Day 3 Leaders Galen and Jim run side by side all day
While the fastest men chose to run day three of the 2019 Berghaus Dragon's Back Race together, from start to finish, at the top of the women's leaderboard it was a day of mixed emotions.
Route and conditions
Leaving Southern Snowdonia, the runners climb up over Cadair Idris (893m) early in the day and then into the Cambrian Mountains of Mid Wales. The 71km route with 3500m of total ascent continues to be relentlessly undulating with many summits reaching heights of around 600m.
A cruel out-and-back hill section rises to 667m on Tarren y Gesail in the first half of the day, before another high point of 752m on Pen Pumlumon Fawr just before the end point at Ceredigion.
Runners almost universally welcomed the cloud cover today although temperatures were still warm.
Top two men run hand-in-hand
Jim Mann and Galen Reynolds running together on Pen y Gadair ©No Limits Photography
Day 3 results:
1=Galen Reynolds (373), Canada: 8:23:00
1=Jim Mann (479), GB: 8:23:00
Robert Barnes (20), GB: 8:28:33
Alastair Hubbard, GB: 8:50:37
Overall leaderboard:
Galen Reynolds (373), Canada: 23:41:12
Jim Mann (479), GB: 24:23:11
Robert Barnes (20), GB: 24:38:40
Konrad Rawlik (369), Poland: 25.55.39
Canadian Galen Reynolds and Brit Jim Mann chose to run side by side from start line to finish line today. Dibbing in at the end in 8:23:00 after 71kms of running, the pair were upbeat and smiling.
They both said how much they enjoyed the "more runnable" course.
Galen said: "It was awesome today. A bit longer obviously, which I kind of felt in my legs. But it was beautiful and a different terrain from the past two days so it was more runnable."
"I liked the undulating course and the descents weren't so technical. I had a great day with Jim, running and chatting."
Jim added: "Today was a great day."
It was also a strong day for Rob Barnes, who finished just five minutes slower than Galen and Jim. As he set off this morning, he said: "I am looking forward to a course that suits my experience. It is much more my type of terrain from the mountains to the trails. It is also cooler."
After the finish line, Rob added: "It was good today."
Galen remains 42 minutes ahead of Jim overall. The pair had pulled a little further away from Rob, although fourth placed Konrad Rawlik is now 1:17 behind after today's run in a time of 9:37:29.
Brit Lisa runs into 2nd place
Day 3 results:
Lisa Watson (456), GB: 9:54:17
Sabrina Verjee (448), GB: 10:15:45
Alyssa Clark (75), America: 10:21:18
Kerstin Rosenqvist, Sweden: 10:53:29
Overall leaderboard:
Sabrina Verjee (448), GB: 28:42:58 (11th overall)
Lisa Watson (456), GB: 29:04:46
Alyssa Clark (75), America: 29:17: 28
Kerstin Rosenqvist, Sweden 31:08:18
Lisa Watson on Pumlumon Fach ©No Limits Photography
Sabrina on Cadair Idris early in the day ©No Limits Photography
Alyssa Clark found the climbing a challenge today ©No Limits Photography
Lisa Watson ran the fastest time today among the ladies – and is now sitting in second position overall after day 3 of the Berghaus Dragon's Back Race 2019.
After crossing the finish line, she said: "I have had such a good day. I was running with a guy just before and we got a really good pace going. It was awesome."
"I have sore legs obviously but it is amazing what sore legs will do on the descents. The out-and-back hill was hard but then I loved the descent. It has been great out there."
In second place today was Sabrina Verjee, who described her run as particularly hard. She collapsed as she crossed the finish and while she has now recovered she said: "I had a bad morning for some reason. I was very hot, which is unusual for me. It just got harder and harder."
Sabrina holds on to her top place overall and she is 11th of all runners. She has lost a little of her lead to the second placed female but still sits 22 minutes ahead.
Running the third fastest time today and now in third place overall, American Alyssa Clark said: "The climbing was very challenging today. It was really, really steep up Cadair Idris early on.
"My feet are a little sore but that is to be expected. I was more focused today."
Swedish runner Kerstin Rosenqvist ran the fourth fastest time today in 10:53:29 and now sits in fourth place overall. Lowi Morgan has slipped back to fifth place after three days of tough running.
2019 Average Terrain Type:
| Trackless | Single Track | Double Track | Road | |
| Day 1 | 16% | 78% | 2% | 4% |
| Day 2 | 25% | 37% | 16% | 23% |
| Day 3 | 11% | 45% | 30% | 14% |
| Day 4 | 23% | 30% | 18% | 29% |
| Day 5 | 37% | 16% | 17% | 30% |
| Average | 22% | 40% | 17% | 21% |