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Rat Race - The Wall

16-Jun-2018 Carlisle Castle, Carlisle, Cumbria, UK (England)

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9 REVIEWS
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Trail Race Race Terrain
111KM / 69Miles
1 Day - 1000 Runners

DIFFICULTY Race Difficulty Intermediate  

Entry From £200 GBP
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A 69mile run that follows in the footsteps of Britain’s Roman past, along Hadrian’s Wall from Carlisle Castle in Cumbria to Baltic Square in Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

The route is clearly marked and there are pit stops, one enhanced pit stop (Vindolanda) and checkpoints along the way. At these pit stops, runners will have a choice of drinks and sweet and savoury snacks. Only water and sweets will be provided at checkpoints.

Cut off times are implemented at all pit stops and one of the checkpoints.

There is a mandatory kit rule and checks will be carried out prior to registration.

Race packs include: race number, bag tags, essential information and a technical t-shirt.

TAKE ON THE UK’S MOST ICONIC ULTRA IN 2018 BACK FOR THE 7TH YEAR RUNNING. TAKE ON 69 STUNNING MILES THROUGH THE HISTORIC HADRIAN’S WALL COUNTRY IN A CONTINUOUS FULLY SUPPORTED AND WAY MARKED ADVENTURE.

Robert Cole ‏@Coley61
@RatRaceHQ Another awesome event this weekend. Rat Race the Wall was epic. It’s a good time to be a #ratracer

Jay Vee ‏@Jamie_Vanstone
What an amazing race.So proud to be able to call myself an official Ultra runner. #ukrunchat @UKRunChat @RatRaceHQ

Ross Taylor ‏@deludedrunner
@FitnessRewards1 A really well organised event, will be back for it next year @RatRaceHQ did a great job #TheWallUltra

James Farthing ‏@jimmyfatwing
Feet are smashed from #TheWallUltra but on way back home. Great organisation & marshalling @RatRaceHQ, and the grub was a delight!

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Event Organiser
Danielle Brodie

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Beginner

Elevation: Very little change < 500 metres. Benign running terrain, not technical.

Suitable for: First ultra runners completing a marathon or doing regular long distance running in the last six months.

Intermediate

Elevation: Increase of up to 1000 metres

Suitable for: Runners who have completed at least one ultra distance race (or similar event) or are doing long distance running (>26 miles) regularly, with elevation shown.

Advanced

Elevation: Increase of up to 1500 metres

Suitable for: Runners who have completed several ultra distances or similar events, or are doing long distance running regularly, with elevation shown.

Expert

Elevation: Increase of up to 2000 metres with some challenging climatic conditions (e.g. ice, snow, humidity or heat) and or technical terrain

Suitable for: Experienced runners who have completed at least regular ultra distances in last 12 months, or are doing regular long distance running (>50 miles) with elevation and conditions shown (where possible). Admission to these races may be subject to evidence of recent qualifying race participation and recent medical examination certificate. Check with the race organiser regarding entry requirements.

Brutal

Elevation: Increase of up to 2000 metres with very challenging climatic conditions (e.g. ice, snow, humidity, heat or at high altitude) and or technical terrain.

Suitable for: Very experienced long distance ultra runners (min 3 years’ experience) or are doing regular long distance running (>50 miles) with elevation and conditions shown (where possible). Admission to these races is often subject to evidence of recent qualifying race participation and recent medical examination certificate. Purchase of specialist kit is often recommended for these races.

Review Rat Race - The Wall

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jimvince

01:32 20-06-18

A great event along Hadrian's wall. Slick registration the night before the race & excellent organisation throughout. Well marked route & great scenery with a cool finish crossing the Millennium Bridge in Newcastle. Very well stocked pit stops, great crews & support throughout.

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blackdeathcrew

03:34 05-10-17

A well organised, nice and 'runnable' event. Registration the night before was fast and easy. Biggest stock of food I've ever seen at the checkpoints. Well marked route, and great support from the marshalls too

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DJDelights

09:21 19-06-17

2017 Finisher - 18hrs 39mins A brilliant event with excellent organisation.

The registration, Kit checks and bag drops all ran smoothly. The pitstops had all nutrition you needed to top up your bags and be back out on your way, medics were checking people out who didn't look in a good way in the later stages. Plenty of additional support along the way from locals in their houses which the route went passed.

Plenty of scenic views to keep the run interesting, including of course the historical Hadrian's Wall. Although the route is mainly on tarmac and gravel paths there is some lovely trail running and a few nice hills too, nothing to hard to manage though.

What made this years race really hard was the temperatures during the day it was about 28ºC at peak times and probably not less than that for most the day, this obviously caused problems for some people. I was aloud to fill my water up at one the checkpoints which are normally cup drinks only, due to the conditions this really help as keeping hydrated was a serious concern.

Overall this was an excellent race and would recommend it to others.

