The 2017 Berghaus Dragon’s Back Race is hotting up, literally and figuratively. After four days and 252km of mountain running, only minutes separate the leaders in both the men’s and women’s races. In the women’s race, 15 minutes separate the first three runners, while the second placed man is only eight minutes behind the leader.

The competition at the 2017 Berghaus Dragon’s Back Race is close, very close. At the end of Day 4, after 252km of mountain running and crossing dozens of mountain summits, only a few minutes separate the leaders in both the men’s and women’s races.

Closest of all is the women’s race where only 15 minutes separate the top 3 runners.

It’s been another scorcher on the penultimate day of the Berghaus Dragon’s Back Race, with the temperature hitting 25°C and the competitors facing a long run on tarmac into the final camp.

Morning four of the Berghaus Dragon’s Back Race was a busy one as camp was broken down and the runners set off – in a variety of directions.

The majority left to run day 4, into the Elan Valley and across some of the most remote country in Wales. It is another 71km and the forecast is for it to be very hot again.

One of the top women runner’s Carol Morgan, set off at a really fast pace, but some time later she came back into the start area! It looked like she had set off the wrong way and come back for directions.

Others too were wandering as the trackers showed a large group of runners on the first hills descending into a very remote valley, well off the route. It looked like a classic ‘follow my leader’ case, where the leader does not really know where they are going! (With more runners in this race that has happened a lot.)

On day three of the Berghaus Dragon’s Back Race, the cumulative effect of hard days of mountain running was very evident. The medical tent was busy and there were more retirements overnight. The pre-race advice was that, statistically, those who complete day three stand a good chance of completing the full distance, so for many this was regarded as the crux day. However, it was a long one, 71km, with almost as much ascent as day two, and that is a daunting prospect with heavy legs and aching limbs.

It was a game of two halves today, and race leader Jim Mann scored an own goal in the first and was run off the pitch in the second.

For much of the first half of the day dense cloud settled over the mountains and it was in the mists on the summit of Cadair Idris that Mann made a major navigational mistake. He set off last and was on his own. From the summit the route followed the Pony Path down, but Mann took a different ridge line, and didn’t realise for a long time. He only started to correct after losing a lot of height, and then wandered off track again. He was having a bad day.

On a day of mixed weather conditions, with both dense fog and extreme heat competitors in the Berghaus Dragon’s Back Race have been racing 71km over the hills of mid-Wales today.

Their camp site for the night was a large field beside the A44 and the runners came in after crossing Plylimon Fawr saying what a superb afternoon it had been, but a HOT one.

When Jonathon Davies came in he said, “That was a lot better than yesterday as I used much more sun cream, dived in any rivers I saw and stuck my head in puddles. I think I’ve drunk 9 litres today!”

The noticeboard in camp at the Berghaus Dragon’s Back Race warned everyone setting off this morning that it would be hot with reminders about using sun cream, but was no need to worry. A dense mass of cloud settled over the coastal mountains, sinking right down into the valleys, so there was little chance of direct sunlight, or seeing the views from Cadair Idris. Much of the time it was hard to see a runner 20m ahead of you.

On the morning of day 3 of the Berghaus Dragon’s Back Race the cumulative effect of two hard days of mountain running is evident.

The medical tent is busy (it always is) and runners are up and about well ahead of their start time to be sure of setting off as early as possible for the long day ahead ... or they are having a lie in having decided their body can take no more punishment and it is time for a rest day.