From Kate Archer…
The race slogan is ‘beautiful beyond belief, savage beyond reason’. There are various distances, from 25k up to 100 miles, all extremely challenging. In the 100k, there were 825 starters and 586 finishers, which shows how tough the event is.
I arrived in Llanberis on the Friday to register. There was a real buzz at the event village with thousands of runners and supporters, many from overseas. I watched the 100-mile race set off, then headed off to my campsite where I would try to get some sleep before getting up at 3:30 for a 5am start.
I was in the third wave, so it was very busy going up Snowdon and down the first descent. The race doesn’t quite summit Snowdon at this point, that is saved for much later in the day! The views were spectacular in the early morning light. I was feeling a little out of my depth, unsure how to settle into a rhythm. I just tried to focus on keeping my breathing rate sensible and drinking plenty, thinking only of the checkpoint ahead.
The race has seven big climbs (21,000ft of climb in total). I had a schedule for 22.5hrs and the pace felt comfortable for the first half. The full ascent of Snowdon is the fifth climb, and I found this section hard going. It had been hot running along the valley, and I felt ready to stop. I slowed right down, ate a little more food, and by the top of the climb I was starting to feel better. The temperature was cooling. Maybe I could finish this.
The last hill seemed to go on forever, the terrain was easier than earlier in the day but the darkness made it tricky. Crossing the finish line was amazing, the organisers announce your name and cheer every runner in. I had made it, and 2 hours up on my schedule. I finished 127th, 10th F, in 20 hours 35 mins.