I LOVED the first ever EMBRACE ULTRA race! :)

SUBSCRIBE: https://tinyurl.com/yck7yvkm

The Three Castles 50KM was the inaugural race for Embrace Ultra, a Kent based ultramarathon events company, that took place on 1st June 2024. Given that it was only a few miles from my home, I thought I would go and take part! Come along with me and see what a fantastic event it is.

Craig’s Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/CraigTries

Check out the Bailey and Harding Ultra Sound System Podcast for Dean’s race debrief – https://open.spotify.com/episode/6FyaijpglwXrVlg98HhzcK?si=As_ME4r8QSuJ_o5B6tshdw

Dean Cox Instagram: “runningcox” 🙌

NOTE: I’m not affiliated with Embrace Ultra and all views expressed are my own.

Thanks for watching 🙂

#embraceultra #threecastles50k
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[Music] right here we are Rochester in Kent pretty close to my home town which is very exciting I’m here today to do the Embrace three castles 50k Ultra I’ve been to registration I’ve got my number there we go got my race number and uh we’re starting at the first of three castles Rochester Castle actually we’re not starting at Rochester Castle we’re actually starting just over here in the Esplanade down there uh which is cool and then the race goes 50 km South down the Medway basically so it kind of follows the mway down to um Maidstone and tumbridge but yeah looking forward to it this is a kind of B race warm-up race for the wall in two weeks time which I’m really excited about so I’m going to go have a bit of a shake out see how we go not probably as quick as you would expect today the weathers haven’t been kind to us this week so there are some areas that a little bit sticky R missed the start it’s embarrassing you going to record the whole way I am yeah the whole thing yeah yeah it’s going to be a really really boring video know this bridge so well from the north towns way you on 11k done gone off way too fast classic uh averaging about 5 and a half minute kilometers so it is pretty flat today so the the uh the trick is going to be to try not to get carried away he says having done that for 11 kmers so we’ve left Rochester we’re heading south on the Midway towards ORD I think ORD is in about 3 km or something and in about 1 and a half kilm there’s an a station so pretty good so far and the sun’s out awesome thank you bu love love the hair great job right into the first aid station at 13k that went really quickly too quickly one might say all right off we go then that’s Craig Hi Craig Mike how you doing mate good how you doing all good very hot bit hot getting there slowly bit steadily Craig’s slow pace is my steady Pace SL fast pace so I’m trying to pretend like I’m not really tired and he’s just crising along amazing r m talking about enjoy right going I have this carry on [Music] thanks guys that was nice we are not far from ba already it’s crazy some lovely boats down here as well [Music] we are in Maidstone this is where I was born absolutely brct to be back The Field’s really really thinned out now which is uh it’s quite nice actually get a bit of quiet mileage done I’m definitely settling into a pace now which is good and uh not feeling too bad still really hot but apart from that it’s all right just trying to keep the pace nice and steady so yeah God this is so weird to be back in [Music] mday thank you keeping warm no I’m not oh keep dancing thank you over the bridge we go north side of the Midway half marathon done feeling okay energy starting to run out a little bit so been eating a bit try and get that back just slowing the pace down a bit I’ve been doing 540s last 10K or say Touch Too Fast so going to slide it back just enjoy the next 10K think there’s an aid station in about 5k so trying to get there it’s good though it’s [Music] good thanks very much hey Kitty 24ish K second Pit Stop done which was well needed cuz I was getting so hot drank all my drinks I’ve had some uh some more drink fill up with some food uh yeah I feel like I’m sort of in excuses Central today we had a bit of a bug in the family this week so kids were sick and my stomach is not feeling that great so I’m a bit worried that there’s something there I think I’m fine I think I’m just looking for excuses to be honest it seems to going pretty well I’ve got basically halfway and in like I don’t know 3 245 I have no idea what the time is actually hang on 11:30 yeah so I’m nearly halfway in 2 and a half hours which is pretty pretty quick actually it’s quicker than I was expecting to do so have to see how we get on for the next half [Music] listen to a podcast listening to uh Dean Cox talk about his road to his London to brighten Ultra massively inspiring if you want to listen to something to uh get you through a long run on a Sunday check it out there’s my dad up there hey that was really nice I just stopped off and saw my dad it was great at watering Bri and there was this little bakery restaurant with homemade lemonade so I had some homemade lemonade which is delicious just just what the doctor ordered so right I feel pretty good now I’ve got 22k to go it’s mad these 50k races go pretty quickly um so used to doing 50 miles and 100 miles uh right 29k that is Perfecto oh that was a long kilometer 12 minutes I did stop there to be fair lovely day sun’s out beautiful just going to cruise for the next UK now just uh enjoying it really good good to be out in the sun [Music] [Music] [Music] oh yeah oh 129 cheers thanks keep it moving guys H station done that was the last one so it’s three h station on this route that couldn’t have come um any sort of sooner really is that the right phrase I basically needed it I’d run out of fluids completely the aid stations on this route are brilliant everyone is really friendly they’re really Wellman they’ve got an excellent selection of food um Tailwind juice Savory and sweet Foods I think there were some vegan options as well really really good to be honest with you really really really impressed considering I think this might be their first race that they’ve done it’s just great so yeah kudos to embrace Ultra the only thing is I keep getting Marmite sandwiches accidentally and I hate Marmite so much so yeah I’m just sort of forcing those down that’s the only thing that’s the only thing [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] o right that is a marathon done 42.2k in uh 445 so nearly an hour slower than the Manchester Marathon a few weeks ago that’s okay I’m really struggling today I don’t know why I just am not having a good day but I’m enjoying it it’s just it’s just really hard I don’t understand it I think I think it’s cuz there’s no Hills that sounds odd doesn’t it but it’s so flat so there’s no excuses to walk so for the first 25k I didn’t really walk that much and I think I’m paying for it now so yeah if you going to do the three castles Ultra pace yourself I’m really bad at pacing myself but you just have to do it so yeah that’s a good tip top tip nine and a something K to go very much run walking now so yeah Tommy’s not happy so that’s another story right come on let’s go [Music] made this tumbridge this TD Castle the third Castle I never did see the second one I’ll edit it so it looks like I [Music] [Music] did 50k done so yeah it’s a long course there’s still about, 1800 M to go or something and they take they took us all the way around towards the other side of well past out of tumbridge and back again so oh but heading back now to the running track I think it finishes on the running track which is exciting I’m done I’m absolutely done but we’re coming up to 6 hours so I think so yeah to see if we can try and get it an under six I’m not sure if that’s going to happen [Music] way [Music] to