Race Report - Dragons Back
By Barry Evans
Prelude
I arrive at the Millenium bus station in Cardiff to be greeted by a friendly Dragon’s Back volunteer with a clipboard, the first of many who I would encounter in the coming days. A lot of volunteers apply to work at the race each year, but the demand outweighs the need and many applications are unsuccessful. There is a buzz of excitement in the air, people standing in small groups with their 15kg kit bags, some popping to the local Tesco Express to get coffee and supplies.
The busses arrive and we’re soon on our way to Conwy where the race will start tomorrow morning, the journey’s going to take about 5 hours, so I try to get some sleep. I’d slept badly last night, partly because I wasn’t in my own bed and secondly in anticipation for what was to come, so I try to get some shut eye. I drift in and out of consciousness as I overhear others catching up and chatting about, well running!
The bus comes to a stop in a small Welsh village and the driver explains we’ll get going again in about 45 mins. Everybody gets off the bus and heads across the car park towards the town center to get lunch and cram in as much extra calories as possible. We board the bus again, arriving in Conwy at about 15:30. The registration area is set just below the castle walls and we are ushered across the car park towards a large blue inflatable arch sponsored by Scarpa. Once inside I head over to the info tent to collect my blister treatment kit, which rather worryingly is decorated with gory pictures of all the blisters you might get during the course of the event! With my blister kit in hand, I head for the registration tent.
Although everyone is friendly and we are there under our own duress, it feels somewhat like we are at a prisoner processing unit. We all queue up along the left-hand side of the tent in single file whilst we wait to visit a series of tables to be “processed”. First, we are issued with a wrist band and a bar code, to be used by the event team to check us in and out of the start and finish locations each day. We are then given large labels to stick on our kit bags, so they know whose is whose. Then onto kit check. Due to being a mountain race the Dragon’s Back has an extensive mandatory kit list, including compass, map, survival bag, gloves, hat, waterproof jacket with taped seems, waterproof trousers, 300g synthetic warm layer with hood and so on. I successfully pass kit check then onto the next table to get my GPS tracker fitted. Each participant is fitted with a GPS tracker which primarily acts as a safety device, it has an SOS button you can press in emergencies and secondly links to the Open Tracking website so friends and family can track your progress. It gives me piece of mind knowing people will know where I am, whilst running in the mountains; especially when I find myself on my own for extended periods. With my GPS tracker fitted I then collect my race number and head to the medical table where my friend Nikki Sommers is waiting. Nikki is the race’s medical director and her and her team are responsible for looking after all of the race participants. They’re doing a survey on ultra runners and she asks me if I have signed up. Finally, onto the mug shots, the photos that will be used on the Open Tracking website. Turns out I was half blinking when the photo was taken, so everyone was looking at a picture of me looking like I’ve just come home from a rave!
Now for the moment of truth, it’s time to drop off my bag which will be transported ahead of me each evening. There is a strict 15kg weight limit and after spending about a week packing my bag, I then had to spend the next few days getting rid of stuff to bring it under the weight limit! I’d previously read that the event team is strict on this limit and that only the weight that counts is the one on their scales. So, despite having weighed my bag 100 times at home, I was still nervous I’d be too heavy. 15.1Kg. “That will do”, replies the smiling volunteer as I sigh a breath of relief.
I now have 30 mins before my race briefing slot, so decide to go for my free welcome meal. My first taste of camp food and I am suitably impressed. The event organisers have opted for a vegan menu, mainly for environmental reasons, but the food is tasty and plentiful.
It’s now about 7pm and I know I have an early start tomorrow. I head up the hill past the castle towards my Airbnb. The Airbnb was booked by my friend Tim who was supposed to be doing the race with me, but due to a couple of injuries and then contracting Coronavirus, he missed too many training blocks and had to defer. Despite the Airbnb not being in my name I manage to locate the key box and check in with no issues. A quick visit to the local shop to buy coffee, Crunchy Nut Hazelnut & Chocolate Granola and water for the morning and I’m in bed by 9pm. Not that I could sleep!
