Bath Off Road Marathon. Number Two

The Relish Running Races

This Marathon should be the hardest out of the ten, it started at the University's World Class Facility, the Sports Training Village. The Route took a loop at the Uni before going down the hill and towards Bath and the Canal. 

As I ran down the hill I thought then that I would have to run back up this at the 25 mile point, what I didn't realise was that there was worse to come and twice. The route hit the Canal and then ran along it before hitting the hills for the first loop. The Half Marathon (all 15 miles of it) started 15 min before us and we soon caught the back of them. 

The views were stunning and the Aid Stations were the best I have come across on a Marathon with loads of drink, food and cheer. As I finished the first loop you had to take an arm band to prove you did the loop again and then set off for the lovely hills again. 

I was glad to see the canal again for the second time as it was flat and managed to get some sub 8 min miles in before the last hill back up to the finish line.

Paul Allen (Center) Darren Atyeo and Myself

I came in 27th out of 141 finishers and 4th for my age group.

Results 

The Welsh Marathon. Number One

The Tenby Marathon 

The first of the challenge was the Welsh Marathon on the 13th July. Looking at the Profile is was going to be a hard course and not one for a Personal Best (PB). I travelled down on the Saturday with Paul Allen and we stayed in the Travelodge at Pembroke.

The day itself was sunny with some cloud so not to hot, the start time was 10:00 am. The race was hard and after a 2 mile run around Tenby we were soon heading out of town at our first climb. At least in was at the start. 

We then headed to Pembroke the halfway point, this was full of supporters and the people running the Half Marathon with a 12 o'clock start. As you left Pembroke there was a climb up to another ridge and then along to a drop down to a Bay sadly that meant climbing up again. At the 22 mile point was the hill to take you back to the route you took on the way out, it was a tough climb but at least we knew that we had the long downhill at the 23/24 mile point back down to Tenby.

A small climb up the hill to the view over the Bay and then a slight downhill through the narrow street onto the Red Carpet and the finish line in 3 hrs 36 mins and 4 seconds. Full Results.

Completed 

10 Marathons in Four Months 1664

At Least 350 for the Royal Marines Charitable Trust Found

Virgin Money London Marathon April 2014

My Challenge is to complete the following Marathons up to 30th Oct 2014 and raise £1664.00.

1. Tenby Marathon 13th July (Done 03:36:04 Results )
2. Bath Off Road Marathon 27th July
3. 54321 Sailsbury Marathon 10th Aug
4. Leila's Run Marathon 17th Aug
5. Wye Marathon 7th Sept
6. Barnstaple Marathon 28th Sept
7. Palma Marathon 19th Oct
8. The Three Lake Challenge Milton Keynes 28, 29 and 30th, three Marathons in three days starting on the Corps Birthday.