Ultra-Trail Snowdonia 100k ... didn't go my way

[@MrMarkbuckle]

Hey Chris, I was one of those who ran into the empty water station with you and pushed on. You made the right call to wait. I went on to suffer extreme dehydration, and was barely able to stay on my feet by the time I got to CP4... ultimately leading to my DNF as it would have been irrisponsible to risk carrying on into the night. I also saw a few people drink from the streams and fall violently ill soon after. I've really struggled mentally this past week with my descision to DNF as I know I've pushed myself harder and been in worse states in other races and still continued, but it all comes down to the terrain. Those mountains are unforgiving, a slip on an average trail may result in a cut or bruise, but a fall in the mountain would leave to much much more. We all achieved something amazing that day, no matter how far we all got. Well done and I hope to bump into you again some day 👍

[@ChrisBranch]

Bad luck Mark, that was a very tough section through CP3 to 4, and I really feel for you having pushed on without water. DNFs are never easy, and I'm struggling with this one myself, but we'll learn from it and move on. Best of luck with what you do next 🙏

[@RE71476AD]

@@ChrisBranch I suspect you are struggling with it because you knew you quit when you could have carried on. Only one way to resolve: get back out there and do it asap. Do not wait until next year.

[@ChrisBranch]

@@RE71476AD This is 100% correct 🙏

[@KelpandFern]

Thanks for sharing the story, I participated in a marathon distance (45K) fell race in Preselis (Pembrokeshire) on the same day. They usually have 5 aid stations, they put out 10 aid stations on the day and I was topping up every 30-45mins. The race only cost £13 too. Used to live near Llanberis and filmed and raced in it myself and this is just a deal breaker, its the absolute minimum an RD and event should be providing and they've got it wrong two years on the trot. I find it interesting that if individuals don't go in to the mountains prepared, even slightly unprepared they get slated, but an event company gets it majorly wrong and nothing.....

[@cherries4life387]

Completely agree, and utterly unacceptable that a race organisation of this size has had water issues 2 years running. Needs to be sorted.

[@cherries4life387]

Great videos by the way... always so peaceful!!

[@ChrisBranch]

It's a tough one. The situation at CP3 was inexcusable. Once they pushed it forwards, they HAD to get it right, and they didn't. But between checkpoints, it's so remote and inaccessible by transport that I don't know how they could have added more aid along the way. I get the Impression they have a really tough time with local land owners. I'm not excusing what happened at CP3 or the water issues last year, but I also sympathise that they have a logistical nightmare getting things in place. This hasn't been enough to put me off, but I think it's important to highlight the issue and people can make their own minds up about how they feel. Great channel btw! And thank you for watching 🙏

[@KelpandFern]

@@cherries4life387 Thanks appreciate that!

[@KelpandFern]

@@ChrisBranch Yeh obvioulsy things were out of their control here with the land owners, but they got it wrong last year and again this year. But off the top of my head having worked on many an ultra marathon and seen behind the scenes they could have had many alternative solutions. Put two small water aid stations in place and limit the runner to 2L at each. Get more volunteers to walk out with 10L/20L water carriers, they can be anywhere then and each runner can get 1L from them and they still have the water stop that was repositioned. There are other ultra marathons that go out 2 days earlier to set up a water stop and they filter from a nearby river (or reservoir) and place it on the trail for the runners, they had a year to fix this issue and they got it wrong again. None of these solutions require transport and only require some trolleys/wheelbarrows or people carrying things for a km or two. Its not like you all turning up was a surprise and I was watching the weather for 2 weeks prior to the race day. And if they can't get the absolute basics right, what else are they getting wrong? Thanks for the kind words, appreciate it and good luck on your strength training this year and future races!

[@ErnestSkater]

Finished the 100 miler last weekend. The course really was savage. I live in Belgium so there really wasn't a way to replicate the terrain. But let me tell you, I never have felt such fulfillment finishing a race. What a beautiful race. What a beautiful country. Such beautiful people organizing/helping/volunteering.

[@ChrisBranch]

Amazing! I'm so jealous you got to the finish line, I really think I should have pushed on. But we live and learn. Well done for finishing that savage race 👏👏👏

[@cherries4life387]

Well done on your 100mile finish... especially training in Belgium for it!! I hope to attempt it in 2026.

[@ActiveIdeas]

Was a bit low on water myself at the reservoir section.. ended up drinking from some very questionable neon green ponds 😬🤣 And then shortly after the water station in the foresty areas found some more clear streams, felt sorry for anyone without a filter🌟 Love the concept of "surrendering yourself to the race" ❤Sorry to hear you were dealing with a virus prior, was absolutely rooting for you the whole time after we met 🔥Awesome video Chris!

[@ChrisBranch]

Thanks so much Kingsley. I must admit, I'm a bit gutted about this one. Wish I could turn back time and push on, but that's life - we live and learn. I'm so chuffed you made it to the finish line though! An incredible achievement 👏👏👏

[@ActiveIdeas]

@@ChrisBranch Oh man, I feel you. 😫 But absolutely, we live we learn.. & if you decide to head back for another taste, I'm sure you'll smash it. Or maybe just forget the 100k and join me for the 100 miles next year? 🫣🤭 Cheers Chris, means a lot ❤

[@Robngnt]

That bloody reservoir!!

