Ultraman of course! Here’s the race report from Jon Fairhurst after he completed the 3 day Ultraman UK 515 ultra triathlon event over 1st-3rd September ’23.
Get comfy, it’s a long one!
I first heard about this event when endurance legend Martin Pritchard-Howarth did it in 2021 but never thought I’d be on the start line 2 years later. It wasn’t until January that I followed Dan Thompson’s lead and made the decision to submit my application and see if my racing experience was sufficient to meet their entry requirements and they’d accept me. They did. It was on.
This was going to be by far the biggest challenge I’ve taken on, particularly in terms of distance in all three disciplines and it made me nervous thinking about it, which just added to the appeal.
September had originally seemed like a very long way off but suddenly here we were the day before the event and I was on my way to Bala to meet up with Dan & Ollie. We met at the lake to get eyes on the water and start to get our heads in the game. The water safety team were there setting the buoys in place so it was good to visualise the course which was as simple as it gets: 500m out, 500m back with a pass by the jetty each time. We bumped into Nick Buss, a fellow competitor, along with his support crew who were doing the same thing as us. We suddenly felt underprepared as they all had team t-shirts on! A quick stop at the local One Stop to grab a few packs of my favourite flapjack and we were sorted. On to the accommodation in Blaenau Ffestiniog to drop bags & kit before going on to Betwys-y-coed to meet the organisers, other competitors and the rest of our support crew (Martin Shaw, Matt Rutherford and Dani Scott) for pizza. Jason was coming first thing in the morning and Donna would be joining us on Friday evening. It was nice to sit out and chat with everyone whilst trying hard not to dwell on what was waiting for us in the morning.
A restless night with race plans, support logistics and nerves preventing a restful sleep. The alarm was a rudely early one
but still had to follow the usual routine for getting ready. Sat downstairs with Martin trying to force down breakfast whilst half asleep knowing it had to go in. It was reluctant and took a while. Kit was prepped and we were ready to go just as Jason Williams arrived in his van and we loaded up and got on the road to Bala in nervous silence. We left about 20 mins later than I’d hoped for so nerves were heightened as I always prefer to be there early on race day. Race was due to start at 7am and we arrived at 6.25am. Admittedly there was very little to do but I didn’t want to feel rushed. Still plenty of time for the inevitable toilet visit, soak in the atmosphere and gather my thoughts into a race mindset.
Having done multiple Ironman and other big events that come with a lot of razzmatazz, loud music and rousing speeches that make your eyes go a little misty, the start for this event was very understated in comparison. Some flags lining the path to the swim start and marking the swim entry/ exit, plus a gathering of the 6 competitors and their support crews were all that let anyone else, who happened to be here at this silly hour, know a significant event was about to get underway. AC/DC was noticeably absent. Handshakes and polite chat all round as we collected our race packs and got into our wetsuits before mingling at the start. Looking around, everyone except Dan & I were in full neoprene with hats, gloves and even booties in some cases. Had we underestimated the water temperature!? We hadn’t used them in training so I wasn’t going to start now.
Follow your own plan and don’t be swayed by what others do. That was to be my mantra for the whole race.
Great to see Josh at the start as he was in the area ahead of Bala Tri on Sunday. Race briefing done and we were ready to
go but an early morning mist meant we couldn’t see the buoys so the water safety team stood us down for 45 mins to give it time to clear. Luckily it did so we were back on. We wandered back over to the start and the hooter went and into the water we went. Ten x 1km laps awaited so I started at a comfortable pace and let everyone else do their thing. Think I was at the back but that didn’t matter. Do your own thing. I wanted to break the back of the distance before stopping to take on food & drink so I first came in to the jetty at 5km having not long passed Lee who was doing the half distance event. Jason & Martin were alternating who was there 
each time so it was great to see them and get some calm words of encouragement. A quick drink of hot chocolate and something to eat and back to it. Two more laps to 7km and same again. And repeat at 9km for final fuel. If it was just a swim I probably would have just stopped once but with everything that was to follow it was important to keep topped up. I’d seen Dan a fair few times as we eyeballed each other going in different directions as he was at least half a lap ahead, probably more. I was happy to get the final leg done and to see the exit. I stood up and promptly fell over before recovering and making my way out of the water in 03:55:09. I thought I was last in the water but was surprised when I realised Emma was still swimming.
Walked to the van and got my bike kit bag from Jason & Martin before going to the loo to get dry and changed. No need to rush but don’t faff about. Dan had finished the swim 14 mins quicker so he was already in his bike gear and was getting ready to head out. Having got changed, I took on a big drink and had some food and was soon ready to get out on the bike. A decent transition that wasn’t rushed but enough to feel ready to go.
