Participants today had to dig deeper than ever before on the Montane Dragon’s Back Race®. After day 3 put runners through their paces, with participants crying and collapsing over the finish line, participants needed real grit and determination to push themselves up that first hill as they inched ever closer to the iconic Cardiff Castle.

Today took the runners over 69km of more runnable terrain as they tackled the famously remote Elan Valley. This day is famous for concluding with a brutal section of tarmac, which certainly took its toll on already tired legs. However, the runners have an excellent reason for finishing today: the chance to have a pint in the pub at the end.

Watch the Day 4 video by Steve Ashworth, Ross Brackely and Jimmy Hyland

The wet weather didn’t dampen spirits on the start line

Today the rain was coming down in droves as participants dibbed in at the start. Although there were small patches of blue sky, it was clear our dragons were in for a very wet and soggy day.

We managed to speak to a few of them as they waded through the mud on the way out of camp.

Nikki Sommers has been creeping her way up the leaderboard as the days go on, but today she was feeling a bit more apprehensive. She said, “I’m not looking forward to today. I’d rather do days 1-3 again, because of the tarmac. My gentle plod will get me through.”

Jane Gould was feeling emotional but confident on the start line. She said, “Yesterday we had a good day. More of the same. Let’s just crack on now.”

Kat was heading out on Day 4 as part of the Montane Relay. Each day a different member of Team Montane have been going out to complete a leg with the runners. Today, Kat was taking on Leg 4.

“It’s very trail-y. I’m more of a mountain runner, so it’s going to hurt, but I’m running through the pain,” she said with a laugh.

*Kat enjoyed her leg of the Montane relay ©No Limits Photography*

Simon Harrison shared his experiences of the race with us. He said, “I take it a day at a time. I thought I’d feel I’d got over the big hump by making it through day 3, but now I feel it’s a big hump the next day.”

“It’s a big, long journey. Every day is so long that the start of the day feels like a long time ago when you get to the end. We’re already 3 days in, but it feels like 3 weeks. But that’s a good thing.”

*The remote Elan Valley presented a very different challenge to previous days ©No Limits Photography*

The non-competitive runners are still enjoying an incredible experience

The Dragon has already taken its victims, with the course living up to its reputation as the world’s toughest mountain race. However, the Dragon’s Back Race is unique in that it offers participants the opportunity to stay with the race on a reduced course if they time out, meaning they don’t miss out on the incredible experience of travelling through Wales. For the 2023 event, this will be formally known as the ‘Hatchling’ course, and participants who complete this will also receive a memento when they make it to Cardiff.

Niklas Löfgren, from Sweden, was one runner who sadly had to drop out after making it in after course closure time last night. He is choosing to remain with the event on the reduced course.

He said, “I had a hard time just catching up with the people I usually run with. I had a hard time eating, and it’s tough to run and keep the pace when you can’t eat. I left a lot of checkpoints with just a 20 minutes margin. Unfortunately I struggled to the finish twenty minutes too late.”

He is determined to continue with the race and reach his final destination, however. “I’m feeling better today and I’m happy to do the half day today. I’m going to Cardiff, even if it’s not the full course.”

*Peter Huzan (left) and Niklas Löfgren (right) were enjoying continuing on the reduced course ©No Limits Photography*

Alla Bova was one of the participants starting the reduced course, after being inserted at the support point to begin the day. Despite timing out earlier in the race, she was still enjoying the Dragon’s Back Race experience. She said, “I rested well, the dinner was excellent, the tent is dry, so it’s perfect.”

She was grateful to have the opportunity to do the reduced course. She said, “I was telling everybody that it’s a great option for anyone who joins, especially when you are from far away. I want to see the route. I want to see the camps and the camaraderie. I am very happy the race organisers are offering this option. So far, it’s the only race I know that does this. I am from the United States. I don’t think we have this option. It is excellent and I’m really enjoying it.”

