"Riverbank Rollick"... Certain names of races just force you to run them. And this one was certainly worth it. Hidden in a forgotten corner between the A48, M6 and Hill lane, Thornbury is an incredibly quaint village with old cottages and churches and a 'high-street' with its fair share of real ale pubs. The eerie Midsummer Murders feel that descended upon us may have been a warning for the gruelling multi-terrain race that was awaiting us. This is one of the most varied multi-terrain races I have ever done: well looked after country lanes, mud tracks; fields (muddy and not-so-muddy ones), hills, trails, woodland, riverbank, and a golf course. Even after a (relatively) dry week, some parts of the course were surprisingly muddy... and fun...         

Mark (Joyce) and I were interviewed before the race for a 'specialist internet running channel' (whatever that may be) and asked why we were doing this race (yes, why?). The second question ("are you going to win the race?") was somewhat easier to answer; although for some time I was hoping to be the first Croups to cross the finish line (something I am still aspiring to). But I temporarily forgot that hope and optimism almost always results in disappointment, and this time it wasn't any different. Mark managed to overtake me in the first couple of miles with his completely inappropriate road running shoes.

The section along the Severn was simply stunning. The underground was relatively firm and the great views of some brilliant feats of human engineering (the severn bridges) and not so brilliant ones (oldbury power station) were a welcome distraction from the arduous running. It was a short respite before the course turned inland again and two nasty hills were awaiting us. Luckily enough this also meant that the last two miles were mainly downhill -although tricky as still slippy from night frost being on the ‘wrong side’ of the hill. The finish could be seen from a long way off which motivated me to run a little bit faster. But even here optimism was proven the wrong response (again). Why let runners run directly to the finish line if you can let them wade through a stream right in front of dozens of spectators? (it was one terrain we hadn't covered yet).

Mark was waiting and looking surprisingly fresh. Not long after Dave (McDonald) crossed the line looking unsurprisingly exhausted: "where are the cakes?" were the only words he could mutter. The free cakes afterwards were as varied as the terrains. Tables and tables full of all sorts of cakes. Thornbury RC would be a worthy opponent in a head-to-head bake off with Les Croupiers RC (now, there’s an idea...).

This race is well worth doing. If you tried it once, you will never go back to road running again. I also think it would be a good race for the off-road championship next year.: more than 90% of the course is off-road, and the variation in terrain and views makes it one of the more enjoyable races in the area. An absolute must do for any self-respecting (off-road) runner who takes his/her cake eating seriously...

Wouter Poortinga

Background of the event:
Having only it’s 3^rd outing the Town Moor marathon is a small event with previous years having 90 (2009) and then 145 (2010) finishers. The venue suggested it could be a fast course as it’s where the Newcastle Parkrun is held which is a fast course in itself so I excitedly entered and then booked my bed and breakfast (with my folks) and set about planning my training. The race is organised by the North East Veteran Athletics Club (NEVAC) and they’re organisation couldn’t be faulted at all and at only £15 entry an absolute bargain!

Training: As the race was 5 laps I made sure my long training runs were structured around doing 5 laps of varying flat distances around Cardiff bay. The longest lap being 4.5 miles which meant my biggest training runs were 22.5 miles. So by the time race day dawned having to do 5 laps was merely standard routine.

Race Day: The venue, namely the Town Moor is a 350 acre patch of common park land that is within metres of the city centre (which is sometimes quite surreal as farmers graze their cattle (by law up to 800 at a time) on the land) and yet very green and open to the elements particularly wind so I was pleased on the morning to see calm and mild conditions although the forecast had suggested the wind would get up to 20mph Westerly by midday (and for once unfortunately the weatherman was right).

The Course:Being a 5 lapper (each lap was approx 5.25 miles). Organisers provided 2 feed stations (one at the start/finish point and a 2^nd at half lap point.

I’ve attached the ‘Hi-Tech’ course map provided by the event, which included:
mile 1 = flat and easy
mile 2 = slight incline and into a headwind (which got strong on laps 4 and 5)
mile 3 = flat and easy
mile 4 = included a 400m incline (and then decline) on a dirt trail
mile 5 = flat back to the start/finish into a headwind.
Miles 6-26.2 repeat.

