Ultra-Trail Snowdonia (UTS) 25K By UTMB

Yuenny Lam
Jun 4, 2024
3 min read

As an inexperienced trail runner, I decided to take on this great big challenge of running up and down this big famous mountain located in Wales - Mount Snowdon.

It wasn't just a case of running up Snowdon and leisurely coming back down once I've reached the top. It was something much harder than that. I signed up to the Ultra-Trail Snowdonia (UTS) 20K.

Race Day & Distance

Race day in 2024 was on Saturday the 11th May. The category distance is 20K, but the official course is just over 25km from start to finish.

This is only the second time the UTS 25K distance has taken place. Previously the shortest UTS distance was 50K and there's also 100K, as well as 100M.

Cut-Off

The 25K cut-off is 5.5 hours. Having done my first ever trail run of 15K the summer before, I was secretly confident that I'll finish this Snowdonia run before the cut-off. I couldn't have been more wrong...

runners and walkers struggling to climb Snowdon

There is one checkpoint/aid station around 14K with cut-off at 13:30.

UTMB has a very strict cut-off and I missed it, but I still got a medal after I crossed the finish line. You just don't get any UTMB Index Stones and I have DNF against my name on the results page.

Ultra-Trail Snowdonia (UTS) 25K finisher's medal

Waves

In 2024 there were two start waves, 9:45 and 10:00, to ease the amount of people climbing Snowdon at the same time. We were lucky (or unlucky) enough to have some really nice hot sunny weather on race day, so the top of Snowdon was very busy. There were loads of tourists on the Saturday, so I didn't get right to the top on race day, as this would've added too much time waiting in the queue.

Mandatory Kit & Bib Collection

You can get your mandatory kit checked and bib collected on Friday 14:00-22:00, as well as Saturday 8:00-9:30 for the 25K distance. A QR code gets e-mailed to you beforehand, which you need to bring to collect your race number. The hot/cold weather kit will also be checked at this stage, so make sure you have everything with you in case there are some last-minute changes, but any updates should be communicated to runners the day before.

runner holding bib in front of UTMB Ultra-Trail Snowdonia (UTS) start and finish line

LiveTrail App

Downloading the LiveTrail app is part of the mandatory list and it gives you more information about your race. It is also through this app where the hot/cold weather items are confirmed. Make sure you have notifications turned on for this, as mine was turned off and I didn't see the hot weather update. It wasn't a problem though, as I brought every single item with me ready for kit check.

T-Shirt/Buff

Once your details and kit are checked you will be given a wrist band and your race number, where you will move along the queue to collect your physical bib and t-shirt (if applicable). This year the 25K distance was a UTMB Buff, which I am just as happy about.

Ultra-Trail Eryri 20K race bib and wrist band

Parking

There are a few car parks near the start/finish line and most of them you can easily walk to and from the Slate Museum (where the race starts and finishes). We had no issues finding a parking space on the day, but we arrived very early. Do bear in mind that visitors who aren't attending the UTS event go there for the day, so the later you get there the busier the car parks will be.

We paid £6 to park all day, which isn't too bad at all.

Road closures

Sections of roads near the start/finish will be closed while runners start in each wave. They aren't closed for long, just long enough to allow all runners to start, run around the corner towards the start of the Snowdon climb and the roads re-open for cars.

road closure allowing runners to safely pass

Bag Drop

There is no bag drop for the 25K distance, but for this distance you probably won't need this facility.

Conclusion

To me this was a really hard race, especially on a hot day that we had this year. I wasn't able to train properly due to running injuries a few weeks back and I don't recommend running this race without training.

It is do-able, but the steep hills are challenging just to walk up them, let alone try to run them. For me the worst part was not having strong enough quadriceps to cope with the downhill bashing of the knees.

Overall, it is a very well organised race and I've had such a lovely time running (and struggling) to the end. It's been a really positive and memorable experience for me. Not to mention the amazing views the higher you climb up Snowdon.

I would highly recommend running the UTS 25K (with training)!

Ultra-Trail Snowdonia 25K Video