Malvern Midsummer ‘Marathon’ LDWA event
9:01pm, 26th Jun 2024 | 12 Comments
Blog by Sorequads
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For one reason or another, I hadn’t raced since Boston UK at the end of April. Having missed out on a few local summer favourites, the opportunity to take part in my first LDWA (Long Distance Walkers Association) along the stunning beautiful Malvern Hills seemed too good an opportunity to miss.
£25 (£15 if you are a member), the promise of plentifully stocked aid stations and a GPX in lieu of route markings - all looked good for a low key kind of affair.
There are two distances options - last year was 14M/25.5M but a change in HQ venue resulted in 15.5M/27.8M with 5300ft ascent. Gulp 😦.
Friendly welcome at HQ. The walkers set off at 8am, with an 8pm cut off given - that is a long day out. Handed my number, albeit not the usual race affair - pinning it on was optional, but getting it marked with a special hole puncher-type thing at the five aid stations was mandatory. You also had to manually note the trig number at the first summit a couple of miles in.
Runners due to set off at 0900, which meant departing HQ at 0845 for the 1km uphill walk to the start. To be honest, that might might as well have been included into the route for simplicity, but it did involve a road crossing (that we would later tackle on the descent home).
The start was midway up a 25% road - a sign of things to come! Usual mix of things at the beginning, but by the time we crossed a marshalled main road 300m in, a group of five of us had formed at the front.
Onto the switchback trails as we ascended towards Worcestershire Beacon. This was not going to be a fast! 1000ft across the first two miles saw a personal record-breaking bit of slowness in a race: 13:09, 12:12 😝. Took a photo of the trig at the top rather than ask a random for a pen and took a few seconds to take in the truly spectacular panoramas.
This point is about three quarters of the way along the ridge line and we then headed along the northern quarter before dropping down on the Herefordshire side.
The middle section of the route is also great trails, and most definitely not without hills, but never quite the savageness of early on. First place was now long gone, and by about mile four or five, I could no longer hear the sound of a gate reopening and shutting shortly after I had been through.
Warning - do not read this if you are slightly grossed out at toilet stories. I needed a wee around an hour in, so pulled to the side of a field. Literally no one was around and the thought occurred that I could at least gain a few steps whilst relieving myself. Some kind of very niche PB set for getting quite a way up that hill whilst otherwise occupied 😂.
Check point 1 in Cradley was my first hole punch and I faffed a little looking for the number in my bag. In retrospect it would have been simpler to have pinned it on in the usual fashion. First bit of random mid-race fuelling - a slice of buttered malt loaf. Went down well.
Started to catch the walkers a lot now. This was great in terms of navigation and I could just relax and stop looking at my watch map so often. Heading through a field I could see loads of cows tightly packed in a corner… blocking the gate. I arrived at the same time as three or four walkers. I am usually pretty nervous around these large beasts, so slowed to a walk and headed through. They were pretty chilled out really. Was more worried about an anxious walker waving her pole around and nearly clocking me.
A sustained but gentle climb in some lovely shade to us most of the way to Ledbury. Picked up an unexpectedstrava crown on this and so it must be used rarely. I’m sure I must have been to Ledbury before, but I had forgotten what an atmospheric place it is.
Had to go into a community hall type building on an old cobbled street. Number stamp, refill of the camelbak (I am 15 years out of date with my gear) and picked up a slice of warm quiche and a banana. 100% have never eaten quiche whilst running before then, and it went down very well!
Brutal climbs followed whilst overtaking the majority of the remaining walkers. It was clear after a while that several had chosen to start at 0800 but were adopting a mostly running strategies, but by this point they were few and far between.
Had a right faff few some fields, getting lost several times. Then slipped whilst crossing a mossy ford. Threw my toys out the pram seeing my forearm was dripping with blood and I was covered in god knows what, but truthfully it was actually quite cooling from the now stinging heat.
Watermelon at a checkpoint at mile 19 was a godsend, but the reaching the southern end of the Malvern ridge was an absolute sledgehammer.
Seconds before it felt like we were nearly there, suddenly the pace dropped to about 14 minute miles with relentless uphills only marginally cushioned by glorious views towards the Cotswold escarpment and the Forest of Dean/Black Mountains.
Things got tough. I started severely cramping in my hamstrings and didn’t quite know how to make forward progress. Sucked it up when I realised stopping was worse as the quads, forearms and my jaw would seize up without movement 😝. Reached British Camp - a road crossing with a cafe, a pub and a hotel bar. People drinking cold pints of lager left, right and centre. Questioned my sanity and pressed on.
Running uphill now out of the question and a slow trot on the (rare) flats and downhill seemed just about doable. What should have been a rapid last couple of miles was a painful, quad-destroying descent and my god did I want to get to the finish now. After 29.5M, 5300ft ascent, I eventually reached the HQ in 5h30 for second place 🥈. It felt suitably low key walking in through the school building entrance, but nice to get a round of applause from the volunteers once reaching the drama department.
Various body parts seemed to give up at this point. I seemed to suddenly get a hoarse voice and raising it caused a weird echo in one ear. Just about managed a cup of tea but couldn’t face what looked like very nice meal options.
Staggered back to the car and drove home, arriving 95 minutes after the ETA I gave my wife. Turns out I had based this not on the winning times of last year’s marathon, but the half 😂.
