Monday 22 December 2014

Newsletter - The Welsh Trail Running Series, Round 4 & 2015 Race Calendar

The Welsh Trail Running Series, Round 4

For once the weather gods smiled on us with just about perfect conditions for December and with the added privilege of the most amazing sunrise making for some fantastic photos and lasting memories.

It was great to see so many of you on the start line which only added to the overall atmosphere. Even with great conditions taking on the Brecon Beacons in December is no push over so well done to everyone who took on the challenge.

Event results can be viewed here

Jon from MUEN Photography was once again out on the hill catching you at your best, photos are available to purchase at very sensible prices here

For a taste of Round 4 take a look at this video produced by two of our regulars who will be raising money for great causes via the series next year. Check out the sunrise :)

The Welsh Trail Running Series Results

With Round 4 done and dusted the Series Results have been updated and final places established. Well done to everyone and our winners.

Series prizes this year will be personalised and take a little time to put together. If you are a winner you will receive an email shortly with details.

Series results can be viewed here

2015 Race Calendar

Entries for 2015 are open and there are a number of great offers available.

Enter Round 1 and get a half price entry into any other round. Start the year off with a stunning 10, 26 or 40-ish mile challenge around The Black Mountains and save money in the process. Round 1 was rated as the most beautiful by many who took part, get an entry in and find out why. There is a further early bird discount of 10% until 31st Jan 2015.

Enter the Series before 31st Jan 2015 and save 30%, normally 20% OFF.

Early Bird discount on all entries before the 31st Jan 2015.

We have a small number of FREE charity places available. We are supporting Mountain Rescue and The Welsh Air Ambulance this year. If you are interested or have a particular charity you would like to support please get in touch at events@mightcontainnuts.com.

All offers can be viewed here

Details on the series can be viewed here

Lastly have a great Xmas and New Year and hope to see you in 2015.

The Might Contain Nuts Team.

Monday 1 December 2014

Final Newsletter - Round 4, The Welsh Trail Running Series

The dark nights and dropping temperatures can only mean one thing, Round 4 of The Welsh Trail Running Series is almost here. Once again it has proven to be the most popular round of the year and will be our largest field of all time, you are all mad!

Entries will close Wednesday so you have one final chance to grab a place.

Information regarding event HQ location, registration, start times, cut-off times for the Ultra distance, maps and up to date entry list can all be found on the event website

Registration 

You will receive your race number, pins and a map on waterproof paper for checkpoint references etc. To clarify, this isn’t intended as a navigational event, but the map will be useful to pace yourself, check out contours and work out your water strategy etc.

The Ultra and Marathon Route

As some of you have already discovered the section through the forestry down to CP3 has been made more interesting due to forestry work. We do have permissions to use this section and there is a chance it may get cleared before the weekend, then again it may not. This being the case you will get a chance to take on our obstacle course section at no extra cost!

The Marathon and Trail Route

There has been some minor tweaks following a run over the routes at the weekend, updated maps and GPX files are on the website.

Kit List

Please review the kit list and ensure you have all compulsory items. These should be considered the minimum and you should review the items on the advisory list and decide which would be suitable for your level of experience and the time you will be out on the hill. This is not the time of year to be taking chances. 

Be warned there will be kit checks and you will not be allowed to start if you cannot demonstrate you have all compulsory items with you. 

If you are taking on the Ultra and will be out in the dark (most of you) a decent headtorch will make a massive difference. Headtorch technology has come on a great deal and a decent headtorch can now be picked up for a very sensible price. Any questions on kit choices get in touch now using events@mightcontainnuts.com or via our Facebook page.

Weather

Those of your who know our events will recognise we have knack of ordering interesting weather. Round 2 this year caught many of you out despite the warnings, we saw more retirements and potentially dangerous situations due to poor kit choices then ever before and that was May! 

Please keep an eye on the forecast and re-visit your kit choices as necessary. If we see that you are obviously struggling to stay warm and do not have sufficient kit we will retire you for your own safety. Top tip, don't wait until you are on an exposed part of the course and getting cold before reaching for the extra layers, at this stage you will struggle to get kit on and get even colder trying. Plan ahead and remember it is better to be to warm then to cold, especially in the Welsh Mountains in December! 

