Salisbury 5-4-3-2-1 Trail Marathon

Hello - is anyone out there - am I doing this on my own!!!!!!

I have just signed up to do this marathon and would like to get to know my fellow runners before the day.  I have never entered a trail marathon before and I am not sure about the training required it would be great to have some info from like minded runners.  Thanks

Hi, I did the 30k last year and will prob do the 50k this year as enjoyed it so much. It was my first ever "trail" event and didn`t cause me many problems really. As it`s in August the ground should be solid under-foot. I would advise some hill training but i`ts not too bad.

Great race can be hot though. I did the 30k as well thoroughly enjoyed saw some bits of salisbury I had never seen before

Hi all.  I'm also hoping to do the 50k.  I've heard really good reports about the event from my friends who've done it. 

I am thinking of doing the half.

I do most of my training off road, so i would say same training as a marathon but on trails not road! Oh, and definately do hills!

Hi all - thanks for the info - did you need your map or was the course marked out.

Hills ohhhhhhh - hills here I come

I'm thinking of running the 30k as a step towards running my first full marathon in October - looks like it should be a nice scenic event!

Heard really good reports for this run - hope its well marked. This wil be my 1st trail run and l think I'm probably being to ambitious with the distance. If any one has any advice it would be great to hear from you.

I had a couple of issues last year as for the 30k the signs were on a green background which were sometimes difficult to see in the trees but no major issues. They do supply maps in the race pack but 95% of the course was very well marked. If you are local to the area it may be worth checking out some of the route before-hand but for the first 13-14 miles there were plenty of people about so just follow the crowd as many of them will have done it before. I didnt`t find it any more difficult than a conventional road run, just a couple more hills and much more to look at and keep your mind off the miles.

I've done the half, and tempted by the 30k this year (depending how fit I feel). As said, a map is in the pack, but I never needed to use it.
If in doubt, and you're more than half way, look for the big spire and run towards that.
Hills? just think of the views.
Note - this is a scenic, interesting and sociable friendly run, probably not one to plan and expect a pb or one for demonic competitive racing, as you run back through the tourists in the cathedral close, shoppers in the High St etc
(but then, I've never been at the front, so it may be more competitive there?)

Happy - happy -happy just completed 12 miles felt OK - had a few inclines and some cross country but it was alright I did it all on my own.  Now to keep upping the miles.

Cant wait!!!!

Well done Hunnie.  I'm sure you'll be fine for the marathon distance by mid August.  Just keep running those trails! 

Thank you - just need a little bit of encouragement now and again.

I shall log my LSR runs on here, that way I cant get out of doing them  - any one else want to join in 

Well I think i am up for the 30K absoutley love off road also I am in training to do New York Marathon in Nov for the Firefighters Charity, only trouble is that its a nearly a 2 3/4 hr drive, but would like to do it, could catch train? thats 4hrs +  Probably make effort and do it, never been to this part of the country. 

I'm going to be doing the 50k......first ultra sincle the SDW100 so hopefully my legs will be rested and recovered

Does anyone know if the majority of this marathon is off road? 

I`d say its about 60% off road. I do quite a lot of training over the first half of the route and from what I can tell from the rest of the map they sent through id guess around 40% on roads. It was really hot last year and I managed well in road shoes.

I have my lastlong training run this weekend so will have a good look at some sections of it and see how it has coped with the recent run. Let me know if you need any more info

im up for this one 50k looks like a good run

I'm doing the 26.2 miles.........did it in 2010 and kind of liked it although found it tough as very hot. Almost got lost a few times but as already mentioned, there are plenty of others around to shout at you and keep you on route. Bit weird having to wend your way through the tourists oggling the cathedral near the end, and running through a busy shopping centre but it all just added to the quirkiness. Great views to be had and I think it's good to revist some runs as first time around you're just getting to know the lay of the land. Am looking forward to it.