Santiago to Finisterre (90km) in one day

[Meloctavia]

Hello,

Just wanted to share that last Tuesday (22.5) me, my sister and her baby walked from Santiago to Finisterre in just one day (18 hours to be exact). So for anyone that was wondering about it before, yes it is possible.. We had really enjoyed our long walks on the camino and just wanted to see how far we could go on our last day. It was truly an amazing experience for us..

I was wondering if anyone else has also done it? I would love to hear about your experiences!

 

[peregrina2000]

Well I’ve never done this and probably never will but I would love to hear about how it went for you. 18 hours for 88 km is about 5 km an hour! Wow.

 

[Vacajoe]

I’m impressed that you and your sister did that, but what’s really amazing is that the baby walked all that way!!!!!

 

[C clearly]

I’m impressed that you and your sister did that, but what’s really amazing is that the baby walked all that way!!!!!

Exactly my thoughts! I was wondering how old the baby was.

 

[Vacajoe]

His little booties must be completely worn through...

 

[t2andreo]

To each his or her own... I can't see the purpose, but...whatever.

Just BTW, there is a purpose to accomplishing a Camino as a forced march. But it depends on your circumstances...read on...

in April, the Galician Brigade (Airmobile) VII of the Spanish Army held it's annual 120 km training march. This is a nonstop forced march, with full gear and weapons. The US Army and Marines, as well as other nations, have similar events as part of their basic or infantry training. In each instance, the troops must march day and night, with only infrequent rest stops, without sleep or sit down meals, to reach their objective. In some cases, they must perform military exercises or physical training regimens along the way to further test conditioning and preparedness.

For our friends in the Brigada Galicia, this year they followed a rambling course that eventually followed the Camino Portuguese from Tui for the final 100 +/- km. As a result, these soldiers were awarded Compostelas.

I happened to be there as they finished. There were broken bones rapidly splinted on the move, soldiers carrying other soldier's rucksacks and gear, and not a little limping. But they made it as an effective fighting unit...which was the entire purpose.

That day, and the following, they attended the noon pilgrim Mass, where they received the approbation of the congregation. After Mass, a ceremony was held in the Plaza Obradoiro, and awards were given to those soldiers who were doing this for the first time. I believe there were also promotions handed out to some eligible soldiers as well. It was quite the event.

You can read more about this historic military organization here:

https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brigada_«Galicia»_VII

OR here:

http://www.ejercito.mde.es/unidades/Pontevedra/brilat/

AND HERE...is the account of the training "race" discussed above... It was NOT a walk in the park...

http://www.ejercito.mde.es/unidades/Pontevedra/brilat/Noticias/2018/Tui_Santiago.html

Hope this all entertains and informs...

PS...the soldiers covered more distance faster than the OP... just sayin...

 

[Mournes]

To each his or her own... I can't see the purpose, but...whatever.

Just BTW, there is a purpose to accomplishing a Camino as a forced march. But it depends on your circumstances...read on...

in April, the Galician Brigade (Airmobile) VII of the Spanish Army held it's annual 120 km training march. This is a nonstop forced march, with full gear and weapons. The US Army and Marines, as well as other nations, have similar events as part of their basic or infantry training. In each instance, the troops must march day and night, with only infrequent rest stops, without sleep or sit down meals, to reach their objective. In some cases, they mush perform military exercises or physical training regimens along the way to further test conditioning and preparedness.

For our friends in the Brigada Galicia, this year they followed a rambling course that eventually followed the Camino Portuguese from Tui for the final 100 +/- km. As a result, these soldiers were awarded Compostelas.

I happened to be there as they finished. There were broken bones rapidly splinted on the move, soldiers carrying other soldier's rucksacks and gear, and not a little limping. But they made it as an effective fighting unit...which was the entire purpose.

That day, and the following, they attended the noon pilgrim Mass, where they received the approbation of the congregation. After Mass, a ceremony was held in the Plaza Obradoiro, and awards were given to those soldiers who were doing this for the first time. I believe there were also promotions handed out to some eligible soldiers as well. It was quite the event.