Day one
Conwy Castle to Nant Gwynant
49km (30.5 miles) | 3800m (12,467ft)
4am and my alarm sounds. It’s race day! I hurry around the small and cozy Airbnb, showering, the last for 6 days! Eating my breakfast, packing my race vest and filling my water bottles. With my race pack on my back and support drop bag in hand I head down the cobbled street towards the castle. It’s dark and I’m struggling to see where I’m going, but follow other runners as they appear from the side streets. We arrive at the castle car park where we hand in our support bags. The support bags are transported ahead of us each day and available on the course, so are generally filled with extra food and items required for foot care. Mine has six bags of ready salted crisps and some K-tape. Plus, some other items that were too heavy for my main bag. With my support bag dropped off I head though the gift shop and inside the castle walls.
As I approach the castle walls, I can hear the haunting tones of the Welsh Male Voice Choir echo inside the walls creating a real sense of occasion. It’s busy and there’s a long line of us queuing to get inside. Once inside I proceed to the back, I want to find some space so I can take it all in and enjoy the atmosphere. There’s a large gantry with a big red digital clock lighting up the sky. Above us on top of the castle walls, spectators, family and friends have gathered. There’s mainly silence now, punctuated with the odd shout of “GO ON MARK!” or “YOU CAN DO IT SARAH!” from the walls above.
“Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one!” and we’re off. I press start on my watch, there is no way if I’m running 240 miles this week it’s not going on Strava! I start to follow the procession of people under the gantry, through the gift shop and out up onto the castle walls. The Dragon’s Back Race has a ceremonial start, so before you actually get going you do a lap of the castle walls and go up and down some steep windy spiral staircases. Once we’ve finished the processional lap we head out of Conwy and up a steep hill, after a mile or so, we turn right onto a footpath and head up onto the moors.
On the Dragon’s Back Race you need to visit a number of checkpoints, these checkpoints also have guidance times and cut-off times, based on setting off at 6am. The guidance times are just that, guides. But if you arrive at a manned checkpoint after a cut-off time, that’s it, you’re out. When I’d recced this day, I was behind the cut-off times, so I am very conscious I need to be moving at a quick enough pace for that not to happen again. I arrive at CP1 10 minutes ahead of the guidance time, not a lot of time to spare but at least I wasn’t behind.
The next section of the route is a slow long climb up over the central Carnedd ridge, with the final summit being Pen Yr Ole Wen. I know this part of the route well as it was part of the Ultra Trail Snowdonia race I did in 2022. Up over Pen Y Ole Wen, the route now usually follows the side of a river down to the Ogwen Valley, however the river is much larger that I have seen it in the past and the path and fast flowing body of water are now as one. There’s no other option but to descend amongst the fast-flowing water heading downwards towards the valley. It’s a tricky descent and no one has dry feet at the end. Relieved to now be off the mountain there is a small flat road section leading to the first day’s support point. The support point is the one point each day where you get access to your drop bag and an opportunity to restock on food and drink. As we approach the support point volunteers record our race numbers so they have our bags ready on arrival. The gantry with the red clock has been relocated from the start, and it’s now reading 12:09:01. I’m 50 mins ahead of guidance time. After a quick refuel, I move quickly on, I know what’s coming up and this is probably the most technical part of the route. I reach back for my poles and start the long steep climb towards the summit of Tryfan. After about 30 mins of climbing the ground starts to become rockier and steeper. The final part of the accent is too steep for poles so I put them back in my quiver and continue to climb now using my hands to pull myself up over the huge boulders in front of me. After about another 20 minutes of climbing I arrive at the summit to be greeted by a mountain rescue volunteer waiting at the top. We exchange pleasantries, and then he kindly points at a sharp rock on the horizon, suggesting I head that way for the easiest route off the top.