The Race: I reckoned, based on training I might be able to do around 3hr 10mins (depending on the course) so set my Garmin at 7.15/mile. Targets to hit were:

One advantage of being a multi lapper was that I could have a mate hand me feed bottles of my choice every lap, which is what happened.

First lap I wanted to see what the lap involved therefore made sure I stuck to my plan whilst quite a few sped off past me into the distance. Laps 2 and 3 I stuck to the task and gradually moved past a few. Starting lap 4 I was still maintaining my pace and feeling pretty good however the wind had picked up and we now found ourselves doing about 2 miles per lap into a strengthening headwind. Also by lap 4 we’d started to lap the runners towards the back of the field and therefore it got more difficult to be sure whether you were lapping or genuinely making up a position. However I was sure I’d made up several places on lap 4 and reckoned I was now lying about 20^th.

The final lap dawned, the wind had picked up proper and several runners were throwing in the towel! I guess as it was a multi-lapper we were never far from a warm café with hot drinks and warm, dry clothes so the temptation to pull out must have been greater than in a standard point to point marathon. Anyhow I could feel my pace slipping but still seemed to be getting past runners fairly regularly. Once past one runner I was quick to look ahead to see the next target, however on entering the final mile which included a ¾ mile long straight flat path I could only see the white dot of a running vest way in the distance so reckoned that was it as they had a good half mile lead over me. So on meandering through some twisty paths in the final few metres imagine my surprise to be confronted by a runner about 30 metres ahead who seemed to have slowed (so much so I assumed they were about to start their 5^th lap) to a crawl! It quickly dawned that he was in fact in 12^th place as the marshals guided him towards the finishing side of the path. Unfortunately we were in the final 50 metres of the race and he put a final spurt on enough to prevent me from catching him and subsequently beat me by 5 seconds. Oh well I reckoned, nowt I could do although when the awards were presented I added a few more expletives when I realised he was in my age category and had grabbed the 3^rd place trophy and very nice they were to!

The men’s race was won in 2.55 and the women’s race in 3.25. The field had a high percentage of veteran runners with 103 of the 127 finishers being vets (the oldest in the 75-79 age category). Results don’t show how many dropped out although entries numbered 202.

Overall Conclusion: The Newcastle Town Moor marathon is a very friendly, cheap (only £15), intimate flat event with a definite PB potential (I proved that). Organisation by the NEVAC was excellent and the support from the marshals was superb. Trophies were handed out for overall 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd and also for every 5-year age category above 35 to 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd in male and female.

Getting to Newcastle is pretty easy with flights from Bristol costing about £60 return (flying from Cardiff is a lot more expensive). You’ll be spoiled for places to stay as the venue is virtually in the city centre so is within 5 minutes walking distance of many B&B’s. If using a car parking is free and again is within 1 minutes walk of the venue.

(You Tube video link attached for ‘part 1’ of the event. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TS1XHvT_d0A

Dave Proud

Snowdon Group plus two trees.We left Cardiff around 2pm, and started on our way up to Snowdon.  (Note to self next time, runners hydrate before marathons, so ask in Brecon does anyone need to stop.)  We slowly arrived in Builth Wells, and had our local market and bathroom stop.  Many grateful runners! Oh yes and the cake had already started. Countless varieties of cake were produced and great carbo loading the day before. By 4:30 ish, we had stop number 2, and only 70 miles to go. Great, it cannot be long now, and then the roads got narrower and narrower and narrower. Thankfully all roads were leading to Snowdon, or rather there seemed to be a procession of cars going that way, anyone would think there was a big event on rather than an easy Saturday marathon!

I have to say top marks to Dave Williams for driving the difficult last 2 hours to Snowdon. Well done. We arrived in darkness in Llanberis but there was nothing dark about the race registration. All very efficient and speedy. (and it did stay open till midnight if you really wanted to work all the hours and arrive late) If you had done last year's race you could get a t-shirt or hoodie for bargain prices.(Worth considering next year's race.. oh I'm tempted already). We dropped everyone off and arranged to meet for dinner.  

A quiet dinner due to a little matter of the race the next day although we all put down our expected race times for the next day in sealed envelope, a pint to the closest to their time. Libby wasn't there so we let Claire Phillips put down Libby's time..(Libby was too busy getting herself ready!)

