Hello there!
Just wondering which other forumites will be there on the day? I'm still on track for this my first road marathon.
Make yourseleves known - I'll be wearing a Holmfirth Harriers vest (weather permitting!).
Hello there!
Just wondering which other forumites will be there on the day? I'm still on track for this my first road marathon.
Make yourseleves known - I'll be wearing a Holmfirth Harriers vest (weather permitting!).
Hi jodg,
I'm doing this one. Third year running. Its a good one, with some off road up and downs thrown in at the end.
Hi there! Nice one - any tips (apart from don't set off too fast at the start)?
I've driven along some of the route and the descent from the Youth Hostel down to Beddgelert looks *interesting* to say the least.
What sort of times have you got around in then?
I'm having a crack at this, but with my last two races being non-finishes (ankle on Moel Fammau and my back on the Peris) I'm not holding out hope for a good race. I think once past the Pen-y-pass I should be ok to Beddgelert as its all downhill but not looking forward to there onwards. I'll be the one huffing and puffing at the back in the red/black Wrecsam tri vest, practicing my "Ironman Shuffle"
My best times about 4.15 at this I think. Hoping to beat 4 hrs this year.
Not normally the case about going off too fast at the start on this one. Think 1st 3 miles are uphill anyway. I normally go too fast down to beddgelert, good fun tho, then theres a deceptively nasty hill out of beddgelert which I tend to struggle on.
What are you reckoning on ?
Sinatra is in for this one he has just completed his first Marathon by doing Great Langdale last week and now has Snowdonia to follow.
I am hoping to be along the route somewhere with the Camera all being well and the weather ok.
This is a cruel, cruel race. The run up to Pen Y Pass is fun and you WILL run too fast! The cruise to Beddgelert seems easy but every step down that long tarmac thrash subtly sucks energy out of your legs. This is what makes the unassuming hill out of Beddgelert such a slap in the face. After that, you are left hanging on for dear life as the road switchbacks along to Waun Fawr. And then there is the unique torture of climb over Bwlch Y Groes. Going up is bad enough but coming down the other side is pure agony. Imagine that your quads are like steaks that have been pounded to death with a mallet. The run down hill is then like stretching those tenderised filets past tearing point. OOWWW!
The last mile to the Victoria hotel is....just...awful.
Enjoy!!
Simon Blease
Monmouth
Ta to all for the race write ups - errrm, most illuminating!
As for time, not sure really. 4hrs would be great, will prob be more like 4h + though. Got round Tankys last year in 4h 30m so hopefully will have this sort of race distance in the ol' legs even though this one's on tarmac. Ouch!
Still have a couple of long, long runs to get in so will have more of an idea of times in the next week or so. Plan is to taper down after the weekend of October 6-7th so as to rest up a bit.
I was getting confused about your route description Wheeze, until I discovered there are two places called 'Bwlch Y Groes' and it was the other one I ran up a few months back!
'That's what you get when you suffer - you get results'
I am running it for the 10th time this year (9 official as it was called off one year because of a bit of wind and rain but some still ran it) and it is just as wheeze says don`t get carried away on the 8 mile descent into Bedgellert then it is a doodle and you will have great fun running up the hill passing loads of folk walking because they did`nt reign back when it felt easy.
It`s a cracking race for a road race have fun.
The older I get the Faster I was