You can read more about this historic military organization here:

https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brigada_«Galicia»_VII

OR here:

http://www.ejercito.mde.es/unidades/Pontevedra/brilat/

AND HERE...is the account of the training "race" discussed above... It was NOT a walk in the park...

http://www.ejercito.mde.es/unidades/Pontevedra/brilat/Noticias/2018/Tui_Santiago.html

Hope this all entertains and informs...

PS...the soldiers covered more distance faster than the OP... just sayin...

t2andreo,I want to give you a like but when I hit the like button it shows my forum name as you when it is Mournes.How can I correct this.

 

[trecile]

t2andreo,I want to give you a like but when I hit the like button it shows my forum name as you when it is Mournes.How can I correct this.

It always shows as "you" when you like something, but only when you are logged into your account. It will show for others as "Mournes".

 

[Meloctavia]

I’m impressed that you and your sister did that, but what’s really amazing is that the baby walked all that way!!!!!

Haha, we obviously had a stroller for the baby. The baby (16 months old) did walk about 2km and my sister carried her for about 20km

 

[jsalt]

I happened to be there as they finished.

If only I'd known you were there, Tom, as I was too! The time on the photo I took was 10:35 on 26 April. I wondered what was going on!

[Apologies to OP for continuing the hijack of your thread.]

Jill

 

[Meloctavia]

To each his or her own... I can't see the purpose, but...whatever.

Just BTW, there is a purpose to accomplishing a Camino as a forced march. But it depends on your circumstances...read on...

in April, the Galician Brigade (Airmobile) VII of the Spanish Army held it's annual 120 km training march. This is a nonstop forced march, with full gear and weapons. The US Army and Marines, as well as other nations, have similar events as part of their basic or infantry training. In each instance, the troops must march day and night, with only infrequent rest stops, without sleep or sit down meals, to reach their objective. In some cases, they mush perform military exercises or physical training regimens along the way to further test conditioning and preparedness.

For our friends in the Brigada Galicia, this year they followed a rambling course that eventually followed the Camino Portuguese from Tui for the final 100 +/- km. As a result, these soldiers were awarded Compostelas.

I happened to be there as they finished. There were broken bones rapidly splinted on the move, soldiers carrying other soldier's rucksacks and gear, and not a little limping. But they made it as an effective fighting unit...which was the entire purpose.

That day, and the following, they attended the noon pilgrim Mass, where they received the approbation of the congregation. After Mass, a ceremony was held in the Plaza Obradoiro, and awards were given to those soldiers who were doing this for the first time. I believe there were also promotions handed out to some eligible soldiers as well. It was quite the event.

You can read more about this historic military organization here:

https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brigada_«Galicia»_VII

OR here:

http://www.ejercito.mde.es/unidades/Pontevedra/brilat/

AND HERE...is the account of the training "race" discussed above... It was NOT a walk in the park...

http://www.ejercito.mde.es/unidades/Pontevedra/brilat/Noticias/2018/Tui_Santiago.html

Hope this all entertains and informs...

PS...the soldiers covered more distance faster than the OP... just sayin...

Thank you for sharing the story! However that did not sound any fun at all!

For us it wasn't at all about racing but experiencing a truly amazing walk together.. We just enjoyed the camino.. Had some deep talks.. Long silences.. Sang some beautiful songs, got to enjoy both the sunrise and the sunset... Such a special day we will never forget!

 

[RJM]

To each his or her own... I can't see the purpose, but...whatever.

Just BTW, there is a purpose to accomplishing a Camino as a forced march. But it depends on your circumstances...read on...

in April, the Galician Brigade (Airmobile) VII of the Spanish Army held it's annual 120 km training march. This is a nonstop forced march, with full gear and weapons. The US Army and Marines, as well as other nations, have similar events as part of their basic or infantry training. In each instance, the troops must march day and night, with only infrequent rest stops, without sleep or sit down meals, to reach their objective. In some cases, they mush perform military exercises or physical training regimens along the way to further test conditioning and preparedness.

