Tafarn Snowdonia Parc Brew Pub, Waunfawr, Caernarfon

The camera was simply not up to the task of rainy, running, shaky photography

At just over 20 miles into the Snowdonia Marathon I was pretty sure I wouldn’t see another pub until the end, so the Tafarn Snowdonia Parc Brew Pub (part of the national park) was a welcome sight and a warm respite from the rain and the run.  There were crowds of campers and trekkers in there already and most seemed bent out of shape that the marathon was clogging the narrow roadway, but they were especially friendly to me as the only participant that seemed (to them) there for the same reasons…there in the park for the scenic beauty and there in the pub for a complex and refreshing beverage.  When I put out a fiver to pay, three stoners stopped me and threw in their own coins to cover it.

Less than 10K to go so, sure, I DO fancy a pint

We stood by the window and they pointed out several spots where you could just make out the runners at ever increasing altitude.  This is the point at which the mountain is climbed on this race and as far as we could make out my compatriots up the hill in the village, there was at least five times that altitude to climb in the next couple of miles thereafter.  I should probably have picked up another round and tried to weasel a joint out of the boys, but the race had to be completed sometime and off I went.

Picture from the web...I think this is how it looks in good weather