[@ActiveIdeas]

@@Robngnt still having nightmares?🤣🤣

[@Robngnt]

@@ActiveIdeas it just went on and on and on and I remember everyone around me talking about dropping out to dehydration! That aid station was like the gates of heaven appearing 😂

[@timinno]

Great vid Chris. Genuinely shocking that they can fail to provide sufficient water to participants, particularly in that heat. I’ve heard various stories about how poor organisation with UTMB events has been, more focused on money and monopolising trail events than providing high quality and most importantly safe experiences.

[@ChrisBranch]

It's a tricky one. My experience at UTS has generally been incredibly positive. There are many races in Snowdonia throughout the year, so they definitely don't hold anything like a monopoly (although I'm aware of recent controversies in other areas). I think most of the organisation is top notch, the volunteers were on great form and super motivating ... but then there are things like this water situation which felt dangerous. I won't be 'boycotting' races and I'm certain I will race UTS and other UTMB races again, but I think it's important people know both the good and the bad from these races and they can make their own minds up 🙏

[@RE71476AD]

Anything can happen on the trails. You need to be more prepared than the minimum kit list. Take a spare emergency bottle of water, half filled so not too heavy, with the words: "only open in an emergency". Reliance on others is asking for trouble. What can go wrong and work back from there.

[@timinno]

@@RE71476AD agree being prepared is important, my issue is with UTS putting people at risk when to be honest it’s very avoidable.

[@markg99]

Well done for getting so far in the race, Chris. That water situation really needs addressing! This is a coincidence. Since finishing my ultra on Sunday, I'm moving into a phase where I'll be doing 3 strength sessions a week, plus 3 or 4 runs. Prioritising strength really seems to make sense to me now. Good luck with your training 👍🏻💪

[@ChrisBranch]

Thanks Mark. Well done on your race, and best of luck with the strength training :)

[@RE71476AD]

Up your protein and increase your sleep time to avoid injury. Add in one full rest day and one light, med, and heavy training session per week. Mobility and priming also key. Finally, make sure they complement eachother....so strength train specifically for running (e.g. single leg deadlifts instead of conventional; reverse lunges to protect the knees, farmers carry, suitcase carry, rotational strength, dynamic movements)

[@stevenbeers4582]

Hi Chris Was good to meet you. Sounds like you made the right decision., but it’s a tough one to process. I also DNF at the half way point due to Stomach/dehydration issues. It was a tough day. Glad you got to meet Sam and Becca. Me and Sam supported each other up the 3rd climb as we were feeling equally as rough. Lovely people.

[@ChrisBranch]

It was a tough day out there for sure. I hope you've recovered well, and best of luck with your training 🙏

[@grahammethold]

Interesting what you had to say about strength training vs cardio. As I ran the 50km I kept looking at my heart rate thinking "This is really low - there really isn't that much running/cardio in this race". At the same time, I was so grateful that when I asked my legs to push, there was power there. For me, the experience was 90% about general energy levels (nutrition and water) and strength and 10% cardio. Of course it is a blend, but I had exactly the same conversation with someone today about the volume of strenght training vs cardio for these types of races. Looking forward to see how you get on.

[@ChrisBranch]

Great observation! And yes, with the mountain races, we really can't think of it as a 'running' race, and our training needs to change accordingly. Best of luck with your training :)

[@SimonBransfieldGarth]

Well done! Cannot believe they had water issues again after last year. Did the 25k this year and I thought they had learned the lesson (there was ample water at the 25k aid station fortunately) but sounds like no. Very disappointing for what is supposed to be one of the premier races in the UK calendar.

[@ChrisBranch]

I agree, I'm surprised they let it happen. Thankfully this was the only bad thing in the race, and the volunteers all along the route were on top form!

[@zhorakovsky]

Thank you for your video! I am glad I'm not the only one to be ranting about the water situation. I DNFed the 50K, my first ever DNF - having before run several much longer ultras. I trusted the organisers who said "no hot weather kit" needed and started with just 1 L water capacity. The first aid station had no gels (!), so I could only refill my liquids. I ran out of food and was completely dehydrated during the second ascent of Snowdon, even contemplated pressing the SOS button. No aid station at the top of Snowdon broke me and many others. I saw dozens queueing to buy water from the Snowdon cafe. The whole organisation was a shitshow: no sweep buses, no gels, vomit-inducing isotonics. Cherry on the top: white bread and peanut butter sandwiches offered on a Sun-scorched day like that...

[@overunderabove]

Given how much it costs, the water station situation is inexcusable

[@ChrisBranch]

This was a bad one. Once they moved the CP, they had ONE thing to get right at the next water station. It didn't ruin my day, but I know it ruined other peoples'. It's a shame, but it was the only negative of the whole weekend. It hasn't put me off, and I'll be back at some point in the future

[@overunderabove]

@@ChrisBranch You did great to grit on through - great video, great effort. Some days, it's stuff you can't control that comes into effect.

