Llanbedr – Blaenafon

[molehill]

I remember doing it a few years back so started looking at those results, and went back....and back.....to 1998. Surely not that long ago!!!!

Remember I got lost on top of Blorenge to the finish in the mist. Few old names on there, see Alwyn quite regularly and some bloke called "Toffer" just up ahead of me.

[sore legs]

Sorelegs - there are probably going to be three of us who would benefit from a lift to the start... some of us are the TeamBath "elite race squad" (ha!) in blue and yellow vests, we'll probably be in my old silver Nissan estate.

See you on Saturday.

BW - If our lass is feeling well enough to come out for the day then it should not be an issue at all for all 3 of the 'TeamBath Elite Race Squad' to grab a lift to the start.

I will be in a light blue VW Passat estate and if our lass is with me she is quite easy to spot if walking around as she is 8 months pregnant and there is also likely to be 2 border collies close by ! - I will look out for your distinctive vests and make myself known if you can do likewise and we should be able to sort some sort of transport out ! :thumbup:

[Wheeze]

Tee Hee! Went along to the finish to see for myself what destroyed runners look like! It's not a pretty site. The carnage was so severe that even The Blaenafon Alsatian was turning up his nose...no meat left on the bone at all!!!
And as for Boy Wonder! What was that line to the finish?? Going via Newport was ya??

[sore legs]

Cracking day out with some tremendous support throughout the course - many thanks to those that provided the odd jelly baby and sweet along the route - and of course a massive thank you to the checkpoint staff and organisers. :thumbup:

BW - I did not get to see you at the end but I hope all went well for you and your team.

I look forward to next years race. :thumbup:

[Boy Wonder]

That hurt!!! Went well (by my own standards) until the bottom of Blorenge when the wheels fell off big time - my GPS recorded me as putting in a 41 minute/mile going up the b*******d!! Reduced to collecting jellybabies discarded by someone ahead of me! And thought I'd take the 'Haut Route' to the finish, which resulted in my running through the finish in reverse - that must have cost me, ohhhh, a good hour or so!!

Anyway, it was good to be out, nice to see some familiar faces - what a well organised race, especially when the £7 entry included shirts for the first 90 (i.e. not me!) and sooo much food at the finish - shame I could n't do it justice! Team Bath did well in the results - and we're hoping to get out to some more this year.

Now... how do I train for something like Blorenge.

[Latege]

Has anyone done this recently? I've never been in the area so having trouble guessing what it's like but I'm thinking of taking a few days holiday in the area, so may be worth a shot.
How difficult is the navigation? Looking at the maps on the race website it looks like most of the distance can be run along paths, but do they exist in reality? What sort of terrain is it? Akin to Pennine running or more like the Lakes? On the map Blorenge looks unpleasantly like the last hill in the Tour of Pendle! Anyone done both to offer a comparison?
Also, as I'll be on my own, how easy is it to get from registration to the start. The race website simply says: "You will need to arrange transport to and from start/finish." Is there any system for linking up lone people? Can I risk just turning up and hoping I'll manage to get a lift with someone? Or is it better not to bother if you haven't got a certain means of getting between the two?

Finally, any recommendations of campsites and of other runs/walks for the rest of my holiday - once my legs recover from this experience!

[Ed Sned]

I did it last year - my first fell race in fact. Navigation is fine (unless you're miles off the front...) and yes, all the paths exist. nice race although there's a mile or two through built-up Abergavenny in the middle that breaks your rhythm a bit. The last hill's a bit of a beast though. You do need to find a lift to the start from the registration which is at the finish; however that was pretty easy to do - lot's of people milling around in the small carpark at the start. I'd be pretty confident to turn up with nothing pre-arranged (provided you turned up in good time).

[Stevie]

Latege you might want to take a few minutes before the race to recce the last bit off the Blorenge to the finish - easy to go wrong in the streets of Blaenavon. You might also want to check the route up through the woods on the climb of Crug Mawr. You should be able to follow people there but the first time I did it I followed somebody who took a bad route through the woods. The section off the Sugar Loaf down to the bridge in Abergavenny is worth a look but not difficult to navigate.

For other runs/walks the Waun Fach horesehoe out of Llanbedr is a nice route, anti-clockwise is probably best, leaving Pen-Cerrig Calch until last. Anything out on the tops in the Black Mountains is enjoyable!

There's a campsite up the road west of Llanbedr, near the road junction. Not sure if it will be open before Easter. I've heard good things about the bunk house at Perth-y-Pia too.

Are you a Bearbrook runner then?

[Latege]

Thanks for the replies, I'll see if I can get some camping equipment and sort the holiday to include this. No chance of looking at any of the course in advance though but I will study the map even more closely around the areas you mention. (Still a bit anxious about getting from registration to the start though.)

Stevie, not with Bearbrook. Years ago I was VOA but I was abroad for years and haven't joined anyone since. Are you with Tring? - Met a few at Parkrun.

[Stevie]

I'll be driving from Blaenavon to the start, you can get a lift with me if you like. I'll pm you my car details / phone no etc once I've worked out timings. Remind me if you think I've forgotten.

Yes I'm with Tring. There are a number of us who enjoy fell running and we always run off road on club nights, up in the hills around Tring. You're welcome to come and run with us - Wednesdays, ready to run at 7.30 upstairs at the cricket club house (opposite Tesco), same venue as our Ridgeway Run race if you've done that.