For our friends in the Brigada Galicia, this year they followed a rambling course that eventually followed the Camino Portuguese from Tui for the final 100 +/- km. As a result, these soldiers were awarded Compostelas.

I happened to be there as they finished. There were broken bones rapidly splinted on the move, soldiers carrying other soldier's rucksacks and gear, and not a little limping. But they made it as an effective fighting unit...which was the entire purpose.

That day, and the following, they attended the noon pilgrim Mass, where they received the approbation of the congregation. After Mass, a ceremony was held in the Plaza Obradoiro, and awards were given to those soldiers who were doing this for the first time. I believe there were also promotions handed out to some eligible soldiers as well. It was quite the event.

You can read more about this historic military organization here:

https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brigada_«Galicia»_VII

OR here:

http://www.ejercito.mde.es/unidades/Pontevedra/brilat/

AND HERE...is the account of the training "race" discussed above... It was NOT a walk in the park...

http://www.ejercito.mde.es/unidades/Pontevedra/brilat/Noticias/2018/Tui_Santiago.html

Hope this all entertains and informs...

PS...the soldiers covered more distance faster than the OP... just sayin...

That is very cool. I would have loved to see them entering Santiago. Almost makes me want to throw on a ruck and go on a long hump...almost, lol.

 

[Meloctavia]

Well I’ve never done this and probably never will but I would love to hear about how it went for you. 18 hours for 88 km is about 5 km an hour! Wow.

We didn't originally plan on doing the camino in just one day, we had reserved two days for it.. However after 30km in we were enjoying the walk so much that we decided to just go for the whole way and see what happens!

We left Santiago at 5am and arrived at Finisterre at 23pm. It was truly amazing to experience both the sunrise and the sunset on the way. We stopped at around half way for an hour lunch break so that the baby could play and we could have some rest. We continued having a small break every two hours or so to change dry socks. Sometimes the baby didn't want to sit any longer in the stroller so we let her walk until she got tired again.. My sister also breastfed the baby while walking so that we would make it to Finisterre before midnight.

The only reason we had to arrive in the city before night was so that we would get into a hostel. The hostel we stayed at was super lovely and agreed to let us in after hours.. Without the baby pilgrim it wouldn't have been a problem for us to sleep at the beach though..

It came us as a surprise that there were really no stores on the way (we didn't come across any at least). We finished all the snacks we had and wished we had had a little bit more sugary snacks and water with us. Everything went great however, no pain or discomfort.. Just got a couple of blisters but I guess it was inevitable

 

[SabsP]

Thank you for sharing the story! However that did not sound any fun at all!

For us it wasn't at all about racing but experiencing a truly amazing walk together.. We just enjoyed the camino.. Had some deep talks.. Long silences.. Sang some beautiful songs, got to enjoy both the sunrise and the sunset... Such a special day we will never forget!

Good for you...the silences...the songs and the talks...18 hours that will never be taken away from you.
I can understand being in " that flow "..I remember when one summer evening I met up with an old friend at 4 in afternoon and we stayed chatting till 3 in the morning.

 

[Rad]

Good on ya. Haven't done it, but unlike some, I get it. You have to be a fellow Type A to get it. This is my last day. How far can I go. Yes, I get it.

 

[Aurigny]

That's extraordinarily impressive. The longest I've ever done (with an 8 kg pack) is 65 km. That started at 05:00 and ended at 22:00, with two one-hour breaks en route. Somewhat to my surprise, I felt less shattered at the end than I expected to be. But covering 90 km in eighteen hours? I suppose I might be able to do it if I ditched the pack, and if my wife's or child's life depended on it. But maybe not.

Tough guys, and girls, come in surprising and unexpected guises. Your sister most emphatically belongs within that category.

