FASTEST KNOWN TIME

Dragon’s Back Fastest Known Time (FKT) Information

The First FKT

In the summer of 2024, Shane Ohly, the founder and long-time organiser of the modern Dragon’s Back Race®, set out on a personal and symbolic mission: to complete the full length of the Dragon’s Back route in a single, continuous push. Over the course of 102 hours and 33 minutes, he became the first person to traverse the 380km journey from Conwy Castle in the north to Cardiff Castle in the south without pausing the clock: an extraordinary feat of endurance that pushed his body and mind to the limit.

The Dragon’s Back Race, first conceived in 1992 and revived by Ohly in 2012, is widely regarded as one of the world’s toughest mountain races. Spanning six day-stages in the race format, the route includes approximately 16,500 metres of ascent and passes through some of Wales’ most rugged and spectacular terrain: the Carneddau, Glyderau, Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa), Rhinogydd, Cadair Idris, the Elan Valley, the Bannau Brycheiniog, and finally the urban finish in Cardiff. While hundreds of competitors have completed the event over six structured days with significant event support, including overnight camps, catering, medical, and rescue, no one had completed a continuous FKT (Fastest Known Time) on the full route, despite a few valiant attempts.

For Ohly, this wasn’t just a personal endurance challenge. After directing the race for over a decade, he was driven by a wish to experience the event in a more intimate and vulnerable manner. By running the entire course himself, without the structure of daily starts and finishes, he aimed to gain a better understanding of the physical and emotional toll it takes on participants, and to reconnect with the raw essence of the route in a very personal journey through Wales.

He was not alone in his attempt. A support crew of around 30 friends helped him throughout, including logistics coordinators, drivers, and a rotating cast of pacers made up of former Dragon’s Back winners and top ultrarunners. Among them were Robyn Cassidy, Simon Roberts, High Chatfield, Lisa Watson, and James Nobles. Their presence offered both practical support and emotional encouragement, especially through the long nights and bleak weather that marked the early stages of the run.

Indeed, the weather proved to be one of the most formidable obstacles. Ohly faced gale-force winds, heavy rain, and low visibility across the northern mountains, with calmer conditions only arriving after Snowdon. Sleep deprivation also became a significant factor. Despite scheduling occasional short breaks, Ohly pressed on through extreme fatigue, particularly during the final night, when he had to summon reserves of resilience to keep going.

Reflecting on the experience afterwards, Ohly was candid about its brutality. “The staged race is probably much more enjoyable,” he admitted with a wry smile. Yet the journey had clearly deepened his connection to the event. It reminded him of the humility and mental strength required to complete the Dragon’s Back Race, qualities he sees in the runners who return year after year to take on the challenge. For Ohly, it was a full-circle moment: the organiser becoming a participant, and the observer becoming the subject.

The continuous FKT is not intended to replace the staged race format, but it adds a new dimension to the mythology of the Dragon. It is both a personal achievement and a symbolic act, an affirmation of the spirit of the race and the landscape it traverses. In becoming the first person to run the Dragon’s Back in a single push, Shane Ohly didn’t just set a record. He honoured the adventure at the heart of the event he created.

There is a selection of images from Shane Ohly’s 2024 FKT below.