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About time that this thread got a "bump" - less than 3 weeks to go!

I ran it last year in road shoes and was absolutely fine.

The navigation was a worry beforehand but I studied the maps the night before, so they were fresh in my mind, and made my own notes about points where I thought I might go wrong. I didn't have to refer to the directions very often as I could usually see at least one runner ahead of me who had usually figured out the right way before I caught up to them! One of the lovely things about a race like this is that runners help each other to get the directions right - it's in everyone's interests not to go wrong!

And whilst the climbs in the first part of this race are significant, they are worth it for the views, and the relatively easy second half.

I'd nominate the only 3 I've done:

1. Boddingdon 50k (though I did it in 2006 and have read no entirelycomplimentary things about organisation in more recent years)

2. Northants Ultra 35

3. Country to Capital 45

Both 2. and 3. are organised by Go Beyond who seem to be consistently efficient and knowledgable about what is needed of an ultra and what runners want from it (from my own experiences and hearing about others')

I'm hoping that someone adds the Croydon Ultra 30 and Trail of Herts 55 as good recommendations .... these are on my list for this year!

Trek flapjacks (cherry or original) or 9Bar peanut bars for me, for slow-release energy during a long slow run:

http://www.healthysupplies.co.uk/energy-bar-protein-cherry-trek.html

http://www.9bar.com/shop/9bar-singles-pumpkin-16-x-50g-bars-duplicate/

Thank you Debra, that is very helpful indeed! I take it you mean the first half of the route - i.e. the first and third quarters of the race are undulating? (I think I read that it's pretty much 15m x 2)

Can anyone who's run this race before comment on things such as course markings, finding your way, the terrain, how you've found the weather in previous years, etc? I'm thinking of doing this for the first time this year (though have done other ultras) and would like to know what I'm getting myself into! The weather's probably the really big unknown - in theory it is in summer, but the corresponding weekend last year was a wash-out for more than one race! Cheers.