The descent off Tryfan is slow and technical, as you have to climb over and down large rock formations. There’s a small amount of runnable path at the bottom, before then having to head up another steep ascent, this one covered in scree, which makes for another slow ascent as it keeps slipping under foot. After a long, slow and arduous climb, we now head back down, towards Pen y Pass. Our support point is at a local youth hostel, where there’s a café. I grab a bottle of coke and a Snickers, and fill my water bottles. There’s a group of mountain rescue volunteers here too and one of them comments it’s going to be cold on the next section, so I grab a warm layer from my bag and place it on the table. Before sorting out the rest of my kit and heading out the checkpoint. I cross the road and start to make my way up the Pyg track. I’m thinking it’s going to get colder as I climb and decide to put on my warm layer now. “Bugger!” I exclaim to myself as I realise it’s still on the table at the youth hostel! I quickly turn around and run back, only to have to repeat that section again after retrieving my top.
Now for Crib Goch, gulp! Crib Goch is a grade one scamble over a knife edge ridge. I’ve not been over Crib Goch before, as when I had recced this part of the route, I was behind schedule and decided to cut it out. I have however watched lots of videos and I’m not going to lie I am slightly anxious at this point. Not helped by the fact it’s now wet and I’ve tired legs. We start on the Pyg track, a well-known route to summit Snowdonia, then after about a mile, fork right, through a fence and pass a sign that reads “EXTREME: Technical Route. Suitable for: Route for experienced and very fit mountaineers with good technical skills.” Eeek, there is no going back now! The first part of the ascent is near vertical and you have to use your hands and legs to pull yourself up, there’s no obvious route, but fortunately there are a few other runners in front, so I try to follow them. As we climb higher, we can see the orange jacket of another mountain rescue volunteer. He’s sitting at the top of the first pinnacle and we climb up and over the top to reach him. Crib Coch is made up of three pinnacles that form a knife edge ridge with steep drops each side. The only way to get across it is to step down to the side of one of the steep drops and then use your hands on the top of the ridge to hold on for dear life. It’s a precarious section and I stop a couple of times to have a word with myself. “Just keep moving, you’ll be fine”. Though my legs have a different idea! After a nervous 15 minutes or so, we make it to the final pinnacle, where another volunteer points us toward the best route to descend.
The final part of today’s route takes us over the top of Snowdon, fortunately we’ve gained most of the elevation already on Crib Coch, so after not much more climbing we arrive at the summit of Mount Snowdon or as the locals call it Yr Wyddfa. When we arrive at the summit the café’s still open at the top, but it’s been a long day and I just want to get back to camp now. The final section of day one involves a climb up Gallt y Wenallt, which is just south west of Snowdon and then you traverse down off the mountain down some single-track grassy paths, which gets quite steep and treacherous towards the end, with many folks slipping over. It’s just starting to get dark as we arrive in camp and I feel sorry for the other runners as I realise they are going to be doing the final descent in the dark.
Once in camp I’m greeted by a volunteer who shows me to my tent, number 29. This would be my “home” for the next 5 days. She explains that there is a river where I can wash and to follow the red flags. I quickly grab my stuff and head for the river. It’s now dark and the river is deep and fast flowing. I jump in still wearing my trainers and try to wash as best I can, but I don’t have soap! I don’t stay in long as it’s cold, but I feel slightly fresher when I get out. It’s now about 9pm and I still need to eat, dry my wet clothes, charge my electronic devices, inflate my sleeping mat and sort out my running vest and nutrition for tomorrow. I quickly realise I’m not going to have much “spare time” in camp this week! I get all that done and off to bed by about 10:30pm. There’s noise in other tents and people snoring, but I’m pretty tired so manage to get some snippets of sleep.
Day two
Nant Gwynant to Dolgellau
59km (36.5 miles) | 3000m (9,842ft)
It's 4am and as I wake, I can hear a chorus of alarms, I’m not the only one who thinks they’re going to need two hours to get ready! I undo the valve on my inflatable bed and reach for my stuff. I’ve packed freezer bags with K-tape and clean socks for each day. Whilst still in my sleeping bag I tape the “hot spots” on my feet using blue K-tape, before putting on two pairs of socks and my second set of running clothes. The nice feeling of having dry feet and clean socks is abruptly ended when I have to put my wet running shoes on from yesterday. One of the event rules is that you have to leave your running shoes outside of the tent!
