notification icon.

More videos are being produced and will be available in the coming weeks.

The sun had blazed all day on the first quarter of the LDWA's annual 100-mile challenge - but the walkers and runners were just getting warmed up. The hard ground was beginning to tell as they marched through beautiful Worcestershire countryside.

Leg of the Elephant Bear and Bull 100 between Alvechurch and Tanworth-in-Arden.

https://youtu.be/p65FFfD5l6M

Intense heat and some surprisingly steep climbs meant walkers and runners had a tougher-than-expected time on the first day of the LDWA's 50th annual 100-mile challenge in 2023. But the scenery lifted spirits. Click the subscribe button and the bell notification to receive alerts as more footage is published.

Second in a series of videos relating to the Elephant Bear and Bull 100.

https://youtu.be/kgeY9VZm6W4

The starting bell rings, and several hundred walkers and runners briskly traverse south Birmingham parks and towpaths, aiming to complete 100 miles on foot in under 48 hours. Not so much like charging elephants... more like a mass migration, perhaps.

This is the first in a series of videos relating to EBB100.

https://youtu.be/M8Yfh_50qm8

Work is well in hand to ensure that videos from the EBB100 are presented to the membership, but there have been delays because life got in the way. One problem is that we shot so much good material - nearly 1,000 video clips - that it is taking a long time to wade through it.

Selecting what to use and what to leave out is proving tough - not all interviews will be used. The finished videos should go live much more quickly than those from the Trans-Pennine 100 and we would like to reassure people that we haven’t forgotten you; that videos of entrants will be published and we look forward to presenting footage that shows your amazing journey around the EBB100 route countryside.

In the meantime, here is a short video of Maria Drummond of Dorset LDWA Group and Deb Hayes of Surrey LDWA Group chatting at the final checkpoint

https://youtu.be/cgxIqvNm5EY?si=4Oqb-IAaWZL6THB_

and a video of the EBB marshals’ walk that was held one month earlier

https://youtu.be/-EnLtegAp1A

The marshals' video could not be edited and published at the time because Simon was working on the preview videos that were published before the main event to whet the appetite of entrants.

A first edit of 1,000 clips has now been completed and we are making decisions on what we can include. We have a couple more gems to come while editing continues.

Thank you Shirley, This has now been resolved, David Hood kindly found and returned the mug to me, for which I am very grateful.
Good luck with the cooking, I hope you enjoy the result.

I don't know if this has been resolved Alan, but if you send me the email I will forward it to the correct person [I am still slaving over a hot stove cooking the books]. As far as I know the Treasurer's address is still operating and I promise to respond.

What is the situation with lost proerty? I have tried Emailing the HQ and checkpoints team, but no reply, I wonder if the Email address is still valid or the team are taking a very well earned rest after such a brillianlty successful 100.

Well that is extremely civilised almost too civilized as they'll be absolutely no reason to stop walking if you think you can make it to the next check point.
I was imagining something like out of the 1980s terminator where no matter how hard you tried you couldn't get away from them.

Matthew, the sweepers will only retire you in exceptional circumstances, like you are unfit to continue or are so far behind schedule that you could not possibly make the time. Mostly they will walk with the last person, or will hang behind at a respectable distance if you wish that. In that situation I usually walk with them as they are all usually good craic and they remove the need for me to navigate.

Good luck.

Concerning 'The Sweeper' at what pace are they set - how do you know if you are getting close to being Swept away?

For example if you were to take all 48 hours to complete the 100 then the pace would be aproximately 2.1mph.

Kay - yes, these will be timed to fit in with all trains arriving there between 8.00-10.00am, so you should find one waiting when you get there.

Hi Graham - thanks for flagging this. I will try to get some more definite information out of the council, as it's a bit difficult to plan solely on the information that there might be one somewhere. As Andy points out, Broadgate is the largest open space in the city centre, so if a large crowd is going to gather anywhere it will probably be there - but it may well spill over into the surrounding streets as well.

Any news on the shuttle buses from Yardley Wood train station ?

Reasonable assumption is they will use the same route as they have used in the past.

Quick google finds 

https://www.ccfc.co.uk/news/2018/may/news-open-top-bus-parade-and-civic-reception-on-wednesday-for-the-sky-blues-promotion-winning-side/

Expect vast majority of fans will  be aiming for Broadgate, which the route is close to, but does not go through.

Assuming timings given in that story then vast majority of entrants will be through before supporters arrive.

One for the rules committee to keep an eye on - Coventry are planning a bus parade for Coventry City on Sunday. Most of the walkers will be around Coventry at that time.

https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/call-coventry-parade-sky-blues-26950234?int_source=nba

"No plans have been finalised yet but discussions were due to take place today, Friday, May 19. The council will need to work with police and the club on any plans, WHICH COULD INCLUDE ROAD CLOSURES on Sunday, May 28, the day after the game."

"A city-wide open top bus parade took place in 2018 to celebrate the team's promotion to League One and saw HUGE CROWDS turn out"

I've just seen a preview of the tracking screen for the main event, and can confirm that yes, there is the option of switching between km and miles. The link is here:

https://track.trail.live/event/ldwa-100-2023/

In the top left corner of the screen, to the right of "Participants", there is "km", the default selection. Click/tap on that and the option of "miles" also appears.

