New day 5 and 6 routes for the 2021 Dragon’s Back Race® finally revealed!
“Those first glimpses of the sea and the coast… it’s really quite captivating.
And it all starts to make sense... I am running the length of Wales!
And when you first see Cardiff Castle, you think... yeah of course, this is the place to finish the Dragon’s Back Race!”
- Race Director Shane Ohly after finishing his final recce of day 6
The Ourea Events team have revealed the highly anticipated new routes for day 5 and 6 of the 2021 Montane Dragon’s Back Race® to hundreds of excited ‘Dragons in Training’ in a special online webinar.
The 2021 event adds a sixth day to the race the first time, which will see participants finish at the iconic Cardiff Castle. The overall journey now covers 380km of distance and 17,400m of ascent, offering participants the chance to experience the complete journey down the mountainous spine of Wales.
After months of planning and extensive time on the ground to check out all the route options, we are very excited to finally share with you here all the details of the new routes for day 5 and 6 - It promises to be a very special and mountainous journey towards that grand finish at Cardiff Castle!
Day Five | 70km (43.5 miles) | 3200m (10,499ft)
Rural South Wales beckons but the sting in the Dragon’s tail is a traverse from The Black Mountain to the Brecon Beacons!
South Wales’ answer to the jagged mountains of Snowdonia is the distinctive northern scarp and flat-topped profiles of the Brecon Beacons National Park. The route undulates eastwards before satisfyingly traversing the six main peaks of the Brecon Beacons (Bannau Brycheiniog), including South Wales’ highest peak Pen y Fan, then veering off to our final remote overnight camp just shy of the Talybont Reservoir. It’s another monster mountain day and likely to be the crux of the race for many participants.
Explore further the beautiful Brecon Beacons National Park on the new day 5 ©No Limits Photography
Day Six | 63km (39 miles) | 1300m (4,265ft)
The capital of Wales awaits! Leaving the Brecon Beacons National Park and diving into the South Wales Valleys.
The ‘Valleys’ literally powered the industrial revolution in the UK with heavy industries like steel, iron and coal production. The landscape and communities still bear the scars, but there remains an undeniable beauty to the rugged and sweeping hillsides. Our route weaves through this landscape combining the best paths and trails leading to Cardiff, the capital city of Wales.
After 380km of Welsh mountains, arrival at Cardiff Castle promises to be a very special moment!