The forecast at the moment looks pretty good but cold with possible snow on the tops, it can change very quickly, use the link below to keep a track of changing conditions.

mountain weather forecast

Entry List

We introduced an on-line registration form earlier this year to remove the need for paper forms at registration. Some of you have managed to bypass it! Could you please review the entry list and if there is an 'Amber ?' against the veteran column we have not be able to match your entry to a registration form. Secondarily if your name appears a second time in Amber you have entered more than once but we don't know who for. In the first case please complete the registration form using the link below, in the second scenario please send us the name of the second person using events@mightcontainnuts.com and please ask the individual to complete the form. Paper forms will be available at registration but it will be busy so the more of you who registrar in advance the better!


Parking

There is limited parking at the centre. There is additional plentiful parking available approx. 300 meters from the event centre up the road towards the village on the right hand side in the cattle market (look for signs). It is about a 5 min walk back to the centre. If you are staying at the centre, can we kindly ask you to drop you things off and move your vehicle up to the ‘official car park’ and not park on the pavements and /or in the road. This is to ensure that the Start / Finish areas remains clear at all times and also to keep on the right side of the law who have always been very supportive of our events.

Retirements

If you have to retire before completion of the event, please do so either at a checkpoint or inform us of your actions so that you can be accounted for. Contact numbers are printed on the maps.

Please, Please, Please, do not just disappear without notifying a member of the organisation of your actions as we assume that you are missing.

Food Before & After the race

After our continued search for a caterer we have teamed up with local company Prickly Pear, who not only will be providing awesome food but raising money for a fantastic cause in the process, details below; 

Menu - From 06.30am 

Bacon rolls – 2 rashers of maple cured back bacon in large roll with sauces of your choice - £3

Porridge – add your own dried fruit…honey…golden syrup…brown sugar - £2

Tea, coffee, hot chocolate - £1.20

Menu - From 12 Noon 

Cassoulet – a rich and spicy casserole with chicken, slow roast pork belly, chorizo, cherry tomatoes, cannellini beans and haricot beans - £6.50

Welsh Tartiflette – sliced potatoes cooked in creamy béchamel sauce with onions, garlic, smoked bacon, leeks and colliers cheddar - £6

Veggie chilli with puy lentils and Mediterranean vegetables, loaded on to tortilla chips and topped with grated cheddar, home-made avocado salsa and sour cream -£6

Sean’s chocolate brownies - The best chocolate brownies you will ever taste. Doesn’t contain nuts - £2

Fruity nutty awesome flapjacks. Might just contain nuts! - £2

Sticky mejool date toffee pudding with fudgy caramel sauce and extra thick cream. The perfect runners rehab and tastes GREAT! - £4 

The Good Cause

Students from Crickhowell High School have embarked upon an 18 month Personal Development journey that will lead them from a picturesque Welsh Village in the heart of the Brecon Beacons to Nancholi, a village close to the bustling township of Blantyre, in southern Malawi, East Africa 12,000 Kms away!

In November 2013 they took part in a 2 day Personal Development Workshop run by The Touchstone Foundation. The workshop is designed for 16 – 18 year olds to explore self-perceptions, perceptions of others, personal impact and to start to look at what is important to them.

Following the workshop the students were offered the opportunity to travel to Nancholi, in the summer 2015. While there, they will be immersed in the local life style and culture and work with the Girls Voice Trust, part of the Nancholi Youth Organisation (NAYO). Girls Voice Trust works to raise the profile of young women within the local culture. This is achieved by creating small business initiatives which will enable women to support their families, their communities and themselves through education. During their stay, the Crickhowell students will also be involved with working with the NAYO whose activities offer support to the most disadvantaged members of the community, helping with healthcare, education, orphan care, feeding programmes, home-based care for those suffering with HIV/AIDS, youth awareness…

To take part in this amazing opportunity, each student (and the leaders) have to raise £2000. This will be achieved by working and sponsored events.
This is another great opportunity to learn and, for most, the first steps towards entrepreneurship.

