Snowdonia Marathon 2010

brer rabbit - I didn't see the likes of you, stephen kavanagh 4, and stret09 because you were all way ahead throughout and achieved your target with minutes to spare (especially stret - well done on that time - I predict you will be down to 3:25-ish after a few more marathons).   I wonder what your marathon time could go down to without d and v, brer?

Mr Ben - a lot better than your original sub-6 though!  Hope you enjoyed your last marathon .

Hang on a minute - where's Andrea B?  You all right, Andrea?  Oh, what a night ...

Folks, some more photos up on Alastair's website now, see

 http://www.fellrunningpictures.co.uk/snowdonmarathon2010.html

Greg, you're flying mate ! Both feet off the ground !! You should try the Snowdon hill race in July - you get 5 miles of downhill in that one.

TRex  - I thought i might have passed you on the descent into Llanberis but couldn't really believe I'd even got close to catching up with you again after losing sight of you at around mile 19 and didn't dare turn round to try and confirm if it was you or not for fear of going a over t - I almost went several times on the way down as it was! (btw no seasoned fell runner here, in fact only ever gone off road a handful of times, I took the plunge over the summer of aquiring some off road shoes with a look to experimenting, but didn't do too much because of training for SNOD, hoping to get a lot of use out of them this winter though )

looking forward to sub 4 attempts in 2011 - it was always a long shot this year, fuelled by excitement and tapering madness before the race, my original sub 4:15 proved to be the realistic target on the day

Didn't make the sub 4 this time - my knee gave in just before mile 18 and had to rest/limp/walk/run the last 8 miles but was close with a 4:03:39. Up until that point I was flying and still felt quite strong but alas was not meant to be this time. Looking at my splits I figure I've lost about 23-25 mins in those last 8miles.

8:05 / 8:08 / 8:52 / 9:18 / 9:22 / 7:15 / 6:55 / 7:26 / 7:53 / 7:46 / 8:03 / 7:53 / 8:03 / 9:26 / 9:53 / 8:42 / 8:06 / 8:35 it was midway through this last mile that my knee went and couldn't run properly after that so my  times dropped drastically

Strag RM, sorry you won't be running next year - was hoping I'd give you a run for your money in 2011

Sorry you didn't make it Frodo, see you next year though

Damn TRex I thought everyone might have forgotten about me!!!! Guess i'll have to come out of hungover hiding to say............

What a race..........most fantastic race I have run, can't imagine living my life without ever doing it again.......was hoping (secretly) for 4.20 but officially sub 4.30........managed it in 4.28.45 and loved loved loved loved it! Cried like a baby at the end but had to curtail it when i realised that NONE of my family were there..........they had expected me a bit later so I was chuffed to pieces to shout them and say "Oi, I've finished you sods!!!!"

What a post-race piss up........although I tend to think most of the alcohol was consumed by myself and Daisy Duke (NQ2 to those who've forgotten her car wrecking episode). Was fantastic to meet everyone.....I would name everyone individually but perhaps can't quite remember the finer details......although I do remember talking a LOT to Carrot Top........slightly concerned that he is still in Llanberis somewhere looking for that elusive post midnight pint????

What a karaoke line up..........We are the Champions in RunnersWorld styleeeeeeeeee

What a luverrrrrrrrrrly .......

...breakfast on sunday in Pete's
...cottage we stayed at virtually opposite Pete's
...feeling i had on sunday morning that i'd done everything i set out to do!

Sat here wondering what to enter next....was going to be Edinburgh but £45????????????? (I grew up in Scotland and am still seriously tight with money!!!!)

Feel the need to mention.....

...TRex...lovely bloke...respect to you for camping it up in Nant Peris!!!
...BritNick ... for singing (although I think some may challenge us on that) karaoke with me
...Snowdonia Snail....for running all the way and for having to put up with us as near neighbours!
...Hairy Haggis....lovely seeing you at the start and really good to catch up with you in Pete's on sunday morning...Good luck in Florence!!!!
...Jason D for supplying me with a seemingly unachievable challenge of a training programme (which damn well worked in the end) (and for today being my work partner in sore legs, walking strangely and being unable to do quad stretches in the office!!!)
...Nicola Quinn for being my best friend, talking to me sternly when I wobbled and holding my hand to the start line in Llanberis!
...Mr Andrea B for doing what you do best!

I feel like i've just done an Oscar acceptance speech.........I will now be found on the Snowdonia Marathon 2011 thread..........see you all there¬!!!!!
(smileys broken here grrrrrrrR)

Thanks HL - it's a great photo . Really enjoyed the descent again and was flying - the photographer shouted "Be careful - it's very slippy" but there was no way I was slowing down as I was trying to regain some of the 3 mins I lost with hamstring cramp at mile 24!

I did the fell race in July and loved that descent (1hr 6 up and 35 mins down gave a time of 1 hr 41 mins).

Back for both next year .

Oh keep the postings coming folks..just reminds me again of what a fantastic occasion and achievement this race is. I feel I have made many good friends on here even though I havent met any of you except SD of course. 