These were the predicted times and the actual times. Lots of people in the pub running and everyone sharing experiences about the race and what to expect:

Simon 3:59 (3:48)
Clare P 3:15 (from Port Talbot) (3:17)
Dave W 4:07 (4:06)
James 3:55  (3:31)
Libby (predicted by Clare) 3:20 (3:27)
No. 96 or large chilli (Mal) 4:15 (3:59)
Rich 3:58 (DNS, Richie was ill Sat)

Race Day:

The author approaching the finishWe woke early, had time for breakfast at the hotel, a nice race start time (10:30), lots of people in hotels running the races and lots to talk about and I did change my mind about 5 times about what to wear.(Well I have to get my colours coordinated ) Seriously it  is important. Well I eventually decided shorts, thermal top and rain shield (a good choice for me, make the right choice for you if you do this race) as I kept all of it on for 23 miles.

On race day there was a bus around Llanberis. We walked the mile from the hotel to the start, left our kits in the tent and walked to the start. Go to the bathroom at the registration area as there are no toilets that near the start. A very relaxed start, lots of people talking, chatting, many Croups runners, and Cardiff clubs.  It was very wet and windy but no one really cared.   "and, what was that the start?" Oh yes, well better start running then! That was the most relaxed start of a marathon I've ever done.

Started with a big Les Croups first mile talking away, enjoying the on route support as you leave Llanberis. The first mile is flat then you climb and you climb and you climb. I ran with Libby and we started slow, (a very good plan) so did as it seems all Croups (good plan guys). The rain was horizontal on the hill as we climbed towards 4 or 5 miles, a big big big (and big) thanks for Stu's support at the top of the hill as he shivered. It was great to see a friendly face at the top,  thanks for the support.

Then the race does downhill for a while and then off-road. It's lovely off-roading with great views and everyone enjoying it chatting away. People are running speedy but still really enjoying, also on the way many bikes supporting the race, cheering on their runners and the other runners too. At about 9-10 miles we met Tom from the North (his first marathon), and he ran with Libby and myself pretty much all the way. "I'm only planning on about 3:45", well he did 3:30 so well done.

We were slowly picking up the pace throughout the race, at 13 miles I looked at my watch. First time in the race (thanks for the advice Richard S well noted!) and perhaps my 10 min/mile pace plan didn't quite happen (1:45 ish)  I must say the village around 12/13 miles was lovely and we had really good support. A testing climb out after 13 miles but worth it as you then have a rewarding flat and then downhill/undulating section until around 20 miles. I later checked and my fastest miles were 17 to 21 before the hill at 22 started.

I managed to keep up with Libby until 22 miles as we passed maybe 100 people from 4 miles (maybe more). Very enjoyable starting slow and picking up the pace late. At 22 miles you have a testing hill and you actually turn into the wind so the challenge is tough.  I was still passing people but Libby and Tom both  picked up the pace and finished strong putting 4 minutes on me (or more i think) in about 3.5 miles. Considering I was still passing people,  that is really good running. I enjoyed the climb from 23 to 25, not 24 as some people told me ;-) ,but it's not a time to be out of energy.

If you do this race save energy for the last 6. If you're walking you will be cold and it's not a race to be cold in. Enjoy the views, and it is lovely. Sadly Richie S could was ill and not up to racing, but he was a top notch supporter at 23 miles. Seeing 2 Croups and a friendly face on this race supporting really made a difference to me.   The downhill from 25 to 26.2 is very steep, like Castle Coch but part off-road. Not for the faint hearted (and it was hailing at the top). Still enjoyable with enthusiastic support at the top and I realised fell runners taking photos - downloadable for free.. (London Marathon - please take note).

I finished in a 3:31. Very happy. The really moving thing I noted at the finish were runners doing the last 100 or so metres with their kids holding the hands.  It was really good to have "this is James the Bruce from Les Croups" a bonus at the time, not that they did say that, but i wouldn't have been surprised if they did as they were very welcoming and called out everyone's name! Really worthy of note is that Libby had negative splits on Snowdon Marathon and a quick time to boot, very good running.    

