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Route Overview |
Runners will encounter a wide variety of terrain, including sandy and pebble beaches, steep cliff top paths, headlands, rocky coves, sand dunes, farmland fields, sections of forest and quaint seaside fishing villages.
The route is predominately trail, but there are small sections of public road, although these tend to be quiet country roads. There are also gates and stiles to negotiate throughout the length of the course.
Elevation
Although there is over 13,000ft / 4,000m of vertical ascent over the course, the route involves fairly low level running, with the highest point being Holyhead Mountain 720ft (220m). The graphs below display the elevation throughout the course over the three days:
Course Markings
The route is marked by Anglesey Coastal Path signposts, which come in different forms but always display the Tern and yellow arrow which are the guides on this route - see the examples below.
Dedicated Ring O' Fire signs will mark the route to the night's accommodation and any diversions.
While the route is well signposted, there are occasional areas where it can become unclear, for instance when travelling through large fields or areas of woodland. You also may find sections where signposts are hard to spot, especially at night when tiredness creeps in and visibility is limited. See our Hazards page for advice on night-time navigation.
Maps and navigation
The route is detailed on our downloadable Map Pack.
Note the 2024 map pack will only be made available around two weeks before the start of the race to allow for any last minutes route diversions.
We encourage the use of the traditional map and compass for navigation and the final route will be that detailed on the 2024 maps. Indicative GPX route profiles for both the Ring O' Fire and Firelighter can be downloaded below:
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GPX file for Firelighter 2024 |
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GPX file for Ring O' Fire 2024 |
Please note these are only indicative and the official and finalised route is that detailed on our 2024 map pack.
While advanced navigational skills are not necessary, a basic level of navigation competency is required. Runners are advised to carry a map, compass and GPS device.
A degree of self-sufficiency, the ability to look after yourself and make sound judgement calls is mandatory. This is not a race where we hold your hand and offer full support all the way around. Checkpoints can have many miles between them and the terrain is challenging. The weather can change quickly and you could face many hours running through the night in cold, wet and windy weather conditions.
Aside from our map packs and the GPX files, we recommend the Ordnance Survey Maps of Anglesey West and East (1:25,000) or Hardy Anglesey Coastal Path XT40 (1:40,000).
More information on the Isle of Anglesey Coastal Path is available at the Isle of Anglesey Council website.
What do people say about us?
"My very 1st ultra and the only time in my life I've gone over a marathon distance. To say I'm overjoyed not only to complete but to finish highly is a understatement."
Past Ring O' Fire finisher