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Brecon to Cardiff Ultra
I quite like the look of this as my first ultra and wondered if anyone has done it?
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The event in 2015 will be the first time this 42 miler will be run. It takes over from the 50miler but that was organised by Ultra Race. The 2015 run will be organised by RunWalkCrawl. They are a new team. I did their Gower Ultra recently and they did a great job, so this is on my "to do" list for 2015.
Might see you on the course
Mtri...there is only about 8 miles of climbing in that first section isn't there..it then gently undulates downwards by the reservoirs
shame it finishes in Nantgarw as it was nice to see it finish in Cardiff....
Thanks all, 33 miles downhill doesn't sound so bad. I like hills anyway.
i thought about this......but i have ran most of the route either in other races or in training many times...and £100 for the pair of us to do it isn't probably worth it... You can just catch the special bus up to brecon for a few pounds or pay my son for a lift....I know most of the route with my eyes closed...
So it's a good route then? Am keen to branch out from the usual road running.
Me too seren, I've done the Cardiff Ultra twice, (my profile photo is from the finish last year!). I run the route fairly often as a training run - catching the bus up from Cardiff to Brecon.
It's a nice enough route, mainly tarmac, long slow climb from 9-17 miles alongside Talybont reservoir, (which is hardpacked trail)
It baffles me why they haven't extended it to Bute Park to make it a nice round 50 miles, surely that's an easier place for people to get to-and-from anyway?
Have heard good things about the organisers though so it should be a good day out
Ok so next question, can you recommend a training plan or is it better to take the same approach as marathon training...but just go longer!?
http://www.trailrunevents.com/ul/schedule-50m.asp
i like this one for simplisty..and of course you can adapt it to suit your lifestyle and the length of your race....
Ut is a pretty route and good for those who want to try something different but aren't ready for mountains and navigation and off road surfaces.......
road shoes will be suitable for the day...
Get out in the course and ride it, it'll give you some idea of the route, terrain etc.
Then bus to Brecon from Cardiff, run to Merthyr and yrainbjlome. Next train to Merthyr then run home.
It's a readily accessible and signposted route which is what makes it great
That schedule looks similar to the one I did, think the biggest weekend I had was 2x20 milers and I did Rhayader and San Dom 20's on consecutive days
The San Dom 20 and new Merthyr Half use the Taff Trail so would be ideal training runs.
Merthyr is almost exactly halfway between Brecon & Cardiff so a brilliant start/finish point. it's worth familiarising yourself with the bit through Ponty, obvious when you know it but confusing after 35 miles and catches a lot of people out.
Great tips.. now all I have to do is enter....
Ooh, I didn't know about this! i knew that the 50 wasn't happening this year, but not that there was another race....
Will have to see if I can fit it in around other races. I'll have to check when it is first!
Sunday 24th May Jase, I think you should give everyone else a head start if you're as fast as you were earlier in the year at Llanelli Born To Run
http://www.runwalkcrawl.co.uk/events/brecon-to-cardiff-ultra.html
Lol, GeeeM- no head start needed- it is a bit too soon after TP100 for me. Oh well- enjoy the race, guys
Hi Guys, I have yet to do a Ultra but was considering this as my first one. However, I have an issue in that I am running London hard (believe it or not I am going for a Guinness Book of Records World Record!) and not sure if I can get enough longer runs in for this as it is only 4 weeks after London. I can probably get one 30 miler in 2 weeks after London but that will be about it. Obviously I tend to do about 4 x 20 mile plus runs between now and London so I will have a decent core basis but probably nowhere near what is needed for a 42 miler!! My marathon time is pretty good - managed a PB of sub 2:45 at Berlin - so I would like to race this properly, though maybe it is an idea to just slow it down for my first one and just aim to finish??!! I am also not really a fan of off road, particularly winter time, but did South Downs last year and despite training hard still struggled with the elevation (5,600 feet) and my feet were in bits, especially from the fast downhill sections. I still managed to come 6th but boy did I suffer! So my question is this, do you think I can possibly get away with racing this being so close to London (I don't want to do any substantially long runs between now and London to possibly scupper my GBWR attempt), plus what training would you suggest post London and pre Brecon Ultra? As a virgin to ultras I have no idea what distance you guys train to and what speed you may run an ultra to compared with a marathon, though I assume I should be looking closer to 8 min miles rather than 6:15's for a 2:45 marathon? Any help or advice greatly appreciated. Thanks, Neil.
shoelaces. i dont think you could do this as well and get you potential time as the gap isn't long between.
But i think you could race this and get a good time and learn something about ultras and have something to build on.
this is a firm course and a good lot of it is on tarmarc. the rest mainly on firm track.. ( weather permitting)...
not a lot of climbing in this race either with the big slow climb happening in the first half....
Shoelaces. If you are running London "hard" then in no way should you be looking to race a 42-mile ultra anywhere near your A race!
Anecdotally - the old ultraRace Cardif 50 was my first 50-miler and it took a good 3-4 weeks to recover from it. It's fairly flat and fast, mostly tarmac so it really gives your joints a pounding. I did it again in 2013 and felt more sore afterwards than after my first 100-miler!
Focus on London, there's loads of ultras out there and the guys who put on this one are creating new races all the time.
I'm doing this with Mrs Easy, as our first ultra. She's fit, I'm fat, so I'm hoping to just get around within the 12 hour cut off limit.
Is the first part along the route of the 16 mile Roman Trail run into Merthyr?
Easy - no... It goes up the Taff Trail, so you head out on the canal from Brecon and then up alongside the Talybont reservoir before dropping down to meet the Roman Run route, (about 9 miles in) there's two possible routes to the reservoir, on road or along the canal to Talybont... The old Ultrarace 50 went on the road but the canal route is nicer
Thanks GeeeM.
I can't say I'm looking forward to it, to be honest! I once did the Gower coastal marathon 28.2 miles, and I didn't enjoy that either.
It's my missis, she ropes me into these things. She can't stand seeing me sitting on my arse doing nothing. If we ever split up, I will NEVER date a runner again.
I'd better get out for my Sunday run then, the one that follows yesterdays 18 miler.