The LDWA's 50th annual 100-mile challenge event will take walkers through Shakespeare's Stratford and medieval Warwick and Coventry - where they will also encounter more recent history. JRR Tolkein gets a passing mention too. Simon Pipe shares some of the highlights of the route in part two of his preview of the event.

Don't forget to subscribe to the LDWA YouTube channel to receive updates when videos go live! There will be more produced during EBB100.

https://youtu.be/W5zSEql2Rwo

Alan - we have raised the point about miles vs km with the tracker provider. I think he intends to introduce the option of switching to miles at some point, but I can't guarantee that it will be in time for the main event.

Matthew - all of them have toilets. CP1 Northfield is primarily outside because there isn't space for everyone inside, but you will still be able to go in to use the toilet if you need. Only the breakfast stop (CP10 Kenilworth) has showers.

Yumi - the rule of thumb with kit is that the breakfast bag should be for non-essential items only (in case one goes missing). If your phone requires two power banks in order to last 48 hours, you should carry both with you from the start, although if you've used one up by the time you reach the breakfast stop you can leave it in your bag.

This is the first of two wonderfully produced videos that Simon Pipe has made in advance of Elephant Bear and Bull 100 mile challenge walk.

The LDWA's 50th annual 100-mile challenge walk in late May 2023 is an historic event - so it's appropriate that it passes through an area with a rich heritage. In part one of his preview of the route, Simon Pipe and fellow walkers travel from Birmingham to Stratford, learning about the area's history on the way.

https://youtu.be/J2wAsYcPOH0

Part 2 will follow tomorrow.

How can I find out which check points don't have toilets. Also after CP 5 which check points could potentially could have a shower?

I quite liked ‘incontinence'. It somehow rang true to the whole experience of participating in the. 100!

Oopps... Last post should read inconvenience and not incontinence (I love spell checker)

Like many, I watched with interest the progress of the participants on the Marshals Walk. Well done to you all. The point I would like to make is why was all the distances given in metric and not imperial measurements, after all the EBB 100 refers to a hundred miles not kilometres. To work out the milage distances of the walkers we had to try to convert km to miles, which after all is how most of us still work out distances. Would it be possible for walkers on the main event to have their progress recorded in miles and not kilometres so supporters are spared the incontinence of trying to work out how many miles they have completed.

Thank you Shirley best of luck on the walk

The tracker link is:
https://track.trail.live/event/ldwa-100-marshall

The spelling would appear to be an Si special!

In answer to the last 2 questions:
Simon that is the general idea - if you miss a clip it alerts people at HQ that you might be off track, they can then check whether you have just missed it or appear to be in a car heading to Scotland!

Richard there will be an opportunity to track the entrants on the Marshals event from the start at 10.00am - I will post the link up here tomorrow.

I think what work has been do host this years hundred especially as not a ldwa group but individual people is commendable as I would like to follow the marshals on their travels will we know in advance who is on the walk

Presumably if someone failed to register as having passed through the clip point because, say, they'd missed it by a few feet, organisers would then be able to look at their track to see whether they had been broadly on track?

Thank you Shirley

Virtual clipping replaces actual self clips. The trackers pick up when you pass the virtual clip point and it saves people from having to get out their card and clip it themselves [possibly having to queue to do so]. It also removes the chance of someone removing the clip and saves the organisers having to put them out and collect them afterwards. HQ will be able to see when people pass through the VC point and will highlight anyone who, for whatever reason, misses that point. We are using the system due to the large number of self clips that would be required to prevent entrants taking short-cuts on the route.

Can I ask what virtual clipping is and how it works please.

Leggings are fine Matthew

Are full length leggings considered trousers when used in addition if waterproof over trousers?

Thank-you both.

Hi Laura - The 100 rules have always required waterproof trousers AND other trousers if shorts worn.
Hope this helps you in addition to Shirley's update.

If you are wearing long trousers you do not need an additional pair, just waterproof over trousers. I am assuming when you say you are wearing 'Ron Hills' you mean long trousers [not shoes, socks etc!]. If you are wearing shorts you need, in addition, both long trousers AND waterproof over-trousers. You need to look at the kit list for every 100 as if you had never seen one before, they can differ - often based on experiences from a previous event

I've compared it to the kit list for the Transpennine 100, and this is a new requirement. The TP list stated "Waterproof Jacket and either Waterproof trousers or Waterproof over-trousers. An additional upper body layer to be worn or carried e.g. Long-sleeved Base Layer or Fleece.". There was no mention of an additional full leg cover.

Please can I clarify the leg covering requirement? The EBB100 rules state: "Additional substantial full leg cover if you have waterproof over-trousers." I usually wear shorts, but as I'll be doing the Marshals' event this time, it will be cooler, so if I'm wearing Ronhills, does that mean I need an additional pair as well as the waterproof over-trousers?

EBB 100 2023 is now open for entries. The Main Event can be entered via SI entries, for those of you wanting to do the Marshals event the entry process is detailed on the EBB website, look under 'How to Enter' [surprisingly enough!].
Go on - you know you want to..............................

The outline map is now on the event website - https://ldwa.org.uk/2023Hundred/W/8592/route.html

A more detailed version will be added in due course.

Yes, lots of information will be added to the website shortly.

I have seen a printed flyer for EBB showing a route outline and Start/Finish.
Could this be added to web page?

Hi,
Is there an overall map showing the EBB 100 route?, don't seem to be able to find one on the site.
Paul