Wet shoes donned; I head for the main tent with my bag. I find a free place on a communal table to grab some breakfast. I also go to the info desk to see if I’ve got any Dragon Mail. Dragon Mail is a system where people can send you messages via the Open Tracking website. It turns out my wife Carla has posted about my escapades on Facebook, so it turns out I have quite a lot of messages of support! These messages give me a real boost, and that along with a hot breakfast and I am ready for the day ahead!
As we set off through the starting gates, it’s pretty close to 6am. My plan is to leave as close to 6am as I can each day. There’s a hard cut-off at the end of the day at 10pm so I figure leaving at 6am, will give me the best possible chance of not getting timed out. My legs feel a bit tired, but they’re still moving and the first section is on road and gently downward. The kind terrain doesn’t last for long and we’re soon at the base of Cnicht, a Matterhorn-shaped mountain, standing proud above the Glaslyn Valley. A queue of runners’ form as we start the long slow ascent. It’s not uncommon to find yourself queuing on the Dragon’s Back, particularly at the start of the day when the pack is more condensed. After about an hour of climbing we reach the rocky summit. The descent off Cnicht is very steep and due to all the rain we’ve had recently is very wet and slippery. Some people gingerly side step down whilst others opt for the bum slide technique! It’s a dangerous descent with some people losing all grip completely and literally sliding down the side of the mountain at a considerable speed, on a few occasions I wondered if they would stop at all! I’m more careful in my approach and it takes a bit longer.
The next section takes us across some boggy marshland, there is no clear path and the terrain means it’s slow going, another out and back ascent and then we head down through a path of tall ferns towards the Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railway. The route crosses the railway tracks and then you follow it down towards Maentwrog, the location of today’s water point. I arrive at Maentwrog at 10:50am, 30 mins ahead of guidance and 1h 30m ahead of cut off. I’m happy with that, but I don’t want to rest on my laurels so quickly fill my water bottles and keep moving.
After the water station we cross a main road, then start a long uphill climb on tarmac. Although we’re climbing again, it’s a nice change to be on the road. This bit of the route is new for 2024 and takes you across a series of summits on the Cambrian Way. We’re soon off road again and traversing a grassy field at the base of Moelfryn, the route then takes us up over Moel Y Gyrafolen, Foel Penolau, and Moel Ysgyfarnogod. This part of the route is described on alltrails.com as “a highly challenging route” and it doesn’t disappoint! By the time I arrive at the day two support point, I’ve lost a significant amount of time and I leave that checkpoint only 40 mins before the cut-off. 40 mins is nothing out here and I’m closer to the cut-off than I’m comfortable with.
I leave the support point with a sense of urgency; I’d better get my arse into gear if I want to get to the end of day two before cut-off! Unfortunately for me, we have another 14 miles to go including 4000 ft of climbing across the Rhinogs, which are reputed to be some of the roughest, wildest and most remote mountains in Wales. Despite trying to move with purpose I’m now tired and a group of people who left the support point after me have now caught up. I decide as they pass me that I need to stick with them, so as they pass, I speed up a bit and tag along. I end up chatting with a girl who lives in San Francisco, but was born in Poole hospital, small world! I stick with this group for the steep and arduous climbs over the Rhinogs, but on the final descent I’m tired and they pull away. I’m on my own again now, tired, but still moving. The final section of day two is along a track and a then a road, for about 5 miles. It’s starting to get dark so I stop to get my head torch out and this is where things start to get “interesting”. I didn’t sleep well the night before in Conwy, nor particularly well at the first night’s camp and as my headtorch reflects off the trees I start to see faces and what appears to be the “No Fear” logo, complete with eyes, graffitied onto a tree trunk!
Despite the mild hallucinations I make it to the day two finish. Tonight, there is only a shallow stream, its cold and I wash my legs as best I can. When I get back to the tent, I’m surprised to see that the person I’m sharing with isn’t there. We’re put up in 8-man tents with 4 small sectioned “rooms”, it’s a bit “cozy” lying next to someone you don’t know, I could really do with a bit of extra space! I’m awoken when he comes back later and starts to blow up his inflatable bed. It’s now 11:15pm, so I’m guessing he missed the 10pm cut-off!
