Ben Mitchell is a very good orienteer and runner. His other half was busy finishing 6th in the World Orienteering Champs Long distance race in Czechia on Friday.
Printable View
Ben Mitchell is a very good orienteer and runner. His other half was busy finishing 6th in the World Orienteering Champs Long distance race in Czechia on Friday.
Well his record beat the times of people like Hugh Aggleton and Mark Palmer, so definitely no slouch...!
Entries are now open on Fabian4 for this excellent race... my favourite medium race of all.
Currently only two entries, both forumites... myself and TrevorM.... (which is admittedly good news for our medal prospects)
Also being ran in the traditional anti-clockwise direction this year, leaving the brutal climbs until the end, a la Long Mynd Valleys.
A quite brutal race today. Doesn't need me to point out how warm it was.
Having viewed the start lineup, my tactics were clear for the race... go off after local Matt O Keefe (who posted briefly on here after the Dragon's Back last year), and hang on to him for as long as i can, and at the same time putting an uncatchable distance between myself and those decent veterans behind me, such as Tom Bush (Pennine), Jackie Lee, and one or two locals who i recognised from past results...
As i was already aware, keeping hold of Matt was going to be no easy task... he's a far quicker guy than me (as the end results proved)... But i belted up the runnable first climb and was only 90secs off.... here things got interesting as we took differing routes to the bottom of the next real climb... when we converged i was still a similar gap behind, and pushed (too) hard up to Fan Nedd summit.
Here the race really starts.... a la Long Mynd Valleys, the final few miles are long steep descents followed by equally nasty climbs... only this race is harder... absolutely no semblance of paths, bigger climbs and drops, and rough tussocky ground typical of the western Beacons.
My efforts early on were starting to tell, and instead of my usual spurt at this stage of the race, i was plodding heavily and thoughts of catching 1st disappeared. I lost another 3 minutes up to the next summit, Fan Llia.....
The worst part of all comes next with the brutal descent down to the reservoir followed by the biggest climb of all up the back-side of Fan Fawr... was really suffering in the heat now, and even worse, turned round to see 3rd place bearing down on me. I thought i probably had a minute head start at the top of Fan Fawr (it turned out to be more like 90secs), but with my legendary catastrophic descending ability, i fully expected to get overtaken on the descent to the finish...
But what do you know... managed to pull out equal fastest descent time to hold onto 2nd.... shows i can do it when i feel that the pressure is on!
The winner pulled out another 10mins on me over the final big climb... turns out he had taken the much longer traverse around the ridge, rather than suffer the big down and up again.... he admitted reaching the final summit not knowing whether he was still in 1st, but he had no worries on that score as his gamble clearly paid off, and i was going backwards!!
So a very pleasing result. Time was not what i hoped for (2hrs22), but sometimes you've got to race to the situation rather than go with what you know.... i took the early gamble to stay in contention, it failed but i came out with a first ever podium place.
It is a real shame this race does not get the numbers it deserves... there were only about 25 on the start list (and i don't think there could have been than 21 or 22 on the start line)..... i understand that some people can be put off by the brutal nature of some races... and this one has it in spades... multiple route choices, long stretches with no paths, endless rough ground and tussocks, and not a great train of people to follow... but still, if you've got a free weekend in your diary then give it a bash.
Must say i have really enjoyed the last few races i've done, and felt comfortable racing hard and trying to really have a go at people at certain points... hasn't always paid off, but has been exciting stuff.
Although with the next race being a 23 miler in the English Champs, i'll probably proceed with a little more caution on that one!
Pete
Well done Travs - it must have been tough in the heat.
Sounds like a tough day out Travs.
I'm doing the Brecon Beacons on the 30th. A bit longer but much less brutal as it is a similar ascent and mainly on paths/tracks
Yes the Brecon Beacons is a great race. I ran it a few years ago in similar conditions to today.... I think its anti-clockwise this year so the roller-coaster over Pen Y Fan group in the first half, and the long rough ridge back in the 2nd half.
It was particularly grim.... I feel for anybody doing Wasdale today.
In my suffering I became convinced every time I turned round that I was being chased by someone in a white vest, and was even convinced I could see their number (which is clearly ridiculous, as at the distance I thought they were behind me, I'd never have been able to make out a number....) I guess i was spotting various sheep
There was nobody anywhere behind me in a white vest...
Which made it all the more alarming on the final climb when I turned round and Tom Bush from Pennine was only a couple of minutes behind me... In a black vest :D
Well done Travs, sounds like a good un and sounds like you pushed yourself all the way round.
I did Wasdale yesterday and didn't think the conditions were that bad although the number of retirements contradicts that. It was probably in the mid teens on the summits with a decent breeze and I did set off at a sensible pace. Wasdale also has the advantage over Ennerdale say with plenty of water sources for topping up and cooling off.