Post-race

The famous Pete's EatsAfter the race: hot tea and biscuits in the reception. NB this the place to meet then shower and warm up with food afterwards. Did I have 8 or maybe 10 cups of hot tea afterwards? All the locals providing it were very friendly.  Even with the hard rain at that point it didn't dampen the spirits. I'll be honest I didn't see everyone finish. I do wonder if Dave W was waiting in the pub to get his predicted 4:07 time ;-) but knowing Dave I'm sure he didn't as he is just a very strong runner and a great pacer. I was very lucky to see No. 96 (Mal F).. sprint to the finish to get sub 4. Mr Bolt watch out. Perhaps that tells me you had a bit more left Mal? Anyway well done. As for the others: great runs for everyone, especially Simon H - first marathon 3:45 ish, fantastic running.  Just to note the water stops were excellent (big sorry to the one stop lady who I knocked over all the chocolate then was unable to eat it)


We enjoyed the walk back to the hotel despite the driving rain, nothing to dampen the spirits after a hard, really well supported race, and such great spirit between the runners. Then to Pete's Eats for eats and beer. We all met up there, some of us ordered normal size meals, others ordered a meal for a running club, and perhaps it took a bit longer,  but then they were cooking a paddy field of rice and enough chilli to feed the whole of Les Croups on a Thursday night. So Mal or John Wayne (per the hat) needed to wait a bit longer for No 96 chilli and rice. Goodness, what that large chilli and rice would look like. Perhaps they knew how hard he ran and gave him a little (or a lot extra!). We had a great evening at the pub(s),  talking about the race and talking about doing in next year as people come back year after year.

To sum it up, this is why Snowdon  gets 12 out of  10 for me. It's a marathon that is really hard to beat for enjoyment.

1. If it is rainy it's better because you doing a hard marathon and it's part of the challenge.
2. the crowd are great.
3. the views are just fantastic.
4. the atmosphere is great.
5. water stops are really good and regular.(and as its often cold and wet you dont need as many).Water stops were better than the Berlin marathon.
6. a great group of runners from the best club on the planet always run Snowdon.
7. you get great cake on the travel up (usually) with the Club trip.
8. pubs are great in Llanberis.
9. you don't care about your time and you don't need a watch!
10. You can transfer your number up to about 1 month before the race  (then they print the bar codes).
11.It's on a Saturday so you can go to the pub Saturday night.
12. The whole area gets behind the race.

A lot of bigger marathons could learn from this one.

Entries open New Year's Day (I think) next year.

James Bruce

Race HQ - we joined the escape committee and headed for a Travelodge

Having done OKish in our last OMM, Wouter and I gave ‘boring’ B Class a miss, and entered the Medium Score event ('classic orienteering') the aim to find of as many controls as possible whilst navigating to and from overnight camp within strict time limits (6 and 5 hours respectively), the controls yielding differing points (10-40) according to difficulty. The small print also said something about time penalties but we had no such fears. More on that later…

Classic Tim wildlife photo (bumpy bits + red deer..)Based on two previous OMMs in Scotland, I was positively pessimistic, “Embrace the power of negative thinking” the mantra and, sure enough, a pre-race fortnight of snow/floods and a mild but wet SW front during the race made life interesting. What better way to sell more OMM kit? Race HQ also had character & Grand Designs, a decaying ex-WWII PoW camp (including original fittings) next to a nuclear bunker complex intended to house an emergency Government HQ - the perfect finishing touch as the rain lashed down, and we hid in the car at the start in our very own Armageddon. “Why?” the only question at such a moment. “We’re doomed” muttered Wouter in a perfect Dutch-Scottish Dad’s Army accent. And so it proved.

Day 1 lived down to expectations and we were soon wretched, cold and very wet. I was happy just to keep up with Wouter who, in-spite of recovering from a bug (he coughed and shivered wildly) was flying like his proverbial namesake. I stupidly ran in shorts and was scratched to bits by the vegetation. Luckily there were no ticks. Wouter looking Wagnerian on Day 2 (no rain!)Applying the ‘survival’ and 'pleasure' principles, we headed for overnight camp after just 4 ½ hours, finishing with a miserly 110 pts.  The campsite looked like, and was, a small flooded field in the lee of a hydroelectric power station. On some glorious summer day it had, maybe, looked much more inviting – today it looked liked the aftermath of Hurricane Catrina. 