Out on the bike for the 92 hilly miles so I went out sensibly but making the most of the early flat section going anti-clockwise 
around Bala lake. My legs never feel good after a swim but I know that passes so just keep pushing on. Spotted Josh again cheering by the roadside and that made me smile. Felt good and happy following the relief of putting the swim behind me. After the first 12 miles my average speed was still about 19.5mph, despite not really pushing, but I knew that wouldn’t last once the hills arrived and once out of Bala, the first long drag started.
Most of that first ride was a bit of a blur but there were plenty of long drags, several much steeper sections and what felt like just a tiny bit of down. I hadn’t ridden or driven this route in advance but did have an image of the route profile in my head so had a rough ideal of what to expect but mostly it was all new to me. Sometimes not knowing what’s around the corner is a good thing!
Martin & Jason were my support out on the course and we were still working out what worked best in terms of frequency 
of stops. My minimum requirement was a stop every hour to change bottles and take on more food either to eat then or load up my pockets to take with me. We didn’t have it quite right early on as there were long periods where I didn’t see them. We corrected this as we went on as I wanted to see them more frequently to give me the option to stop or to ride on passed them if all OK. It wasn’t really an issue anyway as I wasn’t having any dramas and was content just getting on with it, but I still had a nagging worry in my head that if something did go wrong then they wouldn’t know about it for far too long and precious time would be wasted. It was also very strange being in a race but not seeing any of the other competitors out on the course, so it was pretty much a solo ride.
Legs felt fine and my head was in a good place but this ride seemed to be dragging. The mileage just wasn’t racking up as quickly as I wanted it to. There’s a danger here that you let this get in your head and suddenly effort levels feel far higher than they really are and negative thoughts can creep in. Keep those thoughts out and focus on small chunks and milestones. Tick them off one by one. One hill after another. 
As the ride progressed, I recognised more and more and realised that the latter part of this route was the same as one I’d done a few weeks before as part of a charity event with the Paul Lavelle Foundation. This helped a lot as I now knew what was coming. It was also great to know that the final part of the route was all downhill back into Betwys-y-Coed.
6hr and 3 mins after exiting the water I was very pleased to arrive at the finish and it was great to see Dan. Spookily our combined T1 and ride times were almost identical as only 23seconds difference. He finished Day 1 just 14 mins ahead due to his quicker swim.
Day 1 done so it was a quick retreat to our accommodation to get sorted, eat and get to bed. It was great at the house with everyone there and Dan’s wife, Amy, had kindly made a huge chicken & pasta bake for everyone for dinner. Just what was needed. Good banter helped distract from the day and what was waiting for us tomorrow. It was great that Donna had also now arrived to bolster the support crew the next day.
Day 2 was another early start and a repeat of the morning battle to get breakfast eaten. This was the day I was most worried about coming into this event as it was a good 55 miles longer than I’d ever ridden in a single day and the 12hr cut off felt tight. There would be no time for lingering today.
We arrived at the start in the layby opposite the Swallow Falls Hotel in plenty of time to get my kit and thoughts together before the briefing. Light hearted chat and plenty of photos later, it was time to go. Nick and Ramon vanished out of sight within a few mins as they continued their incredible battle at the head of the race.
Lee, Emma, Dan and myself started a little more conservatively. My plan was always to start this day well within myself and to build as I went. The first long hill was only a few minutes into the ride and it wasn’t long before I was at the back and watching the others drift away from me. Don’t worry, stick to your own plan.
Despite the plan, the day didn’t start as I’d hoped as I was struggling with my back which was painful and I just couldn’t
get comfortable on the bike or find my usual rhythm. At one of the early stops near Harlech, Donna & Jason had seen how much I’d been trying to stretch out my back whilst riding and asked how I was doing. I wasn’t good and I was starting to feel anxious as I had only done about 30 of the 169 miles. There was a very long way to go. I stopped for several minutes taking on food, drink and stretching before also going to the loo at a very conveniently placed public toilet. Donna suggested I take some ibuprofen so I took those and got on with it again. After a while things started to get better and the back discomfort eased. This helped lift my spirits massively and I was able to pick up the pace quite considerably.
I was now into the most scenic part of the course along the coast from Harlech, through Barmouth and Aber Dovey so there was plenty of stunning scenery to look at and to distract me in a good way. I’d broken the course down into sections in my head whilst not focussing on mileage but I always knew where I was on the overall course and what was left to do. Get out to the coast, do the coastal section, then the loop starting and finishing near Dollgellau, then back to Bala and out passed the Rhug Estate before turning near Ruthin back towards the finish. I knew where the big climbs were so was mentally prepared for those but the whole of this route was relentlessly up and down.
