UTS50 by UTMB (Ultra Trails Snowdonia 50k): https://apexrunning.co/events/ultratrailsnowdonia
02.07.2022
Director: Michael Jones
First Female: Kirsteen Welch 6.19.59
First Male: Jack Scott 5.32.26
It’s taken a while. I’d entered the 100 miler a few years back, but I think covid hit (thankfully – hindsight). I’d also spent the last year injured but decided upon the UTS50, because a 50k can’t be that bad surely?
I changed running coaches and physiotherapists and started to build up fitness with a lot of damage limitation and management.
I didn’t fancy taking my chances in low cloud and poor visibility which can be very typical in Snowdonia, so I took a rare step in paying for a route guided weekend with larakateadventures (www.lkadventures.co.uk) which was really enjoyable (and recommendable) and the weather pretty decent throughout, and it was good to chat to other runners and not be in a rush. I’d also had a reccie of a bed and breakfast (Glyn Peris) which I re-booked for race weekend. Most of the photos here will be from that weekend as the weather was excellent and I also didn’t want to spend time faffing with pics on race day.
So, Friday, race eve, saw me arrive in Llanberis around 7pm and I walked down to registration in wind and rain – I walked to stretch my legs out from the long car journey and also to see how long it would take for me to walk to the start the next day. I saw June Harrison and Chris Mills at registration and whilst collecting my tracker I heard the 165(k) race that had started earlier that day, had been stopped, approximately 10 hours in due to the high winds and rain! The runners were to be offered to do the 100k or 50k if they wished.
I went to bed but didn’t sleep too well, listening to the wind and then at 4am – the start of the 100k, the heavens opened again. I’d dodged a couple of weather bullets because it turned out that the 50k would have some almost ideal conditions.
9am, all set, and off we went engulfed by some ragged red, lung killing, smoke from a flare, which had been set off, presumably for atmosphere (sadly just damaging the atmosphere) – not sure of the exact number of starters but apparently 700 were signed up. I saw Stephen Cousins and his wife so I’m looking forward to his FilmMyRun production. I went out as steady as I could, not wanting to overdo it, but I needn’t have worried because 1.25 miles in and we all stopped! There was a double stile at the Snowdon railway track and a huge bottleneck. Lots of people were trying to sidle in from the sides and a very firm marshal took hold and gave them a good blast of hot air to get everyone in line – she got a decent round of applause for that.
After maybe 15 minutes of waiting, we got through and headed towards Maesgwm Valley and I said a quick hello to Kat from the guided running weekend before poles were out and the first ascent began. Moel Eilio is made up of four ups and and the same amount of downs and got the legs going and the lungs busting. At the final peak it was poles away for a loooong run downhill to the first checkpoint at the Snowdonia Inn. Young kids from a youth running initiative (can’t find their name sadly) were helping out at the aid station and I topped up with Torq Energiser drink and a bit of food and onwards and upwards – briefly bumped into another guy from the reccie weekend but he was quicker than me and left me to crack on. Through some woods, and onto a bit of moorland which had been good running during the reccie weekend but was now pretty boggy and we were trying to pick our routes through looking for the firmer footfall, sometimes getting it wrong with a foot sinking in the mud, pretty sapping stuff and then a bit of a mini-lake to cross before our second main ascent – Mynydd Mawr – the sleeping elephant or elephant mountain.
I’m really not good at climbing and got overtaken a lot up Mynydd Mawr, but just had to focus to keep going until the top was reached. Poles away again and a cracking downhill rush. Into a wood and, again, what was dry before was now a mudfest, thankfully I avoided what the chap did in front of me – slipped on his ass big time – and came out unscathed except my toes felt a bit weird…
I wear Injinji toe-socks and haven’t had an issue with them before but thought I’d got a kit fail here. It wasn’t too far until the next aid station at Bron y Fedw Uchaf farm, so I took my shoes off at the aid station to adjust my socks but realised it was my in-sole that had come loose. I tried to flatten them a bit but realised there wasn’t a lot I could do but just have an uncomfortable ride! Not what I’d expect from Salomon Speedcross.
