Sunday, June 28, 2015

Marathon #67 (country* #4): North Devon Marathon, Woolacombe, England

4:54 finish, 97/170 place overall. Brutally tough but very scenic and unique trail course along the coast of southwest England. Mostly cloudy and cool weather, but hills were almost constant and often very steep with uneven surfaces. Race runs up and down rocky ridges, through sand and mud, and across large grassy meadows with sheep and cattle (and their foot-wide piles of droppings) all over the course. Spectacular scenery, however, with ocean and mountain views similar to the U.S. west coast. Toughest course and slowest time of any marathon I've ever done aside from Pikes Peak. With my lack of trail running ability and the amount of walking necessary, breaking five hours was actually an accomplishment.

* Although England is part of the UK, Marathon Globetrotters counts it as its own country along with Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Their list is the standard used by many international marathon runners.

Sunday, June 7, 2015

Marathon #66 (state #49): Deadwood-Mickelson Trail Marathon, Deadwood, SD

4:14 finish, 91/358 place overall. Tough but scenic course on rail-trail through Black Hills. First half is gradual but relentless uphill, topping out at over 6,000 feet; second half is gradual downhill, finishing in historic town of Deadwood. Cool at start but warmed up fast with heat and not much shade in later miles. Hardest marathon in almost two years. Maintained normal marathon pace for first eight miles in spite of uphill, but altitude got to me in middle miles, and even with second half downhill, pace did not recover. Slowest finish time in awhile, but not unexpected given the course and conditions.

Race map and details
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