We would like to thank Might contain nuts for giving us the opportunity to raise money by selling our food at their endurance race.

Enjoy!

Post Race Massage

A local sports masseur will be offering his services post event. There is no better way to speed up recovery than a post race pit stop to get the recovery process kick started. You will be able to book your slot on the day.

Other things

Entries are open for 2015 and there are some fantastic early bird offers, take a look at the event website for more information.


If we are not seeing you next weekend have a great Xmas and New Year and hope to see you in 2015.


Thanks,


The MCN Team.

Monday 15 September 2014

Newsletter - Round 3, The Welsh Trail Running Series

Hello All,

Round 3 of The Welsh Trail Running Series is not to far away now, as such a short newsletter to communicate some important information and considerations.

Start-line Logistics - Highest priority is travel logistics. What makes Round 3 very different to most events is the liner natural of the courses. Depending on the category you have entered you will start 50, 26, 10 miles approx. away from the finish and event HQ, this provides a real sense of a journey.

For this reason you need to consider how you will get to the start-line of your event. We do provide an optional transport option which will take you from Event HQ / Finish to the start of your event, the thinking being you leave your vehicle at the finish! Most people will take up this cost effective option, if you haven't already you need to book your place ASAP please use this link.

If you are not going with this option then you need to get yourself to the start of the event and ensure you have considered how you will get home from the finish!

Starts - The Ultra will start as before at Llangurig, GR908 798, Car Park. The Marathon will start as before at Llanwrthwl, GR974 638, Village Hall. The Trail will start from the Twmpath checkpoint, GR073 438, Road / Track junction.

Registration - As per the event website here. Please note coach leaving times and event start times as well (they are different for each event).

Food - Our struggle to find a regular caterer goes on, the accommodation kitchen (very well equipped) is available to competitors if you wish to organise some food. Failing that there are pub and take-away options within a short drive.

Accommodation - Beds still available, you can book yours here. Many of our regulars are staying, they are a great bunch, make a weekend of it and join the party!

Enter - There is still time to enter, there are 10, 26 and 50 mile options. Photos can be viewed here for an appreciation of the terrain and courses, they are stunning. You can still enter here.

See you soon.

The MCN Team.


Friday 14 March 2014

Final Newsletter - The Welsh Ultra / Marathon / Trail Running Series - Round 1

WHEN: Saturday March 22nd 2014

EVENTS: Ultra Marathon - 40 Miles / Marathon - 26 Miles / Trail Run - 10 Miles




REGISTRATION: Tower Hotel, The Square, Talgarth, Powys, Wales. LD3 0BW - Friday March 21st 6:00pm – 9:00pm and Town Hall (opposite Tower Hotel) - Saturday March 22nd: 6:30am – 7:45am. 

Latitude 51:59:46N (51.99604) Longitude 3:13:57W (-3.23246) Grid Reference SO154337


RACE START: Ultra 08:00 / Marathon and Trail 08:15


PARKING: Is approx. 5 minute walk from Tower Hotel & Town Hall – parking in the town square is hard to come by and NOT advised. There will NOT be parking available at the Tower Hotel.

CHANGING & KIT: If desired you will be able to get changed in the Town Hall (opposite Tower Hotel). There are separate changing rooms for men and women and you may leave kit there until after the event. Please note that there are no showers at the finish unless you are staying at The Tower Hotel.

FOOD: Bacon rolls, toast and coffees are available Saturday morning. After midday food is available at the Tower Hotel - it is also a pub and has some fantastic ales which they brew on the premises and has won some prestigious awards in recent years – well recommended!

ROUTES: All of the routes are very nearly all off road and tricky underfoot in certain sections. Please ensure that you have footwear appropriate for off road conditions.

*Please be aware that routes may alter if weather conditions dictate but it takes a lot for this to happen – a bit of rain and some wind does not count!

