Devon AONB marathon review - hilly with stunning views

If the Summer Picnic (last one was in 2018) is the toughest marathon in England, then the Devon AONB marathon is perhaps the most beautiful.

Nestled closely between the sea, cliffs and beaches of West Devon, and starting in stunning Woolacoombe, the marathon is worthy of anyones bucket list.

Getting started

With barely a cloud in sight and the hot sun on my shoulders, I set off at 10:00 after a very quick and hassle free registration.

We headed out towards Croyde through the car park at Woolacoombe, up a slight hill and along the dunes behind the beach. I was expecting to have to jostle for position and feared that I'd be stuck in running traffic. But alas, I had no traffic issues save for a few seconds waiting near low bushes or stairs. Everyone was keen as beans at this point and the front runners were putting on a solid pace. There were lots of smiles and waves from walkers as we flew on by.

The run to Croyde is an easy one. A gentle hill to keep you interested and a few gradual declines, but mostly harmless. The hard part is not stopping to take in the views over Woolacoombe beach and the near Caribbean blue seas.

Once you've rounded the head, it's then a relatively simple run down into Croyde. There's plenty of rocks to keep you focused and plenty of people wishing you well too.

It's at this point, that I have to mention the amazing, and numerous, volunteers. I can't say that all were runners, but I can say that everyone was enthusiastic, encouraging and very willing to help. Every few miles, and sometimes even less, there was a drink station and some cheers.

And I don't believe all of the drink stations were formal stations either. I think some were impromptu pop-ups from locals giving their support to the sweaty hapless racers. It was easily the most welcoming and kind marathon I've ever run.

It's also worth pointing out that in Croyde I was given cider to drink at a water station. I laughed at first thinking 'tis a joke', but no, it really was cider! (there was water there too amongst other drinks).

The second half of the first half

Once past Croyde, things started to get harder. There was more traffic, the ups and downs were more challenging and so too were the twists and turns. Having said that, it was also a lot of fun.

What I hadn't expected was the race to go so far south as it did. In my own runs around Woolacombe, to get a half marathon in, I pretty much just needed to run to Croyde and back, that's it, but the route took us much further past my regular half-way point.

As I write this, nearly a year after the event (and looking forward to the 2019 event), I forget the middle bit after Croyde. I believe it calms down when heading back to Woolacoombe, and in fact, we pretty much run the same few flat miles as the first out-section. So harmless really.

If you're running the half marathon route, when you get to the point that you've already run on the first section, now is the time to start thinking about preparing yourself for the final push to get your time down, or to take in the sights and get a few snaps - the finish is only a few miles away.

The second half

Once into Woolacoombe you run near-enough past the finish line and then out into the harder second half. I love the second half. It's a beast of vert, stairs and twisties. If I could run the route every day I would.

You've likely been out in the sun for at least a few hours, including any registration time too, so do take the time to get some sun lotion on, or make sure you have a cap and a t-shirt. You won't be coming back to any support crew, your car or shops until the finish line.

You have about a mile or less of road before you hit the trails again and they'll be just as fast and bumpy as the first half, with the exception that the further you go around the coast the larger the ups and downs will become. It's also worth taking care when you come to the many sets of stairs, they're killers to run up, but whilst they are well maintained, they aren't even in the slightest and you might trip. Take it easy, it's a long way back to medical support.

My favourite part of the whole race is the sharp descent into a bridge over a small estuary, and then the sharp rise back up the other side. It's wonderfully peaceful, but the running is hard and fast (if you can keep your breath in the heat).

You won't get bored for the views or the trails, but once you've reached the half way point of the second half, the route starts to get a little more boring. Not necessarily much easier, but you do spend a significant portion of time on straight roads.

The final half (quarter?)

I was exhausted at this point. The sun was getting to me and I'd used up my energy gels. Water stations were still plentiful, but I was craving gels and salts and they weren't on offer. Credit to the volunteers because their enthusiasm (and beer!?) kept me going.

The start and finish

I also need to give a shout out to the chap on the bike. I was running close to the person he was supporting and it was nice to have a friendly face meet me every now and then. He would move on with his faster partner towards the end, but I found them at the finish line and wished them all the best. Look forward to seeing them on the course again.

With so much road, and no visible sign of progress on far it is to Woolacoombe, you do start to feel alone and a bit bored. So do prepare for this and keep your chin up.

The trail run down into Woolacoombe is a lot of fun, and damn hard on the quads. You can hear the finish line, you'll be seeing more and more people on the route and then bang, it's into the final straight and over the line for medals and scones.

Overall, one of the best marathons I've run. Great people, amazing route and a hearty challenge.