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Snowdonia Marathon 2014
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Well done everyone. Brilliant performances.
Second SNOD for me and enjoyed even more than last year. Fantastic race, so friendly and well organised. Managed to just beat my target getting in at 3.56. Touch and go on that last hill but managed to keep moving and was so happy to see Llyn Padarn come into view.
Next year!!!!!
The aim was a sub 4.40. Came in at 4.27 beating last year by 20 mins.
I enjoyed every single minute. Simply the best running experience of my life.
I promised the girlfriend I would have a marathon free year next year but I am already thinking of this race again even though I am currently having trouble managing the stairs.
I don't remember any mention of support crews waiting for us at the start line of the Double Snodder either. Unsupported!
Back at my desk today after another great weekend in the mountains. SNOD number 9 completed in 3.38 which I was really pleased with after the struggle at Abingdon the week before. The organisation was spot on and the support around the course and especially at the finish was the best I can remember. Roll on 2015.
Sir John - I have entered TMW next year. I did it this year and it is a beast. It is a fair bit tougher than SNOD so get plenty of hill training in your legs. It took me 4.49 and I was happy with that. A great race though but don't forget your insect repellent!
Some great running from everyone on here and even those who missed their targets seem to have enjoyed it. It is a very special race.
That climb up to Bwlch y Groes instead of coming down it would be a nice interesting start and climbing up Bryn Gwynant instead of coming down it would be a very tough 3.2 mile tester with a leg crippling 4 mile run to the finish.
The problem with a double Snowdon marathon is that the entry list would look very small.
If the reverse Snowdon could be made into a charity event whereby runners would have to pay a small entry fee (say ??10) then the proceeds could be given to a worthy charity.
The novelty factor may ensure quite a few runners turn up to have a go, and if it could be run in early September it could be considered a very long training run for the official race in October.
Whether Jayne Lloyd could officially sanction the run, accept our tenner on the day and donate the proceeds to a worthy cause is another matter, but if it can be organised properly count me as I've always wanted to run a backward Snowdon marathon.
jason - plenty of time to sort the logistics. I'm only thinking there shouldn't be much of a break between the two runs. We'll need water at least for the first run which we will have to carry and what to do with an unwanted pack for the race and getting hold of any supplies, kit, etc for the second run?
The knee seems not to be too serious.
I'm extremely thankful I packed my hiking poles because without them I would never have got down the hill again for the Saturday night meet up. On the Sunday walk - more later - it didn't seem to hold me up too much, but then I had plenty of other situations going on to make a dodgy knee relatively insignificant.
Hi Andrea. Have we got two Andrea Bs??
Well done to everyone who found the finish line on Saturday.
I did but in a far more broken state than I'd anticipated.
GI issues (which have hampered some of my longer distance triathlons) started to present around 18 miles & although managed, the legs also started to go shortly afterwards.
As it has been said, Marathon is a very honest distance & I knew I was underprepared. I usually set myself the standard that walking in a Marathon is cheating & to date that's kept me going full pelt until I reach 26.2m but some way after making it to 15/16 miles I had come to terms with the fact that I'd probably have to walk up & down final hill. What I hadn't anticipated is quite how b*ggered my legs would be by that stage.
I managed good forward motion up to 21.5 miles (albeit 19, 20 & 21 under duress). If I'd continued at the same pace I'd have snuck in just under 4 hours but some excruciatingly slow final hilly miles put pay to that & I hobbled over the finish line in 4 hrs 34.
I was angry at how I had to finish but that's my fault. Fail to prepare, prepare to fail.
I have unfinished business with you SNOD!
An excellent race in a beautiful setting and well organised - although a few more seats / beds / pre-dug graves & the finish would be nice.
Just on the forum for first time since the weekend, and what a weekend! This race just gets better every year. So much support, camaraderie, fun and laughter over the whole weekend. It was good to meet up with so many forumites. Special mention must go to fellow Stockport Harrier Sir John a Lot on his first SNOD. You must have chased me down that hill to the finish like an animal, with your Welsh flag at the ready. You should take up fell racing.