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Baxter

04:16 20-06-16

2016 finisher- 13hrs 49 mins. A slick and well organised event which you would expect from a big company and with a big price tag. Registration was easy although a mandatory kit check the day before is likely to encourage lots of people to 'chance it' by ditching some bits of 'essential kit' to save on weight. Some stunning countryside and some mind numbing main road running in equal measure which I found to be harder work than hillier off-road runs. Check points were good and well spaced and the pit stops were awesome and all accompanied by a round of applause which is priceless! Not sure how many folk would fancy a chicken tikka sarnie at 15 miles but the dandelion and burdock at 61 was amazing! The last mile or so were by far my favourite, home made banner from my kids, random pub goers cheering and a spint finish over the millennium bridge with commentary! All in all a great event, absolutely no nav skills needed and you could get by with minimal food carried although judging by Facebook comments and drop outs it is perhaps too far to be called an ideal 1st ultra. Too much tarmac for my liking but glad I had some albeit well cushioned trail shoes (x2 as swapped at 44 miles). I would recommend this event although I won't be doing it again as there are dozens of other races to be run each with different challenges...

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Ultranewbie2344

03:39 20-06-16

pros:

Easy registration the night before, good selection of sizes for men and women for t shirts.

Very well sign posted course - at no point did I get confused.

Marshals were cheery, random spectators everywhere. Residents on route were handing out oranges, cold water and strawberries!!!

Cons:

Food at pit stops were hard to eat - would prefer just a normal jam sandwich or boiled potatoes.

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deludedrunner

12:51 20-06-16

Being my first venture into the world of ultra distance....I was nervous to say the least about the 69 miles that lay ahead but 'The Wall' was brilliant.

Arriving the night before the registration process was painless enough, receiving essential event information, t-shirt and usual bits and bobs including the disposable drop bag for the 27 Mile Checkpoint.

The cheery mass of friendly runners assembled at Carlisle Castle eased my nerves of the day ahead. The course was extremely well marked with no need for navigation (perfect for newbies like myself). Some of the hills were surprisingly tough but stuck to the old 'Walk the uphills and run the flats and descents'. Plenty of check points along the way offering cups of water and sweets, but more impressive were the Pit-Stops featuring everything from Pork Pies to Chicken Tikka Sandwiches (Ultras really are an eating competition!) Even some of the locals were offering bits for runners...thank you to the couple offering orange slices and strawberries...so refreshing :-)

After hitting numerous 'Walls' on 'The Wall' the bridges of the tyne came into view, with the Millennium Bridge in the distance. Coming into Newcastle around 2220, the nightlife was in full swing with the crowds cheering and applauding.

Will I be back next year? Definitely.

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Nottingham Food Lovers

12:50 20-06-16

Fantastic first ultra event. Slick organisation, great pit stops (especially Jim's Pub), well marshalled and signed. Rat Race events might seem a little expensive but you're getting all round quality that justifies the extra. Best value with a season pass for the adventurous.

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DGrigas

11:22 29-06-15

This was a great race, well organised and manned especially considering the distance and routes. An anxious group of around 500 slightly damp and chilly hopefuls gathered in the grounds of Carlisle Castle for a 7am start to head right across the country to arrive in Newcastle in the not-to-distant future, the sooner the better for me! My main aim was to get there before dark so as not to need the head-torch and hi-vis gear we had to carry among a few other essentials.
From the start like most people I set off a faster than I should have but did my best to keep the pace and did a pretty good job too for a couple of hours. At the 15 mile pit-stop I was in 9th place and only 6 minutes behind the leader, go me! I reached the 32 mile mark in a respectable five and a bit hours hanging on around 25th but still had to dig deep to keep a decent pace for another 37 miles!
It was a very tough and long day but I have to say the event was really well put together. For such a long distance through towns, country lanes, trails and farmland I didn’t once go off track, the course was well marked including motivational signs at certain points, that is if it counts as motivational telling you you’ve got ‘ONLY 49 MILES TO GO’, ‘DOES IT HURT YET?’ To be honest the only one I found slightly upsetting was at 60 miles with 9 to go when my GPS was telling me I’d done 62. That was somewhat disheartening to say the least.
There were alternating manned checkpoints and pit-stops along the course. The checkpoints were hosted by cheery and helpful volunteers egging us on and offering water and sweets which I would just grab and go. At the Pit-stops however our timing chips clocked us in for the splits and we had an array of drinks and snacks to choose from. Many runners took some time out here to put their feet up, munched down a few sandwiches, crisps and sugary treats until they felt ready to go again. The crowds and atmosphere were great and at the 32 mile stop there was even a DJ on the back of a truck and the party was booming! I chose to quickly glug down some soup and snacks, have a little dance (this really happened) and then clear off again with just a mere 37 miles between me and my glory.
Following remnants of Hadrian’s Wall we weaved through tiny villages, across fields, over stiles and cautiously along country roads all well signed with arrows at set points. The last few miles were tough but I eventually reached the Millennium Bridge to cross the finish line almost 13 hours after I’d set off placing 43rd which I was more than happy with. The big finish at the bridge was great, everyone had a big applause as they crossed the bridge and the finish with a guy on the mike commentating. In a *****y big-finish fashion I performed a showy heel-kick at the end for an extra cheer. Well why not, I’d earned it. 
The pain has almost faded but the glory is still beaming from my proud smile, this was a great event I’d certainly recommend to anyone wanting see some great views and go that extra mile (or 69).

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helen21

07:18 24-06-15

A very well organised event from start to finish. The support staff at each of the pit stops were very friendly and helpful. There was plenty food, the route was clearly marked, all in all a very enjoyable experience that has only spurred us on to more ultras. Would I do the Wall again? Probably

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