Ultramarathons & Trail Running

Ultramarathon and Trail Running at WDAC

The Ultramarathon and Trail Running section in an official sub-section of WDAC made of up runners who seek to either taking their running beyond the marathon distance, or who prefer running off-road on trails or rocky terrain for any length of distance.

Training

Training nights are still in conjunction with the main Training Groups on Tuesday's and Thursdays 6:30pm at Wellingborough School, however runners also meet at various times throughout the week for some runs along local trails, or may travel together to do some weekend long run miles around 20-26 miles usually on softer surfaces to maximise recovery time. Please contact any trail or ultra runner to see if there are any upcoming scheduled runs.

Racing

Racing is a main component of Ultramarathon or Trail Running and most runners have some race or series of races they are targeting as a goal to complete. There are hundreds of trail and ultraraces around the UK to choose from, the races highlighted below are some of the races WDAC members are competing in.

People

WDAC runners who have competed in Trail races or Ultramarathons in 2012:

Kerry Howard, Tracey Freear, Sam Clarke, Nicola Manning, Andy Manning, Julian Blackwell, Israel Archuletta, Roger Bullen, John Hullett, Simon Leisten, Eamon Kennedy, Clare Elsby, Helen Rogers, Maria Hollis, Colin Harris, Joanne Edwards, Kevin O'Reilly,

Trail Races and Ultramarathons competed in 2012

Country to Capital 45 Mile Ultramarathon; Roger Bullen

Anglesey Coastal Trail Series 15.5 mile "Half Marathon" and 7.5 mile "10K" race; Nicola, Tracey, Kerry, Andrew, Sam, Israel, Julian

The Pilgrims Challenge - North Downs Way Multistage 66 mile 2-day ultra; Roger Bullen

South Devon Coastal Trail Series "Half marathon;" Julian Blackwell

Dorset Coastal Trail Series "Half marathon;" Julian Blackwell

Exmoor Coastal Trail Series Marathon and Half Marathon; Tracey, Julian, Israel

Flete Coastal Trail Series Half Marathon, Marathon and 10K; Tracey, Julian, Israel, Simon

Northants 35 Mile Ultra; Roger, Colin, Julian, Israel, Joanne, Kevin, Sam, John

Ultra Trail South West 100 mile race; Israel (dropped at 66.34 miles).

Northants 35 mile Ultramarathon: 1st place team trophy for WDAC .

May 27th 2012 turned out to be a sweltering hot day as over 140 runners toiled in the heat to complete the 35 mile circle of Northamptonshire’s glorious countryside rich in history and stately homes.

A team Ultra Running Championships was introduced for 2012 Northants 35, which was won by Wellingborough and District AC. The team of Roger Bullen, Colin Harris, Julian Blackwell, Israel Archuletta & Joanne Edwards finishing in a combined time of 34 hours and 51 minutes to claim the inaugural trophy. Also running for Wellingborough was Sam Clarke, Kevin O'Riely, and John Hullet.

Starting and finishing in the impressive grounds of Lamport Hall, and heading past Cottesbrooke Hall (The basis of Jane Austin’s ‘Mansfield House’), Althorpe (home to the Spencer family) and Teeton Hall, as well as the battlefields of Naseby where the Civil War was settled in 1645. In total there were 132 finishers in 2012 well up on completions from a year ago as this race continues to capture the imagination of those looking for something more than a marathon and with a delightful mix of countryside trails and quiet country lanes the reputation is set to grow further.

Future Races that some of the Trail and Ultra section are racing:

July 28, 2012 - Adidas 24 Hour Thunder Run (100+ Miles)

August 11-12, 2012 - North Downs Way 100 Mile; Centurion Running, UK

September 30, 2012 - London to Brighton 56 Mile Trail Race.

Saturday October 6, 2012 - Round Ripon Ultra 35

October 20, 2012 - Ultima Frontera 160 (33 Mile race), Spain

November 9-12, 2012 - Extreme Energy Druid Challenge 84 Mile 3 Day Multi-Stage race over the Ridgeway.

January 19, 2013 - Anglesey Coastal Trail Series Marathon, Wales

What is Trail Racing?

Trail Races differ considerably from other races, since runners enjoy the solitude of nature for the bulk of these runs. Trail Running tends to traverse varying terrain; hills, mountains, fields, deserts, forests, and narrow passages are common. Likewise, steep inclines or rough terrain sometimes may require hiking or scrambling. Runners participating in trail runs must often ascend and descend thousands of feet.