Nice one Dan... i don't know what the temperatures were on the summits but it was 28/29deg back at the start/finish. There was a bit of a breeze on the tops, but we didn't hang around long enough to take advantage!
Yeah, that is hot. Likewise don't know what it was in the valley at Wasdale but would guess low 20's. That step up to high 20's makes a big difference and any races I've done in that heat have been very tough.
Well done Pete, I’ve been up Scotland this weekend doing Alva on Saturday and Dollar today - it’s been scorchio!
Yes Daz, i saw you had a good result at Dollar!
See you soon.
Great write up Travs. Superb result. Brought back the desperate pain of doing this race in midsummer heat!
Its a tough old slog out to Fan Frynach. Route choice to Fan Nedd can be interesting! I agree with Matt....its better to make a big swing north west to contour as much as possible between Llia and Fan Fawr.
How I miss racing!
I went down the ridge off Fan Frynych, dropping steeply near the end direct to Sarn Helen.... Matt retraced his steps back to Beacons Way. Assuming that you can find a decent way down from the ridge to Sarn Helen, i think that way is quicker than Beacons Way, but its probably down to personal preference and not a huge amount in it.
I think the contour from Fan Llia to Fan Fawr is likely quicker. However next year the race will be in opposite direction... in which case i think the down-and-up possibly makes more sense as its not quite as brutal in opposite direction at such an early stage in the race (although its a big downhill to the reservoir)
Simon you should get yourself out on the Black Mountains course in September as its a British Champs race. I wonder what the front end will be like, as Finlay Wild already has the Champs sewn up... but regardless it should be big numbers and a high quality race.... personally i'm hoping for atrocious weather as it could cause chaos :D
Thinking about having a jog around the route clockwise on Saturday as I'm on my way back from Cardiff to Brum. I don't think my legs or time will allow for Fan Nedd so I'll hit Fan llia early and head back from there. Any recommendations on route choice?
From Fan Fawr summit you have two options... straight down to reservoir and up Fan Llia, or the traverse round on the ridge.
Given that you're missing out Fan Nedd, i'd recommend doing the big down and up via reservoir. Otherwise you'll be retracing a lot of the ground when you go from Fan Llia to Fan Ffrynch.
When you come north of Fan Llia it is simple to stay on the main path all the way to Fan Ffrynch. However if time permits it would be more interesting to drop down west to the Sarn Helen road, then reach Fan Frynch either up the west ridge, or via the Cwm-Du valley then up onto the shoulder.
Sounds good - will give it a go.
Its worth mentioning that whenever you're off-path in that area you'll be battling very tussocky ground.... and the down/up via the reservior is a big descent/climb!
I had thought that would be so - seems pretty much the case wherever you stray too far away from a path in the Brecons. I have planned a route sticking mainly to paths and minimising any potential tussocks with the Sarn Helen route an optional extension on the day given weather, time and how I'm feeling.
Entries to this excellent race are now open on Fabian4...
Plan sailing for me at the moment, as i'm the only entrant.
[QUOTE=Travs;683837]Entries to this excellent race are now open on Fabian4...
/QUOTE]
... and a bargain at £3
It is however £10 for non WFRA members.... which of course makes the £10 WFRA yearly membership brilliant value!
It doesn't discriminate against anyone Marco.
The lower entrance fee is just a benefit of being a member of the organisation, which is open to all.
Back to the race in hand - hoping to do a recce in the next few weeks and if that proves ok , will be entering soon after. Having only done one previous run around the area not that confident as yet.
Got to agree with Pete and Llani above.
1) It basically comes down to £10 to enter, or £13 to enter and become a member of the WFRA. Very good value either way in my opinion.
2) Four Fans really isn't a race that newcomers are going to attempt as a first go... thats not elitism or snobbery.... The turnout is usually in the 20's or 30's.... over 50% of the course is open to drastic route options... and vast parts of the course are completely pathless... and its a remote area where you are unlikely to come across anyone who isn't actually racing or marshalling.... there's plenty of warning all over the race webpage which indicates this.... the RO certainly doesn't discriminate against any runners... i'll hopefully finish in around 2hr15, and some runners will be over 4hrs.... but he does want to ensure that everyone racing has the necessary experience to make it round the course alone.
3) I'm English and a WFRA member, despite this year intending to do only two Welsh races this year, one of which doesn't offer a discount to WFRA members. For me its just a case of supporting the WFRA. I notice the English FRA have introduced the option for races to have similar split pricing.
I'm not against split pricing, but a £7 'fee' for a £3 race doesn't make a good impression
I believe the RO deliberately set the "fee" at this outrageous level to persuade people to join the WFRA.
