Welsh 1000s Race

[ChevinbyTorchlight]

Superb day out (well, it felt like a full day anyway!).

Wind was vicious at times so chapeau to all the marshalls, good job it was a bright clear day because any moisture with those winds could have caused carnage. The drop-out rate was something like 15% as it was!

Having sworn numerous times during the race that i'd never be back, i'm now thinking I could be tempted to go back fighting fit for a crack at a PB.

I'd say 80% of the general public on Snowdon shouldn't be up there, purely for their own safety, but it's always fun fighting your way through them as they struggle up in their flip flops. The idiots with dogs on a cani-cross setup should be shot on sight for everyone else's safety!

[Athers]

Second time around for me. First bash was last year in torrential rain but actually found the weather better that time than the wind speeds we encountered this year. Anyway, PB for me getting that sub 5 but some more to come off for sure in good conditions and a few better line choices but what a great race. Feels like a proper fell race / adventure and definitely sorts the men from the boys (i'm 100% still a boy) :-)

Many Thanks for the organisation and hopefully we see those type of fields (100+) more often on what is an absolute classic.

Results below.

http://www.welsh1000m.org/results/results_A.html

[sore legs]

This was a fantastic day out. Great weather but howling wind. This year I was going to enter as an individual for Class A again, but I work with a great bunch of fit lads so decided to enter a team into Class D with the aim of winning the class.

We took the lead after about 400m and our navigation was spot on all the way round. One of the lads took a tumble on the way down to Ogwyn MR post so we dropped him there as he needed stitches before cracking on. The remaining 3 finished and won the Class D so mission accomplished. The other 2 lads who finished had never done anything like this before and were blown away by the fun of it all.

Overall not only did we win Class D, but importantly I am confident that I have sold this event to the other members of my team for future iterations of this race.

Thank you to all the organisers and check point staff and well done to all the entrants.

[Travs]

Anyone else in for this on Saturday?

Can't wait for this. Classic course. Hoping to push towards 5 hrs but probably being a bit optimistic. If the weather is bad then who knows.....

[Travs]

An incredibly tough race yesterday, the sheer size of the climbs and descents is pretty hard to take in.

Found it very important to just "race my own race" on a day like this. Times when I was walking and others were streaming past me, and other times I was able to run when everybody else was walking.

It was very hot and sunny which made it very uncomfortable. Was around 55th at Ogwen, but started to pull a few back on the long grind to Glyder. Managed to nail the descent down to Pen-Y-Pass spot on (where did everyone else go?) People arriving at the pass from all over the place.

Got my head down for the long slog up the Pig track, but 10 minutes in I succumbed to horrendous cramp, was flat out on the floor. Luckily a passer-by rubbed my legs and gave me a gel and I recovered, actually making up another place on this section.

Finished 47th in 6hrs29mins. Interesting because that time most years would see me way down the field, but yesterday I was comfortably top half. Although the winning times were as fast as usual. Perhaps it indicates how tough the conditions were for us mere mortals, and maybe I can go faster on an easier day.

Really was my kind of race, much less about running, and more about sticking it out and keeping going.

Fantastic event. Was great to talk to some of the leading mountaineering class teams at the end, don't know how they do it in trousers and boots yesterday!

[Athers]

Not quite the 5hrs you had planned for then...yep the heat was a killer.

I opted for the short course in the end with Maths Cwm Pennant this weekend i didn't fancy feeling wrecked for the week before. Had an ok-ish run. Came down into PYP within the hour in 2nd place but already about 6/7 mins behind L.Taggert and then just seemed to go backwards up the Pyg track. Felt so tired from the heat and it was like hitting a brick wall. Ended up dropping a few spots and getting a penalty for not having a whistle but all was good. Fairplay to all that did the long. I think the trot down snowdon is the worst bit.

Think i'll skip a year come 2017...just cant enjoy that slog up the pyg with all the walkers. Its mentally a nightmare. Brilliant organisation as always.

[Travs]

Yes it was pretty apparent that 5 hours was way off the mark, although I still managed to finish not too far off the position I was expecting.

Will probably be back next year, with some route knowledge now, and a fresh pair of legs, and maybe even some more favourable conditions, I'm sure I can get a lot closer to 5, certainly 5:45 should be a realistic ambition next year. Will revisit this in a year and see how it pans out!!

Well done on your race. Nearly 20% drop out on the A course, and on some other courses over 50% drop out, points to a tough day out for all involved!!

[Travs]

Well it's that time of year again... Anyone in for this?

Hoping to take a chunk off last year's time, will be interesting to see what I can do. Looks a decent quality entry list with 130 currently on it.

[DinoF]

I'm sneaking away for the day from a weekend with my wife's family to get this in. I'm sure they won't notice I'm not there.

[RaceTheSweeper]

Well it's that time of year again... Anyone in for this?

Hoping to take a chunk off last year's time, will be interesting to see what I can do. Looks a decent quality entry list with 130 currently on it.

MrRTS is coming to play - Race 13 of his 50@50. Beau dog and I are studying the map to see which hill to park our picnic on to get the photos :-) We will probably go to around Aber Falls before route choice kicks in then drive round to Pen-y-pass and climb up to the just before the fork off to Crib Goch (make sure MrRTS is not delirious and head up onto that haha). Then we will trot back down and drive around to Llanberis to meet him on his way off Snowdon. So exciting :-)