[@vicpivo]

I found this very helpful. I went into a race along the Welsh coastal path having not fully trained for it due to illness ( don't work with young children they like to share). I got halfway and even though I was well within the cut off. I pull out. I was not prepared to break myself for this race. Having just got well again I want to be able to run. Not spending a week struggling. But I had to pick my car up, that was parked at the finish, that was hard. I did question my decision then. But when I was out running a few days later I new it was the right. There is always next year.😊

[@ChrisBranch]

Absolutely, I'll be back too. We just have to try again 😊

[@swm2k2]

Fair play Chris, I defo struggled with lack of water in the 50k and fairly sure I had dehydration by the end but just ploughed on 😂. 100k next year as I think I learnt a lot from my experience. Interestingly my coach has just suggested a strength set much like yours so will see how that goes!!

[@ChrisBranch]

Well done for finishing the 50k, and you should definitely have a crack at the 100 if you want to! I have literally just finished filming a video on the strength routine I do, and this will be released next week :)

[@harrygunn2475]

Hey Chris, great video! Completely agree with your rant, you’re raising a really important point. I DNFed at Cape Curig dehydrated and out of water! Looking forward to seeing your strength training, I’m looking to explore this area more myself. Cheers 🫶🏼

[@ChrisBranch]

Thanks so much! And I have a few strength videos lined up 😊🙏

[@AlanDorrington-ge4tw]

Your experiences and take aways from UTS100 pretty much mirror mine, except I made my decision to DNF at Aid Station 4. I was not in good shape after the waterless situation we experienced and like you had had a fantastic day out to that point. I just couldn’t come up with a good reason to risk my health and push on for another 12 hours or so. Kudos for your efforts to continue beyond Aid Station 4, showed great character and I look forward to seeing your progress with the strength training emphasis.

[@ChrisBranch]

I appreciate your comment, I still keep thinking about the race - it's playing on my mind! I think I'm going to have to go back next year 😬

[@nathanhunt6579]

I love this video Chris. Your authenticity about untrarunning from a non-elite perspective is a huge piece of what encourages me to pursue the adventure of longer distances as someone who has stuck comfortably to trail half’s for the past five years or so.

[@emilyrunsultras]

Love this Chris - from a fellow DNF’er ✌🏼

[@ChrisBranch]

Sorry to hear you DNF'd too. I hope you're back in good training and moving on to the next challenge 😊🙏

[@RichardStephens-u4m]

Hey well done Chris. An honest review that will help others. Credit to you.

[@ChrisBranch]

Thank you, I appreciate that 🙏

[@pennybarker145]

Sorry to hear it didn’t go to plan Chris but sounds like you made totally the right decision. It’s so easy to second guess yourself a few days later (or weeks later!) and think you should have dug deeper/ suffered more/ stayed in the pain cave (insert ultra jargon here!) but ultimately health and the rest of life is more important, and even more so for the non-pro athletes. Chances are you’d have made yourself really poorly if you’d continued, especially given the dehydration issues (which totally suck, gutted for you all that wasn’t better organised). It takes a braver person to know when to stop. Hope recovery is going well and good luck with the next phase, sounds intriguing. Am doing a couple of ultras this summer (and will definitely be thinking about the water situation more carefully after this!). Following a coached plan that’s got more emphasis on strength than ever before and definitely noticing the difference in muscular endurance and resilience (and interest!) compared with when I trained for road marathons with endless cardio.

[@ChrisBranch]

Thanks so much for this, I appreciate it. And I'm glad you're enjoying your strength training!

[@2spoons]

Water was a problem with Xterra Trail Marathon Snowdonia 2022 July.... 28º at the start line.... ran out of water at most water stations.... and I filled up a many streams but got on one name terms with paramedics as I hit dehydrated.... although I still finished.... great video #Chris Branch

[@ChrisBranch]

Amazing for pushing through in those conditions 👏😊

[@micleadan3817]

congratulations! it was a tough race

[@ChrisBranch]

Thank you, I appreciate that 🙏

[@romaintchoog8506]

I can say your decision is wise! A good video! For me pushing myself is not about damaging my self. I am someone who had a lot of injuries by pushing myself too much. So now I do things differently. Respect your body to keep going longer. Well done with your race Chris you still have done a lot!

[@ChrisBranch]

Thank you, I appreciate that 🙏

[@MilesLangley]

Arh man, so much anticipation for this one. I’m sorry you had to drop. But fair enough, I’ve never even run an ultra. But thanks for helping inspiring me to do so. Once I’ve done my first 100k ultra with plenty of vert I’m sure I’ll understand. Love the content, thanks for making it.