But then the rain stopped and a bit of blue appeared (briefly, beautifully) so we quickly spread out soggy gear in the hope some might dry – this re-awoke the angry rain Gods immediately. We crawled back into the tent (2 x 0.9m) and prepared for 16 hours in a cocoon.  Luckily we’d bought ear-plugs, Jura and Talisker (single malts are lighter and yummier than post-race protein bars/energy gels).  Sleep came as frugally as the points on Day 1, hence maybe our failure to fully appreciate the (traditional) Scottish piper who awoke the camp at 6:00am and was greeted with the equally traditional Croups 'fecks and threats' chorus.  As my Grandfather (a Cork man) pointed out, the Irish gave the Scots the pipes 400 years ago but they still didn’t get the joke... 

red-up on porridge, and goaded by a younger Dallimore (Claire and partner won the Medium Score Ladies race at a canter results here) we approached Day 2 in a different frame of mind and felt confident (always dangerous). The map also looked promising, with many ‘big points’ on offer for those who dared. Within an hour we’d bagged 3 controls and 60 points (more than half the previous day’s score) but then came the BIG MOMENT in our race (every MM has one of these), ‘play safe or gamble’?  The obvious was a simple SE run-for-home, with a respectable score and the promise of an early finish, ideal prep for the nine hour drive back to Cardiff. Madness is contagious though, and we both keenly searched for a route North, then East, then South and a yarn spinning grand tour of at least 200 points. Spotting an exit road for a mad dash home should thing go wrong, we had a plan within the minute – it looked impossible, but "what the hell".  The true value of two PhDs was exposed, and whilst seemingly everyone else cheerfully walked/jogged home, we took off in the opposite direction, running strongly but very much alone down a long, curving, valley, with grouse shoot hides either side of us. Balaclava came to mind…

We almost tripped over the next hidden control (20) and whooped with delight when we hit our first ever 40 pointer. Overtaking other runners who'd earlier swept past us but then mis-navigated added to the fun and the impossible looked possible with two and a half hours still remaining for the ~15k run home. Easy for those of the ‘World’s Greatest Running Club’?  But then came soggy bog, a river crossing, then a long gully scramble, 10 minutes time wasted faffing about for a control, then tugging at heather as we hauled ourselves over ‘peat hags’, then crags, then the day's big climb before an even worse 5k rocky track descent. Alarm bells rang ever louder and I’ve never known time fly so quickly. Fatigue is almost forgotten when panic sets-in, but thrives when faced with despair. Run became shuffle and we grew more desperate as the realisation of ‘time penalties’ (2 points per minute late home) loomed.  The game was up by the time we hit our 'exit road' where we were greeted by an unexpected "OMM bus-stop" sign and a queue of retirees and fellow failures.

We toyed with the idea of continuing regardless, walking the last couple of miles and stopping for a pint in Comrie and finishing on a score of minus 10 squillion, but the Race Director (a nice chap who was driving the bus) and his two collies already had their work cut-out rounding-up stragglers like us. The banter on the bus back was of a high standard - someone asked if the Race Photographers would also 'do us a photo' as we disembarked, heads hung in shame. Being driven back in such a state to a WWII PoW camp seemed a rather fitting end to our audacious bid for glory...

A great weekend nonetheless - dare one say a 'classic OMM'??

Tim O'Sullivan & Wouter Poortinga 

It was the usual fast start by many of the runners, but that didn't bother me and I settled into a comfortable pace waiting for the hills that never really came. There were a few climbs and 9.2 miles of off road is hard anyway, but it didn't compare to Pentyrch, the Roman Run or the Exmoor Stagger which I consider my hardest race.

Early on the race a marshall shouted out encouragement to me and called out "come on Peter". I hought they were talking to someone they knew in the race, but then as the race went on each marshall in turn did the same, but I knew it was me for sure as I was on my own.

I certainly enjoyed the unexpected encouragement and to be fair there were so many marshalls around and so many flags to keep you in the right direction that even I was confident that I couldn't go wrong.
I also had a huge surprise coming 6th, which is my best position in any race for about 23 years. I would have enjoyed the race anyway and as it was only the second ever running of this race I have to say "hats off" to Totton Running Club for putting on a very well organised and enjoyable race. Anyone finding themselves in the New Forest in late October should consider giving this race a go.