There were highs and lows at the support point in Elan Village

As ever, the Support Point crew were doing a wonderful job of encouraging our courageous dragons on their quest for Cardiff Castle. Part of their job is not only supporting those still running, but also providing moral support to those who had dropped out.

Today we chatted to Phil Richards, who unfortunately had to drop out after struggling to fuel. Phil nearly didn’t start the race due to an injury. She only decided six weeks ago that she was definitely going to give it a go, so hadn’t done any training. The fact she’d made it even as far as Day 4 is a testament to her mental toughness.

She said, “It’s been tough, but awesome. Just the feeling sick continually and not being able to get food in is hard. Day 1 was brutal and it was tough. Day 2 I loved – it was an awesome day. Yesterday was long.”

We asked if she fancied coming back to try again next year. She said, “It’s too early to ask. Only if I can fuel better. It’s almost an eating competition, or certainly a fuelling competition.”

*The Water Point Team spotted in their natural habitat ©No Limits Photography*

On the other hand, Jamie Maker looked incredibly strong as he came through the support point.

He said, “It’s super, super tough. Amazingly well-organised. Stunningly good. I just wasn’t expecting the weather to be such a factor. It’s dramatic in how changeable it is. I came in wanting to get an adventure and I’m definitely getting it. The camp life’s really cool – just sitting around chatting to people you’ve never met before.”

We asked him what his highlights were: “Meeting people, crossing the finish line every day with a smile, but the highlight has been all the volunteers. Honestly, the effort, the enthusiasm, the encouragement. I’ve literally never seen anything like it and I’ve done a number of big races.”

Lisa Watson was looking extremely strong as she came running through the support point with Sam Skinner and Lee Parker. She said, “I’m really enjoying it. This is really fun. I just need to stave off the post support point slump and not push it too hard on this bit.”

One of the amazing things about Lisa, is that she has a smile every step of the way. She said, “I’m just trying to enjoy myself. I’m running with these two –they’re great.”

Lisa told us about her experiences of the overnight camps. She said, “Mostly I just want to collapse on the floor and forget about it. It’s funny because you feel awful in the evening, then you get going and you think, oh my legs do work. It’s funny, because the evenings are sometimes worse because you’re dwelling on things that are hurting and your brain plays funny games with you. It’s amazing what a night of sleep and a couple of meals can do for you.”

James Nobles also looked strong as he came through the support point. He was incredibly efficient as he had his bottles filled ready to go. He said, “It’s been good. Just keep trying to find that rhythm. When I find it, I’m happy enough.”

*Sometimes the greatest support needed is moral support ©No Limits Photography*

The front of the field has seen a complete switch up

Today saw Simon Roberts overtake James Nobles to come in second place, after an incredibly strong run. He had a smile on his face today as he crossed the finish line as first man of the day. While he struggled earlier in the race, he is back with a fighting spirit, demonstrating his incredible resilience.

He said, “I felt like my old self again.”

He was met by his dog, Chase, and his mum at the support point, which certainly spurred him on. “It was great seeing the dog,” he said. “My mum, my dad, my stepdad – they were all there. It was a nice pick-me-up. That’s where I left Chris.”

Chris Cope remains in first place, but he slowed today, coming in third on the day, with Simon clawing back some of the time he lost. At the finish line, he still had a smile on his face, but admitted he was a bit “broken.”

James Nobles still had a very impressive run, but it wasn’t enough to see him beat Simon. The top three men have been working hard all week to try and gain ground on each other.

It will be interesting to see how the men’s race pans out. While Chris has been proving a tough act to beat, this is his first multi-day race, so on Day 4, he is now in new territory. Simon, on the other hand, is now running on familiar ground, as he approaches the Brecon Beacons and Cardiff.

*Simon Roberts was back on form, coming in as the fastest runner of the day ©No Limits Photography*

Meanwhile, the women’s race has also seen a switch up.