[@ChrisBranch]

It really sucks. I'll just have to come back and try again 🤷‍♂️

[@UppityRib]

Well done, Chris! You said you're not sure how helpful this video is... Well, I'd say sharing ANY race experience is useful to others, even -- or, dare I say it, especially -- those that don't go the way we want or expect. The interwebs is full of idealized, carefully edited images and videos about "A goals" reached perfectly, but the reality is usually much more moderate for most of us. It's good for us viewers to see how it's the effort itself that is the most rewarding. (Though spectacular scenery is a close second!) So keep on keeping it real 🙂

[@ChrisBranch]

Thank you, Rachel, that is kind to say. I guess you're right, we're not all David Goggins, and that's okay. I am certainly going to keep sharing the journey, even when it doesn't go my way ... but I'm going to try not to let that happen too often - this DNF hurt 🤦‍♂️😂

[@fatherdamo2]

Can't believe another water issue... Gave it a miss this year after last year's water fiasco... Sounds like my journey last year, wasn't prepared to finish and push through on such a hot day.. that's why I went back and did it solo. Well done on what you did, no easy day in those mountain's and god lick with next event!

[@ChrisBranch]

I remember your comment last year! And yes, I was gutted they let it happen again. It didn't ruin my day, but it certainly made it harder 😂

[@PeterCrysdale]

Super curious to see how you feel about flipping your running and strength training ratios, Chris!

[@ChrisBranch]

I'll keep you updated for sure! 😊💪

[@liamallport3361]

Well done Chris, the hardest thing is getting to the start line at all. You were willing to give it a crack, when you weren't 100%. No shame in the dnf here. There's always the next one

[@ChrisBranch]

Thanks Liam, I appreciate that. And yes, now to start focusing on the next phase 😊💪

[@pauladawson1614]

Well done Chris, great effort, you’ve always got next year :) Whatever you do, we all enjoy watching and you always produce great content.

[@ChrisBranch]

Thanks, Paula! I appreciate that 😊🙏 And I think I'm going to have a break from Snowdonia next year and rebuild the excitement for it in 2026. ... maybe. My mind is changing by the minute 😂

[@pauladawson1614]

That sounds like a good plan, I will look forward to your next adventures.

[@geoffreybarnard1712]

Well done, thanks for update as is very helpful. I entered the 50k and was my first mountain ultra and funnily enough my experience was very similar to yours. Had / still have a chest mild infection so went in not feeling great, and from before I even started I had mentally prepared for the fact I will retire before the finish which I did. That said I had a great day with just over 6 hours on my feet with some amazing scenery and had some great chats with fellow runners. So even when I retired I felt happy with how the day went. I do plan on going back next year to hopefully complete what I could not this year. Keep up the KZbin content, as I find it informative, entertaining and a great motivator.

[@ChrisBranch]

Thanks so much for your kind words, and bad luck on your race. Getting a virus before the Snowdownian mountains is never ideal 😂🤦‍♂️

[@gettingstuckin9205]

Great video mate. Onwards and upwards

[@ChrisBranch]

Thank you, I appreciate that. I'm back to training and focusing on making things right after the DNF 💪

[@gettingstuckin9205]

@@ChrisBranch I've only just started my ultra journey. 2 months in. 17 miles is the max I've achieved so far. Watched your 3 runs you need to run an ultra video and it's helped me massively. So thanks ever so much for your tips 👍🏼

[@jkapp8617]

Fantastic video Chris. I am running the Suffolk Backyard Utra Marathon in a couple of weeks and I have put so much pressure on myself to succeed. Hearing you be so humble and honest in this video has helped me address that potentially unhelpful mindset. Thanks for all you do!

[@ChrisBranch]

Thanks so much! I would love to do that Suffolk Backyard one day too. My advice is to go into the event crystal-clear on your goals. Really define what 'success' means to you. I think the reason I ended up so down after this race is that I wasn't clear on what I wanted to achieve. In the moment, I gave in to the discomfort and took the easy way out, but in hindsight, I wish I pushed through that. In a Backyard, you're going to have an easy way out every four miles, so you need to know in advance what your goals are when things get tough. There isn't a right answer btw, if you know what you want, you won't be upset with yourself. I'm upset with _myself_ because I wanted one thing (to push to my limits) but acted on another thing (I took the easy way out). Best of luck with it!

[@jkapp8617]

@@ChrisBranch Hi Chris. Thanks so much for your thoughtful response. I took part on Saturday and reached 60 kilometres before timing out. Super happy with that as the furthest I had run before that was 30 kilometres. I nearly took the easy way out at the end of the 7th lap. but managed to push through and squeeze out 2 more laps. I would have been so frustrated with myself if I had stopped then. The crazy thing is that the top guys are still going, they have just hit 70 laps! Thanks for all you do Chris. My next goal is to run the UTS 50k 🙂

[@ChrisBranch]

@@jkapp8617 amazing!!! You DOUBLED your distance!! That's incredible, I'm so chuffed for you. I just found out there's one in Essex in August which I might try and do. I would love to test myself against it. Good luck with your training ☺️🙏

[@jkapp8617]

@@ChrisBranch Thanks so much! I'll be rooting for you if you give it a go :-)

[@CraigPitts]

Fair play to you mate, that's still a great effort! I've got my first ever ultra in 5 weeks coming from a lifting background, your vids have been motivating so thanks for that

[@ChrisBranch]

Amazing! Best of luck with your first ultra, I hope it's a great experience 😊

[@georgelane6350]

I recognise that UTMB often do not directly run the race in the UTMB series, but they really need to improve their effort at aid stations and probably et/audit plans from the organisers. UTMB Tarawera this year had massive queues (up to 20 minutes) at an aid station. This station was on the 50km and 102km courses and both races passed 20km and 27km in. It was obviously going to be busy with thousands of atheltes in both events yet only 6 taps were available. Even worse, the drums they were connected to had to be refilled manually so there was at least one out of action at all times. The aid station crew did an amazing job, but the aid station they were provided was far too small. Probably just as bad was that only one aid station had sunscreen provided. This race was in Rotorua, New Zealand in the middle of summer. Rotorua is at the same latitude as Malaga, Tunis, and Las Vegas so it is not uncommon to have a UV index in the extreme range.