Peter Turnbull

As expected the race was incredibly well organised, had great support and course entertainment throughout. There were advised spots and big screens for spectators and the book indicated at what time they would expect to see different bib colours. The route was windy and went past Bournville which was nice. There was an abundance of water and Powerade stations throughout. The course was definitely not flat and there was a long incline from 10 to 11.5 miles was most unwelcome after I had battled with the wind for a good part of the run. The start was phased to reduce congestion and this seemed to be very effective. However the done side was that I met the front runners coming back when I had just done 3.5 miles and they were at 10 miles – a little sole destroying! At the finish goody bags were provided with a medal, t-shirt, Powerade, water, some food and a much appreciated Cadbury chocolate bar. There were plenty of facilities before and after the race and not much queuing. Bag storage was available and very well organised.

All in all a very good race and well worth doing, although I think you are unlikely to get a pb. My performance was a little disappointing due to a lack of long distance running post injury this year. However, I would consider a return visit.

John Sutherland

Ed's notes: Thanks and well done James - this presumably your result? (Bib no 3761, 1:31:55 Chip Time, 507th). Send us a photo and we'll include with this article.

Tim O and Graeme D just after the start at day 2 (and the treking poles are already out..)

Mountain Marathoners refer to the RAB as ‘the new one’, as opposed to ‘the technical one’ (the LAMM), ‘the commercial one’ (the OMM which Wouter and I will be doing in a month's time), ‘the one where you get woken up by a piper’ (the Highlander) and ‘the summer one in the Lake District where you get beer at overnight camp’ (the Saunders which, in my own case, = ‘the one where you DNF because you’ve been bitten by a midge and have an allergy’).

The RAB has quickly established itself as a favourite amongst MMs enthusiasts, hence the predominance of Yorkshire accents, Scandinavian types and Inov-8s that greeted Graeme and myself at registration.  This is ‘strictly hardcore’ although you’ll never find a nicer bunch of people. There is a downside though; the sparsity of mortals, like G&I, carrying belly guts, pork pies, oversized packs and trekking poles (i.e. those we had any chance of finishing ahead of...)

Being new (and having a nice big fat sponsor) the RAB is also rather keen - hence the novelty, of us receiving not just the traditional bowl of gruel at the finish, but also a goody bag (Joss Naylor types would be baffled by such a turning of the back on all things austerity) complete with a rather nice hat, whistle, multi-tool set and lots of yummy things to eat.  Much mind bogglingly expensive kit was also on sale (£250 for a 150g waterproof smock ?). We, being of the Aldi faith, averted our eyes...

This year’s RAB was a home match, held in the much underestimated Caernaddau in Snowdonia.  The start was in Besthesda, an odd little mountain town in a fine but maybe dodgy setting.  Walking along the High Street on a Friday night the place looked and felt a little like the unlikely offspring of an unprotected liaison between Merthyr and Ambleside...

The forecast had been horrendous, and so, true to form, the pre-race camp was a stinker - gales and rain throughout the night prevented sleep. My £45 Millets tent was, like me, not in its comfort zone. Peering out of a soggy nylon flap at 6:00am and seeing nothing but wretchedness, I threw a teenage strop and suggested to G we DNS’d and do the Park Run instead. It took some superb reverse psychology by The Don to cajole me out of my sleeping bag. The bacon sandwich also helped. So to the thought that even timophilic midges would struggle in 70 mph winds...

Envisaging survival as the name of the game, we packed 'heavy' waterproofs, spare gas, warm changes of kit, 'just in case of a twist' titanium trekking poles (a decadent, expensive but increasingly essential part of our first aid kit...) and tons of food, conscious of Napoleon’s advice that ‘an army marches on its stomach’. Boney would have been proud of us.

We dibbed in at the start, were handed the maps and control descriptions, crossed the line – and promptly sat-down again (in what other race do you get to do this?) for the ritual route planning plus reading and marking of the map.  This was followed by my least favourite bit, the first hill – within minutes I was struggling to keep up with Graeme.  G loves the climbs - I, on the other hand, am better at descending - our MMs thus tend to take on something of a two man relay with the map + associated navigational duties being passed, baton like, as G overtakes me (on the ups) or I overtake G (on the downs).

Just an hour or into our race something odd happened – the rain stopped, a small patch of blue stuff spotted in the sky, followed by intermittent but stunning views of the Menai straights, Irish Sea, glistening and banks and Llandudno (where Jen Salter was 23 hours into her 24 hour misery several ‘000s of feet below us). The waterproofs came off and remained unused for the rest of the jaunt. The wind stayed put though, which was fine by me...

