Let me start by saying, this is the most picturesque race I have ever participated in - the scenery of Snowdonia National Park is stunningly beautiful, and well worth a visit. The course itself is incredibly hilly, with approximately 575m of elevation over the 13.1 mile course, including a beast of a 7:1 incline at mile 11. It is well-signposted throughout, and there are water aid stations (which this year were manned by local RAF cadets) at regular intervals - about every three miles. The support from marshalls and the occasional local was excellent, with everyone smiling and providing positive encouragement. 

The initial registration process was easily done online and on race day itself, number and timing chip were collected quickly from Race HQ. There isn't much information provided in advance of the race, and I felt I had to put in a lot of effort to searching the Run Wales website and reading small print to get details, and even then, a few key pieces of information weren't discovered until the minutes (and seconds) before the race started - i.e. bag drop details, the fact the car park would be locked at 1pm (when the race didn't start until 10am!) and lastly, that the wearing of headphones would result in disqualification from the race.

The distance between the car park, Race HQ and 'race village' with the start/finish line, was further than expected, and meant a couple of miles of walking prior to the race start. Having stayed in the local area for the weekend, I had plenty of time to sort myself out, but there were definitely some runners who were caught out by this and seemed very rushed and flustered! 

At the start line, there was a suitable bag drop facility, a little cafe and most importantly toilets, for a last minute nervous wee! There was a good atmosphere on the start line with music being played and the announcer talking about the course and the local area. With only around 500 participants, there was plenty of space and the course did not feel especially congested, which was a benefit due to the uneven terrain. I chose to go against the advice provided on the website, and wore my trail shoes rather than road trainers. The surfaces varied between tarmac, compacted earth, shale/gravel trails and I felt that the extra grip really helped on some of the hills, but in dry weather, the decision between types of shoe probably wouldn't impact on the overall race too much and it would be personal choice.

According to my Garmin, the mile markers were slightly off by between 0.1-0.3 of a mile, but the course came in at exactly 13.1 miles at the finish line... I think Mile 12 was actually 1.6 miles long to compensate! Providing you aren't using the markers to time your miles, that isn't really an issue. In fact, due to the elevation, consistent mile splits are practically impossible - this is not a course to aim for a PB!

On completion, timing chips were promptly exchanged for a good quality cotton t-shirt and medal, which were included in the sign-up price. Technical t-shirts were also available, but had to be pre-ordered at sign-up for an additional cost. The medals themselves are lovely, and there was the bonus of an "honesty medal" if you had run non-stop up Forest Hill, the afore-mentioned beast! One of my goals was to run the whole course without walking, which I achieved, so happily accepted my bonus gold medal! 

Overall, a really enjoyable, friendly race offering a challenging half-marathon experience with fantastic scenery to distract you from the burning in your legs!