Author: Stu

By Huw Phillips

So New Year’s Eve 2016 was when it all started… Knowing how much I hate hills and knowing that the Snowdonia Marathon entry opened at 12:01 on the 1st I put a silly post on the CDF FB group, was anyone one interested? To my surprise, there were some that also had the same thought!

Later that day we had the euphoria of Nos Galan, followed by alcohol and then 12:01, pausing the BBC fireworks to concentrate on the first race of the year, register for the Snowdonia Marathon, traditionally a race that sells out in less than 3hrs… 7minutes later it was done, it was just more alcohol and buyers remorse to follow.

Fast forward to a cold, wet October morning in the shadow of the tallest mountain in Wales (and England) and we were here! 6 intrepid members of CDF Runners about to take on the toughest marathon in the UK. Of course we had all trained extensively to get us to this point, hill training, speed training, long runs and of course some hardcore fell training, its fair to say that we had all done at least one of those sessions!

The expo was really well run, not a large marathon expo but nice and friendly, a trait that follow us for the next few hours, upon collecting my number I was told to pick up my hoody, “what hoody?” I said. “You ordered a hoody when you registered” – it was this fact that further clarified the blood/alcohol level when signing up!

So post team photo we walked the mile or so to the start line, it was possibly one of the most relaxed start lines I’ve ever experienced, it felt more like a local 10k more than a world-renowned marathon, the weather conditions were perfect, light drizzle and between 7-10c, finally my curse of running marathons during a heatwave was crushed, lets see if I could do the same to the fear of hills.

At approximately 10:30 the silence of the Llys Peris lake was interrupted by a klaxon and then the sound of 3,000 runners heading off to Pen y Pass, the first mile or so was flat, if not even a little downhill and we started climb number one, a steady 3miles up to  the misty hill tops of Pen Y Pass and 376m above sea level. It was an amazing sight, making our way up and seeing all the runners snaked up the road all the way to the top.

After making our way to the top of Pen Y Pass we faced the prospect of nearly 8 miles downhill which sounded easy until we turned the corner at 5 1/2 miles onto the off road section, conditions had improved slightly and it was no longer raining, in fact for a few minutes the temperature increased… It couldn’t happen again could it? The trail section was challenging for those in road shoes, loose and uneven but not impossible, at 8miles we returned to the open road, and it was an open road as cars passed sometimes a little too closely, but the next 5 miles were mostly downhill with slight undulations, until we got to Beddgelert, half way mark. It was a lovely to get there and the crowds were noisy, but it was gone within minutes and all of a sudden the lowest point on the course (64m) was the start of climb number two.

Whilst not as long or as steep as the previous climb it was still 2 1/2 miles up and this time not as interesting, in truth you actually become bored with the stunning views after a few miles. I mean you’ve seen one amazing lake and mountain combo you’ve seen them all. That was evident as we cooed at the playing horses in the field near the top but we carried on, the next water station gave us Parma Violets! I mean come on, how good is that? They even had refreshers; best water stations ever! I even contemplated ditching my trusty SIS gels for Love Hearts but the rule of never changing a routine on the day won over!

Continue we did, talking to more runners as we passed them, finding out what got them there and why they were running. We had one story that was so dark (and a little scary) that led to us picking up speed and running our fastest mile of the day. In truth we didn’t want to run with him anymore, he was a little scary but that’s a story for another day, we picked off the 16mile marker, my favourite of any marathon, when you only have single digits left you now its achievable.

Thoughts now led to us making the cut off of 18miles in 4hrs, it was never in doubt, 3 miles downhill in 45mins, we were going to make it and we did, as we came around the corner and saw the 18mile marker there was a brass band playing ‘We are the Champions’ cannons firing Confetti in the air and cheerleaders creating the names of every runner with their Pom poms… Well, that’s how it played out in my head, in truth it was a white sign saying 18miles and some polystyrene cups half full of water but we’d made it.

The next 4 miles were full of undulations and conversations. We met a member of the 100 marathon club who was wearing an umbrella on her head, it was her 137th marathon! We picked off members of local running clubs and we were running strong, certainly stronger than many we passed, the zombies were out in force between miles 18-22 it was at 22 we started to climb slightly. This was it. This was the start of the final hill, the hill of legends, the hill of pain and it certainly didn’t disappoint.

Between miles 22-24.5 we climbed to 386metres, the highest point on the course, it was cold, it was windy, it was foggy, the view was amazing people said, except we had about 30ft visibility but once we passed the tea stop, yes tea stop, there were runners stopping and having cups of tea and flapjacks, a runner had said to us earlier that Snowdonia had more of an Ultra feel to it and they were right, I don’t remember there being a tea stop in London but I digress, we were at the top, it was downhill from here, easy eh?

