Introduction

The Endurancelife Coastal Trail Series is a unique trail running event that runs from October 2007 until April 2008.  The series comprises of 5 stunning locations all located along the rugged coastline of the South West of England and Wales.  At each atmospheric location there is a 10k, Half Marathon and Marathon course; each are wild and diverse, and are as inspiring as they are challenging.

Most of the courses pass through Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB's), National Parks, or Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI's) and as such we are privileged to be able to use them.  In order not to put these sensitive landscapes under undue pressure we limit the number of places to suitable levels - this only adds to the atmosphere of these tough but intimate events which are usually based near or from atmospheric pubs in quirky villages.

Whether you’re 16 or 60, a newcomer or an old-hand, the Series offers something new and challenging for everyone.  With 5 spectacular courses, 3 distance categories, and a massive £6000 worth of awesome kit up for grabs, this is definitely a series to get stuck into.  Several age categories and many spot prizes mean that every competitor has the possibility of claiming their share of the prize pool.   If you aren’t one of the lucky prize winners, you always have a cool event T-shirt, finishers' medal and a great experience to take home with you.

Courses and Dates

All of the courses in the Endurancelife Coastal Marathon & Half Marathon Trail Running Series have been carefully chosen to showcase the very best of the South West. The five stage series represents a varied and interesting cross-section of landscapes and terrains. Each of the courses are unique in its own way and presents different challenges to the aspiring trail athlete, but what they all have in common is an abundance of natural beauty, breathtaking scenery and rewarding experiences.

Categories

The prize categories in the table below apply for both men and women in each of the 5 courses in the Series.

PLEASE NOTE: Categories are defined by your age on the 13.10.07. NOT THE DATE OF THE RACE

Stage Prizes

For each event there is a prize pool consisting of trail running kit & apparel to the value of over £1000.  In addition to the prize categories below there are generous spot prizes for outstanding feats of sportsmanship.

All finisher's will receive a medal and an event T-shirt.

Series Prizes

Only those who have completed at least 3 out of 5 courses in the series are eligible for series prizes. Positions will be allocated based on an average of your 3 highest finishing positions. The total prize pool for the series category winners consists of trail running kit and apparel to the value of over £1000.

Whats Included

• A professionally managed and hosted event
• A well marked course
• Sport Ident chip hire and timing system
• Public liability insurance
• A hot meal for all finishers
• A quality finisher's Tshirt
• A finisher's medal
• A portion of your entry fee is donated to the local Air Ambulance Trust.

Cancelation Policy

In the event of a cancellation more than 14 days before the event, a refund of the entry fee minus £10 admin cost will be given.  Alternatively you can transfer your entry to a future event, or transfer your place to a friend or colleague.  No refund or transfer can be offered if you cancel within 14 days or less of the event date.  Please contact us by email in the first instance.

Training and Advice

Despite being standard marathon, half marathon and 10k distances, it is important to realise that the nature of these coastal courses make them considerably tougher than a road event of the same distance.

The multi terrain courses are often undulating involving some steep narrow climbs and descents. These can put added strain on muscles and joints, less common in road running.  The trails pass over varied ground: rock, mud, shingle, grass and stone, which can make the going under foot tricky and unstable.  The coastal location of the courses means the weather can be very changeable and can add an extra dimension of difficulty to the event.  Exposed coastal paths certainly feel the brunt of strong winds and heavy rain.

Here is some advice and a few training tips that can help you prepare:-


1) Use correct footwear:  Trail running trainers are most suitable for the coastal series.  Road running trainers will not give the necessary support and grip for trail running.  After purchasing a pair, it is recommended that you wear them in before the event to avoid possible problems with blisters and discomfort. All the team here at Endurancelife use the trail running shoe: Active Trail Mesh from LaFuma.

2) Try to train off road: Try and use footpaths and bridal ways as often as possible whilst training.  This will allow you to become more accustomed to running over varied ground. Initially don’t try and cover the same distance off road as you might on road.  Off road running requires more energy usage and is slower going.  Build up your strength and stamina by increasing the distance gradually.

3) Don’t Avoid Hills: Although not particularly enjoyable, don’t avoid taking on hills and steep sections of ground, especially whilst off road.  As with building up your distance training, apply the same principle to climbing and descending.  Increase the number and severity of climbs/descents gradually as you become stronger and more confident.  This exercise will help strengthen your joints and reduce the possibility of injury.  The added exertion of climbing and descending will build up calf and thigh muscles respectively.

4) Use multi-storey car parks: If you struggle to find off road trails, ie, if you live in a city, try training in parks.  If hills are hard to come by, then try running up and down multi storey car parks (in the evening preferably, when there are fewer cars), or climbing/descending the stairwells of high raised buildings. If you do enough repetitions this will provide a good exercise for climbing and descending.

5) Walk steep uphill sections: Remember, during an event there will usually be sections of the course which are so steep or tough that running will not be possible or merely uneconomical on energy expenditure.  Don’t worry about having to walk some parts.  You can accommodate better for this by training beforehand, and you should not lose too much time on the race day.  Find a suitably steep section of ground and practice walking up it briskly, without stopping.  Again, the more you do it, the easier it will become.

6) Train whatever the weather!  A warm sitting room may be more appealing but avoiding training due to bad weather will no doubt disrupt your training program.  This will also prepare you for the possibility of running in bad weather during the event, and allow you to work out what kind of clothing/ kit is best  in such conditions.

7) Stay Hydrated: Make sure you keep fluid and energy levels well maintained whilst training.  This will prepare you well for the event and get you into good habits.  The nature of the event means that you will expend a considerable amount of energy over a prolonged period running and possibly become dehydrated.  Although there are water stations approximately every 6 miles on the courses, you must run with a bottle or hydration pack.