Well I wanted to do this for a few years and finally fitted it in for 2025 . Lots of reviews talk about the amount there is on the roads but I don't think I could take a full trail 70mile ultra and I do have to blame the straight stretches on the romans rather than Rat Race ;o) Saw more of Hadrians Wall than I expected and the route followed a cycleway from Hexham. The registration was great, the crews were incredible and the aid stations were staffed by angels. Portaloos were plentiful and clean and finding sanitary products for free at the pitstops was a lovely and welcome touch. Finish line was great, lovely medal and as they had women's options for tshirts it actually fits and looks lush! signed up to crew next year.

So this was an event which I was very much looking forward to running. It did not disappoint. The first half was amazing scenery.......second half was a lot of roads and tarmac which got a little bit tedious. Running over the bridge in Newcastle was absolutely EPIC..... A real sense of achievement. Local crowds especially around Newcastle were brilliant. The aid stations were very well stocked and great atmosphere..... I possibly lingered too long as a result...oops. The route was exceptionally well way marked......no moments of doubt at all along the route there was always a sign. Value for money wise....I am just not sure it was. The medal was well....a piece of plywood! I had just run 70 miles......was kindda hoping for a slightly better medal. Also everything was 'extra'...the costs just kept stacking up. They changed the kit list which was already quite extensive about 2 weeks before the race after I had already bought my race back pack....which left me worrying I would need to buy yet another one just to fit the kit in. Finishers T shirts were also an extra £25. Any one day event that needs a payment plan does perhaps make one wonder just how expensive a footrace should be but hey ho. I am very very glad i ran the event it really was a brilliant day for me. On a side note I heard another entrant had been refused a refund or deferment after she found out she was pregnant. On facebook she was actually asking fellow runners if she should risk running it because she would lose so much money. This is awful!!! No one should feel under such pressure to complete an event if they medically probably shouldnt be pushing themselves.

A real challenge,. Lots more tarmac than typically in an ultra, with us hard on the legs. The aid stations are really well stocked which in part explains the high cost, but even allowing for that does feel expensive. The route touches on sectioning Hadrians Wall but much of the route is away from the wall, which is a shame as the mid section is stunning, though very hilly and off road.

Road shoes are a MUST. This is a mixed trail/road race and not a trail like the pictures would suggest.

 

Great photos. 

I even said to Rach as she headed to Barnsley to have a broken foot x-rayed, that I bet the photos will come out great, as they were taken at places that make the race look look better than it was. What it was in summary was pretty much a Google Maps direction search from Carlisle to Newcastle with the critieria of B roads only set. 90% of it was on road, most of that on roads without path, and a chunk on roads that were quite busy. Despite being born and brought up in, and having lived all my life in huge cities, I am not  okay with traffic being so close, I am not one for playing chicken with traffic in pitch darkness, and so the one dayer just doesn’t appeal, even if Rach and Lew go back and do it in 2020.

£200 quid though for a race that had no road closures, the CPS were so far apart it was easier to stop at local shops and cafes (day 2 they were at 13 miles and then 30!), Sure they were pretty well stocked, but half way and having to pay for all food and drink, and the right to camp, and then for a space in a tent. I was pretty shocked to see that.  I know the Race to the series gets a lot of grief, they do molly coddle, but for less money there are road closures, the food at half way is free, hot or cold, as is breakfast, and the check points are 10K apart, not up to 17 miles. It did feel like a poor man’s Threshold event, except that it was more expensive.

As I said I spoke to a guy on the way to the Race HQ to pick up bibs. He had done most of their events and told me that this would be his last because it was too commercial. Not my words. I had no point of reference. But I do now, and it will be my last too. And I do see his point re the fact this is about making money. the branded kit is more expensive than the new season at Lululemon, you kinda had to buy it too. If you had anything missing in your kit bag they sold it there at a premium. You got a free tee, but it is Rat Race one, not an event tee, if you wanted that you needed to fork out for one. And paying for food, even tea at half way. That was just poor.

In the end Day 2 had no wall at all, and, looking at our times on the tracker we saw 130 people had DNfd up til that point and there were still some out there with less than an hour before cut off. Despite people who will undoubtedly say that 70 miles in 24 hours is easy, that the cut off is too generous to make it a challenge, well? Not everyone made it, and those that did were broken, and some pretty injured. At the time of writing Rachel has a suspected fractured metatarsal or 2 and the ligaments on the top of my right foot are so swollen I can’t get my foot into my granddad slippers as I write this.

WOULD I RECOMMEND THE WALL? There was barely any wall, it was expensive, even more expensive than the Threshold races, without being as polished a product, and you were noway near as molly coddled. Paying for food, all on open roads, so you could just run this yourself? Then I guess if you want the challenge sure. There is a lot of natural beauty and the start at Carlisle Castle and finish at the Millenium Bridge at Newcastle was good.

I was super excited to do this race. Traveling from Ontario, Canada I had no idea what I was getting into.  I stayed about 1km away from the race start. It started at a cool castle in Carlisle,  it amazes me at the races in the UK how you have to have a mandatory kit! ( we don’t have to do that here in Ontario)  

race started and it was great from the get go well signed posted, as I was running I kept thinking when are we going to get to the trails, as before I came over I had watched a lot of videos and thought it was a full on trail race   I must say only about 25% is trail the rest is road  had I know that I would have worn a hybrid shoe  I had full on trail shoes  not the best   

On a good point everyone was friendly, we went through some amazing towns with amazing views  I saw a field of poppies, I had never seen wild poppies  

The best part was the aid stations OMG! I have never seen aid stations like it  they were stocked with the most amazing food, hot food cold food soup, coffee tea sweets chocolate, potato chips all kinds of stuff, I was worried I may get lost or be lonely but you were never without someone to run with   I miss calculated the Miles , I must say the last 10km I walked  fantastic race, I would do it again  just in the right shoes!