What met us next was beyond my worst nightmares, without a doubt the hardest 2.1miles of my running life, and I’ve done Ashton Court parkrun! The start of the downhill was on grass paths which at any time would have been difficulty but when 2,800 people had already passed it become quite treacherous. It was muddy, bumpy and slippery and all downhill, mimicking a style last seen in Bambi I somehow managed to stay upright, it ok, I could see tarmac ahead but once again I wasn’t prepared for what was ahead, as I stepped foot onto that tarmac it was steep, and I saying really steep, the next mile was basically running on my toes and leaning back at a 45 degree angle, too steep to walk, too steep to run but it soon bottomed out 270m lower down the mountain and you could hear the roar of Llanberis high st, as you entered the first street there were runners calling your name, speed followed and as I turned the corner past the barriers I was sprinting towards the line, the crowd roaring my name, the cheerleaders spelling it out, the same confetti cannons firing as I run past and the announcer calling my name (that may be the only true part) as I burst over the finishing line.

With a slate coaster thrust into my hand, that was it, 5hrs 45mins after starting that was it, 838meters of climbing that was it, and do you know what?

I loved it.

The man who hates hills loved the hilliest marathon in the UK.

Was I going to hurt tomorrow? Am I still going to moan about the slightest hill on a training run, who knows?

All I know is that its done, who knows I may even be back another year, after all as a big deal once said ‘Inclines are Winclines’.

By Emma McRae

Your first marathon, so everyone tells me, should be on a nice easy flat course in the cool months of the year. Continue reading “Emma’s First Marathon”

After last year’s Rabbit Run, most of those who ran it said they couldn’t wait for next year Continue reading “Giant Rabbit Run Race Report”

Race Report from Adam Johnson.

Quick preamble – two years ago, I ran around Cardiff Bay for 5 miles and bumped into some running lunatics. Now I am one of those lunatics, writing a race report for CDF Runners. How weird is that?! Continue reading “Cardiff Bay 10k Race Report”

By Sian David

It’s September, summer holidays are over, the nights are getting darker and the weather is getting well rubbish. However September always means one thing: The Cardiff 10k. It was my fourth time running this race, a flat perfect PB course, popular as good prep for the Cardiff Half Marathon in October.

Popular was the word today as I arrived at City Hall to find chaos. People taking selfies, doing lunges and a lot of nervous people. Somehow out of the thousands of runners in a tiny space I found the CDF crew and we organised ourselves for a quick group photo. Then it was a race against time to make sure my bag was dropped (the baggage queue was insane) and try and get to the toilet.

“Are they nice toilets? I’ve never been in one before” the woman behind me asked in the toilet queue. Her face started to screw up as I reminded her how many people have probably used them before her. I then saw Ruth come out of the toilet who quickly said “buzzing”, not giving the lady behind me much reassurance.

I quickly made my way over to the start line, managing to get into the middle using the age old technique of “sorry, my friends over there”. I managed to find Ruth and Liz who were running their first 10k, Maryam (second) and Gaz (marathon runner and triathlete). The gun went and we quickly jerked forward before coming to a direct stop. That’s where the problems started..

Firstly, even though the bibs are coloured due to finish time, there were no actual pens so slower runners were right up at the front with the elites. It took ages to cross the start line only to lead into a massive bottleneck where I spent much of the first 1k trying to take over other runners. The crowd support was phenomenal, running past Cardiff Castle I also saw Lily and Andrew taking photos of the CDF Run Crew. By this I mean, Lily would shout “quick quick it’s…” and Andrew would point and snap. It was lovely to see familiar faces so early on. The route carried on turning right onto Cathedral Road and it was only then I managed to get some breathing space at the 3K mark!  The route carried on into the park which provided some much needed shade – the sun was so intense! After a quick right turn onto Western Avenue we headed back into the park.

Just before 5k, there was a much needed water stop. I quickly chucked half the bottle over my head and down my back to hear girls behind me shout “let’s do that” then copying me and screaming.  I wondered whether to take any water on but had Mike’s age old advice ringing in my ears “you don’t need water for a 10k” so decided not to. The next 2k took a nice pretty flat route through the park, past the Street Food Circus (the smells were amazing) before coming out of the park back onto the main street. Not before eagle eyed Debbie shouted my name and quickly took my photo!

Again back past the castle (around 7k) where I saw Lily and Andrew again and lots of other supporters. My left leg was screaming stop running, stop running this hurts! I tried to ignore it, wishing I had music to take my mind off the pain (No headphones allowed due to not every road being fully closed).  We took a sharp right then looped back on ourselves before heading into the park – nearly 8k.

Again, the support was amazing, the route familiar and scenic. I heard the clock ring 11 which meant I was not at the time I wanted to be.  Luckily at this point I ended up behind some Cwm Ogwr Runners with the one runner playing Don’t Stop Me Now by Queen through her phone. They could not have come at a better time, they all ran together singing the lyrics and keeping each other going. One of their members was really struggling and the ringleader was shouting “come on Sarah, we’re not stopping now!”. Her enthusiasm was infectious and I ended up running with them. The leader told me how she was running a marathon and was just looking at it as ’13 water stops’ something I had never even thought about. Turning the corner, I could finally see the finish. My leg was killing me by now and I felt really emotional for some reason. I could see the clock 1:03 and I had a good 400m to go.