[@ChrisBranch]

This sounds tough. UTS did a great job of everything else, and this was the only bad bit of the organisation that I saw. The RD released a report today that the business they agreed to get the water from changed their mind on the day, which must have been tough for them to deal with. I can sympathise with both the race organisers and the runners who really struggled.

[@jaysfan1910]

Great video! I had to pull out of the 50km due to the heat…but I will be back next year as the race is epic.

[@ChrisBranch]

It truly is epic! Best of luck with your training for next year 🙏

[@jamesmarjot]

Ahh gutted for you but amazing effort! Shame about the chest infection. Thanks for this and all your other videos! I hope to do an ultra marathon soon in the future (the furthest I’ve run to date is 25km 😬) and your videos have been super inspiring and also have given me lots of amazing advice. Thanks again!

[@ChrisBranch]

I'm so pleased the videos are helping! Best of luck with your training 😊🙏

[@sadj798]

Hey Chris! Great to bump into you during the run last week (@1.30 😜) really spurred me on chatting to you, glad you had fun and didn’t kill yourself over the race! Looking forward to the courses being released 😉

[@ChrisBranch]

It was great talking to you too! I wanted to get you in the video 😊 And I actually saw you jump over the finish line in @activeideas video - I was SO pleased you made it!!! Well done!! Hopefully see you out on the trails again 😊🙏

[@sadj798]

Awww haha appreciate it!! Had to do a double take and rewind thinking ‘hey I recognise that top’ 😂 just saw kingsleys video too, amazing stuff, what a great little community we have ☺️

[@CatsAreTheBestPeople-mm1fo]

Sorry the result wasn't what you wanted, Chris. I'm sure it was a valuable learning experience regardless. And seeing the sunrise and sunset must've been amazing. Goodluck with your future training plans.

[@ChrisBranch]

Thanks so much! I have to keep reminding myself what an amazing day it was. I'm still a bit gutted I didn't push on, but we live and learn 😊🙏

[@cherries4life387]

Really interesting review Chris. I ran UTS 100k in 2023 and cannot imagine doing it with a chest infection so close to the race... so excellent job on getting to the start line and completing 60+km. I wasn't aware they had moved CP3 this year. As you know, 2023 was also hot, and that CP was crucial for me. Ate and drank tons there. There was also water at the end of the reservoir. Removing that CP is brutal and I hope they can get one back there. A note on the strength training. I think you will really enjoy it. Although I don't like the term, I have always been a "hybrid" athlete, and I either focus on strength or bodybuilding throughout the year, and then usually train for an ultra once a year. I currently do 4 gym sessions a week (2 upper, 2 lower), and run 4 times a week (I've never been a super high mileage runner), and this has currently been manageable whilst I train for Val d'Aran 110km. So it absolutely is possible to marry the 2, you just have to increase the workload slowly, like everything, and auto-regulate a lot. Do you plan on returning to UTS next year? I may return to the 100km next year, and go for the 100mile the year after, so it'd be cool to bump into you!

[@ChrisBranch]

I'm not sure if having CP3 in the right place would have got me to the finish line, but it would have really helped 😂 And yes, I already have a title in mind for a future video; "I accidentally became a hybrid athlete". It's a funny term, but I genuinely feel that strength plus endurance is magic, and I will certainly be sharing the journey. I need a periodisation block of strength to make gains here, but I'll keep the running ticking along too, and, like you, I think I'll have a couple of ultras a year to test myself. I think it's going to be fun ☺️💪

[@ChrisBranch]

Oh, and I'm undecided about uts next year. I might leapfrog it and do something else next year then try the hundred miler the same year as you. Just an idea that's floating around my mind - I've been to Snowdonia three years on the bounce, so maybe time for a rest ... maybe 🤔

[@cherries4life387]

@@ChrisBranch Look forward to the hybrid content! Yes, I did the 50 in 2022, and 100 in 2023, so felt I needed a break this year, as it's a big commitment to winter training. I think a year off helps build excitement and motivation for the following year. It's a tough event to turn down though. I hope to see you on that start line in 2026

[@MathiasKarjalainen]

Things don't always go as planned, but we always gotta keep going 💯

[@ChrisBranch]

Absolutely, I'm back to the drawing board 😊🙏

[@ourwilliam2405]

Great video, onwards and upwards, youre an inspiration.

[@ChrisBranch]

That's very kind to say, thank you 🙏

[@martinweston8147]

Double gutted 😞 such a shame you DNF’d many many did, I was a DNF driver for the Friday and Saturday night, it was me you asked about getting the lift back, so I was also gutted that I knew what this video would contain.