KIT: Must be adhered to in all classes. Please ensure that you have all the required kit. Assume that you need everything including options such as waterproof trousers. We won’t have an accurate view of the weather until the day in question when we can make a final decision. Head torch and waterproof trousers will be compulsory for ultra, regardless of the forecast.

Failure to comply could mean disqualification from the event. Random kit checks are possible. This is for your safety.

Ultra kit list can be downloaded here.
Marathon kit list can be downloaded here.
Trail kit list can be downloaded here.

CUT OFF: For the Ultra there is a cut-off at CP6 @ 16:00 / 25 miles in 8 hours.

SMILE: As usual our fantastic photographer Jon will be chasing around the hills in a quest for the perfect shot! Photographs will be available after the event. For as taste of Jon’s results to date and a view of what you might be in for check out his work here: http://www.muen.co.uk/


Please don’t hesitate to contact us (preferably not on Friday night!) if you have any further questions or queries at events@mightcontainnuts.com

Sunday 6 October 2013

Final Newsletter - Wye One Way 50 Ultra and Trail Marathon



Just one week to go until the Grand Day Out! Signage is already starting to go out in some places of the course. Recent rainfall has meant that the summer dust has definitely disappeared and true to form mud in places is guaranteed. Weather conditions for the forthcoming week look fairly mild and settled.

You can keep an eye on the weather forecast here

Please check out the minimum kit list requirements and make sure you conform as we don’t want you to be in the embarrassing situation of not being able to take part

Compulsory kit list here

We have had a strong response to the event and as such there are limited numbers still available for transport and accommodation. If you still require either of these options then please confirm or book as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. We will be closing both options on the evening of Tuesday 8th

Please check your entry and ensure your booked options are represented quickly, if you spot an error please let us know ASAP and we will get it corrected.

Final entry list for the ultra can be found here.

Final entry list for the trail marathon can be found here.

Please note that we will not take any further bookings after this time. If you have not booked transport by this time then we are assuming you will be finding your own way to the start.

Registration is available as follows;

For the Ultra Marathon
Fri evening, 18:30 to 21:00 at Woodlands House, HR3 5LP 
Sat morning, 05:00 to 05:45 at Woodlands House. HR3 5LP
Sat morning 06:00 to 07:00 at Llangurig Car Park (The Start, SN 908 796)
Organised transport leaves Woodland House at 06:00 Sharp!
RACE START TIME: 7:15


For the Trail Marathon
Fri evening, 18:30 to 21:00 at Woodlands House, HR3 5LP
Sat morning 09:00 to 09:45 Llanwrthwl village Hall (The Start, SN 974 638)
Organised transport leaves Woodland House at 09:00 Sharp!
RACE START TIME: 10:15

Please do not arrive at Woodlands House before 17:30 on Friday as school groups will be vacating the building and you will be requested to wait in your car until they have left.

As part of the registration process you will be required to fill out 2 pieces of paperwork. It would be appreciated particularly if you are registering in the morning for the ultra marathon that you bring the forms already completed to save time and faff.
  • Entry Form can be downloaded here
  • Compulsory Kit List can be downloaded here
FAQ’s

Q: Do I really have to take all the compulsory kit? (It has been asked!!!)
A: Mmmmm … a clue is in the ‘compulsory bit’ ….. YES!

Q: Can I leave bags at the start?
A: A small bag can be left in the designated vehicle at the start of the Ultra or the village hall for the Trail marathon start. Bags should be no bigger than 15L and we cannot guarantee the return of any lose items.

Q: Will the bags find their way back to the finish?
A: Yes, but might be an idea to make sure that they are properly marked. There is a small possibility of you arriving at the finish before your bag if the vehicle is diverted to deal with an incident.

Q: Can I leave a drop bag on route or have mates hand out food?
A: The official answer is “No” as you need to be self sufficient rather than relying on others whom in their best interests might not be able to find you. The odd jelly baby here and there is deemed acceptable.

Q: Can we buy stuff on route?
A: Theoretically possible but as above not to be relied on and not deemed to be in the spirit of the event – the only town is Builth Wells and you’ll have to go off course to find a shop in any case.

