Excalibur Trail Races Instructions
Getting there:
To get there leave the A494 between Mold and Ruthin for Tafarn Y Gelyn and follow the signs for Moel Famau. The event HQ will be signposted on the right.
Registration will open on the day for full marathoners at 8am, 9am for the half marathon 10 am for the 10k race.
Registration will CLOSE for marathon at 8.50am. 9.50am for the half and 10.50am for the 10k
Marathon briefing will be at 8.50am, 9.50 for the half and 10.50 for the 10k
Parking…. to get to the event leave the A494 between Mold and Ruthin for Tafarn Y Gelyn and follow the signs for Moel Famau. Parking will be at Moel Famau Donkeys, Llanferres, Mold, CH7 5SJ and is on the right.
Drive in through the gates on the right, travel up the drive
and enter the gate onto the field at the top on the right. When you leave come
down the field and exit via the gate near the road.
You can park at the start/finish site for the duration of
the event. PLEASE NOTE: The car park costs £5 (cash only)
Registration and kit check: Race HQ will be situated at Moel Famau Donkeys adjacent to the car park . There will be secure baggage area at Race HQ. At the registration desk you will get your race number with chip, safety pins and waterproof map of the route. You will then be directed to the kit check. All runners must carry all body waterproofs (jacket and trousers), hat (buff will suffice), gloves, map (supplied), compass and whistle plus a bottle that you can refill on the way. You are required to bring all this kit to the race. The Race Director may decide on the day that the minimum kit can be relaxed. No decision will be taken prior to the day.
The Race: The marathon will start at 9.00 am. The half marathon will start at 10.00 am and the 10k will start at 11.00 am. Anybody entering with a dog and harness (canicross) or a dog on a lead will start 10 minutes after the main race (9.10 am, 10.10 am and 11.10 am) This delay will be deducted from your overall time. Please note that we welcome dogs, but they MUST be on a harness or lead throughout the race. The races go over farmland and failure to comply with this could jeopardise the future of the race. The routes for all three events (marathon, half marathon and 10k) are mainly on trails and footpaths although some more 'technical' paths than others. All the routes are hilly. You are advised to do plenty of hills in your training (apologies if this advice is a little late!)
The routes can be viewed at https://www.excaliburmarathon.com/routes/ These may alter slightly before the event to accommodate the new start and finish site.
Marathon checkpoints:
Start Moel Famau Donkeys
CP 1 GR168647 T Junction Cilcain
CP2 GR 146641 Ridge junction
CP 3 GR 148657 Cattle grid
CP 4 GR 121690 Aifft - 2.00pm cut off
CP 5 GR 121690 Aifft
CP 6 GR 148657 Cattle grid
CP 7 GR 146641 Ridge junction
CP 8 GR 162627 Moel Famau
Finish GR172612 Moel Famau Donkeys
Half Marathon checkpoints:
Start Moel Famau Donkeys
CP 1 GR168647 T Junction Cilcain
CP 2 GR 146641 Ridge junction
CP 7 GR 146641 Ridge junction
CP 8 GR 162627 Moel Famau
Finish GR172612 Moel Famau Donkeys
10k checkpoints:
Start GR172612 Moel Famau Donkeys
CP 8 GR 162627 Moel Famau
Finish GR172612 Moel Famau Donkeys
At each of the numbered checkpoints there will be water and snack food
items. The water will be in water containers with taps. You need to carry
your own bottle to refill at these points. There will NOT be cups. You are
expected to carry A FULL WATER BOTTLE from the start. The route will be
fully signed with signs marked with the Excalibur logo (please note there
may be other events in the area this weekend which will also have signage).
There will also be marshals not only at checkpoints but at other strategic
points throughout the course. However, with the best will in the world
marshals may get called away, signs may be tampered with or removed so ……
you have a map and are asked to carry a compass, so responsibility is on
you to find your way. In 5 years, we’ve only lost one person and we found
them again pretty quickly!
If you feel at any point that you can’t continue, please alert a marshal. If
you are unable to get to a checkpoint, then inform another competitor. Do
not simply go home. We need to and will account for every competitor.
Mountain Rescue will be available throughout the course. The only cut off
will be 2.00pm at Aifft on the full marathon route (just before the most
northerly loop). Competitors arriving at this point after 2.00pm will be
asked not to undertake the top loop but to make their way back (a reduction
of 3 miles in distance). There will be sweepers at the tail end on all
routes.
There will not be plastic bottles of water given to each finisher this year but there will be drinks available at a table at the finish. We are reducing the amount of single use plastic. In the same spirit there will not be a medal but the memento has its own special sustainability story.
The start / finish area will have catering facilities from the Original Catering Company selling a variety of hot foods, tea and coffee, toilets and a bar (local Hafod Brewery from Mold. We are hoping that people will stay, relax, have something to eat (special Excalibur sausages for sale), enjoy a beer and cheer on your fellow competitors at the finish. It will be a beautiful sunny day, so why not? Remember to bring cash - there is no signal for card machines. Remember, if you are one of the clubs with the greatest number of entries over all 3 events then you all get a free bottle of Excalibur Ale. Run True www.runtrue.org are supporting this year’s event and will be arranging recce days of the routes during the year.
Prizegiving will be at 2.00pm or sooner if all prizewinners have completed
Accommodation: There are numerous places to stay locally
and the best way to find somewhere is by going to
www.visitclwydianrange.co.uk
Anything else? Please do not hesitate to contact me (Chris) at chris@runningheadfirst.org . Please remember for all kit requirements, advice about training or just a general natter about Excalibur then come and visit The Runners Hub, 58, Pensby Road, Heswall, Wirral CH60 7RE 0151 306 4957 www.therunnershub.net or find us on Facebook (we are not the one in Tennessee!)
