EXMOOR STAGGER 14Here's how RW members rated this race in the past (40 votes). | 1 to 10 of 40 ratings | Page: 1 2 3 4 |
| The big picture (40 votes) | | Overall score | | 94% | | How many would do it again? | | 96% | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 96% | | PB potential | | 29% | | Atmosphere | | 79% | | Organisation | | 85% | | Value | | 81% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 50% |
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2011 race reviewed by: SideBurn
 | | Overall score | | 100% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 100% | | PB potential | | 20% | | Atmosphere | | 100% | | Organisation | | 80% | | Value | | 80% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 60% |
In short: A race from sea level to the top of Exmoor and back!! Was looking forward to this race all year and it did not dissapoint!
In full: I was warned about this race in advance. The only race I have ever done where I have found someone collapsed and vomitting through effort. Difficult underfoot, steep hills! I wear the tee-shirt with pride!!
Date of review: February 12, 2012
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2011 race reviewed by: Steven Jackson 4
| | Overall score | | 100% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 80% | | PB potential | | 20% | | Atmosphere | | 100% | | Organisation | | 100% | | Value | | 80% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 60% |
In short: Hard but worth the effort.
In full: A really hard event. Having run in the Seaview 17 organised by the same club I knew this was a hard run. It lived up to its reputation. Long 3 mile or so climb, long sharp drop down and then the long slog to the top of Dunkery Beacon before and quick slippery drop down and then an undulating down hill run back to Minhead. Decent enough Tee shirt (which is earned the hard way) and excellent food. Wish I could eat after eventslike these but never feel hungry. The weather was good, although cooled down on the moors, if it was wet and cold it could be a bit scary for some. Definately doing this again, this is what off road running is all about. There is also a 6 miler, the Exmoor Stumble which runs in Tandem to the Stagger which covers the first 3 or so and final miles of the Stagger course but does not go to Dunkery Beacon. Worth running in anything Minehead running club organise!
Date of review: November 5, 2011
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2011 race reviewed by: Iain McCallum
| | Overall score | | 100% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 100% | | PB potential | | 20% | | Atmosphere | | 80% | | Organisation | | 100% | | Value | | 80% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 80% |
In short: I love this race! But it's nails and very tough.
In full: This is my third year in a row running this race and I love it! Superb organisation makes for an easy day before and after the race. Secure baggage area and full facilities including showers(although being a school the showers are at shoulder height!). Excellent tea, coffee, cake and sandwich facilities at HQ. Now onto the course and race. Tough as nails course that goes up from the word go to get over a small(!) hill before a steep descent onto a road. After a short while the climb to the summit of Dunkley Beacon begins-it's not that steep but goes on...and on. From teh summit a good long steady descent takes you to the bottom of the sharp descent...that you know go straight back up again. This really hurts! From the top a fast descent takes you back to the start. If the weather was bad this could be a problem due to the exposure on the Dunkley climb. Very friendly marshals and enough water (and jelly baby) stations to get you around. Fairly standard T-shirt to all finishers.
I will be back again next year.
Date of review: October 23, 2011
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2010 race reviewed by: catman
| | Overall score | | 100% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 100% | | PB potential | | 20% | | Atmosphere | | 80% | | Organisation | | 100% | | Value | | 80% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 40% |
In short: This is a very HARD but well organised great race. It is make or the more enjoyable by the people and the cakes.
Date of review: October 18, 2011
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2010 race reviewed by: ElBoracho
| | Overall score | | 80% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 100% | | PB potential | | 20% | | Atmosphere | | 100% | | Organisation | | 80% | | Value | | 80% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 20% |
In short: Superb; scenery, weather, cakes, showers & a very tough course
In full: First did this event in 1999. That was the old course. It has changed a lot since then, but is still very tough, particularly as the distance is nearer 16 miles. The weather made the pain more bearable. The scenery is stunning as are the cakes & sarnies at the end. Superb range of prizes and very good organisation and marshalling. Access to the facilities makes it more enjoyable. Knowing that hot showers are available is a bonus. Only minor issue is that on 2 sections of the course there were no markings and no Marshall. I followed my instinct and got back. Maybe needs final checking in future or Marshalls to stay at their assigned post. Many thanks to all the organisers and helpers for committing the time and making this a thouroughly enjoyable event. I may be back!
Date of review: November 4, 2010
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2010 race reviewed by: Mud Princess
| | Overall score | | 100% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 100% | | PB potential | | 20% | | Atmosphere | | 80% | | Organisation | | 100% | | Value | | 80% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 60% |
In short: Fantastic 16 Mile Event! Great course, fantastic weather, awesome views and challenging terrain.
In full: This race has it all....even a beautiful sunny day to enhance the views making the ascent worth the pain! Great post race coffee and cakes, hot showers, and plenty of age category awards! Excellent friendly, well organised event....even though there was no mention of the extra mile! Thanks to all involved. I will be back.