I was feeling stronger, riding faster and more aggressively as the day went on and the miles were now counting down
quickly. The significant climb on the return towards Dolgellau, up Dinas at just under 100 miles, was a real turning point in the day. At the summit of this climb there was plenty of support with Donna, Martin & family (complete with speaker & music) along with Ben Peresson & the rest of the race team all there cheering us on. This was also the first time I’d seen another competitor since the early miles. Emma was ahead of me on the climb and I was making ground on her. I paused at the top of the climb to get a drink from Jason but she carried straight on down the steep descent and she was gone again.
It was another 20 miles, at about 117 miles, alongside Bala Lake again that I caught up with Emma and we rode together for a few minutes before I went ahead. I was feeling great now and really starting to push on. Once I emerged onto the main road after going around the lake Donna and Jason commented how they could really see the difference in how I was riding compared to those early difficult miles. I was still sticking to the fuelling strategy and it was working well. I was seeing Donna & Jason nice and frequently and I always had the option to stop for something or continue passed them. Also great to be seeing the whole Shaw clan (Martin, Libby, Jonathan and Natalie) popping up frequently along the route. Wasn’t expecting to see them today so this was a big bonus.
The back end of this route also had the biggest climbs and there were several of them to contend with. As I approached one of the big ones, which we’d noted in the road book from the course recce as a ‘very long climb’, Donna told me that Dan hadn’t long gone passed them and was about 10 mins ahead.
I spotted Dan about three quarters of the way up the very long hill and came along side him at about 150 miles. We rode together and had a quick chat for a short while before I went on. With only about 20 miles to go and all the big climbs done, the end was in sharp focus and I was going for it, riding fast and confidently. It was good to see Team Shaw a little further ahead at a pub making the most of the day out supporting. I passed Donna & Jason a few more times but signalled that all was good and I was
pushing on to the finish and would meet them there.
It was a fast final 10 miles or so along the main road and I was loving it. It was still really warm and my zips were down to get some air in. I felt something hit my chest and go into my top but didn’t think much of it, although could feel something moving about. As I crossed the line I unzipped my top to see what it was and to let it out. Turns out it was a wasp and it wasn’t happy at all. To make a point it stung me on my left side and it got a slap as a thank you from me. That hurt.
Very relieved to finish the ride in 10hrs 34 mins. Happy with that. Good to see everyone at the finish as I sat and got something to drink whilst we waited for Dan to finish. He wasn’t far behind and came in just 15mins later, but he wasn’t looking at all happy. It was crazy that after 20+ hours of racing over 268miles, just one minute, exactly, separated myself and Dan. Bonkers.
With multiday races there’s little time to dwell on the events of the day as thoughts
immediately switch to preparing for the next day and what’s needed to make sure that you’re refuelled and rehydrated for the following day. We got packed up pretty quickly as we wanted to get back to the accommodation and get ourselves sorted out.
Everyone there in support was being amazing and doing all of the leg work so both Dan and I could just focus on making sure we were sorted. Donna decided that an ice bath was the best thing to do so helpers were dispatched to get many bags of ice. Getting into an ice filled bath will never be comfortable and initially my body was shaking but after what felt like ages (just a few mins!) I relaxed into it. Donna insisted that I had to be in there for 15mins for it to be of benefit. That really did feel like a long time but it seemed to do the job.
Donna & Libby were sorting dinner tonight. Meatballs and pasta were on the menu and they certainly hit the spot. It was great to have a room full of friends and to have lots of lively banter around the dinner table. Moments like that stick with you and you realise how special it is and how lucky we are to have so many close friends of this calibre.
To show our appreciation for all they have done for us and to mark the occasion, Dan & I presented each of our support crew members with a tankard engraved with the race logo. We had one for ourselves too. A nice memento.
A very poor night’s sleep followed. Having had so much to drink and with tired, restless legs, I was up to the bathroom several times in the night but I took consolation that that was probably a good thing. The early alarm came all too soon though and Day 3 was upon us.
The usual toilet, shower, forced breakfast routine. It was a worry that Dan said he had a bad headache at breakfast and we hoped it would go away with the help of some tablets. There was very little to prepare or take today as we were just running so no swim gear or bike needed. Just drinks and food to take so we decided to use Donna’s car for the support vehicle today instead of Jason’s van. We decided to drop the van near the finish as Jason was going to go straight home from there after the race. I took the opportunity to use the public loo before we went up the road to the start. We were later than I wanted to be and I was being a little tetchy with Donna (sorry) but we still got to the start in time. Everyone was already there pretty much ready to go. Fortunately there was very little to do for me to also be ready. More chat, race briefing, team photos and nervous banter and it was time to start. 52 miles to do. Gulp.
