It won't be an endurance ride any more, it'll be a 5* holiday!!!My meaning being it was all excellent in 2013 or I thought so.
I think one of the places the money is going is to pay staff to do some of the work (catering and cleaning were two of the areas I saw discussed I think) that was done by volunteers without pay last time. I volunteered in 2013, at 4 controls. I started on the Friday night in Loughton, helping getting ready for registration, headed north mid-morning on the Sunday and spent 3 days/nights (I think - it blurs) working split shifts and staffing the night kitchen at Barnie, then called in and stamped a few cards/cleared some tables in Pock, got comandeered to head evermore southwards and eventually threw in the towel, packed up and went home from Market Rasen early on the (presumably Thursday) morning having gone at that point about 36 hours without a nap. I did fall asleep on the platform as I was waiting for my train back north as the ride was heading off south towards the fenland hairdryer. I lost the best part of a stone in a week*.
I've yet to discover if the childcare gods will be smiling on me and whether I'll therefore be able to come back as a volunteer for this year. I think the organisers' intent is to make it a bit less of an endurance event for those that can!
*ETA - despite cankles to rival those of many of the riders!
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