Black Beacon 50

RACE REPORT:

It wasn't even my idea to sign up for this. After having done my first ultra in 2021, a 49k slightly hilly one, I would have maybe signed up for the 50k shorter and less hilly route. No way for the 80k 3750m elevation gain one. That's insanely out of my league. But my buddy Ricky coaxed me into it. So I had slightly over three months to train once signing up.

My running mileage was probably insanely low for someone going for a 50 miler. When I signed up I was doing about 20k a week which pushed to 30k a week, but then an unfortunate Achilles niggle came along from non-running related activities seven weeks before the race. For reference, I have never averaged more than 35k per week at any time in the last 12 years of running. I was fine to still run and race but I didn't want to push the distance as I could start feeling it more over time. I had another four races in the calendar in the six week before the event - a 12k OCR, a sprint duathlon, a pretty hilly half marathon and finally a 20 mile 200 obstacle OCR the weekend before the race. I had a few sessions with a sports therapist for some needling and ultrasound and was doing some calf strengthening exercises. It just about kept the discomfort at bay but ideally I would have done some back to back 30k training runs in preparation. That was what I took away from reading forums on ultrarunning for the most beneficial training activity to complete. But my races all went really well and I was feeling good, even though in the ten weeks before the race I averaged only about 26k of running per week. It was funny stumbling on posts online about other people doing some 50 milers and training 80k+ per week and worrying. I felt like I'm probably gonna be taught a big lesson with this ultra which will knock my ego down a peg. But I knew it's not just about the running, so in the final six weeks I started road cycling a lot more as that seemed to work for my first ultra last year, during which I had a much bigger injury to deal with and I had also been hiking a fair amount already anyway, including weighted bergen reps up Pen y Fan and hiking up Ben Nevis and some other munros in the Scottish Highlands. After racing the 20 mile OCR the Saturday before I just took it easy to taper off, got on the foam roller a lot and did some short easy cycles in the week and went for a very easy recovery run the day before the ultra. Also made sure to get the calories in, keep drinking water and try to sleep enough. I also drank some beetroot juice given it's supposed to be beneficial for cardio endurance. I've tried it in the past for bigger events, but this time I decided to actually do a bit more than just have some the day before, so I was drinking it for three days. Not huge but maybe something, it really isn't my drink of choice.

Route and elevation profile

The race route went from Hay-on-Wye on the Welsh-English border to Pontneddfechan on the other side of the Brecon Beacons national park. It was a 10pm start on Friday the 13th, so I worked half day, took a two hour nap and then drove over to the race. The 80k route had 7 checkpoints providing snacks and water. The weather forecast was perfect, around 10 degrees celsius at night with fairly clear skies and the moon out, but it was going to be a scorcher the following day. I was able to leave a drop bag for check point 5 at 45k, so I put some gels in there, sunglasses, and some biscuits and snacks just in case. I got to the venue just before the coach was going to drive us over to the start an hour drive away, so they told me to register and get my tracker at the start line instead. When we got to the start I only had time to sort out the tracker and race number and already it was time for the briefing. I was hoping to rush to the toilet for a quick one just after the briefing, but they finished the briefing and said ok we'll be off in ten. Luckily I took a shit earlier in the day already else that would have been a big nope.

So anyway, I was standing on the startline wearing my typical shorts and t-shirt. I think one other guy was doing the same, everybody else had their jackets on though and during the briefing they did mention that it's quite windy on the hills and encouraged us to layer up. Here I was thinking, this is gonna be the hardest day of my life. I'm gonna get pushed into some real dark places and it's gonna take so much perseverance to come out of this and it's gonna suck. An 80k mountain ultra, I'm not an ultra runner. I weigh 86kg and mainly do OCRs, since I enjoy my pull ups and strength based things too. Here we go then, you nutcase. Never one to back down from a challenge. A little after 10pm the start was given and we were off, head torches on about to go straight up to Hay Bluff in the Black Mountains. 500m of ascent to kick us off. I had planned to probably just walk all the way from the start to the first summit and then start running, but of course as soon as the whistle went we were off and I was running along with everyone else. I just tried to keep it quite slow and steady and only when it got steeper did I start walking as did the others around me. I was towards the back of the pack and was being overtaken by some people but as the trails got steeper we all ended up slotting into our positions. A few guys went past me and commented on me being in just short sleeve. Yeah I know, my Estonian blood ain't like yours.