Q: Will there be kitchen or food to use?
A: Yes, there will be meals available on the Friday evening and on the Saturday afternoon and evening. There will be great portions at reasonable prices so you might want a few quid handy. If you want to cook your own you can but you need to supply all ingredients in this respect. 

Please note that you will need to make your own breakfast arrangements on the Saturday morning if you are up early enough you are welcome to use the facilities.

Q: Will there be toilets at the start?
A: Yes, At the Ultra there will be approx. 3 portaloos. The Marathon will have slightly posher options at the Village Hall. 

Q: Will there be beer at the finish?
A: Unfortunately not as we’re not licensed but feel free to bring a few “swifty’s”. We were hoping that the local refurbished pub might be open in time but looks like we’re still a month away from completion. There is however another in Glasbury village about a mile and a half away.

Q: Is bedding provided?
A: Yes, everything is provided but of course you can bring your own.

If you do have any further questions then please don’t hesitate to get in touch but please be aware that the sooner the better as towards the end of the week we may struggle to get back to you as we’ll be busy laying the course out.

Friday 20 September 2013

Newsletter - Wye One Way 50 & Wye Valley Trail Marathon


Hopefully all competitors in either the The Wye One Way 50 Ultra or The Wye Valley Trail Marathon received the news of the date change. The date for both events is the 12th October.

Accommodation option;

Race HQ Woodlands House will make an excellent centre for the weekend and two nights accommodation (Friday & Saturday) can be booked at a total cost of £35. Why not make a weekend of it and include a recovery walk in the local Black Mountains, a boat trip down the River Wye or maybe a visit to local towns Brecon or Hay on Wye, all within 5 to 30 mins of HQ.

Transport Options;

If you have not already we would urge you to seriously consider your transport plans to the start of the event. What makes both events different from most is the liner course and the sense of a journey this provides. The organised transport options will leave Woodlands House (the finish) in good time to get you to the start. The cost is probably less than the cost of petrol and removes all of the logistical challenge. Transport can be booked here for both events. The coaches for the Ultra will leave Woodlands House at 06:00 for a 07:30 start. The coach for the Trail Marathon will leave Woodlands House at 09:00 for a 10:00 start.

Registration is available as follows;

For the Ultra;

Fri evening, 18:30 to 21:00 at Woodlands House.
Sat morning, 05:00 to 05:45 at Woodlands House.
Sat morning, 06:00 to 07:00 at Llangurig Car Park (The Start)
Organised transport leaves Woodland House at 06:00.

For the Trail Marathon;

Fri evening, 18:30 to 21:00 at Woodlands House.
Sat morning, 09:00 to 09:45 at Llanwrthwl (The Start)
Organised transport leaves Woodland House at 09:00.

Series Points update;

The Wye One Way 50 Ultra is round 3 of 4 and will go a long to shaping the series competition this year. To qualify for a series ranking you must complete 3 of the 4 rounds or all four in which case your best 3 points totals of the series will count. Your points total is calculated based on your time relevant to everyone else racing on the day, plus bonus points for a podium finish. Series scores from the first two rounds can be found here.

Entries available;

Entries are still available for both the The Wye One Way 50 and Wye Valley Trail Marathon and can be booked here.

Please note entries for The Ultra Brecon 40 - Winter have surpassed the 200 limit, we have extended entries to allow for drop outs but will be closing entries soon. If you want to be on the startline don't hang around!

Retail update;

With summer now behind us we are having a clear out resulting in some great bargains including 30% off all Craft, 20% of all trail & barefoot shoes, 25% off all Camelbak, 20% off all tents, up to 25% off sleeping bags, 20% off all Mountain Hardwear, up to 30% off OMM and 25% off all Extremities. As a competitor past or present you are entitled to a further 10% off using discount code ' MCN_10% '. There are some great deals take a look here

There will be a final newsletter nearer the event with any last minute updates, in the meantime hope your training is going well and if you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact us either via email or our Facebook page.

See you in October.

The Might Contain Nuts Team.