Excalibur Off-Road Marathon

[(notsomuchofa)Fellrunner]

Aaaaargh, I was going to do the second loop this morning, wish I'd seen your post earlier.

I'm still uncertain as to how they are going to stop the littering of last year. I''ve stopped asking on Facebook as it it looks a bit negative - & I want the race to raise lots of funds & be successful - but they're not replying to emails either. Do you have any idea what they intend doing Nigel?
Until I've had some sort of reassurance I'm not going to enter & I feel a little bit dirty even talking about routes & recces :closed: .

[Clwydian]

I too am not overwhelmed with warm feelings about the organisation. Littering was a real issue and so was the crazy start / registration system. At least one checkpoint was too easy to miss when you consider a lot of the runners were seeing their first ever punch on the day. The fancy looking website seems to be powered by a narcoleptic gerbil and the event was announced too late for a lot of people to get themselves trained for something of this distance. Now the route has changed but there isn't even a note on the site warning that this might happen. When you look at the comments and responses on the Facebook page you get the feeling that they just don't quite "get it" but then they clearly see the event in a very different light to those of us who intend to run it.
That said, I enjoyed it last year for all it's faults and I'm looking forward to a lot less tarmac this year. I'm willing to risk that it all comes together on the day: for one more year anyway.

[Nigel]

I had many of these concerns which was why I arranged to meet with the organisers. To be fair to them they are not fell runners but are organising an event to fundraise. Last years organiser has left the organisation leaving others to pick up but ..... I am assured that many of the issues from last year are sorted. There is an electronic timing system which will record your time as you start and as you finish )and send results to your mobile seconds later). There will also be marshalls ticking you off at crucial points on the course (not just those on the map you see but at points that it would be easy to bypass - I will mark these points out for them). The chaos at registration won't happen because all you will need to do this year is pick up your number. The start will be one start but in pens with fast (sub 5 hours etc) at front pens and walkers at the rear. They have addressed the litter issues by placing bins, not handing out bottles etc.

To be fair the route changing is my fault as I reccied the one on the website but thought it's too easy with less climb etc so I have devised another which is far more challenging. Only finished reccying it and measuring distance Wednesday and it'll be on the site soon.

They are wanting to get it right. They are listening. Please give them a chance. I don't work for Claire house or have any affiliation - just trying to help them get it right. Any issues or concerns please let me know and I'll pass it on. But if we work with them this could be a cracking local event for us.

[(notsomuchofa)Fellrunner]

Cheers Nigel, things are sounding a bit better. Also, thanks for the email. If you think that the route will be updated on their website soon it shouldn't be necessary to send along the route.

Bloody tough work in the snow today but a very enjoyable 10 miler.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/265780397

[Nigel]

Now, if my feeble (technologically speaking) mind has got this right this is the course .... (in two bits)

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/264177398

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/265240035

[idler]

Thanks. Keeping an eye on this and might enter closer to the time. The Clwyds are great running hills, I reckon I've covered most of the ground apart from the lower level stuff earlier on (and will have biked that years ago)

[(notsomuchofa)Fellrunner]

Let's hope that people close those gates after them on the new section............I'm a right whinger aren't I :closed: ?

[(notsomuchofa)Fellrunner]

I think I've done all the sections now as well;

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/263977433

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/269068395

My totals come out at 26.45 miles & 5593ft/1705mtrs

Bloody muddy today on those bridle paths.

Made sure I shut all those gates behind me :closed: .

[Nigel]

That looks good. Yes those bridle paths are muddy at the moment aren't they. Not sure whether they were better with snow or not. That section coming back up to the Moel Arthur car park before you hit the road really saps. I like your name for the little loop down into the valley! I assume you mean the one off the ridge that is a reverse of the Clwydian race route? Glad to see verification of distance and climb too. Slightly more than I had it but only by a whisker. Do you approve of the route?

[idler]

Oh well, in for a penny in for a pound. I should be having a go at this on Saturday. Way further than I've run in months so it could be a 'journey' in X-Factor parlance