Using the chance to study the route whilst walking up

After an hour I reached the first peak and could get into the rhythm of some flatter trails. It was indeed pretty windy up here and I was thinking I'll have to judge the next peak on whether I should layer up too. I was feeling really good and after descending a little bit reached the first check point, a marshalled station with a 4x4 lighting it up. I had a 600ml bottle of water with an electrolyte tab in from which I had taken a few sips so far, so I filled that up again but decided to not put any water in the hydration pack yet because I didn't want to lug around an extra kilo for no benefit. I never need much water in the first two hours of any activity and with the conditions being quite cool, especially more so. Also grabbed a jaffa cake and a single crisp, not sure why I only took just the one but I wanted to move on fast. The second section was 12k long with about 600m of climbing. The first 29k to check point 3 were not marked up and everyone had to navigate the route themselves using the .gpx file or whatever. I had pinned up my usual maps.me app on my phone which I always use everywhere I go around the world. On one ascent I realised I needed to take a right turn and start heading back down the hill whilst I saw at least seven headlamps ahead of me still going up. Phew, great I wasn't just trusting all these other experienced ultra runners on doing the right thing. Feeling so good still, gaining loads of positions I pushed on down some technical descents. At check point 2 I filled up just the water bottle again as the following section didn't have a lot of ascents and was like another 10k. In the third section I felt like I should definitely eat more in the next check point since I'd barely had anything again in check point 2, just a piece of banana, few slices of orange and some biscuits. The wind had died down a bit after the first peak so I was still fine as I was, just wearing my short sleeve.

I made it to check point 3 at 29k in. I almost did a perfect run but missed one of the last turnings, did an additional 800m or so of flat and a few guys got past me whom I then chatted with at CP3. This was one of the two major checkpoints, lots of sandwiches and more food and drink. I took a slightly longer break and really made sure to get these calories in. After this there was a long flat section coming up following a canal and then some climbing but not too much, so I decided again to just keep to my water bottle. Took two salt tablets and headed on. I saw there were public toilets outside the check point just before getting into the hall so I decided to make use of them after leaving the check point, probably was a good idea. I had been feeling so good all this way but suddenly after getting going again I was not feeling quite as fresh for the first time. Damn it I thought, I never really run more than 30k in training and here I am at 30k. I expected the calories to do their thing but it was a bit hard to get moving. After a few stops and starts a head torch appeared behind me and I was about to be caught up, but just before it happened I changed the song on my iPod and started running again. And then I kept it going, and then I picked up the pace, and then I picked up the pace some more. Suddenly everything was great again. I was motivated by the guy chasing me and he had kept up with me as I accelerated so I was probably pulling him along too. Few k went by like this and we stormed all along the canal for about 4k. My head torch died, or just started having some issues at the end of this flat section so I swapped it for the spare. After this there was a long gradual uphill on a road before shooting straight up the steepest climb of the race. We walked up together and had a good chat. He was actually the other guy from the start wearing just short sleeve. It was his first ultra ever, what a mentalist to start off with such a tough one. We reached CP4 and again I just filled up the water bottle as investigating my map suggested another 10k and not much more elevation until CP5, the other major checkpoint. From CP4 we headed up the steepest climb of the race, 200m up at 40% for a lot of it. The two of us had caught up to a lady and two guys I saw at CP3 earlier who left me behind when I was dropping the kids off. I couldn't believe it, I had no poles on me yet I was overtaking the lady and the guys using poles. I did think about acquiring some poles before this race but never got round to it, seeing as they aren't cheap either. Also the sky was finally starting to light up a little after 6.5 hours of racing now so I could turn off the head torch. I was the first of this lot to reach the summit where two campers were out of their tent watching the sky firing up. Grabbed a quick photo and started the descent solo. As I descended the sunrise was turning more and more epic, I had just covered a marathon by now and was slightly over half way of the race, and I experienced the most insane running high I've ever experienced. All of a sudden I just couldn't stop smiling and I was laughing out loud to myself. My playlist was bouncing and there was no stopping me. Gliding down the hills feeling invincible. I felt so good I thought when will it get hard then? How am I still on cloud nine with barely any difficulty so far. This is now my second longest run ever. It makes no sense but whatever, I'm a hero and just keep on pushing. There was a long gradual descent and I absolutely blew past this guy in a red jacket. The sunrise was still brewing and I kept stopping to grab more and more photos. I was in awe. Once I was as the bottom of the hill grabbing some more shots the red jacket almost caught up so I thought I better do some running again. A straight section on a paved road followed by a bit of asceding againt pursued, after which we hit CP5 at 48k into the race, 2000m of elevation gain done.