Everyone started together and as expected, Ramon and Nick continued their battle and trotted off into the distance. See you at the finish fellas. Myself, Dan and Lee ran together for a few miles to not far before the first turn at Capel Curig, chatting as we went. Emma was a short distance behind doing her own pacing. I decided to drop back and do my own thing, leaving Dan and Lee to go ahead. Over this distance, it has to be your own pace and I didn’t want to be influenced by anyone else.
On the run we were allowed to have one member of our support crew run with us, which was a real bonus. Jason was the first to join me and he patiently slotted into my pacing which was around 10-10.30 min/ mile whilst running. Average moving pace, allowing for me walking some uphill sections, was more like 11-11.15 min/ mile and we managed to maintain that consistently for most of the day before it slipped on the hillier last third. Our support crew was able to stay
close today, leapfrogging us and stopping frequently. This was great because it meant I didn’t need to run with a pack but could still access food and drink when needed. It was a hot day so this was crucial and I made full use of it taking on regular small amounts of drink and food. Just keep it going in and stay on top of the hydration.
Jason stayed with me to the turn for Pen-y-Pass before Martin took over. Up to the car park was a mix of running and walking being sure to conserve energy on the hill as the first 9 miles had been steadily up. It was good to see Donna & Jason making use of the super powers that come with wearing a high vis jacket and carrying an official looking folder with a welsh dragon on the front as they made use of the facilities at Pen-y-pass.
Running down the other side towards LLanberis was a relief and the pace picked up but it was also hard on the legs so I was actually glad when we got onto flatter ground. We caught up with Dan and Ollie towards the bottom of the descent, chatted for a bit, but then continued on. Into Llanberis it was time for a change again and now Donna joined me. Despite Donna not having run much for a while due to injury, we were keen for her to do some with me and it was lovely to have her there next to me and not just in the van.
The tag team continued: Jason – Martin – Donna for approximately 5 miles each at a time and the miles were ticking by and my legs felt remarkably good. Head also in a good place and I was enjoying it. Keep drinking, eating and moving forward whilst minimising any stoppages. Even walking sections were done really striding out as no time to waste.
Between miles 11 to 18 it was rolling terrain with ups and downs and the occasional bigger bumps along the way. At that point there was one of the bigger lumps near Ceunant that went on for about 3 miles. After that there was a general upward theme before a steep section where the support vehicles couldn’t follow us. It was really warm now and it was a slog for Jason and I to get up this section. The views at the top were great and it was good to see our support crews again.
Martin tagged in and swapped with Jason. We also saw Dan’s wife Amy and daughters Kitty and Jemima who’d come along to support with their black Lab Eve. Jemima took on the role of morale officer telling us how surprised she was that we weren’t even half way yet. That point was only about half a mile down the road and it felt great when we reached the 26 mile mark still feeling good.
There was soon a long down towards Beddgelert that we’d ridden up the day before. Donna joined me again planning on running about 5 miles with me to the point where the support crew couldn’t follow us. As we came through Beddgelert a van screeched into a car park ahead of us and out jumped Michelle and Mike Moss. Great to see them and a big boost. The next section was probably the flattest part of the course so we made good time. Our van pulled in and the guys said we’d be on our own for the next section of about 6 miles. This didn’t seem right unless Donna had miscalculated the distance to the next turn as she wasn’t even close to doing 5 miles yet. Anyway, we grabbed the pack with water and snacks and headed off. After a
while it didn’t feel right as we were still on a decent road and it didn’t make sense that the support van couldn’t have come this way, but on we went. All smiles and selfies along the way, eventually I was getting anxious as still no turn onto a single track road so I asked how much further to the turn? Donna told me that our GPS was still saying down this road but I didn’t believe it and asked to see the device. Why is the route showing red and not yellow?!? That’s just what it does for the elevation was the reply. But we were on a flat road and I knew that a red track meant we were off course. My heart sank and I told Donna and watched her visibly slump, clearly very upset at the mistake. It made no sense to get upset or shout as it was just a mistake. I reclaimed the GPS and worked out where we’d gone wrong and by how much. 1.5 miles in the wrong 
direction. Not massive but still 3 miles in total to get back on the correct route. Having been calm all day, I was having a minor flap as I was mentally recalculating timings to ensure I met the 12 hour cut off. It was funny after we’d finished to discover that we’d taken a selfie with the turn we were supposed to take shown in the background (marked by the arrow)!