After another fairly disturbed night’s sleep and my alarm sounds at 4am. I start my morning routine. Feet taped, running gear on, camping stuff packed and I head to the main marquee where I get some breakfast and check my Dragon Mail. I’m surprised when the girl behind the desk hands me a long sheet of paper with all my messages, eleven messages no less! I had visions of asking for my Dragon Mail and because I’d got so many messages yesterday, there being none! I’m both surprised and grateful for all the support I’m receiving and it’s a great start to each day reading all the messages from friends and family, whilst eating my breakfast.
Day three
Dolgellau to Ceredigion
65km (40.3 miles) | 2800m (9,186ft)
Off to kit check and to drop my bag off and I head off through the start gates shortly after 6am. The distance increases to about 40 miles today, without much let up on the elevation, so it’s going to be another long day in the office. We leave Dolgellau and then start climbing almost immediately, this time heading to the summit of Cadair Idris. Cadair Idris, in the south of Snowdonia National Park is one of Wales's highest mountains. There’s the usual queue of runners, so I’m moving a bit quicker than I would normally, trying to keep up with everyone. About 2.5 hours after setting off we finally arrive at the summit. I didn’t check the guidance time, but I was pretty sure based on yesterday’s timings I didn’t have much time to spare, so I don’t hang around to enjoy the views! The descent off Idris is rocky and technical to begin with, but I try to move as best I can. However, I quickly realise how slowly I’m actually moving when the front runners come past at high speed, seemingly moving over the steep rocky terrain with no effort at all! If you’re a faster runner you’re forced to set off later in the morning, so you don’t hit the latter checkpoints too early. So, each day, usually after about three hours, a steady stream of elite athletes would pass. Thankfully as we come further down off the ascent, the pathway becomes more grassy and more runnable, the view up here is absolutely incredible and we can see all the way across to the west coast of Wales and as far as Barmouth Beach. I suddenly spot out the corner of my eye a group of runners who’ve shot off on a different path to the left. The Dragon’s Back is traditionally a navigation event, the idea being you have a number of checkpoints you need to visit in order each day. Although in more recent years, competitors are issued with a GPX file, the premise is still on the participant to make sure they go the correct way. There are also sometimes cuts, meaning a shorter route can be achieved by not following the GPX and I was pretty sure this is what was going on here! After quickly checking the map on my watch and remembering a conversation I’d overhead at breakfast I could see the footpath they were taking joined the route further up, but missed a small hill. Sod it! I thought, I’ll do them same! On retrospect I don’t think it saved me a huge amount of time, but it felt good skirting round the bottom of the hill as others climbed over and kept me amused for a while! Once down into the valley we arrive at the day’s water point. It’s 11:13am, about 15 mins ahead of guidance and 1h 30m ahead of cut off, I’m happy with that. There’s another big climb before the support point, so I top up my water and take on some more fuel. The café is open, but I’m keen to get going, so don’t go inside. The next section of the route takes us up and over Terren y Gasail, it’s not as big as some of the other mountains we’ve recently climbed and only stands a modest 2100 ft from see level. Once up and over here the route takes us down through a forest track into Machynlleth a market town in Powys. As we approach Machynlleth we’re now largely running on roads and footpaths, it’s a nice relief to be running on something a bit flatter and drier than on rocks and through bogs! I also realise that not only is this the sleepy village where the bus stopped enroute to Conwy, but it’s where the famous Spar shop is! I’d be watching a number of YouTube videos on the lead up to the event and on day three you always see runners going into a shop for supplies. After a bit more pavement plodding, I finally arrive at the Spar. It’s full of runners that haven’t washed properly for three days and I feel sorry for the staff. I was craving something savory, but bizarrely leave with a Snickers and Chocomel! Sugary snacks in hand, I proceed to the support point, which is about a mile up the road. I’m pretty tired by the time I arrive at the support point and I enjoy sitting down for a few minutes, but as always, I’m aware of time, so don’t stay sat down for long! I leave the support point 1h 45m ahead of cut-off, which I’m happy with but still keen to try and move with purpose. I might even get a bit of extra time in camp tonight!
