Gave it all I got out on the trail today. I ended up doing this loop counter-clockwise based on the advice of record holder Nigel. It seems like my course was nearly a mile less than Nigel's, though my course does match up to what is on the FKT site of 16.8. Besides that, this trail is generally well marked and the few mistakes i made were completely my fault lol. Great mix of rocks, flats, and riverside running. Conditions were excellent. No slips or sliding of any kind. It was a beautiful day to get out and do this loop. The 17 or so miles flew by, very pleasant.
I did bring 2 cliff bars, a gel, banana and 1200ml of water for fuel. Carried my car keys, and iphone 8 as well.I ended up barely drinking any of the water, not eating the cliff bar, gel or banana on the run. There was a spigot near the halfway point, but i had plenty of supply on hand so didn't grab any. Almost everything i carried was dead weight anyway.