[@ChrisBranch]

Hey Martin! Thank you to you and all the volunteers. The volunteers were genuinely one of the highlights of the weekend for me. The energy you all had was top notch. I wish I could have pushed on more, and in hindsight, I'm really questioning my decision to stop. But we live and learn, and it just means I'll be back again to conquer it. Thanks again for all your efforts over the weekend 🙏

[@NickSheppardsheppsta]

Even more keen to follow your channel now that you're leaning further into strength 💪 Good on ya

[@ChrisBranch]

Nice! I have literally just finished filming a video about strength training and it will be released next week :)

[@edenmol4005]

Hi mate met you at the event, you was at tea place I said hello, I dnf 100 miles as well could not make it to checkpoint in time, so fairplay to you we pushed hard, keep smashing it, its brutal 🙏👍love your videos, let's have it next year 💯

[@ChrisBranch]

Oh yes, I remember you! You'd just been stretching on the grass? I have MASSIVE respect for everyone on the start line of the hundred miler. It's a bonkers race, and to even attempt it is mind-blowing to me. Well done for giving it a go 👏

[@edenmol4005]

@@ChrisBranch yeah that's one mate, great thing with dnf is we took ourselfs to limits, so still a win out beaten last year attempt, great to see you push harder, course is one of hardest, so definitely play into easier races, great to see you in person, made my day, beacuse I have watched you alot 🙏👊💪👍

[@ChrisBranch]

@@edenmol4005 Thanks so much! And best of luck with your training 🙏

[@kathleenbolanos]

DNFs are never easy to reconcile after the fact. Just try to remind yourself that it was the best decision in the moment and not to be too hard on yourself. You've had an impressive go at running over the years! Only upwards from here!

[@ChrisBranch]

Thank you, that is kind to say 🙏

[@Stephen.Hopkins]

I had a similar day, I dropped out at CP2 as my knee was hurting. It wasn't particularly painful, but I knew that if something went wrong with it, I'd have a long slow journey onwards to CP4 rather than being able to drop out at the now missing checkpoint - as soon as that started playing on my mind I was never going to finish so stopped there. I have already reserved the Victoria hotel for the most likely weekend next year 🤣🤣 Great to hear your story again Chris!

[@ChrisBranch]

Probably the right decision - CP2 to CP3 was savage on the knees 😂 Best of luck with your training for next year. I'm undecided what I'll do, my mind keeps changing by the minute 😂

[@Stephen.Hopkins]

@@ChrisBranch I'm a glutton for punishment, and there's nowt more punishing than UTS. Whatever you decide, I look forward to watching about it, all the best!

[@matthewpaulden9604]

Great effort Chris …been waiting for an update video …still inspiring us in one way or another 😊..looking forward to more posts 💪💪

[@ChrisBranch]

Thank you, Matthew, I appreciate that. And yes, plenty more posts to come. My training block burned me out so I dropped the ball with KZbin, but I've got my life back now so I'll be back to weekly videos. I filmed a strength one today which is lined up for next week 💪😊

[@alex_jms]

Good vid and sounds like you made the right decision in the end. I also ran the 100K and I put in my race feedback that the water situation is unacceptable and pretty much negligent. Sufficient water is literally the only truly fundamental requirement of an Ultra and they dropped the ball massively. Its knock on effect was me coming so, so close to throwing in the towel at Gwastadannas Farm. Luckily I had a good chunk of time in the bag to play with on cut offs so I used it all up in trying to rehydrate, eat and lower my temps at the CPs. If you can leave that aside this would no doubt be my favourite race I've done, even if it's the one I suffered most at. Would you go back?

[@ChrisBranch]

Thanks for the comment. I'm still tormented by my decision and I don't think it was the right choice 😂 I'm definitely going back. Snowdonia is exactly what they say; beautiful and savage, and I just can't help myself 😂 Well done for getting to the finish line, it's a huge achievement

[@plowestv]

Thanks

[@ChrisBranch]

Thank you so much, Winston! That is very kind 🙏☺️

[@willrvns]

Correct, it is 100% just simply a matter of what are you willing to do on the day. I invested so much money and time into this race that there was no way I'd DNF except on the most extreme circumstances which probably isn't the best way to be for your own health. Being in this mindset though did make it something special when you crossed the finish line, especially as I had done about 70+km on a very damaged knee and with health scares at aid station 4. Making it past aid station 4 probably meant you could have made it to the finish if you really had wanted to. This was the biggest differentiator in the race in my opinion.

[@ChrisBranch]

I'm gutted I didn't push on. It was in my capacity, but I didn't have the right mindset going into this race. This was a big lesson for me. If I'm well enough to be on the start line, I will do everything in my power to get to the finish line from now on. This wasn't good enough in my books! 🤦‍♂️😂

[@willrvns]

@@ChrisBranch I wouldn't beat yourself up over it. But, I'd encourage you to have another go. My impression was that a lot of the finishers at this distance learned something new about themselves by seeing it through to the end.