We climb out of Machynlleth on a narrow pathway up towards Bryn Moel. I can hear rumbling in the sky and before I know it a pair of fighter jets shoot across the sky, they are very low and extremely loud. This keeps me entertained for the next 30 mins or so as they repeatedly traverse the sky from all different angles. I later found out this is called the Mach Loop and its regularly used for low-level flight training by the Air Force. The route is now undulating and considering we are on day three I feel like I am moving pretty well, as the day proceeds, I’m getting more and more excited about the prospect of some extra time in camp. Mainly because it will give me a bit more time to recover! Unfortunately, this is short lived, the next bit of the route looked easy on paper, but in reality, it was far from. It follows the Nant y Llyn river and I can honestly say it’s some of the hardest going terrain I have ever tried to cross. There is no obvious path, just a series of large ankle bending tussocks, grass that is thicker or longer than the grass growing around it, broken up by deep boggy holes of water. I’m not sure how long this section took, but it felt like it went on for hours! This section was concluded by a steep climb up Pumlumon, the highest point in mid-Wales. By the time I’d reached the summit, thanks to those energy sapping tussocks I was closer to 1h ahead cut-off, on the plus side we were greeted by an awesome view with the sun just starting to peak beneath the clouds. On the downside, it would mean we’d be doing the final section in the dark again. After a slow final few miles, I arrived back in camp. Another “wash” in a shallow stream, dinner, kit sorted and off too bed. Tonight was noticeably colder and I was regretting opting for my lightweight sleeping bag!
Day four
Through the Elan Valley
69km (43 miles) | 2300m (7,546ft)
It's 4am again and this seems like my new norm now, although the taping of my feet is now taking longer. In fact, I can probably see more blue from the tape on my feet at this point that I can see the skin! Although we need to run another 43 miles today, the terrain is looking a little kinder and we’ve only got to climb 7500 ft. Regardless, I’m out through the start gates again at 6am, I’d feel very foolish if I left later one morning only to get timed out at the end of the day. We start with a small climb, although there’s still the usual queue of folks, it seems quieter today and I think to myself a lot of people must have dropped out by now. We then climb downward on a steep hiker trail towards Blaen Mynerit and then back up towards Cefn Croes. Cefn Croes is a plateau covered with humongous wind turbines. The route takes us directly under them and it’s quite a surreal experience. Not only do they tower way above our heads, but the giant blades are spinning at quite some speed and as blades cut through the air, they create mini vortexes, which in turn creates a weird whistling sound. It felt a bit like being in a Sci-fi movie or maybe that was just the lack of sleep!
We’re now officially out of the Snowdonia National Park and the terrain is noticeably different. As we head out of the wind farm, the track opens up. It’s slightly downhill and easy under foot, so I try to speed up a bit to make the most of it. The runnable terrain continues for a few miles and things feel like they’re going well until all of a sudden, I get a sharp pain in my right toe. I have no idea what’s just happened, but it feels like either a blister has just burst under my toe nail or I’ve broken my toe. I can no longer run and I hobble for a few yards thinking “what am I going to do? I still have 30 miles left until the end of the day!” and I’m certainly not planning on going out on day four, for an injury to my toe! I decide to stop and inspect the damage. I sit on the side of the track and remove my shoes and socks. The reality is, I can’t see anything as I already have a lot of blue tape on this foot, including on my damaged toe. So, I decided rather than trying to take the tape off, to down some pain killers, stick some more tape over the top and crack on! I’m doing more of a hobble run now, but as I approach the Craig-yr-allt gôch Reservoir I can hear spectators ahead, which makes me pick up my feet a bit. The pain lasted about 60 minutes and then subsided. I still to this day don’t know what happened, but fortunately it wasn’t the end of my Dragon’s Back experience. As we pass the reservoir there are a group of Mountain Rescue volunteers, they inform us as we pass that there’s been reports of thunder and lightning ahead, but no route changes planned at the moment. That’s about all I can remember from day four, I blame the lack of sleep. But what I do know is I got back to camp at 20:04, the earliest I’ve arrived back so far, just as well really as day five is looking like a bit of beast!
