Trail & Ultra skills weekend - with Damian Hall

If booking with a deposit then pay the rest 4 weeks before the start of the event

Jump to: Itinerary/activities  |  Your coaches/hosts  |  Kit list  |  Accommodation & food

This is an indicative plan – subject to change depending on circumstances such as the weather…

Friday 11th

• Arrive Friday afternoon/evening from 5pm
  • 7.00pm optional Friday evening shake out run in the valley
  • 8:30pm dinner
  • Socialising and exchanges of tips and tricks

Sat 12th

• 8:00am Breakfast
• Morning:
  • Introductions and discussions: Goals & strategies, kit, Nutrition, race selection, coaches
  • intro to Navigation for runners
  • Using technology (watches, GPS) to navigate in races and training – optimise efficiency, optimise battery life
  • Practice out on the trails
• 12:30pm Lunch
• Afternoon
• Coaching with Damian Hall
  • Running technique, climbing and descending
  • 1 on 1 chats and advice
  • Short & Longer routes depending on your needs
• 17:00 all return to Almond Lodge
• 18:00 Presentation, discussions, Q&A with Damian
• 20:00 Dinner

Sunday 13th

• 8:00am Breakfast
• 9:00am Light Strenght & conditioning session
• 9:45 Running with poles training – with Hiking highs
  • how to use poles effectively & efficiently
  • Practical instruction – poles included
  • Practice and feel the benefits
• 12:00 Lunch
• 13:00 Review of training and information exchange
• 14:00 trail run in on the Carmarthen Fans
• 16:00 wrap up and home for those not staying for the free extra night
• Optional: stay Sunday night for free – pub dinner (buy your own)

Monday

• informal run depending on the group makeup – Bit of leg 5 of the DBR? The wonderful Camarthen Fans, End of the Beacons way ultra?

Damian Hall is a record-breaking ultramarathon runner who represented Great Britain at the age of 40, four years after his first marathon, which he ran dressed as a toilet.

Aged 49 he still achieves competitive results in the world’s toughest races, including podiums at the Spine Race, the Dragon’s Back Race, the UK Ultra Trail Championships, Mozart 100 and Ultra Tour Monte Rosa.

Damian finished 5th place at the world’s most prestigious ultramarathon, 105-mile UTMB Mont-Blanc in 2018, the subject of award-winning film, Underdog. In 2023 he became one of only 19 people to ever start a fifth loop of the notorious Barkley Marathons.

Aged 47, he recorded the fastest time for a UK athlete at Italy’s 330K Tor des Géants (72hrs 04mins, for 4th place). He has also broken eight running records/Fastest Known Times (FKTs), including Wainwright’s Coast to Coast, South West Coast Path, Cape Wrath Trail, South Wales Traverse and the Pennine Way (though they don’t all still stand). The latter is the subject of another film, Totally FKT.

The ferret-haired athlete has completed the UK’s big three fellrunning rounds (sometimes solo, in winter, in record time), has been nominated for the Fell Runners Association Long Distance Award four times, represented Wiltshire at the national Inter-counties Cross Country Championships and has a marathon PB of 2:38 (Manchester, 2018).

He is a co-founder and trustee of The Green Runners and Into Ultra and primarily sponsored by NNormal.

Also has a tea problem.

Nicky founded “Hiking Highs” and formerly “Nics Nordic Walks” in 2015, to deliver guided walking breaks, inspire folk in the Lake District Mountains and share her passion for hills.

Nicky is a mountain leader and lives at the foot of Helvellyn, and the Helvellyn Massif is her playground all year round. Using poles in the fells and also teaching their magic is Nicky’s passion – she even taught great Joss Naylor how to use poles effectively!

Nicky also teaches the Bronze, Silver & Gold Level of Navigation for the National Navigation award Scheme, recognised by Mountain Training Association (MTA) and the British Mountaineering Council (BMC).

Jon is the owner and operator of Almond Lodge Helvellyn and Almond Lodge Brecon Beacons. Before that he ran a design consultancy which he sold in 2018 – this allowed him to pursue his passion for the outdoors and pretend to be an athlete.

2024 was a big running year with an accidental completion of the Winter Spine (he won his place in the volunteer lottery), and a successful completion of the Dragons Back race the following September.

It’s fair to say he represents the keen mid to back packer – and this year is trying more for the mid than the back. In April 2025 he will attempt the Norther Traverse, follow this up with the Lakeland 100 in July and then in January 2026 has stupidly signed up for the Winter Spine again (this time no accident!)

You need to bring your own bedding – All the beds have full size mattresses (and you will have top and bottom bunk to yourself) most people find a fitted sheet works well and bring either a duvet or sleeping bag, and a pillow or two

Run kit – what you would normally wear out on the trails – importantly including trail shoes, waterproof top and bottoms, warm clothes. This is the Wales and we can get all seasons in one day, so probably best to bring a couple of sets of running clothes just in case it rains 😉 If you have them then bring: running pack/vest, running watch, compass, poles

Other – evening clothes, wash stuff etc.

We will be staying at Almond Lodge:Brecon Beacons, a.stunning location – the less visited Black Mountain Range of the western Brecon Beacons. – within the Fforest Fawr UNESCO Global Geopark, an international Dark Skies reserve.

It is a bunkhouse but you will have at least top and bottom bunk to yourself (need to bring bedding – see above). Post code: SA19 9UL. If you are arriving by public transport then we will arrange to collect you from the train station – let us know when booking.

All food from Friday evening until Sunday Lunch if provided. There will be Vegitarian and vegan options (GF options too). Catering provided by Chris

Tea and coffee and soft drinks in plentiful supply throughout.

You may wish to bring alcoholic drinks, extra snacks, gels etc.