Last updated: 25-Oct-18
By Luke Jarmey
We’re pleased to announce our top 10 reviews for February. So congratulations to Ryk Downes (@PunkPantherUM) who will receive a pack of 33Shake Chia Energy Gels.
Ultra Trail Angkor – Cambodia
Ryk’s review of the Ultra Trail Angkor paints an enticing picture of rural Cambodia in the format of a ‘Real-life Temple Run’. The second part of his review is a jam-packed, information-heavy personal report, that’s a must read for any prospective Bayon Trail runners. He also mentions that this race was a year to the day when he ‘died’, though revived by CPR and defibrillator, whilst out running. Awesome to read about people carrying on with what they love, even after experiences as serious as the aforementioned. Read it here.
In no particular order, here are our remaining nine top reviews for February.
Coastal Trail Series South Devon – England, UK
Drawing us straight into his review of the CTS South Devon with, ‘After a horrendous week of weather leading up to the event and an awful forecast, we somehow scored a pretty much perfect window. Almost’. Thomas Bates provides a detailed description of the route and terrain, whilst also heaping praise on Endurancelife’s impeccable organization. Read it here.
John Ryan (@ultraventure) agrees with Thomas’s race rating sentiment and notes that it is not a beginner friendly course. With that said, he still gives the race five stars and describes it as a ‘great trail race with challenging elevation gains and some fun technical sections to tackle’. Read it here.
The Arc of Attrition – Cornwall, UK
Now grab your reading glasses, brew up a choice cuppa and sit down for a mammoth report on The Arc of Attrition by Saseefeldt. If you’re seriously considering the race, this is very useful read in its entirety. For those of us quickly skimming through potential races, at least read his bullet points of ‘Key things I took away from the event’. Read it here.
Dark Star River Marathon – England, UK
Michael Young states that he signed up to Dark Star River Marathon, thinking that the 28 ‘flat’ miles would be easy. Apparently he couldn’t be more wrong. With ‘blue tack’ like mud, turning those disco slipper trainers into clumpy Dutch clogs. This all makes that hot stew at the finish sound all the more deserving. Read it here.
Lakeland 50 Ultra Tour of the Lake District – England, UK
Jeff Mitchell (@UKRunCat) describes the Lakeland 50 as ‘one of if not THE best events I’ve ever run.’ Now we know Jeff has serious race pedigree under his belt, so that’s a statement well worth taking note of. If ‘travers(ing) some of the most beautiful passes this fair country has to offer’ sounds like your cup of tea, go and dive into Jeff’s review. Read it here.
The Spine Race – England, UK
The Spine Race is a gargantuan beast of an ultra, that strikes both fear and awe into the heart of any self-discerning runner. Jeff (@UKRunCat) describes most aspects of it as awful, but amazing. He’s written a compelling blog post about the harrowing experience, which is linked in his review. Well worth a read. Read it here.
Wendover Woods 50 – England, UK
Paul Thompson (@Thomo74) hails the Wendover Woods 50 as a ‘brutally tough, but rewarding ultra’. Sounds like a winner in our books. He also notes the fantastic organization by Centurion events. Now this is a bit of a recurrent theme, with their races consistently receiving some of the best feedback on RunUltra. Read it here.
The 9 Dragons – Hong Kong
Set in the trails of Hong Kong, the 9 Dragons is comprised of a 50km and a 50 mile race. These can be raced singularly or for a real challenge, consecutively. Well, Yim Heng Fatt thought this concept was ‘Wicked!’ and highly recommends it for trail junkie looking for the next big challenge’. Read it here.
TDS – Italy
Luke Clifton has had a couple of cracks at the TDS race and in his review, he tells us why he keeps coming back for more. Hint, it may have something to with the unparalleled atmosphere of UTMB week in Chamonix. And by the sounds of it, he’ll be back for another go. Read it here.