We found the turn and started what turned out to be the hardest section of the day. Very steep, long and hot, all whilst a little flustered and we knew it was 5 miles from here until we’d see the car again. Having now covered far more than her planned 5 miles and realising it was going to be 12 miles, Donna was starting to struggle on the hill and I had to say that I was going to leave her and go on. It went up for what felt like forever but my head was back in the game and I was keen to get to the main road and see Jason and Martin in the car. With no communication with them they’d no doubt be wondering why it was taking so long to get to them. Eventually I was relieved to see Martin running up the road towards me as that must mean I was near the car. I sent him on to go and find Donna to make sure she was alright and carried on to meet Jason at the car.
I then got a huge surprise as all of my sisters had arrived and we there along with Michelle and Mike to cheer me on. This gave me a massive boost even if I may not have shown it at the time. Having done the previous hard section I now knew without a doubt that I’d get this done within the time. Having now run about 40 miles I took longer at this stop to take on more food and drink to prepare for the final two sections. The first, running with Jason, being a flattish 3 miles before we hit the 3 mile hill up to the turn for Pen-y-Pass. I knew this would be hard going but also now knew that I had plenty of time and I could afford to walk most of the hill without risking the cut off time. The second section was generally downhill all the way to Capel Curig and then onwards to Betwys-y-Coed so I knew that the pace would pick up quite considerably.
Very mixed emotions on the next section. None of our support crew had told me how Dan was getting on other than saying that he’d been struggling a bit around half way. I came around a corner and saw his support van and was absolutely gutted to see him get out to greet me having been forced to withdraw from the race after 31 miles of the run. He was visibly upset, as was I, so we had a few words and a hug then I had to get on. I was now determined that I’d finish as this was now for both of us. I’d have to wait for the full story about what happened.
On the flip side of emotion, my sisters were everywhere, stopping regularly waving flags and cheering me every step, and
enthusiastically beeping every time they drove passed me. Up ahead, everyone was gathered and there were Paul & Cathy Robertson who’d come over from Bala where Paul had been racing that morning. How wonderful was that.
We eventually made the top of the long hill and Martin tapped in ready to do the final section with me. The pace was much quicker now and I was pleased to still be running freely. It was roasting now and I was taking regular liquid stops. Always one quick mouthful of SIS Beta Fuel and one of water and get going again.
I’d visualised this part of the race many times in training and had always finished strong so why be any different today? 
Except the road seemed so much longer this time around and there were several sections I’d forgotten about. The end is near so just keep going and tick off the familiar milestones: the turn at Capel Curig, Moel Siobod café, the Ugly House café. Eventually we reached the original finish line at the layby opposite the Swallow Falls Hotel and our full support team was there. However, the finish was now down on the green in the centre of Betwys-y-Coed about 2.5 miles away so not quite done yet.
Martin stepped off and tagged in Donna to let her run the final leg with me. Nice touch. It was lovely to run that final
leg with Donna and we agreed that she’d run to the corner of the green then cut across to the finish line, leaving me to do the final few hundred metres of the 55 miles I’d done, on my own. I suddenly felt really sprightly and put on a burst all the way to the line. I even managed a little jump (risky) and fist pump as I crossed the line in 11 hours 9 minutes. Everyone was there, including Victoria who had also come along to support after her race that day. It was a wonderful moment although I was gutted that Dan wasn’t alongside me crossing the line. I’ll be there when he does next time. Hugs and thanks to everyone before receiving my medal and Welsh Dragon from Ben.
A few minutes later we saw John Hammond finishing his GB Ultras 100 mile run on the other side of the park. Incredible. We then waited for Emma to come in who’d paced her run to perfection, finishing in 11 hours 47 mins.
Time to reflect on an amazing 3 days, 323 miles and 31 hours and 41 minutes of racing. A truly incredible experience that would not have been possible without the considerable support from Donna, Jason, Martin, Ollie, Matt, Dani, Libby, Jonathan, Natalie, Amy, Kitty, Jemima (& Eve), Melanie, Stephanie, Melissa (& Rolo & Delores), Cathy, Paul and Victoria. And many more.
And of course my main man Dan for the friendship and countless hours spent training together for this event. This wasn’t his time but he displayed what an incredibly strong athlete he is, pushing himself way further than his body wanted to go on this occasion. He’s a warrior and he will cross that line. I’ll be there cheering when he does.