Next stage I hadn’t reccied before as the landowner only granted permission for race day. The gates were all locked so there were a few to climb over. We’d got a bit of rain here, but it wasn’t heavy and the uphill was pretty easy going, heading on to the Rangers Path route ascent to Snowdon. The Torq Energiser was not agreeing with me so a long slog up Snowdon was accompanied by some pretty nauseating stomach issues. We headed into cloud at the summit and it was pretty quiet at the top, but I wasn’t stopping, went passed the closed café and started to descend the Watkin Path.
A little way down we veered off the path and headed towards Y Llwedd, in my opinion a really fun scramble (with a not so fun shear drop on one side). My shoulders had been stiffening up at this point due to poling inexperience so I was glad to put them (poles, not shoulders) away and use my arms to stretch out and pull me up and over the boulders.
The climb wasn’t too high and then we were scrambling down the other side. I’m not great at ascending as I mentioned but I don’t think I’m too bad at throwing myself downwards.
And more clambering down…..
I eventually got onto the main track to Pen Y Pass (the final check point) and managed to get some decent running in before a bit of a top up (water only this time) cheese and pickle sandwiches and a bag of ready salted crisps.
I didn’t fancy the Pyg Track ascent but if it meant finishing then I’m going. Poles or no poles? Poles. Definitely. But then there were scrambly bits, so poles away. Then steps. Poles out. And then a runnable bit. Right palava. And then poles again, thought I’d take a gel, well it turns out that if you bend down to take said gel whilst simultaneously leveraging yourself up on your pole, you punch yourself in the face – who’d have thought it!? I felt like I was on a downward elevator as people were on an up because I seemed to be getting overtaken by everyone at this point. Then the little dip at the finger stone pass came in sight and finally the top was reached and right turn required, downhill all the way.
With whatever legs I had left I went running down the main tourist route, got to 50k at 9 hours 29 minutes but it wasn’t the finish. Went passed a pub near the bottom and was sure I was supposed to turn right into a wood. Got to some houses and asked a runner who was with me if he had a gpx and he also thought we’d gone the wrong way. I asked a couple who were outside their house if runners had gone that way and they said yes, the gpx runner said he was going back, but then about 10 runners came down and said it was straight on and they ran on to the finish. Having run so hard, I’d lost my momentum and was so frustrated and angry that just one confidence marker was all that was needed and I’d have finished strongly and ahead of these guys. I carried on running, went by an old castle turret, then slipped into some mud. I swore. Really, really, loudly. Then swore some more. One runner not too far in front heard and she asked me if I was okay. I was so embarrassed she’d heard me, I apologised profusely, and then we carried on running. I got to the finish line but was so angry I just walked across the finish line with a face like a bulldog chewing a wasp. Absolutely raging and then I moaned a bit at one of the marshals at the finish line (he’ll never read this but for the record – I apologise unreservedly). Poor chap, there wasn’t a lot he could say but suggested I take a medal, but I didn’t want one (and that wasn’t because I was sulking), I hadn’t taken a t-shirt either, I just don’t want them any more.
In summary, it was a cracking course and I think I did as well as I could have expected, and an added bonus that my injuries held off. Just such a shame that it finished on such a sour note. In the long (and even short term) it really is irrelevant, but having run so hard, it just got to me at the time. Overall, a joyous day out though.
The finish line food wasn’t great, but I managed to find a pizza stall and had a margherita which went down well. I changed into my beloved Oofos and flip-flopped my way back to the bed and breakfast trying not to trip over my petulant lip (good news is that I’ve got a fresh dummy now and all is well again).
I didn’t sleep too well which isn’t unusual, so I dot watched the 100k runners who were still slogging it out. It was great to see Mel Horley finish. 50k was hard enough, 100k must have been horrendous.
I drove home and felt okay but the next day my body seized to exist. I did manage an hour’s bike ride though and that seemed to loosen me up.
So, I’m very happy I completed it, first ultra since 2019, really difficult, really rewarding, annoyed by the finish but what can you do? The reccie weekend was well worth it (and really enjoyable), giving me the confidence in the route and knowing when there were runnable sections was really useful. I’m not sure doing a reccie of the finish would have mattered because I think it was changed from the original plan.
Very grateful to coach Robbie Britton who managed my training plan around my injuries and Pete Quartly for physio and advice and big thanks for support from the Pet Appreciation Society.
Massive thanks to all of the marshals, really, really supportive and encouraging throughout the race, no marshals, no race, they were excellent.
Back for more? It is a cracking course. Hmmmm……
I usually dedicate a race to someone, this one is for Loki.
richyla 