To do: Snowdonia Marathon, Wales

Some friends in El Paso have decided to stage a 2nd running of the 30 Pack Marathon which I organised last year in Tucson (here’s the original poster and I think there has already been a link to the CNN coverage earlier in this blog this year):

I needed a target to keep the running interesting here in the flat lands, and without a way to get to the El Paso event (I’ll post more on it as the details arrive) I have started looking for a marathon to train for.  My mentor at Cambridge has been pestering me to sign up for the Amsterdam Marathon in October, but I’ve already done that twice and have bad memories of the resulting injuries (although I would recommend it to anyone if for no other reason than the start and finish in the 1928 Olympic Stadium).  I may still do the Florence Marathon in November, but for now I am training to do the Snowdonia Marathon on October 24th.

The race takes place on and around Snowdon, the highest peak in Wales (and England for that matter).  It is nothing like Pikes Peak; in fact, they make a big deal about the elevation changes that just don’t seem that hard after doing something as tame as the Whiskey Row Marathon (start at 5280 feet, climb to over 7000 at the 9 mile mark then drop to 6000 feet at the halfway point then turn around and run back). Did Whiskey Row in under 3:45 (16th place) whilst dead drunk from closing the bars two hours before the starting gun, so how can Snowdon threaten me.

I believe I will be able to do Snowdon in 3 hours and will slink off in shame if it takes more than 3:15. [Note, 28 Oct 2009: after the fact, I should note that I had a 3:30 pace on the day and on the trail, but spent three leisurely breaks in pubs and came in at an abysmal 4:17:33; a man with a greater level of dignity than myself might actually slink off in shame but we all know this isn’t going to happen…I’ll post the race report tonight or tomorrow morning.]