Lisa Watson continues to completely dominate first place in the women’s field, sprinting to the finish line in formation today with Sam Skinner and Lee Parker. Not only has she managed to retain a place in the top 10 overall coming in 8th place, she was also the 4th fastest on Day 4, coming in less than 2 minutes behind Chris. If she wins this year, she will be the first person to win the Dragon’s Back Race® twice in its modern era. Many former winners have tried, but so far none have succeeded.

Today, the second place has changed. Second lady, Helen Brown, unfortunately had to retire today with an injury, and was seen limping into the support point accompanied by a rescue team member. After an absolutely phenomenal first half of the race, this must have been disappointing for the former British fell-running champion.

Bridget Glaister is now second overall after a really strong performance, leapfrogging Victoria Morris in the process. Briget Glaister has had a grin on her face throughout, and only seems to be getting stronger. Meanwhile, Victoria Morris remains in third place, demonstrating her consistently strong performance.

Four days into the race, the competition is now about so much more about who can run the fastest, but who has the endurance and resilience required to thrive. However, the really inspirational runners aren’t just those at the front of the pack, but also those going out day after day, leaving early, arriving into camp late, and chasing down the cut-offs. It is their sheer grit and willpower that make this race so phenomenal to watch.

*Lisa Watson continued to strengthen her lead ©No Limits Photography*

Results

Top 3 men on Day 4

Simon Roberts (07:41:49)
James Nobles (08:07:00)
Chris Cope (08:11:48)

*Frontrunner, Chris Cope, had a tough day ©No Limits Photography*

Top 3 women on Day 4

Lisa Watson (08:13:37)
Bridget Glaister (10:18:49)
Victoria Morris (11:10:11)

*Victoria Morris remains in third place after a strong run ©No Limits Photography*

Behind the Scenes

Spotlight on… Media team

Picture this. You’re out in the mountains, the cloud has come in, you’re soaked through and it seems as if you’re the only person crazy enough to go out to such a remote area in these weather conditions. Suddenly, a cameraperson jumps out of nowhere to snap a shot. That’s our media team.

The team is made up of some incredible photographers, who manage to get photos of our runners through their highs and lows, the film team, the presenters, the event blogger, and the social media co-ordinator.

We managed to catch up with the film team as they hiked up the first mountain of the day in the pouring rain to catch some material.

Lowri Morgan is one of our presenters. She said, “We tend to report on what we see, on the location. We try to relay to the audience what the runners are going through and to give people a bit of a background to where we are. Some welsh names, and explanations as to what the names mean.”

Lowri is a former dragon-slayer herself, so she understands exactly what the runners are going through. She said, “We’re all runners. We’re very similar to the runners. We’ve done our own challenges so this is our sort of playground as well.”

*Steve Ashworth films Matt Ward interviewing Simon Roberts ©No Limits Photography*

Ross Brackley is one of the people behind the camera. He said, “We like to try and get into the remote locations to capture what a normal spectator might not be watching from a road or support point. That involves us doing elements of the course with all our gear, which in tough weather makes it quite challenging for us as well.

Matt Ward, our other presenter added, “Logistics is as much a part of what we do as well. Between us we have to make sure we get to certain locations and certain times. Charging batteries and making it back to camp – it is a big logistical location as well. Intercepting certain people who maybe we’re focussing on, and hitting deadlines which is a big thing for the editing team as well.”

While the film team and photographers spend a lot of time out on course during the day, the evening is often a mad rush to get photos edited and films cut.

Jimmy Hyland has been doing a lot of the editing work on the event films this year. He works tirelessly to get the films out each evening. He said, “It’s hard to turn it round quick but it’s nice to get all the footage back from the day and see what everyone’s been up to. See all the stories from the day and pull it all together. It’s a tight deadline, but it’s nice to see that.”

There are certainly some funny moments to being in the media team though. “You get a lot of ‘well dones’”, Ross Brackley said. “After the first few, you explain that you’re not running the race, but eventually you just give up and absorb the applause. Especially if you’re running home to get the cards in for the edit.”

Day 4: Another challenging day as the front of the field sees a switch up