We like the RAB lots as it is a 'score' event, 6 hours to nab as many controls as you can on Day 1, 5 hours to do the same on Day 2. The only hazard are the unforgiving time penalties should you return a minute or two (let alone 10) late. Unlike in a ‘linear’ event, missing one control does not result in automatic disqualification - just as well as we soon found ourselves in trouble on our 3^rd, and more seriously 4^th, control point (‘The Pinnacles’). I wasted an age clambering up and down sharp, slippery, rock slabs determined but failing to find our target amongst the myriad of crannies and nooks. The Don shouted up from below, ordering me to come down and give up the quest - a wise decision as, unbeknown to us both controls had been wrongly set by the race planner, a hanging offence debasing the months of training and race preparation. Later we we and others were compensated and awarded the points, but the delay & wasted time sapped our most precious of commodities, confidence. Assuming we’d messed-up, it took a little wind out of our sails – the terrain joined in with the moral duffing-up and obliged us both with numerous ankle twists and stumbles.  For Graeme’s ankle (broken twice in previous circumstances) this was not the best of times...

Knack’d, with just an hour left on the D1 clock, we found ourselves overlooking the overnight camp having gained a miserly 100 points in five hours bog trotting. We had a cruel choice of options, call it a day and have a much needed cuppa, or gamble and go for a 6-7k out and back dash to bag a control we’d decided to ignore previously.  We went for the 'lotto' and were rewarded with both the extra points and an ‘all hands to the pumps’ sprint to the finish, both very dehydrated as the sun roasted all in its path - the run in felt good though.  Nick and Caroline finished seconds behind us having grabbed almost twice as many Day 1 points.  We stood in awe...

The overnight campsite was a beauty – Grand Designs mother nature style. Strange to see the human race (‘00s squashed together in a nettle infested valley + some nice views) so content and at ease with itself.  Sadly I didn't take a camera having believed the weather forecasts. The kitchen and shower facilities were 'basic', although the usual icy brook at the bottom of a gully was perfect for the much needed cold water post race bathe, the perfect anti-inflammatory treatment for battered ankles and feet.  After much eating, banter, some reflective MM learning from the Dalls, and overdosing on instant custard, we went to bed at sunset all seemingly asleep by 8:00pm (a pb).  The weather was very warm - wiser types slept under the stars. The midges also slept. I turned on my iPOD shuffle (my 'luxury item' always carried on MMs) and listened briefly to a very dull R4 'In our time' podcast on Shinto - the perfect sleeping tablet...

Sunrise came with a stunning red sky and herring bone clouds. Those of us queuing for the portaloos looked on agog at the natures of wonder. The RAB gods were angry and wind returned, especially on tops, in our faces for most of the day. I always run better on the 2nd day of a MM and almost enjoyed the first climb through the gorse (see pic). We were bolder with route choice (the key success factor in MMing ?) and braver with speed underfoot, finishing well but again leaving things a little late, needing to sprint to the line through a swamp to avoid time penalties - the result, a much better D2 result (135/292 as opposed to 220/300 on D1).

A hot shower at the local Leisure Centre followed after G bravely walked into the reception (a trail of slime and moss in his wake) and boldly asked if we could use the facilities. The manager didn't flinch, smiled and said the magic words 'yes, of course' after a polite 'shumai' (sp?). I imagined the b*llocking we'd have got had this been either of my home towns (Clapham/Brighton). I like Bethesda lots - one day I'll learn the language...

Nick and Caroline finished 22^nd overall (and 2^ndMixed Vets) and maintain their position amongst the demigods of Welsh orienteerers. Julia Becker had a great (remarkable?) run, having met her scratched pair partner Ute only hours before the start of the race and finishing a highly credible 130th/292 overall.

Other highlights of a near perfect weekend included the the blueberry cheesecake on the way-up in TH Roberts (the world's greatest coffee shop is in Dolgellau) and post-race toffee waffle ice cream in Betws-y Coed (thanks Julia !). Make no mistake, I’ll be back for more...