TRex-I came 8th in my category this year, next year I go into next age category..I would love to come 3rd (I did in Anglesey 7 weeks ago-not overall I hasten to add!) so that will be my target for Snod. However, must not do 3 marathons in 7 weeks next year-not good for an ageing lady OOps, not actually looked to see what was 3rd time in next group-maybe ladies just get faster with age!

Seem to be over lurgy bugs but well and truly knackered now as I'm sure we all are. Very hot radox bath tonight. When do the lights get switched off in this room and we vacate to the next??

Come into the light... we're waiting for you

I could do with getting a watch that does splits - any reccomendations?

Despite telling myself not to start too fast I did the first mile in 7 mins. I realised I'd overdone the first uphill/downhill by the time the route rejoined the road . Only other times I noted were 38 mins to Pen-Y-Pass, 1:43 to Beddgelert (2 mins up on schedule) and 3:04 to mile 22 at Waunfawr (1 min behind).

At 15 miles I was never running a marathon again. Forgotten already, I'll be back next year .

Hi Folks. Didn't get under 4, though have some good excuses! I'll start with doing Loch Ness mara on 3rd Oct followed by a week of walking up & down mountains with Mrs Chimney. I did a few runs the following week and tried an 18m lsr on the 16th which hurt lots and was very hard, too hard. I've been in Ipswich for the last two weeks in a hotel doing 14 hour days and no running. Then either tea in the pub on Friday or breakfast at the hotel Saturday did me and my friend no good. Both of us from mile 15 were taking occasional side trips for both ends... . managed to do 4:20 though so not all bad! Neither of us felt able to be too far from our room on saturday night. Wish I could have met up with you guys, perhaps next year. TR et al, I must have beeen close to you for large parts of the second half, wish I knew what you all looked like. Those hail stones were something else.

See you on the 2011 thread.

reading peters post 800 failed to turn up.perhaps next year they might think of setting the limit higher.i tryed to enter the 2009 race but i was to late.and was gutted would guess few might have been to late this year to enter.can u see what im trying to say? its to good an event for 1300 runners t-rex whats u next ultra and any advice for a first timer.do u run all of it or run/walk thx

No, we'll let the thread sputter on far a bit longer yet.  It will eventually put itself out.

There are a few others out there - Windy Millar? Grassy?  Reydon Rover?  et al?

panad - didn't realise you were keeping me in view.  It was about mile 19 when the realisation dawned that I wasn't going to make it.

Results of LDWA "Where Ravens Dare" 25 (Oct 16) just out where it transpires I was first finisher of 48 assorted runners and walkers by 40 minutes.  That's cheered me up a bit

Tnx to all accommodation suggestions.Greatly appreciated

powell1 -  I'm not necessarily best placed to give ultra advice.  BritNick's best on here.  But I suppose I have done 29 altogether - 16 road, 13 offroad (generally the longer ones). I'm doing a 50K (road) on Jan 23 (by then BritNick will have done a dozen more of the things).  btw you had a brilliant run at SNOD and you severely underestimated yourself!

The most important thing to do is to take ultras (especially your first one) MUCH slower than your marathon pace.  Your first half of the event will feel ludicrously slow - but it needs to because the extra miles after, say, 30 - 35 will start to take their toll. Better to finish feeling reasonably OK after having done an even-paced run with no enforced walking.  Speed will come later!

There are several ultra wannabies on here now (or was that the drink talking? ) so how about if we all meet up for the High Peak 40 in September?  It always has a very good RW thread as well - second best to this one in my book (or is it because it has all the same people on it? )

Evening all,
Not forgotten about you, I am working on my race report. Most of the photos are up. Here's mine! You've been tangoed!!

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_1yPaCbxqbbM/TM6quegODwI/AAAAAAACcJg/2b3WSDenQ3w/s640/TYE_4726.JPG
SS

Hmmmmmm you can see my legs have started to recover.......does anyone know the date for next years race ?????????

hmmmm not overly impresesd with those pics SS, seems myself and all the runners around my time were obviously battling through the most extreme of the weather and the photographer was huddling behind a rock when we went past!!!  Story of my life!!

Thank you T-Rex,  really appreciate all the advice you shared on this thread and that goes for all you other guys that helped us novices

Well done to all who achieved their goals at Snod and commiserations to those that didn't,. I will be back in 2012 hopefully with 8 or so marathons under my belt to have a real go at it.

Thank you to whoever it was taking the photo's on the decent from Waunfawr, talking of that could anyone else hear the crowd from up there? Was pretty special

My face says it all

Here's mine (262):-

http://picasaweb.google.com/alastair.tye/SnowdonMarathon22010#5534228012968568354

Might start the upward taper at the weekend. Stiffness in my right calf is a warning not to run too soon afterwards, like I usually do.

51 weeks training should be enough time to prepare for ......... next year. It's taken me less than 60 hours to decide to return next year and I'll add on a day and stay Saturday night for the drinking!