I am really impressed with the LDWA offering, but my god did I underestimate things. A brutal day out but I don’t regret it for a second. Fantastic trail running, an unexpected ultra and all for £25 and essential zero faff. Highly recommended.
Sunday, Monday, Tuesday: stiffest I have been since my first marathon in 2012 (33 marathons since). Oh my goodness, needed a forklift to get my out of bed.
£25 (£15 if you are a member), the promise of plentifully stocked aid stations and a GPX in lieu of route markings - all looked good for a low key kind of affair.
There are two distances options - last year was 14M/25.5M but a change in HQ venue resulted in 15.5M/27.8M with 5300ft ascent. Gulp 😦.
Friendly welcome at HQ. The walkers set off at 8am, with an 8pm cut off given - that is a long day out. Handed my number, albeit not the usual race affair - pinning it on was optional, but getting it marked with a special hole puncher-type thing at the five aid stations was mandatory. You also had to manually note the trig number at the first summit a couple of miles in.
Runners due to set off at 0900, which meant departing HQ at 0845 for the 1km uphill walk to the start. To be honest, that might might as well have been included into the route for simplicity, but it did involve a road crossing (that we would later tackle on the descent home).
The start was midway up a 25% road - a sign of things to come! Usual mix of things at the beginning, but by the time we crossed a marshalled main road 300m in, a group of five of us had formed at the front.
Onto the switchback trails as we ascended towards Worcestershire Beacon. This was not going to be a fast! 1000ft across the first two miles saw a personal record-breaking bit of slowness in a race: 13:09, 12:12 😝. Took a photo of the trig at the top rather than ask a random for a pen and took a few seconds to take in the truly spectacular panoramas.
This point is about three quarters of the way along the ridge line and we then headed along the northern quarter before dropping down on the Herefordshire side.
The middle section of the route is also great trails, and most definitely not without hills, but never quite the savageness of early on. First place was now long gone, and by about mile four or five, I could no longer hear the sound of a gate reopening and shutting shortly after I had been through.
Warning - do not read this if you are slightly grossed out at toilet stories. I needed a wee around an hour in, so pulled to the side of a field. Literally no one was around and the thought occurred that I could at least gain a few steps whilst relieving myself. Some kind of very niche PB set for getting quite a way up that hill whilst otherwise occupied 😂.
Check point 1 in Cradley was my first hole punch and I faffed a little looking for the number in my bag. In retrospect it would have been simpler to have pinned it on in the usual fashion. First bit of random mid-race fuelling - a slice of buttered malt loaf. Went down well.
Started to catch the walkers a lot now. This was great in terms of navigation and I could just relax and stop looking at my watch map so often. Heading through a field I could see loads of cows tightly packed in a corner… blocking the gate. I arrived at the same time as three or four walkers. I am usually pretty nervous around these large beasts, so slowed to a walk and headed through. They were pretty chilled out really. Was more worried about an anxious walker waving her pole around and nearly clocking me.
A sustained but gentle climb in some lovely shade to us most of the way to Ledbury. Picked up an unexpected
Had to go into a community hall type building on an old cobbled street. Number stamp, refill of the camelbak (I am 15 years out of date with my gear) and picked up a slice of warm quiche and a banana. 100% have never eaten quiche whilst running before then, and it went down very well!
Brutal climbs followed whilst overtaking the majority of the remaining walkers. It was clear after a while that several had chosen to start at 0800 but were adopting a mostly running strategies, but by this point they were few and far between.
Had a right faff few some fields, getting lost several times. Then slipped whilst crossing a mossy ford. Threw my toys out the pram seeing my forearm was dripping with blood and I was covered in god knows what, but truthfully it was actually quite cooling from the now stinging heat.
Watermelon at a checkpoint at mile 19 was a godsend, but the reaching the southern end of the Malvern ridge was an absolute sledgehammer.
Seconds before it felt like we were nearly there, suddenly the pace dropped to about 14 minute miles with relentless uphills only marginally cushioned by glorious views towards the Cotswold escarpment and the Forest of Dean/Black Mountains.
Things got tough. I started severely cramping in my hamstrings and didn’t quite know how to make forward progress. Sucked it up when I realised stopping was worse as the quads, forearms and my jaw would seize up without movement 😝. Reached British Camp - a road crossing with a cafe, a pub and a hotel bar. People drinking cold pints of lager left, right and centre. Questioned my sanity and pressed on.
Running uphill now out of the question and a slow trot on the (rare) flats and downhill seemed just about doable. What should have been a rapid last couple of miles was a painful, quad-destroying descent and my god did I want to get to the finish now. After 29.5M, 5300ft ascent, I eventually reached the HQ in 5h30 for second place 🥈. It felt suitably low key walking in through the school building entrance, but nice to get a round of applause from the volunteers once reaching the drama department.
Various body parts seemed to give up at this point. I seemed to suddenly get a hoarse voice and raising it caused a weird echo in one ear. Just about managed a cup of tea but couldn’t face what looked like very nice meal options.
Staggered back to the car and drove home, arriving 95 minutes after the ETA I gave my wife. Turns out I had based this not on the winning times of last year’s marathon, but the half 😂.
I am really impressed with the LDWA offering, but my god did I underestimate things. A brutal day out but I don’t regret it for a second. Fantastic trail running, an unexpected ultra and all for £25 and essential zero faff. Highly recommended.
Sunday, Monday, Tuesday: stiffest I have been since my first marathon in 2012 (33 marathons since). Oh my goodness, needed a forklift to get my out of bed.
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