Full results here

22nd, Nick DALLIMORE/Caroline DALLIMORE, LES CROUPS / MDC, MIXV, Day1 280pts, Day2 245pts, Total 525pts (time 10:41:21)

130th Julia BECKER/Ute MEISTER, SWOC /MDC, FV, Day1 195pts, Day2 145pts, Total 340pts (time 09:57:57)

185th Graeme DONNAN/Tim O'SULLIVAN, LES CROUPIERS, MV, Day1 150pts, Day 2 145pts, Total 295pts (time 10:44:02)

(292 finishers)

Tim O'Sullivan

Alun sporting Welsh colours

While it was set in the most beautiful Alpine valley, the race started in the most glamorous setting of a meat processing factory outside Bendern and had less than 1500 entrants participating. Only 9 runners represented the UK, with me being the only Welsh person there!

The course started flat, running off road through fields and forest path before going alongside the Rhine river. We passed their football stadium (which gave me a chance to sing some Welsh football chants, much to the amusement of fellow runners and spectators) before turning into Vaduz, the capital of the Principality. After meandering around it very posh streets, we turned to a steep incline, and for the next 8 miles we just kept going uphill.

We passed Schloss Vaduz, the official residence for the Prince of Liechtenstein, went through thick alpine forest and farming hamlets. The course winded up a mountain heading for Silum and it just didn’t stop. Each time I looked up to see how much further to go I saw in the distance above me fellow competitors still going uphill. Luckily I was in Liechtenstein because I turned the air blue with the most offensive swearing in exasperation every-time I saw the course going higher and higher.

But the support by Liechtensteiners was great, along the way they shouted ‘Hob! Hob! Hob!’ and rang cowbells to push us on. I am sure without them many of us less hardy runners would have struggled up the mountain. Plenty were helping out with passing water and snacks to all the runners.

After reaching the highest point, at an altitude higher than Ben Nevis, the course levelled out before turning downhill which gave me the chance to sprint to the finish in the village of Steg. I was exhausted, aching, blistered, cold and soaked to the skin when I crossed the finishing line,

Completing it in 3 hours and 5 minutes, the slowest time I have ever done for a half marathon. But it was worth it, the experience of doing such a unique and challenging race was worth the embarrassment of completing a half marathon at my slowest time.

After a quick shower and changed, I got back to Zurich and went to the nearest pub for a mighty lamb shank, potatoes and beer. Quite frankly, I deserved it.

Here is the link to the race website: http://www.lgt-alpin-marathon.li/

To get to Liechtenstein I flew from Birmingham to Zurich, then took a train to Sargans then bus to Vaduz. (One word of warning, Switzerland and Liechtenstein is very expensive!)

Alun Williams

Hosted by Hay Hotfooters, a new enthusiastic running club, sets up race HQ in a series of army tents on the hilltop. Runners park in a farm downhill. The usual off-road enthusiasts were there as well as some new faces, making up the field to about 150. The race starts at the very top of the hill, 10 mins walk up from the finish – so overall there is more downhill than up – but despite the gravity advantage the lumpy grass tracks ensures that this is not a PB course. Organisation is slick and friendly, and there are so many marshals and arrows that even Stu Crees could not get lost.

The real attractions of the race are the views, the village fete atmosphere and the superb cakes at the finish.  This is a great race and deserves its place in the club off-road championship; it encapsulates all that is best in club running, friendly competition, camaraderie, beautiful scenery and cakes. This is an ideal race for those who not take the sport too seriously, and regard the running as a prelude to the serious business of eating cakes surrounded by the finest Welsh countryside. Did I mention the cakes?

Well done to Mike Murphy, James Bruce, Howard Kent, John Magee, Stephen Owen, Brendon Amey-Jones, Alyson Hayes, David E Williams, Tim O’Sullivan, Gary Bodman, Peter Wilks, Denis Murphy and Julie Scholey. James was suffering from the after effects of Edinburgh marathon and seemed to have legs of jelly. Denis was saving himself for an afternoon starring at the Hay festival (food security – just hide the biscuit tin), and Scholey had her mind on an afternoon at the opera. Full results at http://www.hayhotfooters.co.uk/images/Results%202011.pdf

Next tarmac free club outing is Tintern Trot 30^th June at 730 pm. As all Chepstow Harriers races, it ends at a pub, so recommended to those who take their drinking as seriously as their running.

Richard Self