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Trail Escape Bristol to Bath Marathon: 2024 Race Review

Writer's picture: Amy BoalchAmy Boalch

Trail Escape is a new race company offering marathons and 25km trail routes in easy access of major cities, currently Bristol, Edinburgh and Manchester.




Event Details


Trail Escape offers participants the chance to 'escape the city' and 'explore the trails'. There are 25km and marathon events on offer, with the option to complete the course as a runner or walker. The events are new and currently held in Bristol, Edinburgh and Manchester. The Bristol to Bath event was the first held so far, with the rest to come in 2025.



The Route


The 26.2 mile route is a point-to-point, beginning at the UWE Frenchay Campus in Bristol and finishing at Victoria Park in Bath.


Most of the course covers easy trails and cycle paths. There are a few narrower sections that are quite muddy, particularly along the Frome Valley, and there are also sections across fields and through woodland.


The course is relatively flat, until mile 20. At this point there is a steep climb for two miles, up to Prospect Stile in Bath. This climb covers 700ft in elevation and reaches a 16.5% gradient at points. The overall elevation for the entire route is 1700ft (518m) and almost all of that climbing is at the end!




Training


Training for this event had been a little strange. Two weeks before this race I had run the Uphill to Wells 30 miler, which you can read about here. I wouldn't normally race twice within two weeks, but I was eager to try this new local event and had friends taking part too.


My focus before this event was mainly on recovering from my recent ultra. I did two track sessions (shortened) and a threshold session in between as well as some short easy runs. I kept my mileage low and had plenty of rest days.




Race Day


The race starts early (08:15) which meant getting up even earlier to eat a good breakfast, which for me is porridge with banana and almond butter. I then arrived at the event village which was really busy and had a nice atmosphere to it. There was even a coffee truck, though I'm not sure who's risking that pre-race!


I set off with a small pack of runners at the front, but we quickly dispersed and I ran most of the first half with one other male runner. It is tricky to pace a trail run when the terrain is variable, but I knew this route was pretty flat for the first 20 miles. I therefore aimed to pace myself at 7.30'mile. This became a challenge around mile 5 as we hit a really muddy section that lasted for a few miles. It was almost impossible to run on and my pace dramatically slowed. After this section my legs felt really tired as it had been quite an effort to stay upright, so I was worried I'd be unable to get back to the 7.30'mile pace as planned.


Fortunately we soon joined a cycle path which allowed me to pick up speed between miles 10 and 19. The main issue for me was that the marathon and 25km route merged somewhere around halfway. I ended up having to pass all of the 25km walkers, as well as some of the runners, which became increasingly difficult as we returned to narrow trails. It was exhausting having to weave around people, and particularly challenging when runners had headphones on so couldn't hear me (will save that rant for another time!)


At mile 20 the big climb came! In long events I'd usually walk big climbs to save my legs. The fun thing about a climb at the end is knowing your legs won't need to go much further afterwards. I therefore took a run-walk approach, running for as long as I could and then walking to get my breath back. Even using this method, my pace slowed to 12.30'mile during the big climb.


The ending was tough and I did what I could to drag myself around as quickly as possible. The final mile is a steep downhill so I just ran as hard as I could to the finish line, which probably hurt more than the up!


Official Time: 3:29:35

Position: 1st female, 4th overall



Overall:


Pro's:

  • The route is really clearly marked and the route details, along with the GPX file, are made available on the website in advance.

  • The event is an excellent choice for those new to trail running or less experienced with longer distances. The trails are not technical and the event is very inclusive, with generous cut-off times.

  • The event has a very reasonable deferral and transfer policy, allowing flexibility if plans change or injury occurs.

  • The website provides really clear instructions and the event is very well organised.


Con's:

  • This is a relatively expensive event, especially given the aid stations are not well supplied. On the plus side, £10 of the registration fee is donated to Mind.

  • This is not the best event for faster runners as the 25km and marathon routes join which causes a lot of route congestion and weaving around other runners.

  • It is a point-to-point route so you need to consider transport. Shuttles are available but at an additional fee, and they sell out fast!



If you're thinking of signing up to this race and have any questions, feel free to send me a message!



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amy@marathonmedic.com

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This website is for running tips and advice only. The author is not responsible for how this information is used. Personalised medical advice is not provided.

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