Date of review: November 1, 2010
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2010 race reviewed by: BNoodles
| | Overall score | | 100% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 100% | | PB potential | | 40% | | Atmosphere | | 80% | | Organisation | | 100% | | Value | | 80% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 60% |
In short: Fantastic! Tough but very enjoyable.
In full: This was my first Stagger, and I'll be back for more next year. Despite my usual porridge & sultana breakfast, I arrived hungry, but the food was already out, so I topped up with a pre-race cup of tea & home made flapjack. Easy access bag storage, no queues, & all started on time. Lovely scenery, & the weather was lovely, with clear views from the Beacon. Post race hot showers were most welcome, & I was back for more homemade sandwiches & cakes. And despite the tough course, I won a prize! Great day all round, no PBs, but who cares when races are this good!
Date of review: October 31, 2010
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2010 race reviewed by: Steve Lewis 3
| | Overall score | | 100% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 100% | | PB potential | | 40% | | Atmosphere | | 80% | | Organisation | | 100% | | Value | | 80% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 60% |
In short: Tough, Hilly, Peat Boggy, Stony Paths, Fantastic Views, Pure Countryside Trail Running, Superb Sunny Weather
In full: Race starts with couple of mile climb up through wooded hills on stony ground, interspersed with a few short fast downhills, on tracks with mud and loose rocks/stones. Start is about 100ft and this 1st section peaks at nearly 950 ft at 3ish miles. You get fantastic views of Wootton Courtney and the Dunkery Beacon, before going into woods again for a very steep drop on muddy/stony tracks, over a stile and down a steep grassy hill to the village at 400ft/4.5 miles. Through Wootton Courtney a short road section and onto a track undulating for a while until starting the long climb to the Beacon. The track is mainly hard with lots of stones/rocks with the odd peat mud hole. The climb isn't particularly steep from Wootton to the Beacon, but goes on for about 3 miles, ending at 1700 ft. At the top it's off to the right and a tricky steep descent on Peat Bog down to the Aller Coombe tree line, then a lovely section of switchback tracks, fast down, killing up, generally traversing around the hillside, stony tacks, across some shallow stony streams, a bit more peat bog, crossing a small lane and onto the Dunster Path Trail. Onto a small lane at Brockwell and just over 0.5 miles back into Wootton Courtney. Then the toughest part of this race climbing up the field over a stile and into the woods to climb about 600 ft in only 0.75 miles. Lungs starved of air, legs aching and that is walking, there aren't many heroes running up tracks so steep and awkward under foot. You pop out of the woods, up a short track to the peak of the hill, then the last water station, marking the start of a 2.5 mile down hill section, which if your legs are still functioning, is amazingly beautiful and you can reach impressive speeds for this far into a hard race. Once you reach the mettalled lane, it's a few hundred yards to the finish. My GPS clocked it after trimming, at 16.42 miles, 3562 ft total ascent. Not sure about the Orange T Shirt colour, but the shirt design is better than last years. With this race and the Seaview17, Minehead RC have 2 of the very best races on the Calender.
Date of review: October 26, 2010
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2010 race reviewed by: Trevor Quinton
| | Overall score | | 100% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 80% | | PB potential | | 20% | | Atmosphere | | 80% | | Organisation | | 80% | | Value | | 80% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 60% |
In short: The toughest race I've done; I'll be back next year.
In full: This was my first Stagger and it was the toughest race I've done; the climb just before the end is a real killer. The weather was perfect this year but I wouldn't want to do it with wind and rain. My Garmin doesn't agree with the official figures; I made it 15.9 miles with just over 6000ft of ascent and descent. I'll be back next year and hope the weather will be as good.
Date of review: October 25, 2010
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2010 race reviewed by: Iain McCallum
| | Overall score | | 100% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 100% | | PB potential | | 20% | | Atmosphere | | 80% | | Organisation | | 80% | | Value | | 100% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 80% |
In short: Hard as nails but a great race, good organisation and superb scenery.
In full: This is a great race. Superb organisation make it very easy to enjoy. Water stations every 3 miles most with jelly babies and one with bananas. The course is hard as nails with the first hill almost from the gun and far from easy. Total ascent for the course is 3627ft which all hurts. The actual climb of Dunkrey Beacon is not that hard but it goes on for what feels like eternity! The final climb is a total killer, save something for it. The weather today was beautiful which really made the day. If it was bad then this would be a whole different race. Start/finish is at a school so there are showers available which is handy. Secure bag stowage was a good extra. I measured it as 16miles exactly rather than the official 15.1miles. A few extra directional arrows would of been nice on the descent from Dunkley Beacon but just trust the path you are on is the right one.
This was my second year running this race and I will be back again.
Date of review: October 24, 2010
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