[Sauron the White]

from William Cloud Hicklin

You ask for evidence- the evidence is that Gimli did it.

What that is evidence of is poor writing and lack of knowledge on the part of the author. It is very obvious that JRR Tolkien knew nothing of long distance running and it shows in this very example.

Is there evidence that Dwarves could do this feat other than Gimli? I see none and none has ever been presented when I asked for it.

I realize I am throwing stones through somebodys stained glass windows of the cathedral which gaurds the altar upon which they worship, BUT ... its evidence of poor research by Tolkien himself. You see good people, JRRT was human. He wrote one heck of a book - my personal favorite book for what that may be worth - but he was a human being and is such is human and flawed and can make mistakes. That does not make LOTR a bad book. Its still a great book. But its not divinely inspired and perfect.

from Quempel

Yet you refuse to acknowledge that dwarves have any ablities at all and assign to them human standards, when they are not human. Elves having special ablities is ok, dwarves no. Horses having special abilities is ok, dwarves no.

You are putting words into my mouth that I did not speak or write. Dwarves indeed have abilities. They are strong and sturdy and have endurance to work at backbreaking jobs when many men probably could not do so. They are fierce fighters when aroused and have amazing abilities with stone and rock. Yes indeedy they have some very wonderful abilities.

However, the ability to run 45 miles each day, and then repeat it for a second day and then a third day, all with no mentioned trained, all wearing heavy and cumbersome gear, and over varied terrain is not one of those abilities.


Shadowfax is not a mere horse. He is the best of a chosen breed of creatures created by the Valar in Valinor and exported to Middle-earth for very special purposes. He is not a mere horse.

I am supposing you have never seen a football lineman run 10 miles a day with full equipment on.

There are many things in this world I have not yet seen and that is one of them. So what? This is this. This is not something else. We were not discussing the abilities of football lineman to run ten miles in full uniform.