 

[GraemeHall]

We didn't originally plan on doing the camino in just one day, we had reserved two days for it.. However after 30km in we were enjoying the walk so much that we decided to just go for the whole way and see what happens!

We left Santiago at 5am and arrived at Finisterre at 23pm. It was truly amazing to experience both the sunrise and the sunset on the way. We stopped at around half way for an hour lunch break so that the baby could play and we could have some rest. We continued having a small break every two hours or so to change dry socks. Sometimes the baby didn't want to sit any longer in the stroller so we let her walk until she got tired again.. My sister also breastfed the baby while walking so that we would make it to Finisterre before midnight.

The only reason we had to arrive in the city before night was so that we would get into a hostel. The hostel we stayed at was super lovely and agreed to let us in after hours.. Without the baby pilgrim it wouldn't have been a problem for us to sleep at the beach though..

It came us as a surprise that there were really no stores on the way (we didn't come across any at least). We finished all the snacks we had and wishedb we had had a little bit more sugary snacks and water with us. Everything went great however, no pain or discomfort.. Just got a couple of blisters but I guess it was inevitable

You said you didn't set out to do the camino in one day. So by walking from Santiago to Finisterre you have "done the Camino"? Ok.

 

[Tincatinker]

@GraemeHall, it's alway a good idea to read the first post in a thread. The OP had already enjoyed their "long" walk on the Camino before their long walk to Finisterre. Ok?

 

[Mournes]

It always shows as "you" when you like something, but only when you are logged into your account. It will show for others as "Mournes".

Trecile,thank you.

 

[t2andreo]

t2andreo,I want to give you a like but when I hit the like button it shows my forum name as you when it is Mournes.How can I correct this.

I am clueless. This is something I suspect you need to contact Ivar about. Send him a private conversation.

 

[Mournes]

I am clueless. This is something I suspect you need to contact Ivar about. Send him a private conversation.

Have done..Trecile responded to me and all is clear now.Thanks

 

[domigee]

Hello,

Just wanted to share that last Tuesday (22.5) me, my sister and her baby walked from Santiago to Finisterre in just one day (18 hours to be exact). So for anyone that was wondering about it before, yes it is possible.. We had really enjoyed our long walks on the camino and just wanted to see how far we could go on our last day. It was truly an amazing experience for us..

I was wondering if anyone else has also done it? I would love to hear about your experiences!

Wow, I am sharing in your accomplishment! Well done!
I felt that elation the first year I walked it, didn't want (and didn't need) to stop. I did it in two days.
You went one step further and I am in awe! Congratulations.
Ps: and with a baby, too!!! As a mother of four, I am astounded!

 

[GraemeHall]

@GraemeHall, it's alway a good idea to read the first post in a thread. The OP had already enjoyed their "long" walk on the Camino before their long walk to Finisterre. Ok?

Sorry if my comment upset anyone. Of course, I did read the initial post, and all the subsequent comments and replies. I fact the OP's "signature block" says they have walked part of the Frances, 280km, and Santiago - Finisterre. But they also said they didn't set out to walk the camino in one day - I was making a little comment about that and trying to be a bit tongue-in-cheek. It obviously fell flat. Again - sorry if I was out of line.

 

[Thornley]

18 hours for 88 km is about 5 km an hour! Wow.

With stops for breast feeding , small breaks for rest and allowing 1km per hour for baby [walkied 2 hours] they must have walked around 7km per hour.
Bags must have been in stroller?

 

[Thornley]

We left Santiago at 5am

How far did you get before sunrise ?

 

[SabsP]

With stops for breast feeding , small breaks for rest and allowing 1km per hour for baby [walkied 2 hours] they must have walked around 7km per hour.
Bags must have been in stroller?

A mother can breastfeed and walk at same time! Like said in earlier post!!!

 

[domigee]

It came us as a surprise that there were really no stores on the way (we didn't come across any at least).

Just noticed that... If you ever do it again (!) or for anyone else’s information: there are shops in Cee (and cafes etc...).

