2012 Event News

2 February 2012

A new name, a new sponsor! The Hoka OneOne Kep Ultra

 
I am really happy to announce the Kep Ultra has been sponsored by Hoka OneOne,  a move that sees the race name change to the “Hoka OneOne Kep Ultra”.

Hoka OneOne is a brand new type of running shoe, unique in its design and technology.  Just over two years old, Hoka OneOne is already getting rave reviews from world class ultra runners such as 100 Mile champion Karl Meltzer, as well as from a number of finishers of last December’s Coast to Kosciusko race. One reason Hoka OneOne are becoming so popular is because of the way they promote forefoot strike, but with cushioning that appeases the new style of runners.

I know one of the areas I suffer from in trail races, especially long ultras on gravel tracks such as Kep, is the soles of the my feet get very sore from constantly running on small rocks. After 60km or so it can become a real problem. I have had my Hokas for about a month now, and have found the extra thick cushioning really fixes this. In fact, rather than constantly try and find a smooth part of the track to run on, I now find I can keep running in a straight line and just about run over anything.

Because I was happy with the Hoka OneOne product, it made sense for me to approach Ian Thomas of Hoka OneOne Australia about supporting the race and I was thrilled when Ian contacted me to say Hoka OneOne would come to the party.

As part of the sponsorship Hoka OneOne will be providing pairs of Hokas as prizes for both Male and Female winners in the 100km and the 75km event.

For more information on Hoka OneOne, visit the website.

27 December 2011

Kep 2012 Kicks Into Gear

Christmas has been and gone, and for me that means it's time to start getting a little more serious about the 2012 Kep Ultra. Quite a bit of work has been started already, the website is pretty well up-to-date, and we have gone to all the authorities for the necessary race approvals. Three have come back already with their rubber stamp, which leaves just a couple more to come early in the new year. There have been a few changes in regards to this year's race, the major one being regarding the entry process, which has been designed to cope with the increase in interest in Kep since the 2011 event. 

One thing I wanted to share is that during the Kep "off season" there have been some amazing ultra performances from people who have run or volunteered at Kep Ultra events. The ones I know about include:

• Three times Kep Ultra runner Dave Kennedy won the silver medal when finishing second at the Commonwealth 24 Hour Championships.
• Bernadette Benson set a new end to end record on the Bibbulmun Track of 15 days, beating the previous record by almost a day.
• Rob Sutton finished the 240km Coast to Kosciusko race earlier this month
• Chris Watson finished the 245km Spartathlon race in Greece in October 
• Alice Robb finished the Ultraman World Championships in Hawaii in November.

Great effort by all these guys, congratulations! While these achievements are huge, I hope these elite performances don't put anyone off running Kep. Kep never has been, nor ever will be an event designed to attract elite runners. I started it so a few friends and I could run 100km, and as such is there for anyone who "wants to have a go".



Rob Donkersloot

New Entry Process

As I mentioned above, I am introducing a new entry process for Kep 2012 for the 50 available spots. The likelihood is we will just have a steady stream of entrants as in previous years, however I have noticed a lot of interest in Kep this year, there now being 220 people on the mailing list, with 70 registering their interest since this year's race. So there could be a chance things could go crazy on entry day, and I want to make sure it is fair to all. For this reason I have decided to introduce a ballot system...rather than make it a first in best dressed situation where it may end up being a race as to who can fill in their entry form the fastest. The new process is as follows: 

Entries will open in two phases. The first phase of entries will be restricted to those who have volunteered at a Kep Ultra event previously. The first phase entries will open at 12 Noon Western Standard Time on Sunday 19 February 2012, and close at Midnight, Friday 24 February. 

The second phase is for all other entrants. The second phase entry process will open at 12 Noon WST on Saturday 25 February 2012 where people can nominate to participate in the entry ballot. This nomination process closes at 12 Noon WST on Sunday 26 February. Once the ballot nomination process has closed, a ballot will take place where the remaining places in the field (50 places less the number of previous volunteers who have entered) will be randomly selected from those who entered ballot. 

Those who are successful in the ballot will receive an email with a link to the official entry form, and must enter the event by 12 Noon WST Tuesday 28 February. Should there be people who registered for the ballot, and have not been successful in securing a place in the ballot, they will be added to a waiting list.

Should there still be places available after the above process has been completed, a link will be made available on the website at 12 Noon WST on Wednesday 1 March, allowing people to directly enter the event. Links to the relevant race entry forms will be available on the Race Website on these dates.

Note that in addition to the 50 places, there will be a number of "Race Director's Invitees", comprising previous Kep winners and the like.

One other change for 2012 is that any cancellations up until 20 May will receive a refund of 50% of the entry fee. There are no refunds after 20 May.

Qualification Requirements

The qualification requirements remain unchanged. To qualify to enter either the 75km or 100km Kep Ultra events, in the three year period preceding May 20 2012, competitors will need to have either completed an official marathon in less than 4.5 hours, or finished an official ultra event (exceeding 42.2km) before the event's cut off time. Completion of other equivelant events such as an Ironman Triathlon will also be considered. Evidence of this may be required to be presented. Alternatively runners can qualify by running the 41km night time recon run held on 5 May from Mt Helena to Mundaring Weir in a time of 5 hours or less.


Volunteers Registration

One other new thing for 2012 is the volunteer's registration form on the website.  If you are interested in volunteering at the race this year, or know someone who can help out, please fill in the form here. And remember, volunteer in 2012, and you'll guarantee yourself a spot at Kep 2013.


Race Manual & Rules Released  

The 2012 Kep UItra Race Manual and Rules document has been released and can be downloaded here. If you are intending on running in the event, please read this document carefully.

Navigation notes will be released at least on month prior to race day.


Ron to Race Direct on Race Day

Two times Kep finisher Ron McGlinn has extremely kindly volunteered to take on the job of Race Director during the event on June 3 enabling me to run the 100km event. Ron will do a great job, and I am very happy to once again have the opportunity to take part in the event as a runner.  

Recon Runs

As in previous years, we will hold a number of recon run on the course leading up to race day. These are as follows:

Sunday 12 February: Mundaring Weir to Mt Helena and return, 28km 
Sunday 25 Marchl Northam to Wundowie, 34km.
Sunday 29 April: Wundowie to Mt Helena, 27km or Wundowie to Pechey Road 42km.
Saturday Night 5 May: Mt Helena to Mundaring Weir on 100km course, 41km (qualifying run)

More info on these closer to the day.

Kep Ultra on Facebook

The Kep Ultra now has a Facebook Group, join the group by clicking here. It's a great way to meet some other Kep Ultra people, organise a training run and keep up with the very latest of what is happening with race preperations and news. 

 

The Hoka OneOne Kep Ultra is proudly supported by: