Ultra Trail Snowdonia

Anyone else got this new race on their radar for May 2018...?

It's organised by Michael Jones who I understand is a very good mountain ultra runner, won the Lakeland 100 and placed highly in lots of other stuff in the UK and abroad.

There's a 50 and 100 mile race. The 100 mile race includes approx 39000ft of ascent and no less than three visits to the summit of Snowdon, along with Moel Siabod, Carnedd Llewelyn, Glyder Fawr, Y Garn, Elidr Fawr, Moel Eilio, Moel Hebog, Cnicht, Lliwedd... 50 hour time limit. The 50 mile race is the 2nd half of the 100 mile race.

Looks an absolute beast. After a good year long-distance wise in 2017, I've taken the plunge and signed myself up for the 100 mile race.

In terms of stats it's basically 2 x 10 Peaks long course. Although the advantage of an early evening start means at least having a full bank of sleep to start with, instead of around 3 hours on the 10 Peaks, but obviously means running through the night (two nights actually in my case, should I make it that far).

There's no entry list as such that can be viewed at the moment, but I understand the entries will be capped at around 300 across both races. Whether they'll get that many entries due to the difficulty, and being a new race, I'm not sure, but I believe a good number have already entered.

To pricey for me £1 a mile is my limit, should make for a good day out and I will bear the route in mind when I am stuck for ideas of where to spend a weekend .
However good luck with it;)

All being well and if I can cope with the logistics I actually have a pretty long jaunt planed for next May, more of which next year if I think it is a goer.

Full sounds a very tough undertaking, but then who wants to just do a fun run?

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Originally Posted by Derby Tup

Full sounds a very tough undertaking, but then who wants to just do a fun run?

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Me please Miss!

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Originally Posted by Derby Tup

Full sounds a very tough undertaking, but then who wants to just do a fun run?

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Says the course is fully marked so for me the lack of the need to navigate would take away a lot of the fun.

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Originally Posted by JohnK

Says the course is fully marked so for me the lack of the need to navigate would take away a lot of the fun.

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I saw this, but certainly won't be taking it for granted. I'm no RO, but I fail to see how they can guarantee that a fully marked course over 100 miles, won't be tampered with over the course of 48 hours on a busy Snowdonia weekend...

I'd also prefer unmarked, but the physical challenge still remains quite considerable... (bit of an understatement!)

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Originally Posted by Travs

I saw this, but certainly won't be taking it for granted. I'm no RO, but I fail to see how they can guarantee that a fully marked course over 100 miles, won't be tampered with over the course of 48 hours on a busy Snowdonia weekend...

I'd also prefer unmarked, but the physical challenge still remains quite considerable... (bit of an understatement!)

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Wise move never take anything for granted in any race of any distance.

Hello all!

Just came on to the forum to talk about the race, but seems word is already out there about it so I'll just answer the above questions. Please feel free to look around on my site too or visit my Facebook page by searching UTSRACE.co.uk :)

Price: I'll admit not the cheapest race in the UK, but justified now I've added up all my costs. I'll probably still only break even in the first year as I have to buy a LOT of equipment to make this happen (course markers for example: £1500+).

Entries: I've taken 90 in nearly 5 weeks which is great and gives me some confidence that this will sell out as I'll be capping entries at 100/200 between the distances.

Course marking: Fully appreciate people preferring to race on an unmarked course, it'd certainly make my life a lot easier! But this isn't a nav race. I want it to be fair for everyone and do my best to eliminate local knowledge advantages etc. Think that's best left for Fellrunning IMO and there are other ultra races in the UK that are unmarked if that's your thing (Paddy Buckley Round too?). I hope to attract an international field in future and they're used to racing on marked courses. Also helps me in terms of competitor safety and event liability.

Markers: Quite right, I cannot guarantee markers won't get tampered with, so all competitors must carry map and compass as a backup, as well as possess the ability to use them, should they need to, due to the nature of some of the terrain the course covers. The markers are there to act as reassurance you're on the right track, more details on the matter are on the website!

It's basically the event I always wished for in the UK and with that amount of climbing is not to be taken lightly. I'm always open to feedback so if you've got any questions please feel free to email me directly: [email protected]

Hope some of you can make it!

Mike

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Originally Posted by APEXRUNNING.CO

Hello all!

Just came on to the forum to talk about the race, but seems word is already out there about it so I'll just answer the above questions. Please feel free to look around on my site too or visit my Facebook page by searching UTSRACE.co.uk :)

Price: I'll admit not the cheapest race in the UK, but justified now I've added up all my costs. I'll probably still only break even in the first year as I have to buy a LOT of equipment to make this happen (course markers for example: £1500+).

Entries: I've taken 90 in nearly 5 weeks which is great and gives me some confidence that this will sell out as I'll be capping entries at 100/200 between the distances.

Course marking: Fully appreciate people preferring to race on an unmarked course, it'd certainly make my life a lot easier! But this isn't a nav race. I want it to be fair for everyone and do my best to eliminate local knowledge advantages etc. Think that's best left for Fellrunning IMO and there are other ultra races in the UK that are unmarked if that's your thing (Paddy Buckley Round too?). I hope to attract an international field in future and they're used to racing on marked courses. Also helps me in terms of competitor safety and event liability.


Markers: Quite right, I cannot guarantee markers won't get tampered with, so all competitors must carry map and compass as a backup, as well as possess the ability to use them, should they need to, due to the nature of some of the terrain the course covers. The markers are there to act as reassurance you're on the right track, more details on the matter are on the website!

It's basically the event I always wished for in the UK and with that amount of climbing is not to be taken lightly. I'm always open to feedback so if you've got any questions please feel free to email me directly: [email protected]

Hope some of you can make it!

Mike

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Hi Mike I note you want to make the race fair for all competitors, however looking at your website I see you are allowing outside support this in my opinion can make for a very uneven playing field, by virtue of the fact that some competitors will be far more able to put together a slick support crew than others (eg a support crew using a camper van with full facilities compared to another support crew working with a flask out of the boot of a car, then of course there will be competitors that are unable to put a support crew together, obviously the competitor with the better support crew has an advantage over the others.

much fairer if all competitors have the same level of support.

Obviously this is my opinion and I am not looking to offend, but you said you welcome feed back.

However I wish you well with your venture

I'm entered in the 100 race. My view for this particular race is that support is not necessarily likely to increase a competitors chances. There are already something like 14 aid stations (what these aid stations may or may not entail I guess is tbc), but that averages out to some kind of support around about every 7 miles, so I can't really see the need/benefit of any extra support. Apart from the availability of a mobile dropbag, rather than just at the halfway point for those of us unsupported.

My personal view is that those people taking on this race without the "mountain sense" to carry plentiful supplies, along with the comprehensive kit list, are probably going to struggle to complete regardless of whether they have additional support.

In fact I've had two separate offers for additional support which I have declined, but said I'd more than welcome them to meet me out on the course with the odd chocolate bar and words of encouragement, but anything else is not needed.

However I understand the point you are making, and for a race such as the Spine Race, which obviously has huge distances between checkpoints/official support, I've always been of the opinion that allowing support was a little unfair, and am glad to see that the support option seems to have been removed.

I am by no means the most experienced ultra runner out there, and all of the above is solely my opinion (although hopefully based on some common sense.... after all I've been deemed competent and experienced enough to do this race...!)

Peter Eccleston
Coventry Godiva Harriers

Not likely able to make the event this year due to work but defo on the radar.

It is one hell of a brute and I think it will have a high DNF rate especially for the 100. It should be interesting to watch though :)

Update from moi.... I got me some time off work so off to have a pop at the 50... now I just have the small issue if the fellsman 2 weeks before and some hardcore recovery afterwards :D

It’s gonna be a slog but a fun one

Yes it's looming large on the horizon. 5 weeks now. Looking forward to it, and the challenge of running my own race and taking on some good runners. Give or take a few miles and few thousand feet, it's approx 1.5 Bob Graham's. So that gives me an idea on what sort of times to aim for (although whether I get that far is a massive question).

Well this has come round fast...!

Not sure if any other forumites are on this, with the exception of Willowisp above....?

Certainly some recognisable names on the 50 mile race, but i don't recognise anybody (except for myself!) on the 100

The off for us is 5pm tomorrow, and i think the 50 sets off at 5am Saturday.

Have no idea how it's going to go... it's a fact that i'm now running better than I've ever done before, but this really has no bearing on such a long race, other than confidence. I feel in a funny position where i'm ambituous and would like to finish well (and i have a target in mind), but at the same time, i'll be happy to just finish my first attempt at the distance.

I do think that if i do finish, then that will be enough to give me a top half finish, as i would imagine the drop out rate will be fairly high. Although knowing nothing of the other runners, i may be doing them a dis-service.... certainly a fair few of them from mainland Europe, and sponsored by big sportswear companies, so they're obviously not just coming over for a gentle trot round!

Ooh, fancy! I've only just come across this race, looks a cracker - some tough terrain as well as a massive amount of up and down .. enjoy ;) DNF rate will be interesting to see.

