This half marathon is part undulating and part flat. It is approximately 1:40 to 2 hours drive from Stoke-On-Trent, without traffic. The start of this race is very narrow, so it can take some time to filter through the start line. This is not to much of a problem as it is a chip timed event. The race starts in front of Conwy Castle and turns left over the bridge. The course then heads out towards Llandudno for the first 3 to 4 miles, this is relatively flat with some small inclines and descents. At around mile 4 you make your way up a slightly larger incline and then descent into Llandudno, at this point you start to get a view of the sea behind the pier. Then the course takes a left and heads out of town. This is where the undulating part of the course starts and the hard work begins, but running along side the coast with the views easily makes up for this. The biggest challenge of this race is the climb up the Great Orme. Once you approach the start of the toll road the gradient begins to increase some more, and the climb really starts to begin. I would say that you climb at a steady rate for around half a mile then it levels off some, for a short time before a sharp climb, then flattens/eases again. The views are lovely and there is lots to look at. I saw people rock climbing, as well as a number of people walking the Great Orme. To your right you can see the coast and sea, and on your left is the shear face of the rocks. At around mile 6 the real climb begins, and seems to be never ending, but the best part is that the higher you get, the more amazing the views get. At around mile 7 the course reaches its highest point. Make sure you take a moment to have a good look around, I wished I had a camera with me as it was a beautiful day. The next mile is all down hill. I found it to be quite deceiving as it did not look as steep as it was, or it felt a lot steeper due to the previous incline. Once down from the Great Orme, the course soon leads you right back on to the road that led you out to Llandudno. Before you know it you are counting down to the last few miles. This part did get a bit lonely as the field had thinned out and there were not many spectators around, but the few that were out did a brilliant job!!! Before long the course leads you back over the bridge and right into the finish line (the same place that you started in). As the race is in November it can be a very cold start, so it is a good idea to have some throw away clothing with you, if you do not have a spectator with you. Also i would advise taking your own drink if you don't mind holding one, as the three water stations only offered small amounts of water in a beaker with a foil lid (that I was not a fan of). From chatting to people that have run this race in previous years, it appears that the organisers do tweak the route most years. I will definitely consider doing this race again in the future. The Conwy Half Marathon is one of a series of events organised by Run Wales. The date for next year's race has already been set as the 22nd November 2015. More details about this race and all the other Run Wales events are on the Run Wales website. |
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