On 25th October I ran the Snowdonia Marathon in aid of the Forces Children’s Trust. After following a long training routine over the summer the day finally arrived and I was really looking forward to the run. The Snowdonia Marathon has the reputation of being one of Britain’s most scenic but also toughest marathons.
The first 5 miles are all up hill from Llanberis to Pen-y-pass. From there you tackle a fairly steep descent down into the valley that runs up to the halfway point in Beddgelert. After that there is a brief 2 mile climb then a period of small undulations until you are faced with a belter of a hill at mile 22. The view from the top at mile 24 is worth all the sweat and tears. It’s simply stunning. You don’t have long to enjoy it though as you are soon faced with a really steep descent back down to the finish line in Llanberis. Your legs are really trashed by this point, and I had cramp in both thighs, my right calf and a real stinker of a stitch that I carried for the last two miles all the way to the finish line.
The support around the route was fantastic with the locals all coming out to cheer on the 2000 or so of us who signed up for the run. The finish especially was just amazing. You come round the last corner onto the home straight to be greeted with hundreds of people all cheering you on to the finish line. A much needed boost! I managed to stagger across the finish line in 3 hours 44 minutes and 23 seconds. I really wanted to run a sub four hour marathon and was aiming during training for a pace that would have me crossing the line in 3 hours 50 minutes so to beat that was incredibly pleasing!
All in all I managed to get £515.74 in sponsorship money that has all gone to support the FCT and the fantastic work they do. I’ll certainly be looking to run the marathon for the Trust again next year!
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