Day five
Into the Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) National Park
71km (44.1 miles) | 3200m (10,499ft)
4am (again!) and I awake thinking “Wow! I have made it to the start of day five!”. I keep thinking to myself, if I can get through this, I’ve got it in the bag. However, not only is day five the longest at 44 miles, but also has a whopping 10500 ft vert and I’ll be starting it on very tired legs! The start of the route today is quite kind and although there is a little bit of climbing, the route is on mainly road and well-trodden paths. We even run through a small town with a bakery at around mile 6! Although unfortunately I’m too focused on getting day five in the bag to enjoy a pastry or slice of pizza as many of the other runners do. I pop in for a quick bottle of coke and continue towards the Brecon Beacons. I know from my recent recces, what’s coming up! There’s quite a lot of other runners around me and I ask a few of them what time they finished yesterday to get an idea of the kind of pace they run at, a few reply 17:00 or 18:00, so I’m really happy, I’m moving at a reasonable rate! We now start to head towards our first big climb of the day, Fan Brycheiniog. The route’s mainly on grass paths now, but as we get closer to the top it becomes rockier and more technical. As the terrain changes, my pace is noticeably slower. I find technical terrain tough at the best of times and its doubly hard on tired legs. I’m not aware of the cut-off times at each checkpoint, but I do know I have to leave the main support point by 13:45. Although I feel like I am moving ok and I’ve managed to buffer some time from this morning, every time we come over a summit I expect to see the support point in the valley below, there is always yet another massive hill in front of me. I eventually get to the support point at 13:18, 1h 27 minutes ahead cut-off and 27 minutes ahead of guidance, however that was the “easy” part of the day! I have a quick sit down, eat my bag of ready salted crisps and leave the support point promptly. I’m really trying to move with purpose now, but to say the next climb is steep would be a massive understatement, it’s also wet and slippery underfoot, which makes it very slow-going. I continue moving forwards as best I can, one hill at a time, but I’m pretty tired by now and that’s when I get a message from Carla “You need to pick up your pace if at all possible Xxxxxxx”. Carla has been tracking me on the OpenTracking website, which has estimated times of arrival and she has realised that if I keep moving at my current pace, I’m going to be cutting it very close to the water point cut off at Pen y Pass, at 18:00. “Oh shit!” I think to myself. I’m already struggling and now I need to move even faster. “Well”, I think to myself, “I have not just been through what I have, to go out on day 5!”, So like a crazed maniac I start trying to run the downs and power hike the ups as best I can. As I spot people in front of me, I make a game of trying to catch and overtake them. The next couple of hours are tough and I need to stay focused, but thankfully the approach works out and I arrive at the water point at 17:18, just 42 minutes from cut-off! Needless to say, that it would have been a lot closer if Carla had not messaged me. The only slight issue, I’m now completely spent and I still have the largest peaks of the Beacon’s to go!
As I start the long climb up Pen y Fan, I soon realise it’s flying ant day! Needless to say, swarms of flying ants and sticky sweaty skin are not a good combo! Thankfully as we get higher up the mountain, the conditions are not as favorable for the ants and they soon disappear! The ascent to the top of Pen y Fan via Corn Du takes about an hour, and then onto Criybn and then Fan y Big, which doesn’t translate who you’d expect, but none the less was a good test for my Internet filter! Although having now completed most of the elevation and expecting to speed up, that isn’t the case, so much so that it’s now getting dark. Although I’ve finished a few times in the dark before, I havn’t still been on the side of a mountain in the pitch black before, the wind is also howling and to be honest I can’t wait to get down! The trouble with being out when it gets dark is it slows you even more, so what in the daylight would have been a tricky descent, is very challenging in the dark. I eventually get to the final checkpoint at about 21:00, thinking an hour is loads of time to get to the finish. Unbeknown to me this was the rockiest, gnarliest footpath known to man. I am literally having to climb over rocks and boulders in the dark to find my way through. The last section which looked like it should take about 10 minutes, takes me 35. I eventually arrive in camp at 21:35, only 25 minutes away from the cut-off! But I did it, I completed day five! I can barely walk now and I hobble round camp to get myself sorted. My legs are caked in mud, but I don’t even bother washing tonight, I’m too tired and I know that tomorrow night I’ll be able to have a hot bath and sleep in my own bed! I’ve been telling myself all day that I just need to get through today and then I’ll be fine, but it’s now just starting to dawn on me that I still have to run 40 miles tomorrow! I try to get some sleep, but both my hips are hurting and I just can’t get comfortable, I even opt for lying on the floor next to my inflatable mat at one point, but that still doesn’t help and I don’t get much sleep!