 

[trecile]

Just noticed that... If you ever do it again (!) or for anyone else’s information: there are shops in Cee (and cafes etc...).

Yeah, I thought that was odd that they didn't see any shops. There are certainly a lot of shops in Negreira.

 

[domigee]

Yeah, I thought that was odd that they didn't see any shops. There are certainly a lot of shops in Negreira.

Yes, absolutely right, I had forgotten about Negreira....

 

[Thornley]

A mother can breastfeed and walk at same time! Like said in earlier post!!!

Not at 5km per hour minimum Sabine

 

[Thornley]

Yeah, I thought that was odd that they didn't see any shops. There are certainly a lot of shops in Negreira.

Lets allow for 5km per hour otherwise its impossible;
Sunrise @ 7.00am
1/ OP commenced @ 5am, in Negreira [ 22km] @ 9am or a fraction later because of darkness , shops everywhere.
2/ Another 19km to Maranos , its now 1pm , and the place with their restaurant would be full.
Forget Olveiroa where there are places for food.
3/ Another 18km @ Logoso , its now 5pm and albergue with meals available , cafe attached.
4/ Another 15km @ Cee , latest is 8pm however could see OP missing as you tend to bypass facilities.
5/ Another 16km to Finisterre , now 11pm and maybe a few things open .

You won't go hungry on this path and impossible to miss shops.

 

[John O'Connell]

Hello,

Just wanted to share that last Tuesday (22.5) me, my sister and her baby walked from Santiago to Finisterre in just one day (18 hours to be exact). So for anyone that was wondering about it before, yes it is possible.. We had really enjoyed our long walks on the camino and just wanted to see how far we could go on our last day. It was truly an amazing experience for us..

I was wondering if anyone else has also done it? I would love to hear about your experiences!

Delighted I saw your post. I have very little time at the end of an upcoming section Astorga-Santiago but I should have a day or two so if my feet are in good shape I will keep going.

 

[hecate105]

Well done - it took me 2 days and i was on a bicycle!!

 

[Meloctavia]

With stops for breast feeding , small breaks for rest and allowing 1km per hour for baby [walkied 2 hours] they must have walked around 7km per hour.
Bags must have been in stroller?

The baby did not walk for 2 hours, probably more like 30 mins in total, which amounts to about 2km more or less. I wouldn't know for sure because she walked maybe 4 times in total. I carried my 8-9kg backpack all the way but whenever my sister would carry the baby she would put her backpack in the stroller and we would take turns pushing it or push it together up the hills My sister and I are pretty fast walkers in general.

 

[Meloctavia]

Just noticed that... If you ever do it again (!) or for anyone else’s information: there are shops in Cee (and cafes etc...).

We only walked on the camino path and just assumed we would ecounter some shops on the way but perhaps we should've gone off it a bit to find a store? We did see some cafés on the way but it's quite hard to find anything for me from cafés as a vegan so we we're hoping to find some stores.. I guess we should've looked a bit harder!

 

[Meloctavia]

Lets allow for 5km per hour otherwise its impossible;
Sunrise @ 7.00am
1/ OP commenced @ 5am, in Negreira [ 22km] @ 9am or a fraction later because of darkness , shops everywhere.
2/ Another 19km to Maranos , its now 1pm , and the place with their restaurant would be full.
Forget Olveiroa where there are places for food.
3/ Another 18km @ Logoso , its now 5pm and albergue with meals available , cafe attached.
4/ Another 15km @ Cee , latest is 8pm however could see OP missing as you tend to bypass facilities.
5/ Another 16km to Finisterre , now 11pm and maybe a few things open .

You won't go hungry on this path and impossible to miss shops.

We were looking for a grocery store because we wanted to buy some snacks for the way. I didn't see any neither did my map show any.. It wasn't practical for us to stop at cafes or albergues because we'd have to wait to get served and the baby would usually wake up if we stopped. Also they usually don't offer that many options (if any) for me because I'm a vegan. We still had some snacks we knew we could survive on so we decided to keep on going rather than explore more the towns we passed.

