Kodaikanal Hills Ultra - Jan 27, 2018 - Announcement

[Peter Van Geit]

CTC is proud to bring the running community a new Ultra / Hill run in the scenic Palani hills near the princess of hill stations Kodaikanal. At 2000m altitude the runners will experience running bliss in the clouds through scenic tribal routes and trails, shola and pine forests with mesmerizing views on step plantations and lush green valleys. This UTMB qualifier includes categories for everyone: 120K, 80K, 60K, 30K, 13K. Reserve the date! Registrations will open next month. Details below.

Event Summary

• Event: Kodaikanal Hills Ultra
  
• Date: Sunday, Jan 27th, 2018
  
• Categories:
  

Category	Elevation Gain	Cut-off	Entry Criteria	Start	Finish	Fees	ITRA / UTMB
120K	3300m	25 hours	42K finisher in 6 hours	3:00 AM	4:00 AM	1900 Rs	5
80K	2200m	16 hours	42K finisher in 6 hours	3:00 AM	7:00 PM	1500Rs	4
60K	1800m	11 hours	42K finisher in 6 hours	3:00 AM	2:00 PM	1300 Rs	TBD
30K	900m	5 hours	None	6:00 AM	11:00 AM	800 Rs	0
13K	300m	3 hours	None	6:30 AM	9:30 AM	500 Rs	0

• Organizers: Chennai Trekking Club and Rotary Club of Kodaikanal
  
• Venue: Kodaikanal, India
  
• Regs closing - Dec 1st or max. headcount
  
• Objective: non-profit event to create awareness on hill / trail / ultra running
  
• Associated Cause: sanitation girl children Poombarai / Kodai government schools

Location

Kodaikanal is a city in the hills of the Dindigul district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. Its name in the Tamil language means "The Gift of the Forest". Kodai is commonly referred to as the "Princess of Hill stations" and has a long history as a retreat and popular tourist destination.

The Kodai Hills Ultra is the third Ultra Trail run (after Chennai Trail Marathon and Jawadhu Hills Ultra) organized by the Chennai Trekking Club in association with Rotary Club of Kodaikanal to inspire more city road runners into ultra / trail / hill running. 

Travel

• Kodaikanal is well connected through:
• Tamilnadu - overnight buses from many cities
• India - Airport (Madurai) + bus to Kodai
• India - Train (Dindigul - train code DG) + bus to Kodai
• International - Chennai Airport - Local flight to Madurai + bus to Kodai

Stay

• Start/Finish venue for the race is St. Peters International School, Kodaikanal
  
• Free stay in open room at the school
• Camping:  bring your own tent to camp on school grounds
• Kodaikanal has many hotels to stay

Running Route

• Route: 120K unique loop through the Palani Hill Range. Shorter sub-loop for smaller distances.
  
• Terrain: lush green forest, step plantations, remote villages
  
• Surface: partly peaceful remote road sections, partly hard trail
  
• Aid Stations: every 5K (13K, 30K), 10K / (60/80/120K)
  
• Altitude: 1500-2200 meters
  
• Climate: 10-15 degrees (Night / Morning / Evening), 25-30 degrees (Mid-day)
  

Elevation Profile

Note - Elevation profile for the 120K running route. Smaller distances will be a sub-part of this route.

Mandatory Requirements (120/80/60K)

Runners should meet below requirements:
Have completed full marathon (42K) successfully in last 2 years within 6 hours
Disclaimer form to be signed. Can be downloaded from web site after registration
• Hydration set (Camelback type or belt pouch with minimum capacity of 1 litre - 10K distance between aid stations)
• Headlamp (80/120K)
• Cap/bandana to protect yourself from the sun
• Mobile phone with the registered number
• Runners to carry GPS log of running route in their smartphone. Can be downloaded from web site after registration

Recommended Gears (all categories)

• Sunglasses
• Proper running shoes due to rocky terrain
• Snacks to consume during the race
• Salt caps or ORS to prevent cramps

Refreshments

• Aid Stations: water, lemon, salt, banana, orange, ORS, chicies + sandwiches for 60/80/120K runners
  
• Breakfast: South Indian buffet breakfast at finish (13/30K) or lunch (60K) or dinner/breakfast (80/120K)
  
• Coupons: Friday dinner / Saturday lunch / Saturday dinner at St. Peter's International School - coupons available for runners/friends/relatives (100Rs). Separate form to be submitted after registration
  

BIB Distribution

• Venue: St. Peters International School, Kodaikanal
  
• Friday: 4-10pm
  
• Timing chip: attached with the bib
  
• T-shirt: optional (400Rs)
  

Finisher

• No Podiums / No Prize money
  
• KHU18 Medal (if finished within cut-off timing)
  
• Timings: posted on web site 1-2 days (manual timings) / Submitted to ITRA
  
• Photos: running route + finisher podium: extensive free photo coverage posted 1-2 days
  

Associated Cause

In-house Sanitation Facilities for Poombarai village and Kodaikanal town government school. Poombarai School which have more than 500 students and only 2 restrooms in the open. We are doing this project especially for the girl children in the village who find it difficult to attend school.

About Chennai Trekking Club

• About: Chennai Trekking Club is a non-profit volunteer based community which organizes outdoors, sports and environmental conservation events throughout the year. With 40 thousand members and hundreds of events each year CTC is one of the largest and most active groups in India. More than 300 news articles appeared in the media.
• Web site: www.chennaitrekkers.org
• Facebook: Chennai Trekking Club
• Media: In the news
• Queries: info@chennaitrekkers.org

Annual Events - chennaitrekkers.org/annual-events/

• Kodaikanal Hills Ultra - Jan
• Chennai Coastal Cleanup - June
  
• Chennai Triathlon - July
• Jawadhu Hills Ultra - Aug
• Annual Green Day - Aug
• Chennai Trail Marathon - Sep
• Chennai Swimathon - Oct
• Chennai Iron Triathlon - Dec

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Peter Van Geit
Life starts at the end of our comfort zone

www.chennaitrekkers.org

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