Tor y Foel 'steep one' in the distance

Epic sunrise

I reached CP5 and was greeted by quite a few competitors chilling out on deck chairs and a few marshals. Time to fuel up, CP5 to CP6 is 1000m of ascent and the hardest section of the race. Finally filled up the bladder, I knew now I will need it for sure. For the first time I had signs of cramping in my hamstrings just before reaching CP5 so I took some more salt tabs and applied some cooling gel onto my hams and quads out of my drop bag. No idea if that did anything but what's to lose. Ate everything I could see, including a hotdog the marshal sorted out for me. I hadn't had any of the four gels yet I had been carrying with me, didn't really have a burning need for them so far, but I chucked another five from my drop bag into my pack just in case as it's better to have them when I get into trouble. And seeing that I was just slightly over half-way, it was better to just carry them in case things turn sour. After tweny minutes I thought it's about time to push on. 300m straight up followed by some flat bits and then some up-down peaks in succession, including the highest point in South Wales, Pen y Fan at 886m. None of the guys already in CP5 before me had left yet and quite a few familiar faces from before caught up so I gained some places from the check point but was overtaken by one guy soon into the ascent. This 300m ascent was hard and it took time to get going again after that. But the views were amazing, lots of fog dropping right off the mountain ridge in front of me while I was walking along the edge listening to the Resident Evil soundtrack in pure solus. One of the other more memorable moments from the race, just me in visibility, creepy cloud and fog rushing past and some dystopian music in my ears. I don't know why nobody else I saw listened to any music, or I couldn't tell anyway. I never run with music typically as generally you wouldn't in a race either and I have enough motivation to achieve my training sessions. I only put my headphones on when chugging out miles on long trail runs which I rarely do anyway. But it 100% helps to grind through these brutal climbs. Two guys who were looking pretty strong got past me and then another guy caught up with me on the next ascent, but we got chatting and I picked up my powerhiking to stick with his pace. We descended and ascended the next peak together, after which I dropped him on the descent, so I was by myself again for the final push up to Pen y Fan. Finally had my first gel 58k into race. I hadn't really felt like I needed them since there was food at all the aid stations. Great going, I was still moving on and not too far away from CP6 now. Just a long descent down. CP6 would be another check point before a long section of remote hills and trails.

