Ras Dewi Sant – Marathon Briefing

Ras Dewi Sant – Marathon 

Logistics 

Event Emergency Number – Fintan 07855954702

Registration 

• Friday 3rd March – 1500hrs to 1900hrs
• Saturday 4th March – 0700hrs to 0730hrs 

Location – Ty’r Pererin, Quickwell Hill, St Davids, SA62 6PD

• The closes car park to the registration point is, Quickwell Hill Car Park, If you use this car park you will find the registration point immediately out of the entrance at the bottom end of the car park. You can not miss it. 
• There is a parking charge of £5 a day at the Car Park. 
• The registration point has toilets, you can also leave a bag at this point. 
• From 1030hrs onwards the venue will also be serving Cawl and refreshments complimentary to all runners. There will also be a massage service for those tired and aching legs! for a small charge. details will be on an additional email. 

Route Information 

To View Route 

At 0750hrs we will all meet outside the Bishops Palace, Cathedral Close, St Davids. less than a 5 min walk from Registration. 

Here we will have our final briefing before the off. 

You will start by running up into the cathedral grounds and up the 39 steps and then up the Pebbles hill! A lot of ups so take it easy. At the top of the pebbles hill you will turn left and head towards the rugby club, where you will turn left again before taking the coast road all the way to Llanrhian cross roads. This section is quite straight and flat and will spread you out before the path. At Llanrhian you will turn left again (3 lefts) and head down into the wonderful fishing village of Porthgain. Porthgain (7miles) is the end of the road and the start of the coast path. 

Here you will follow the coast path all the way to Carn Llidi Mountain. (the big rock that overlooks Whitesands bay) Here you will be guided by signs off the coast path and around the mountain and back onto the coast path. This is all trail and between the 14.5 miles and 15.8 miles mark in the run. 

Once back on the coast path you will follow the path all the way to Caerfai (24.8 miles) where you will follow the signs around the outskirts of St Davids before heading back into the Cathedral grounds and up the 39 steps to the finish line. 

Things to Remember!!!

• You will be guided around the route by marshals or yellow signs with black arrows. Do not turn off your route unless directed by one of these. 
• On the Coast Path there are no signs. The coast path route is marked out by wooden finger post signs with an ACORN on it, follow the ACORN, you might see signs with a walking man on them pointing inland. These are for footpaths inland – Do not follow them. FOLLOW THE ACORN. 
• Another top tip is to keep the sea on your right hand side. The only bit where you will come away from the coast is around Carn Llidi (which is sign posted) everything else you should be able to see the sea and it should be on your right. If you find yourself heading inland on a path with no sign of the sea for a couple of minutes, you have gone wrong. Turn around and head back to the sea. 

Aid Stations 

• 9.2 – Abereiddy Bay
• 16.7 – Whitesands Beach Outside the Surf Hut

Aid stations will have water and fizzy drink, sandwiches, sweets and pizza and some cake with a bit of fruit. 

Safety Briefing 

The task you are about the take on involves an element of risk, If you follow the guidelines below, you can negate some of the risks posed. 

• The roads that you are running on are open. Please be mindful and respectful of other road users. In the interest of safety run no more than two a breast and if deemed appropriate in single file. On narrow sections with high hedges – Think, a car could be coming in the opposite direction, so position yourself to be seen at the earliest opportunity or out of the vehicles line of travel. 
• The Coast Path is a public right of way and will be open to the public. If you pass any walkers either from behind or head on, please slow down, give way if necessary and be polite. 
• The Coast Path although a public right of way, has got undulating and uneven ground, which can cause trip hazards. Some sections also run extremely narrow and close to the edge of high cliffs. Falls in these areas can be potentially fatal. 
• What we ask in these area is. You do not over take anyone, you stick to the defined path and do not run on the grass edges. You give way to anyone coming head on and you slow down run below your average pace and you concentrate fully on the path. (Do not take photos or film) 
• There will be plenty of sections where you can stretch the legs and run fast, over take and even take a photo but pick them wisely. 

The Weather 

At the moment the weather is looking OK. However OK in March is still cold. The Marathon route is a long route, with significant sections where you are isolated from any shelter or immediate support. If you get injured or fatigued in these areas and have to stop or slow down you will get cold very quickly. This can be extremely dangerous. 

To ensure you are kept safe, please ensure that you carry the mandatory kit on your person during the event and follow the basic guidelines.

If you are injured and still moving forward, First of all make sure you put on your extra layers before you get cold. Tell a passing runner to inform the next marshal or phone the contact number when in signal of what has happened, how you are feeling and what your name/number is. We will then take the appropriate action. If you are in signal ring us ASAP on the number above or ring us as soon as you get a signal. We’d rather have two calls than none. 

If you are incapacitated and can’t move please ensure that you are out of the elements and wrapped up as warm as you can be. Ring us if you have a signal. If not get a passing runner/member of the public to assist. 

If you come across an incapacitated injured runner. Please take the appropriate action. Ideally one person would stay with them and one would continue on to get a signal or inform a marshal. Please try and make a note of the mile mark and name of the person. 

Other Briefing 

• We will be taking photographs along the course, these will be published at various places online for event promotion, if you do not wish for this to happen please contact us. 
• Litter. We are lucky to be running on a coastal national park, please do not litter, no gel wrappers, water bottles or anything! Anyone caught littering will be disqualified. 

Mandatory Kit 

How you carry the mandatory kit is a personal choice, but Ideally you will be carrying a runners back pack. With the following in it

• Mobile Phone (communication) 
• Whistle 
• Hat / Gloves
• Warm top / bottoms (wind/water proof) 
• Water / Emergency food
• Space blanket / emergency bivy bag

Good Luck and enjoy!!