 

[Meloctavia]

Delighted I saw your post. I have very little time at the end of an upcoming section Astorga-Santiago but I should have a day or two so if my feet are in good shape I will keep going.

YES! Let me know how it went for you. Just listen to your body and do whatever feels right!

 

[Meloctavia]

Not at 5km per hour minimum Sabine

You'd be surprised if you met my sister.. I could barely keep up with her even though she was breastfeeding. Her normal walking speed is 7km+/hour so breastfeeding 6km/hour isn't a problem for her.

 

[domigee]

We only walked on the camino path and just assumed we would ecounter some shops on the way but perhaps we should've gone off it a bit to find a store? We did see some cafés on the way but it's quite hard to find anything for me from cafés as a vegan so we we're hoping to find some stores.. I guess we should've looked a bit harder!

No, honestly, there were shops! On the camino.... But hey, you managed!

 

[domigee]

You'd be surprised if you met my sister.. I could barely keep up with her even though she was breastfeeding. Her normal walking speed is 7km+/hour so breastfeeding 6km/hour isn't a problem for her.

Good grief. I stand in awe Definitely in a different league!

 

[Meloctavia]

Wow, I am sharing in your accomplishment! Well done!
I felt that elation the first year I walked it, didn't want (and didn't need) to stop. I did it in two days.
You went one step further and I am in awe! Congratulations.
Ps: and with a baby, too!!! As a mother of four, I am astounded!

Thank you so much, domigee! Two days is also a great accomplishment! That's what we were planning on doing first as well. Why stop when you feel like continuing?

 

[Meloctavia]

Good grief. I stand in awe Definitely in a different league!

She is. I call her superwoman. To be completely honest.. Often (especially towards the end) she would hand me the leash that was attached to the stroller so that I could hang onto it while she was pushing it. So on top of the weight she was already carrying (her backpack, the stroller and the baby) she was also carrying some of my weight

 

[domigee]

She is. I call her superwoman. To be completely honest.. Often (especially towards the end) she would hand me the leash that was attached to the stroller so that I could hang onto it while she was pushing it. So on top of the weight she was already carrying (her backpack, the stroller and the baby) she was also carrying some of my weight

Tell you what, can I please walk with your sister on my next camino?

 

[CharlieWart]

Most interested to have just found this -- I ran the Via de la Plata from Ourense in one day on Thursday. With a couple of route mishaps, my GPS watch says I covered 114km. I'm no pilgrim I should say -- I'm an (ultra)marathon runner, and did it purely as a physical challenge, and wanted to fit it all in one day (including outward train travel) as I'm here on a family holiday. But I have great respect for anyone being able to do almost as much with a baby etc. (My legs are not yet recovered.) Brief story and video here:

http://www.wartnaby.org/running/camino/

As I was not doing any kind of spiritual pilgrimage, I certainly did not want the compostela, but did want to buy the certificate of distance as a souvenir of what was a very big adventure for me. But I was told that didn't apply as I did it in only one day! Never mind, I got the nice 'welcome certificate', anyway. And it's not like the system was set up to provide souvenirs to ultra-runners...

 

[KinkyOne]

We only walked on the camino path and just assumed we would ecounter some shops on the way but perhaps we should've gone off it a bit to find a store? We did see some cafés on the way but it's quite hard to find anything for me from cafés as a vegan so we we're hoping to find some stores.. I guess we should've looked a bit harder!

Amazing achievement what you three have done.
But not seeing (while walking right past them ON the Camino) the:
- supermercado in Negreira (on the upper side of that long kinda sqaure),
- small shop in a bar in Zas (on the left before you cross to the right over the main road)
- small shop entering Vilaserio (first house just couple of meters after you veer from the tarmac road to the left and descend to the village),
- bakery in Santa Marina (on the main road between first and second bar which is also the second albergue there),
- two small shops in two bars in Olveiroa (maybe 10 meters off the Camino to the right),
- Carrefour supermarket in Cee (approx.100mts from Camino),
- small shops also in Corcubion and Sardineiro on the Camino.

