Course Description

This is the Race that we started with when we initiated the event in 1984. It is approximately 14 miles long. This is the classic start on the crest of the main railway line bridge adjacent to the Talyllyn Railway station. Both the runners and the train are started by the train whistle ordered by the timekeeper. The course, which is on public roads for just over a mile, runs through the town before heading for Brynglas. At this point the course turns up a farm drive to cross the railway and follow it all the way to Rhyd-yr- Onnen, after the farm drive there is a mixture of tracks and fields. At Rhyd-yr-Onnen you leave the railway and run up a tarmac lane for 1/3 mile turning on to an unmetaled track running through a ford to reach the first refreshment point. From here you return to run alongside the railway over fields, rough pasture, and farm tracks to reach Brynglas. Here you will find the second refreshment point and after climbing up a short stretch of farm road you cross the railway to run the next section with the railway on your right. The first 1.5 miles of this section is over fields and rough pasture to Dolgoch where briefly you cross the car park before ascending across a field to run through trees before dropping down a tricky slope on to fields again and refreshment point three. A short run down an unmade track turns back on to well cultivated pasture all the way to the turn point at 7 miles.

This has been the easy part of the course and you must be well ahead of an estimated half way time as the second half is much tougher.
After a short run through the field the course leaves for uncultivated sloping hillside crosses a stream runs under the railway to now climb very steeply to run across the face of the hillside on narrow sheep tracks for over a mile when it then climbs to join the road used in the morning by the 10K races and so that description should now be read to indicate the course back to Tywyn and the Finish. Refreshment points will be found at the top of this hill again at Dolgoch Farm, Brynglas (as on outward run) Tynllwyn Hen (the first on the outward section) and finally at Hendy Farm just over a mile to the finish.

The train takes about 1 hour and 47 minutes. The first runner crosses the finish line after about 1 hour and 20 minutes. You can see the results in the section Results for the Last Race. There is a limit of 3 hours 15 minutes to complete the course and we reserve the right to close the course for safety reasons beyond this time, similarly the official time - keeping ceases then.