Many thanks to T Rex, Chimney and UDS for good company throughout the weekend. UDS, brilliant result by you once again. Not bad on no running training.
Pete, good to see you again. See you same place same time next year for my 10th and your much more than that'th.
JD, really sad you had to retire. I was surprised to see you on the track after the first peak. Repair soon, and glad you're not the slightest bit depressed by it.
I always secretly hope for a sub-4 and thought it might just have been on the cards this year at halfway, but my usual extreme positive split between 1st and 2nd half put paid to that. In the end I was pleased with 4:09 and some change. Best part for me once again was the final climb and descent to the finish. I must have overtaken scores of runners on that bit. Looking at the electronic timing mins/mile, mine were 10:30 from halfway to 23 miles and 10:39 from 23 miles to the finish.
Sir John - TMW is brutal but brilliant i'm going to attempt to finish the full next year
T-Rex - glad knee ok
Want to enter for next year now !!!!!!!!!!!
Brer - sounds like you are off to Telford for the Pumpkin/Spooky marathons on Sat? I am doing the afternoon/evening one as quite like the novelty of a marathon mostly in the dark. The 31 laps might be a test though. You done one on this course before?
Last 3 miles took me 38 mins, you got to laugh/cry at that
2.28 & 2.31 for the original and in my opinion tougher marathon course.
Even though the times have hardly improved over the years nobody has ever come close to equally those amazing times.
Emlyn Roberts did his 2.31 way back in 1991, and the times have been slower ever since.
First time Snod for me, I knew it would be hard and so it proved! All going well up to 21 miles , then kept getting stuck behind caravans...tried to get moving again up the last hill until I got a serious case of gut wretch! If you saw a lost soul around the 23 mile mark heaving against the stone wall it was me ????...tried to get going again after that and my calves cramped up badly so walked for a bit till it eased off...was hoping for a fast desent but my quads were gone and I practically side - stepped all the way down into Llanberis. Finished in 4:34, but in retrospect glad just to reach the end as I thought my body wasn't going to make it. Wish I could have finished better but I loved the crowds and fellow runner encouragement so may consider another go! Doing a normal marathon after this experience will feel like I'm copping - out!
I can't believe I passed anyone T Rex between miles 22 and 24. I was moving at snail's pace. Maybe I went past you before then. It would have been nice to say hello, though I'd done most of my chatting by then and was searching my inner soul for inspiration.
Got to admit I think you lot on here are all mental. A double Snod - one straight after the other going in the opposite direction. I know people who have been sectioned and they seem normal compared to some of you crazy fools. My first words to Mrs Dodger when I fell in her arms was "I'm never doing Snowdonia again". Okay I'm already changing my mind about that .... but two in a day, you have got to be kidding.
And I'm on telly while crawling up Pen Y Pass next to a bloke dressed in an orange suit. The kids have been warned that if they delete it, I will pack their bags for them.
Loving the stats in the results this year, giving position times for splits
Thoroughly enjoyed my 1st SNOD. 10 minutes over my hoped for time of 4:59 but no matter. All was good up to last climb, after walking most of it, quads and toes said no more! Loved the run to the finish, such good support. Mrs R wants me to enter next year as she enjoyed the event so much. Great to meet so many of you, so maybe see you again next year,
Brer - no first time. What's the loop like? Looks like there is a bit of a hill.Not SNOD size but repeated 31ish times could get tough. I always fancied the dawn till dusk challenge he does at Xmas but Mrs LG wasn't happy about me disappearing over the holiday period for a whole day.
Of course, brer. How could I not be happy at such an event? Then when you appeared, delirium set in big time.
T Rex, really glad the knee continued to hold up post-race. I'm waiting in eager anticipation for your post-race excursion report. I think wind might feature strongly, and I'm not being personal.
