Race review and opinion.
What is MAN VS COAST?
Man vs Coast is a 23 mile (40km) run on the most famous coastline in the British Isles. From Penzance till Lands End , the route will weave its way coast to coast from one side of the Cornish peninsula to the other, taking high cliffs, brooding moorland, picture-perfect beaches, crashing waves, big swells, rough-hewn rocks, water jumps, short swims. This is, as the organization says (https://ratracemanvscoast.co.uk/) “the most exposed adventure run in Britain”. Something I must agree, not just because is challenging, but it is also lots of FUN.
Race Review
The race itself starts at Marazion beach right in front of the stunning St Michael’s Mount, where participants, located previously on waves at the time of the inscription, start their adventure. Each wave , almost 200 runners in each, will depart every 15 minutes from 9am to 10am.
As soon as the race starts you will have one mile run on the beach until you reach the first “obstacle/fun activity”. A short swim into the sea for about 200 yards, back and forth. Dont worry if you are not a good swimmer or dont swim at all, as I do, Rat Race will provide you with some buoyancy aid that will be enough help to let you complete this “obstacle”.
Once back in the beach, you retake the run alongside the coast into Penzance and up to Porthmoina Cove. On the way you will find, at km 11, the first check point/pit stop, where you can refuel yourself with some snacks, water, isotonic drinks and even go to the toilet, due to the organization placing some portable toilets (All check points are very well stashed and equipped with toilets).
Once you are at the cove, take a deep breath and let the amazing landscape take you, the views from this cliffs are just simple breathtaking.
You will run thru this “cliffs” for a while; the single track trail with its ups and downs, make this part of the run/race a technical one, but definitely one of the most enjoyable.
Around mile 12 (km 20) you will reach the coast one more time, exactly at Pendeen Watch Lighthouse. Here there are some more “obstacles/activities”, foreshore scrambling and jump into the water are some of them.
From the Lighthouse, where check point/pit stop number 2 is located , you start heading south west throughout the coast, passing thru the National Trust Levant Mine and Bean Engine, The Crown Mines and all the way down to Cape Cornwall.
From Cape Cornwall you keep heading down south along side the coast till you find what RatRace call, “the race within the race”, the in/famous vertical kilometer. (Is tough? yes, doable? also yes) But don’t worry too much, at the end of it, you will find the last check point, pit stop 3 where you can refuel yourself after completing that deed that the vertical km is.
From there is pretty much easy till the end. You will run thru Sennen Beach and Sennen Cove where there will some more fun activities; surfing ( just a bit) at Sennen Beach, and another foreshore scrambling and jump at Sennen Cove.
Finally, from the cove you will run thru a coastal trail until the First and Last House, where you going to turn left down to Lands End and then left again to run one last kilometer to the finish line where you well deserve medal awaits.
Overall ManVsCoast is an incredible fun race, whit over 1200 accumulated feet, nice single technical trails, activities, beaches and an astonishing view.
If you are looking for fun this is the run to do, if you are looking to beat your best time. Is better if you consider another style of race.
Depending on the wave you depart, will determine how fast you can actually advance. If you are “fast” and you leave on wave 4 or 5, you will encounter areas where there is a single track and you won’t be able to move forward as desire due to catching up with the earlier waves. Of course runners will move away and let you pass, this is a community; however stopping every now and then, won’t help to your overall pace/ run time.
Moreover the obstacles can be tricky. Getting into the water, swimming, scrambling can add also some extra time to your final time. Imagine if you include that you depart in the last wave, your overall time won’t be the best.
So in conclusion, if you want to go out there and have fun, this is your race. If you are the pure competitive one, avoid it.
Born to run 