[@terrybarnett6013]

Always enjoy your video's. Keep up the great work you do. 👍🏼

[@ChrisBranch]

I appreciate that, thank you 🙏

[@EnduranceAaron]

Great video Chris 👏 always love your content and the way you piece together the story 🎥

[@ChrisBranch]

Thank you, that's kind of you to say 🙏😊

[@edwardtuffnell8598]

HI Chris I have been following you since watching a video you made on only needing four types of run. That chimed with my approach and experience strongly. Very interested to hear how you are approaching training regarding strength. I have been thinking about this also. I have Just completed my first 100 mile - thames path 100 but I'm injured. I would be really interested to hear how you are structuring your training week to make sure your getting enough of the right kind of miles withe the right kind of strength without over or under training.

[@ChrisBranch]

Strength training is the way. I'll be sharing more about my strength training over the next few weeks 😊🙏

[@edwardtuffnell8598]

@@ChrisBranch awesome!

[@tomsteketee1374]

Start CrossFit or Hyrox Im a 9 Year CrossFit athleet and I start running after COVID and I love the combination I Will run UTS50 next Year

[@filipec.1266]

Thanks for another excellent video. I’m very curious to see how you get on with the increase in strength training while decreasing your running. I’m running my 2nd 100 miler in October and I am planning on increasing to 2 strength sessions a week as well as cross training (bike/swim) and running.

[@ChrisBranch]

Thanks so much! And there are more videos to come on this for sure 😊🙏

[@JC___04]

Hi, i'm a trail runner, and i'm go to run my first 50k ultra in October, but where i live it' soo flat, I saw your video about that, but i had an idea, in absence of hills, it's should be a good idea in my runs do squats and lunges each time, like , 1 hour and 20 min run, each 10/20 min do 2 sets of 2 min or more of lunges and squats.😅 New sub, and greatings from Spain🏃🏻‍♂️🪽

[@ChrisBranch]

This is a great idea and should get you used to running on fatigued legs! Best of luck with your training 💪😊

[@greengraycolor]

I recommend taking some fire starter. The piezo stopped working on my wind matter.

[@dienowska]

Another thing was no hot food at mid way for 100 milers, they ran out. Problem is, uts is run exclusively by volunteers. Different ones every year I presume. So lessons are never learnt from year to year and you can even be angry at them. But we should be angry at UTMB for pocketing the hundreds of pounds of our fees and then leaving us out to dry (pun intended).

[@ChrisBranch]

No way! I hadn't heard about that. I think it's an interesting point about being largely run by volunteers. They are absolutely brilliant, but the organisation sometimes lets them (and us runners) down. I wouldn't say it ruined my day, and I still had a great time, but I feel I need to highlight the experience so people can make their own minds up 🙏

[@dienowska]

@@ChrisBranch yeah, the volunteers are really supportive and helpful, end 48 hrs on foot with no sleep and all that, so I have no quarrel with them per se. That said, they said there’s going to be naak energy drinks at aid stations, but they were so diluted that you couldn’t taste the naak in the water at all, not to mention ingesting any liquid calories. I did ask one of the volunteers to add several scoops of the powder into my bladder at one point, but I didn’t realise that he grabbed the soup mix powder by accident. So he put 5 scoops of straight up sodium in my bladder at aid station 2, just before the long stretch without water that you describe. Thankfully, i was there in the evening the day before, not in that scorching heat like you.

[@MountainView21]

After last year’s fiasco with water I decided to skip Snowdonia this year and looks like that was a good decision.

[@ChrisBranch]

I still had an amazing day, the water was just a blip 😊

[@MountainView21]

@@ChrisBranch I believe you had, but if they run out of water year after year it’s not a blip.

[@jackcollo7738]

Hi Chris Great video as ever. Enjoy your insights which are always honest and eloquent. Would you be interested in doing an interview for my club newsletter? I chair a running club in the South of England, we had 3 runners in the UTS100m and a few others in the other races. How do I get in touch, that’s if you’re interested 😅 sure you’re a busy man. Jack

[@ChrisBranch]

Hi Jack, thanks so much for your kind words. I have an email in my channel page and an Instagram link, but I don't feel particularly inspiring on this one and I'm sure your 100-miler friends would be better to chat to 😊

[@michaelmccrossan7655]

I pulled the pin at 100km myself. Fell at 8km and hurt my hip. Blew out my quads too early, got sun burn and then the water shortage led to dehydration. The give us 500ml by the time I went through there but it was nowhere near enough😂 didn't go my way but it was an invaluable learning experience. I'll be back at some point ❤ well done on attempting such as beast

[@ChrisBranch]

And to you! I try to keep reminding myself that even attempting these things and doing the necessary training is the main thing. It does suck when we don't get to the finish line though 🤦‍♂️😂

[@michaelmccrossan7655]

@@ChrisBranch it definitely does but it's all not lost. Still have great fitness built up from the training block and if attempting Snowdonia again, your starting from experience. Keep doing what your doing, your content is fantastic 💪🏃⛰️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

[@ChrisBranch]

@@michaelmccrossan7655 Thank you, Michael, I appreciate that 🙏

[@Noelie1990]

What will be your weekly volume in km’s for cardio?

