Day 4 of the Berghaus Dragon’s Back Race took the remaining runners through lower and fewer hills in central Wales today. There was still 64 km to cover but only 8 checkpoints and 2273m of climbing.

The end of day 3 is always going to be a high point on the emotional roller-coaster for some, and a low point for others.

Speaking to some of the international racers tonight, both were evident and it’s clear some of the visiting racers have still not quite come to terms with the Dragon’s Back, while others have embraced it.

Runners are starting to arrive at the Day 3 finish now, at different speeds and by different means.

A few have arrived by taxi having cut their day short and managed to contact a taxi firm, who have probably been alerted by now that they could be called out to the middle of nowhere to collect some rather smelly athletes, and take them to a different middle of nowhere! There must have been some perplexing phone calls with racers trying to explain where they wanted collecting from!

The sun shone through the second day of the Berghaus Dragon’s Back Race as the runners made their way from Nant Gwynant to Dolgellau via the Moelwyn and Rhinog hills. The day was a little longer then day one, with a bit less climbing, but the big difference was that the runners were feeling the effects of the previous day, and of the heat.

The Berghaus Dragon’s Back Race woke up to glorious sunshine on day 2 after the first night’s camp at Nant Gwynant and was soon alive with activity as everyone prepared for the second run.

This takes the competitors across the Moelwyn and Rhinog hills to the second camp near Dolgellau and the stats are that its 54km and 3544m of ascent, so it is slightly longer than yesterday, with only a little less climbing.

There is a very different mood in the day one Dragon’s Back camp tonight, compared to the last race 3 years ago.

This evening the weather has cleared and it’s a lovely, fine night to enjoy a sheltered valley location, surrounded by rocky outcrops and native forestry. Although with the wind now dropping the midges are biting, so you can’t have everything!

British runner Jim Mann was the winner at the first day of the Berghaus Dragon’s Back Race which traversed the high points of the Snowdonia National Park. He crossed the line to record a time of 7 hours 49 minutes for the 49km route and didn’t look too stressed or exhausted at the end of his day, not considering the distance and terrain he’d just crossed, or compared to the condition of the day one finishers in the previous race.

Within half an hour of the Berghaus Dragon’s Back Race getting underway the racers setting out were being pelted by heavy rainfall, and when the shower had passed and visibility improved a little they could see the hills of the Carneddau ahead of them shrouded in mist and cloud. The first stage of the race was going to be made even more challenging by the weather.

Race map previews and sharing the planner’s optimum distance for each day.