Day six
To Cardiff Castle
65km (40.3 miles) | 1300m (4,265ft)
After a very restless night, I wake again at 4am to start my new morning routine for the last time! I can’t stop thinking about seeing Carla and the girls in Cardiff later on today. Although it’s been an awesome experience, I am keen to get going today and to get this job done. Just 40 miles now stands in between me and becoming a Dragon! I set off though the gantry at 06:00:59, there’s no time to waste. We start as usual with a climb, but the terrain is much gentler now and we’re on a wide well frequented track. After about an hour of climbing we start to descend on smooth grassy tracks, which are pretty runnable and before we know it, we are running on a shared cycle/footpath. Although it’s slightly downhill which under normal circumstance should be easily runnable. I’m starting to struggle, so opt for 0.8 miles of running, followed by 0.2 walking. I continue this for a while and before I know it, I’m running through the centre of Merthyr Tydfil. It seems strange being in such a built-up area after spending the last 5 days running through the wilderness. As if it wasn’t strange enough now running through a town, I soon find myself inadvertently joining the Merthyr Tydfil park run, with the other runners and marshals applauding as we pass. I find this quite amusing and it helps pass the time. As we leave Merthyr we’re offroad again for the final rural section before Cardiff, a mini climb up Mynydd Cilfach yr Encil, at a mere 1460 ft, then down to the day’s support point. I can hear a lot of noise and commotion as I approach the support point and it turns out the leading lady is just behind. There’s a large group of Hatchling runners that are being held until the leading lady passes. The Hatchling event is a shorter route for those runners timed out of the main event and today they’re starting at the support point and running to Cardiff. I have a quick sit down and fill my water bottles, and just as I am leaving the leading lady, Jo Meek arrives. It feels like quite an achievement getting to the final support point of the event and I now have my eyes firmly set on Cardiff. Not long after I leave the support point, Jo passes me. She too looked tired, but she was moving a bit faster than me and soon disappeared into the distance. Shortly after that the large group of hatchlings that had been held at the support point start to pass, I try to keep up, but their legs are clearly fresher than mine. You can tell that we are now approaching a large city and in contrast to the unspoilt territory we’d been enjoying on previous days, there are now signs of litter and fly-tipping. I’ll be honest the last bit of the run isn’t particularly scenic or enjoyable, but the thought of seeing Carla and the girls at the finish line is enough to keep me going. The final section of the route takes us along the side of the river Taff, it is covered in trees and not as built up as I was expecting. This bit literally feels like it is taking hours, and I’m concerned I am leaving everyone waiting around at the finish line. I also don’t want to arrive at Cardiff after most of the spectators have gone home. A combination of running and walking and I eventually have the castle in my sights. A volunteer is waiting and directs me though the castle walls, I turn the corner, and I can see the large gantry with a big red digital clock we’d run under at the start in Conwy. This seems like a life time ago now! I muster up as much energy as I can to run the final few yards, and as I passed the crowds, I spot Carla and the girls waiting and cheering. My dad has also made a surprise visit to see me at the finish, which was a super nice surprise. I’ve done it! I’ve completed the Dragon’s Back! Not only one of the UK’s hardest races, but considered to be one of the toughest mountain races in the world!
Final Thoughts
After catching up with Carla and the girls, I enjoyed a finishers meal and then went on stage to collect my Dragon! Sitting in a multi-storey car park in Cardiff at 10:00pm that night eating KFC would have normally been quite an unremarkable experience, but in reality, it was amazing. Relishing in my sense of achievement and knowing that I didn’t have to do it all again tomorrow! But I guess that’s why I do these crazy events, yes, they’re hard, but the feeling you get from doing them ultimately outweighs the bad bits and gives you a healthy sense of perspective.
