Good News for 2019 - the Portland Coastal Marathon will become a UTMB qualifying race 
Portland Coastal Marathon 2019 = 1 point :) 

Right then, before we start, lets not sugar coat this race as a dreamy affair that everyone can do, it’s not, simple as that.

The half is hard, The Full is harder! have a read of Grant Vernon’s (Thanks Grant for the honesty) Full Distance race report here for some truth on what to expect.

A brief overview for you – Kangaroos (RD EDIT - They’re not, they’re Wallabies! :) ) prison, lighthouse, boulders, quarries, mud, cliffs, gnarly descents and slogging ascents….Bustinskin’s Portland Coastal Marathon has everything except PBs! This is a marathon of 27ish miles, 2400ish feet ascent on an out and back route. The Half is Just over 13.5 miles.

Brief review of the marathon (scored between 1 and 5 with 5 being the most awesome)

Organisation: 5 (lots of marshals, good route marking)

Location:5 (nice race HQ, free parking, showers, awesome views)

Terrain:4 (drop a point because out and back route)

Value for money:5 (early bird)

Bling and stuff:5 (t-shirt, buff-thing, medal, well stocked drinks stations)

Total:24/25

This is a brilliant, well organised event. Fully sign posted and plenty of well stocked aid stations along the route. Lots of friendly marshals including some that are running amongst you in yellow tabards, a very neat touch. A finishers medal, a buff-type thing and a t-shirt make this a great value for money event. With early bird entry of £30 this should be on your to-do list of races.  

**Word of warning for those who skimp on reading race instructions, this race has a mandatory kit list. Spot checks occur (including checking ALL the top 10 finishers). Skip carrying the kit, DQ is your prize.

This is a No Kit NO Race event, please read all of the information before entering, you will have random spot checks of your mandatory kit, if you are found not to have it you will be DQ'd - this is for your own and others safety and it really isn't very much to carry.

MANDATORY KIT 

It's called "Mandatory," because you must carry it with you. Yes, you can drink your fluids and eat your food. No, you may not ditch your kit with a friend or under a hedge.   All participants must carry the following mandatory kit during this race. Trail racing is hazardous, but not as hazardous as abandoning the race without a way to stay warm until help can arrive.

Kit checks will/may precede race start.

Random kit checks will/may happen during the race and finish. ALL TOP TEN FINISHERS MALE/FEMALE WILL BE CHECKED.

Participants found to be without the required kit will not be allowed to start and will not be entitled to a refund.

Finishers found to be without the required kit will be disqualified and will not be entitled to a refund.

It's a simple rule we follow, NO KIT = NO NUMBER, NO RESULT, NO REFUND.  

We randomly checked 40+ finishers in 2017 not including the top 10 - all but 1 had the correct kit - that 1 got DQ'd - don't let it be you. 

MANDATORY KIT For the Full & Half Distance

Drink container(s) of 500ml capacity or greater.

Windproof jacket - waterproof is advisable

Emergency nutrition (a gel, energy bar, some sweets, etc.)

Head covering (hat, buff, hood)

Mobile phone, waterproofed in a bag, charged, on, and with volume up

Foil blanket or full-sized bin liner

Whistle

SMALL First aid kit, including tape (micropore, zinc oxide, flexible, or similar) plasters blister plasters small wound dressing (absorbent pad with a gauze bandage)

It sounds like a lot, but it really isn't. We've had many runners able to manage it all in a very tight, light bundle.

MANDATORY KIT - does not apply to the 10k, however it is advisable to dress in the appropriate kit for the conditions.

There is a cut off time of 6 hours for the marathon – starting at 09:00 and finishing at 15:00 – the Half will have a cut off time of 4 hours and the 10k will have a 2hr cut off.

We expect you to be finished within this time scale, if you think you won’t be then please enter something else!

FREE CAR PARK - FULL USE OF FACILITIES - SHOWERS - CAFE - LOCKERS - BAG DROP AREA ALL INCLUDED.