Cribyn behind me, Pen y Fan to go

Final steps up Jacob's Ladder to Pen y Fan

I reached CP6 at 11 hours into the race. That long downhill was an effort and I had to walk many times, just couldn't sustain running down it. I love downhills so that was surprising, this suggested that I might be starting to suffer. It was 9am now and the Sun was really starting to heat up. 62k and 3000m done. Officially the most elevation covered for me from any activity. I had previously hit 2700m on two different hikes in the past, but I don't go above 2000m that much at all. Really not that much elevation to go now but still far from done. Like another half marathon to do. The marshal asked me how the day is going and I just said great, fucking unbelievable. What a day, what a perfect day. I took another longer break to fuel up. Worst thing to do would be to rush on and then regret it while at the mercy of more ascents and dodgy trails. It's straight up again from here and it gets steep once again. I left the checkpoint together with the guy I chatted to earlier on, he caught me up and took a shorter break to refuel. We got up the climb together but as discovered earlier, I was a better descender so I left him behind on the descent again. After this my fatigue started hitting heavier. There was a really shit section of boggy wetland for a while and my feet got wet. My feet had been doing amazing so far with no issues or blisters, but this wet section and the following ascent along a barely existing trail started causing the first blister by my left heel. It was again a long drag and even thought the uphill got quite tame, I could not muster any running out of my legs and walked the entire thing. Yep, starting to suffer now. I reached CP7 for the final stop. Didn't bother filling the bladder, only the bottle as it was like 10k from the finish now with just one more ascent left and I hadn't drunk my entire bladder. I left CP7 and realised I forgot to change into dry socks and I will definitely blister and slow down, so I quickly did just that after hitting the road again. Blister plaster on and dry socks. Ran until the final uphill of the race and walked up all of that. After this it was the nice section through the woods past some waterfalls. I hadn't seen anyone in front of me for ages and there was just the one guy behind me from before. Only know I thought why don't I check the tracker site. I knew from before it shows everyone on there not just me, but it never occurred to me that I could actually use it to see how close I am to other competitors as the race progresses. I guess it wouldn't have made a difference anyway since I had been running my own race so far, but nearing the finish that makes for an interesting race. So I opened it up and no way, I'm like right behind the guy in front of me. But equally after that excitement was an oh shit, there's a guy just one bend behind me about to pop round and spot me and another three really close after him. How, I've been going alright or so I thought. They're catching me. So I took off in an instant to not let the guy behind me get a visual. The woods provided some downhills and I stormed past any walkers on the route. I checked the tracker again after a bit and I had made up more than half of the gap on the person in front but somehow the person behind was still just as close. No way, I totally smashed this bit, how's the other guy keeping up? I kept trying to push it but any incline made me walk and every time I checked the three of us were still the same distance apart. Made no sense, it's like those two were also checking the tracker and pushing because of me. Every bend I kept trying to spot the person in front but nobody there. My watch hit 80k and there was maybe 4k to go. These winding undulating trails had done one on me and I saw I'm just not getting that guy and gave up on trying to get him. Luckily the ones behind were suddenly really far behind from me so they must have also given up trying to catch me. I was going slow again and should have taken my second gel here. Probably should have started shooting more down earlier already too to be honest because what's to lose. It got to a really technical descent. I knew I'm good on them so if I am to catch this guy it has to be now. After this descent there should be about a kilometre of flat paved road until the finish. I put in a huge effort trying to not break my ankle storming down these rocks. Just as I got to the bottom I thought I saw someone for a second. And then after another few turns again but not too sure, just some walkers. And then suddenly there he was, a guy running with a pack! Instantly I was zoned in again. I was all in for giving him chase for that final flat k. How epic, a hard push and sprint finish to end this ultra. The second I hit the paved road I pushed to get hot on his heels straight away so he can't put a gap on me should he try that, but to my disappointment after turning a corner the finish was right there, not where I anticipated down the road and that was that. Just seconds behind this guy. I would have so had him. Also wanted to run across the line and scream for victory which I envisioned multiple times already in the race, but there was no camera there and the mood was pretty quiet so I decided to leave it.

It was all over. My watch said 83k with around 3700m elevation gain and the total time was slightly over 15 hours. Burned over 7000kcal and placed 27th / 60. Unreal. I came here to finish this race and nothing else, and I slipped into the top half of the results. All barriers and limits had suddenly disappeared. What's next? What will stop me? I could still keep running. It's gonna take a while for this to sink in. When I think of running 80k, it still sounds like how? No way. My Achilles gave me zero problems the entire run and had I been able to put some bigger training runs in prior, I maybe would have gone a little faster. But who knows whether I would have done, I felt super the entire day and exceeded any possible expectation. This was a good day. Time to put my feet up and grab a beer. I am an ultra runner.