I'm loving the thought of the reverse SNOD preceding the real SNOD, but who needs support? It's only 50+ miles of easy terrain. We'll set off with our well stocked rucksacks and we won't cast them off half way through our challenge. We'll need them even more in the main race to carry food supplies to keep the fires burning. Pork pies and ham sandwiches sound just right. T Rex, how will you survive?
Brilliant results and race reports from everyone
. Glad to hear your knee isn't too serious TRex, although it hampered your race finish. It was great to meet up with so many people, put faces to names and continue the running banter in Y Pantri (lovely lasagne SS - thanks) before the race, as well as seeing FOoW, Brer and UDS afterwards briefly too. I was very surprised but very pleased to come in at 3h44, just over 2 minutes slower than my fastest time that I managed last year - my left leg with the now healed quad was fine, but my right calf tried to cramp before Rhyd Ddu, and felt my right quad twanging for a couple of miles before Waunfawr, so I knew I'd be walking most of the last hill, and so it proved, but I managed to walk off the worst of the twinges and start jogging a bit before mile 24 and down to the finish. Given the last 6 weeks I'm just pleased to have crossed the finish line in one piece, so #44 done. My legs are paying for it though - I haven't run on hills at that speed for some time.
The rest of half term on holiday in Devon from Wednesday - no running for nearly 3 weeks!! Have fun in Telford Brer and LG - don't lose count
I must apologise as I had doubted those experienced SNOD'ers who had previously commented that snowdon would take about 15 minutes longer than a flat marathon.... I used this for my "predicted" time, but never believed it and didn't consider it a target.
I just ran at an effort level that felt right, and didn't worry about the pace, so was delighted to come at just 13 minutes slower than my recent pb on a flat course
I should have know that all those experienced voices would be right.
It was great to meet S.Snail whilst enjoying a great pre race latte at Y Pantri, and T Rex and a couple of others in the bag drop at the start, and sorry i didn't meet more of you...... will make sure next year i book the Friday off work, so i arrive in time for the friday night forum meet up!
Am looking forward to the double next year! I need to practice running downhill more between now and then as going downstairs is slightly challenging today
Great reports coming in from all kinds of folks, including first time posters. Get yourselves lined up on New Year's Eve to enter the great 'course best' attempt in 2015 and, if you dare, the even greater SNOD 52.4 challenge in 2016. Both stu and I have severely underestimated the deprivations people want, so:
For BritNick, and anyone else:
Post-SNOD excursion Sun 26 Oct.
With everyone else having left town, and goodbyes all said, I left Y Pantri about 1115. Back up the track towards the cottage I went but halfway up, just after the little footbridge I took a right into the main part of the massive slate quarry. The path led out onto one of the main inclines going straight up for a very long distance and it seemed to me to be an excellent direct route up the mountain to the summit of Elidir Fawr, 924m, my destination.
And it did go well at first. The path was pleasant, if steep. Wooded area to the left, old industrial heritage all around quietly rotting away, and a good, even waymarked, path along the remains of the old rails.
After a few sections it led out onto a large flat area with disused buildings and the way to the upwardly continuing incline barred by a locked gate and ‘strictly no admittance’ signs.
This sort of thing doesn’t usually put me off so I hopped over the gate and onto the incline which didn’t really have much of a path alongside it. In fact you could say there wasn’t a path at all. And this section of the incline seemed strangely modern, with massive concrete blocks laid on top of where the rails used to be all tied together with bands of steel, crossways, and two bands lengthways towards the edge of the blocks, going up this ramp dead straight as far as the eye could see.
It was steep and starting to get tough going at the altitude I was now at, and the amount of exposure I was now experiencing, since the wind speed was really picking up. It was real hold-on-to-your-hat weather only I was wearing my windproof beanie, but even that was nearly blowing off.
I tried to make straight progress up these blocks, walking between the two long, vertical bands of metal. About 50m later I had a heart stopping moment.
I came across a large sign attached to the ramp. It was large, and coloured black and yellow. It said first in Welsh and then, happily, underneath in English, ’Danger. High Voltage’.
Whoa!!