Anyway, I paid the full £10 for the Four Fans in 2019, when I dropped out at the first checkpoint due to injury. I joined the WFRA the following year, but since then I have only done one race in Wales, and two Shropshire races which were on the WFRA calendar but not the FRA calendar. And I don't think any of those offered a discount for WFRA membership. But I'm not complaining.
As a founder member of the current incarnation of the WFRA I have a vested interest in seeing it survive and thrive. That being said, I do tend to lean more Marco's way in this discussion in that I think the big discrepancy in fees looks a little coercive and, as he says, does not make a good impression. But I'm sure the RO has every good reason for doing this. As Trav says, its good value from one viewpoint and it may also underline that this is a tricky race where experience counts.
Its a cracking day out whether you pay £3 or £10.
Punishing those who are not a member just brings the events into disrepute, whether it's £7 or £15.
I'd have more respect for the organisers if they said WFRA and LDWA members (respectively) only, as at least they were being honest about their intentions.
And before anyone asks, up to my retirement from racing I was a member of the WFRA - in the era before split pricing
I am the Four Fans RO. Firstly, thanks to Travs for supporting this race for many years and publicising it on this forum - it is much appreciated. A few comments.
I was previously very much against differential pricing but I did want to reward WFRA members by giving a small discount to them as a token of my appreciation for their support to the WFRA. As you are all aware the WFRA pays for and offers all ROs public liability insurance free of charge. This is paid for out of WFRA’s subscriptions. In essence WFRA members are subsidising non- members. In recent years I have granted a bigger discount to WFRA members… I note that not all agree with this but I view it as reasonable as the £10 charge is used to pay for the services of Fabian4 and allows me to buy a few beers for the marshals. Like everyone else I know, the event usually fails to break even.
You are all welcome to come and take part as Travs is still the only entrant!
After years of sterling service to the WFRA, Andy, I'm certain you are best placed to judge what will wash in this situation.
Cracking racing today at the Four Fans.... the first time i've done it in anything but hot and sunny weather.
Today we had a real mix... heavy wind, rainstorms, hailstorms, even a bit of sunshine, and some limited visibility thrown in for entertainment as well. Although given the forecast i think we still got fairly lucky with the weather.
A hardy bunch of 11 set off from the start line... no doubt the usual influx of on-the-day entries were put off by the forecast of gusts 60-70mph, zero visiblity, etc.
My pre-race plan was to be ahead at the first summit, Fan Fawr, and preferably with enough of a gap that nobody behind could see me in the murk.... this was just about achieved as i had a 30sec lead over a local under-23 guy.... the next couple were almost 3mins back at this point.
At this point things started to diverge quite dramatically from my plan of extending my lead over the next steep down-and-up.... in the poor visibility i made the age-old error of getting pulled too far north onto easier ground.... by the time i'd worked out what was wrong i found myself well off my preferred course and eventually re-joined the "pack".
Reached summit no. 2 with no idea where in the field i was.... and was mightily relieved to discover that i was still actually in 3rd place and the leader was still in view.... the next down/up to summit no. 3 i ran the quickest leg and by summit 3 at Fan Nedd the front three of us were all together.
Never mind i was hoping to be a few minutes clear by this point, it was now race on with over an hour left and plenty of work to be done... at the next crucial route point, the u-23 lad took the safer route down Sarn Helen Roman Road, and myself and the other chap contoured up to the ridge and eventually the Beacons Way footpath.... i was aware i could likely have this guy going up, but unfortunately we were rapidly running out of any lengthy climbs in which to go on the attack.... and he was significantly stronger than me on the tussocky, undulating ground we found ourselves on.... by the out-and-back to the final summit Fan Ffrynych i could see he was around 2mins in front of me, with the u-23 guy a minute or so behind, coming from the other direction.
Pretty much knew 1st was out of the question now, and i was rather worried about slipping back to 3rd.... in the event, the u-23 was struggling worse than me and dropped 5 mins over the final couple of miles.... with myself dropping another 3 mins or so over the winner.
Great racing, route choices all over the place, tough terrain.... both the guys i was in close contention with were absolute gents.
2hrs24 which is way off my pb, although time was largely incomparable in the conditions.
Thanks to Andrew the RO for sticking with it and holding the race, despite the low pre-entries and the awful forecast.... i see that a combination of these two factors has resulted in Arenig Fawr being cancelled tomorrow with only 4 pre-entries.
This race would make an absolutely cracking British Champs medium counter... although i suspect they'd have to run it in today's clockwise direction rather than the traditional anti-clockwise, to avoid congestion on the Beacons Way at the start.
In conditions like today a British Champs race would be absolute carnage!
Pete
A great report Travs - well done.