Looking around I saw everyone else giving it everything so I started to sprint. Again I heard CDF supporters “Go on SIAN”. I started my sprint finish and promptly sprinted over the finish at 1:09 (I didn’t start until 3 minutes in), not near the target I wanted. I promptly burst into tears, be it because of the pain, because I thought I wouldn’t finish or because it was over.  Walking over to CDF supporters Paul and Mik I then continued to sob.

After pulling myself together I found my boyfriend and joined the lengthy baggage queue.  Speaking to a marshal about how busy it was he informed me that everything would be changing next year. New course, new meeting point, new everything. I spoke to Maryam who said that Ruth and Liz had crossed the line completing their first ever 10k and felt so proud of them.

This was the fourth year of running the Cardiff 10k and if I’m honest probably my least favourite year. Whether that was because I was disappointed with my time or because of the chaos and crowds I’m not sure. However, one thing I do know is that if you are looking for a flat, well supported race this is it.  Hopefully sorting out the course will stop all the crowd/runner problems. I’m sure I’ll be back next year… probably… well it is tradition.

Wow, so much to say on this race!

Let’s start with the weather, which was rubbish. Light drizzle occasionally giving way to rain, and humidity that was clinging in a sticky mist in the valleys and woods. Awesome.

The unofficial club motto “running is bullshit” was quite literally the case in the starting area, which was liberally dotted with the stuff. However, the best entertainment was Dhana wrapping her phone in a condom in order to keep it dry (With some skill, obviously not her first time). Bernie was concerned about getting spermicide on the phone and Gerda asked “can it still be used?” We presume she meant the phone.

We lined up and set off at precisely a bit before 2:13pm, immediately up a hill dodging sheep poo. This race really had every kind of terrain: grass, mud, sand, rocks, mud, tarmac, gravel, two feet of water and some mud.

The first major obstacle was a long muddy route through the woods. Looking back it was only about 600m, but i’m sure everyone will tell you it was at least 2 miles. Mud got in over the top of your shoes, and staying upright was a challenge in itself. Plenty of shoes become detached from their owners too! How on earth anyone got through there with road shoes I’ll never know.

Then we were out and into the sand. The path was windy and narrow, and great fun to take the tight corners and crest the hills. It was here Stu took a tumble, catching a root, rolling over and carrying on, gutted he didn’t have his gopro on. One of the big appeals of this race was to run down the biggest sand dune in Europe, which was brilliant! The slightly damp sand meant your footsteps were absorbed easily without slipping on any loose sand. We flailed our way down and back into more woods.

Then followed a flat 3k along the Ogmore and Ewenny rivers, which was surprisingly tough. There were very muddy and wet parts that were completely invisible until your foot squelched into them, not to mention the amusingly abusive marshal with the loud-speaker.

Before the race, the organisers released a gopro video of the course on a beautiful summer’s day, which showed the river as a mere ankle-deep trickle. As it had been raining all day, it was somewhat deeper on the day with a strong current! We leapt down the bank and into the river which came up to the top of most people’s legs, and up to Lily’s chin. It wasn’t far, and despite the drizzle it was a warm day and so most runners found this a lovely cool down, which handily cleaned the caked on mud and sand off too.

After that it was pretty much a straight sprint to the finish via a stone tunnel and stairway, which was the final of a series of fantastic unique selling points of this race.

Then we all took photos of our legs.

Katie, Lily and Bernie all finished together, with a disappointingly unaggressive sprint finish and Dean finished caked in mud after hitting the deck, and received no sympathy.

Everyone had a great time and when grinning like idiots at the end we went to take a team photo, but realised someone was missing.

Gerda.

At first we were joking that she was just a bit slow and was probably loudly complaining about the mud. Then we jokingly thought she may have drowned in the river. Then we starting posting #PrayForGerda on Facebook. We’re all such good friends.

Then the tail runner turned up, and Gerda still hadn’t finished.

We considered, “oh shit, what if she really has drowned?”, to which we decided we could at least wear our club shirts to the funeral as they’re black.

We checked the first aid and marshal stations and there was no indication anyone had gotten injured or had stopped, and we were concerned again. Well, for about fifteen seconds anyway.

News finally came from Stephen Wood, of Cardiff Pegasus fame, that there was a group that got lost. It all made sense, if anyone was going to get lost it would of course be Gerda!

When she finally rocked up, she got a huge cheer from her clubmates, which was returned with “18 FUCKING K” in her… ‘distinctive’ German accent, so of course we fell about laughing again.

Apparently a marshal sent her and a small group the wrong way, who ran a couple of miles before realising they’d gone the wrong way. They didn’t even end up running down the dune, or wading through the river, which was kinda the whole point.

Despite, or perhaps because of, the mud, sand, river and Gerda getting lost, all vowed to run it again next year with many considering the 18 mile Witches Run instead! Great considering for many this was their first ever trail run. Haven’t got the results yet, but we don’t really care, which is the great thing about these ridiculous runs.

Trail running is bloody brilliant.

Strava

http://merthyrmawrtrailrunningfestival.com/