I guess you were so much into walking you didn't noticed all those

 

[Thornley]

I guess you were so much into walking you didn't noticed all those

Mary had a little lamb

 

[KinkyOne]

Mary had a little lamb

Sorry, not being a native English speaker I don't understand what that means...
Trolling?

 

[jsalt]

Sorry, not being a native English speaker I don't understand what that means...

Mary had a little lamb, it’s fleece was black as soot, and in Mary’s bread and jam, his sooty foot he put.

Sorry, couldn’t resist .

Here is the true story (about distraction):

https://allnurseryrhymes.com/mary-had-a-little-lamb/

Jill

 

[Meloctavia]

Well we did it, we loved it and it was ah-mazing! Such a remarkable day and a beautiful experience we'll never forget. Would recommend trying out longer distances to anyone wanting to challenge themselves a bit more. Just make sure you listen to your body, everybody has their own limits!

 

[Jacob pilgrim]

This is fantastic, I'm going to attempt it tommorow morning! Certainly not with a baby gonna bring three pairs of shoes and a lot more socks!!

 

[Jacob pilgrim]

Most interested to have just found this -- I ran the Via de la Plata from Ourense in one day on Thursday. With a couple of route mishaps, my GPS watch says I covered 114km. I'm no pilgrim I should say -- I'm an (ultra)marathon runner, and did it purely as a physical challenge, and wanted to fit it all in one day (including outward train travel) as I'm here on a family holiday. But I have great respect for anyone being able to do almost as much with a baby etc. (My legs are not yet recovered.) Brief story and video here:

http://www.wartnaby.org/running/camino/

As I was not doing any kind of spiritual pilgrimage, I certainly did not want the compostela, but did want to buy the certificate of distance as a souvenir of what was a very big adventure for me. But I was told that didn't apply as I did it in only one day! Never mind, I got the nice 'welcome certificate', anyway. And it's not like the system was set up to provide souvenirs to ultra-runners...

Nice!! I've never run an ultra, but have read Scott Jurek's eat and run and Born to run! Good going as must have been fairly hilly?
Gonna attempt the one day walk like these crazy chaps tommorow!

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

Gonna attempt the one day walk like these crazy chaps tommorow!

Buen camino and good luck. Bring or buy extra batteries.

 

[CharlieWart]

Good going as must have been fairly hilly?

The best of luck to you tomorrow! And yes, much hillier than I was expecting (even though I'd looked at the profile). I was seriously undertrained for the descents -- my quadriceps were in pieces for about the last 30 miles -- but not a day I will ever forget! Video here if you didn't see it and are curious:

 

[peregrina2000]

The best of luck to you tomorrow! And yes, much hillier than I was expecting (even though I'd looked at the profile). I was seriously undertrained for the descents -- my quadriceps were in pieces for about the last 30 miles -- but not a day I will ever forget! Video here if you didn't see it and are curious:

Very much loved your video. It’s absolutely not the way I would ever “do” a camino, but I understand the human urge to conquer the unknown, and I think your video is a wonderful tribute to that human spirit.

 

[Kanga]

I have no idea why they would not give you a distance certificate @CharlieWart - I've not seen any rules about having to take a specific number of days. I can understand why they would not issue a Compostela, but a distance certificate? Why not? The only thing I can surmise is that they did not believe you had actually done the whole thing by foot. I would think the videos and photos you took along the way would be good evidence.

 

[CharlieWart]

Thanks guys -- it was quite an adventure, for sure! I wasn't too worried about the distance certificate thing -- I was conscious that the system is set up for pilgrims, not athletes! -- but I guess it's down to the discretion of members of staff, and it was just something they hadn't encountered before. I should have kept quiet about having done it in one day, then I'd have been fine! (Though my first stamp from Ourense had the date.)