Have a fab race, hope you get some decent weather for it :)

Dis the 50 course yesterday. Was tremendous and without question a tough event. We had pretty much perfect weather - there is the potential for carnage in the event of mediocre conditions. The 100 started in incesant rain for the first 4 hours before nightfall - can't have been huge fun. I'd estimate there were approx 50 starters on the 100 and only about 10 finishers. The RO is already going about taking some of the edges off the course with a redesign for next year.
Was pleased with my race and visited a couple of new tops in Snowdonia

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Originally Posted by APEXRUNNING.CO

Hello all!
It's basically the event I always wished for in the UK and with that amount of climbing is not to be taken lightly. I'm always open to feedback so if you've got any questions please feel free to email me directly: [email protected]

Hope some of you can make it!

Mike

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The event you always wished for? I hope it fulfilled your wishes. I did the 50 and I honestly don't think it could have been done any better.

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Originally Posted by JohnK

Says the course is fully marked so for me the lack of the need to navigate would take away a lot of the fun.

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Some issues never go away - such as the navigation v marked course issue. In reality they are not comparable. A marked course means that everyone is tested against exactly the same course. It becomes a physical test - a pure race.
A fell race requiring navigation tests a different set of skills - though I don't think I have actually ever seen anyone navigating in a fell race.
A mountain marathon tests a different set of skills again.
Some formats definitely test a wider range of skills, though I'm not sue this makes them betteror more or less fun.

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Originally Posted by MarkL

Some issues never go away - such as the navigation v marked course issue. In reality they are not comparable. A marked course means that everyone is tested against exactly the same course. It becomes a physical test - a pure race.
A fell race requiring navigation tests a different set of skills - though I don't think I have actually ever seen anyone navigating in a fell race.
A mountain marathon tests a different set of skills again.
Some formats definitely test a wider range of skills, though I'm not sue this makes them betteror more or less fun.

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Yep I know what you are saying as I have done both marked and unmarked courses, however I have always found unmarked courses preferable to marked not least of all because I know where I am at any given point and that I am not following markers that may have been tampered with and I do like the fact that an unmarked course can even out the field, in as much as a marginally slower runner that can navigate better than faster one may just be able to take a better line and put themself on a par with the faster one thus giving the faster runner the satisfaction of having to push themselves harder which in turn makes for a keener race.

Every Event I have ever done (and I have done several )has always been done on sight, as I find that the hours spent poring over maps and then putting my understanding of the route into practice on the day makes for a complete experience for me at least.


As to unmarked v marked making for a pure race, that has not been my experience as I have in the past beaten folk on marked courses that have beaten me in the past on both marked and unmarked courses and of course vice versa.

Of course as you will appreciate in an ultra race it is not just about a physical race, there is also a very big mental race that has to be played out by each competitor in order to get through the lows, not to mention the the ability to overcome sleep deprivation if the event is long enough to take you into a second day,

TBH it is all pretty much what floats your boat a and I am glad that UTS went well and was enjoyed by you and others.

No report back from Travs yet. I hope he isn't still out there. :(

We were out riding that weekend and saw a lot of the marking, and the runners looking like they were having 'fun'

Happy it appears to have gone well - and it's on my to do list for next year.

I lived through it, but didn't finish... got myself lost after Capel Curig, and severely soaked and cold in the middle of the night.... a very frightening experience... but will learn from it...

Was a fantastic event, and the conditions were incredibly tough on Snowdon, the Pyg Track can only be described as "treacherous" and the "flat section" over to Dolwyddelan was harder than climbing Snowdon.

I think only about a dozen finished. It beat me and made me think hard about what I can actually achieve...

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Originally Posted by Travs

I think only about a dozen finished. It beat me and made me think hard about what I can actually achieve...

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I wouldn't do yourself down about it, clearly one hell of a hard event, a lot to ask to finish it. I think experience counts for a hell of a lot in these type of events, especially knowing how to react and look after yourself if the wheels start to come off - as they surely will at some point.
I bet you learnt a lot from the race and would cope far better the next time, give it another go.

What an day out in the hills that was :)
Mike Jones put on one hell of a slick event for a first running and he even managed to nail the weather.

I will be back at some stage to have a pop at the 100 miler but definitely need more consistent hill miles in the legs in the build up than I have managed this year.

Quick question for people who competed this year. How well marked is the course and are the aid stations well stocked?

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Originally Posted by luxinterior

Quick question for people who competed this year. How well marked is the course and are the aid stations well stocked?

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I ran the 50. It is very well marked and the CPs are very well stocked. It was a brilliant event and course. It's clashing with the OCT next year. but I'm going to be doing the UTS again no doubt

I did the 50 this year, and have already entered for next year,it was that good that I didn't want to miss out! Being fairly inexperienced at the distance I also went on Mike's training weekend, which gave me the confidence to enter. I would certainly recommend this to anyone like me unsure if it's for them. The race was great from start to finish, well marked and well fed.