[@DrinkTooMuch-Coffee]

really really hard this trail

[@ChrisBranch]

It's as tough as they come, but I love them 😊

[@RE71476AD]

Not sure Goggins would have been happy with this. At the very least you should go back out there and do it again asap, unofficially, self-supported.

[@ChrisBranch]

I love this comment. I completely agree 🙏

[@ChrisBranch]

PS. I just read your other comments. What's your background? I appreciate your honesty, and it's absolutely why I feel so crap about it ... I know I wasn't 'done'.

[@RE71476AD]

@@ChrisBranch Hi Chris. I could tell from your comments that you weren't done, and this is causing you some pain because you know you have the strength to do these extremely tough challenges and you train hard for them. Everyone is being nice in the comments - as 99% of people are - but it won't help you. What I think will help you is if you accept why you quit - which you have - and either you sign up for another race asap or go back to where you stopped and complete the distance. You need to get back on that horse quickly and make that weak part of your brain (which we all have) suffer. I started running 'properly' in Jan 2023, completed a marathon, 50k (hundred hills) and 50m (NDW 50) last Saturday. 100m coming up in September. These races are hell and so I prepare for hell mentally and physically, tapping into the devil that all ultra runners must have inside of them. I have one rule: complete the distance, come hell or high water (dramatic but it works!). I don't care if I finish last or miss cut off times or have to walk most of it...I must go the distance, otherwise the weak module of the brain gets a win. And we can't have that. As a child, whenever I would cry after hurting myself, my mom would shout "stop crying, otherwise I will give you something to cry about!". This is how I treat the weak part of my brain. When it appears in a race, my response is to cause it more pain by running faster...to give it something to cry about. Strength training I have been doing for much longer and when I started to run seriously (i.e. hybrid training) I encountered injuries and fatigue. So adjusted accordingly (e.g. on season: 4 runs and 2 strength training specific to running; off season: 2-3 runs and 3 strength training for hypertrophy; increased protein intake, mobility etc).

[@ChrisBranch]

@@RE71476AD You've absolutely nailed how I feel. I really appreciate everyone's kind words, but none of them help because I know I wasn't done. I wasn't clear enough from the outset what my purpose was, and when it got tough, I took the easy option. But this is a great lesson. The pain of giving up is SO much worse than the pain of pushing on, so now I know for next time, I will "complete the distance, come hell or high water" Your training model sounds exactly like what I will be doing going forward. Now I am between races, I will up the strength, and then switch back to more running for my ultras. I think I'm going to become an accidental hybrid athlete 😂 Thanks again for your comment

[@RE71476AD]

@@ChrisBranch Sounds great Chris and because you have taken this the 'right' way, it will only serve to propel you forward. Whatever gets you to the finish line is good. Final tip from me: I write a very short letter to myself, before the race, stating why I am doing it, why I must finish it, listing events in my past that still bother me ...anything to get me riled up. I only pull it out and read it in an emergency, usually the last 10-15 miles or so. Then play Duality by Slipknot on the headphones and get running!

[@UnforgottenTales1]

Did you wear gators this time round for the shoes to stop stones going in?

[@ChrisBranch]

Yes, I have worn them for the last few ultras and they do work 👍

[@zacclowes4999]

Your nose is looking very red, is that sun burn?

[@ChrisBranch]

Haha no, I have a perpetually pink nose. My kids take the mickey out of me all the time for it , I don't want it to become a thing on KZbin too 🤦‍♂️😂

[@outinthesun]

No shame in any of that.

[@ChrisBranch]

Thanks Adam, I appreciate that 🙏

[@KrisPeter]

Has anything been said about why they ran out of water again? I wonder what's to stop it happening again next year.

[@ChrisBranch]

I haven't looked into it yet and I haven't seen a race report. I'm sure there will be one soon, hopefully they mention it

[@peterconrad2159]

Well done, Chris! And i think it was the right decision to quit while you could and not because you had to. There will be other races, and when you`re healthy it makes more fun anyway

[@ChrisBranch]

I agree, it's definitely more fun when healthy ... but I kinda regret missing out on type-2 fun 🤦‍♂️😂

[@conradburdekin722]

I think you made a very wise decision that not many would’ve been able to. Well done you!

[@ChrisBranch]

Thank you, I appreciate that 🙏

[@plowestv]

Hi Chris, Actually, it was really useful... As you will know, we learn so much more from our mistakes. But as you say this was more of a realisation of where you were than a mistake as such (other than a mistake by the organisers). I also became dehydrated today on a 45k training run and it took a long time to get going again. Funny what we take from a race experience isn't it? You took away lots of amazing memories from a day in the mountains when you were still recovering which is an amazing positive. For me it came whilst I added on a couple of Km before the train home and passed two women under 40 on an a short incline: They both had so much trouble getting down this slope, one shuffled nervously, the other went sideways gripping the handrail. I may not be quick but I can have an adventure on my feet that these women can't possibly comprehend. And I am SO grateful for that.

[@ChrisBranch]

Great observations. And yes, I have definitely learnt from this. I hope you recover well from your adventure, and best of luck with your training 😊🙏