The Return Of The Dragon

20 SEP2011

20 years after its inaugural event, the Dragon's Back Race will finally regain its place as one of the toughest mountain competitions in the running calendar. Organised for September 2012, the 20th anniversary of the first ever race, the course follows the mountainous spine of Wales southwards, a distance of over 200 miles.

Closely following the original route, the race will start at Conwy Castle in the north and finish at Carreg Cennen five days later. With an ascent totalling 45,000 ft, more than one and a half times the size of Mount Everest, competitors will be required to use skilful navigation as they traverse the rocky mountains of Wales.

Course champions in 1992, Martin Stone and Helene Diamantides completed the gruelling 5 days of running in 38 hours and 38 minutes. The pair beat the top British and US mountain runners, three times Spartathlon winner Rune Larsson, and Stefan Schlett, the world's most prolific endurance runner, to victory. Of the 32 pairs who started the race, only 16 finished.

Event organiser Shane Ohly said applicants would need to be experienced in mountain and endurance running, as well as navigation, before they would be considered for a slot in next year's race. Despite its recent re-launch, the event has already received over 100 enquires from all over the world.

Ohly, who is also a long distance mountain runner, revealed that he plans to tackle the Dragon's Back as soon as possible, commenting, "I want to run the whole route myself during the planning stages, both for my own satisfaction and so that I can look every competitor in the eye... and dismiss any of their moans about the enormity of the challenge!"

On the revival of the event, Ohly explained, "Conceptually, the Dragon's Back Race is close to my heart as a pure mountain running experience. The original race route was a classic and I will be true to that." The endurance driven ethos and challenging terrain of the event gives the impression that it will regain its classic standing in the running calendar.

If you feel like you would like to compete in the return of the Dragon's Back Race, visit the event website.