DRAGON’S BACK
FASTEST KNOWN TIME
Above: Emma Stuart, James Nobles and Shane Ohly taking a pause at the Fan Brycheiniog summit shelter during Shane Ohly's 2024 FKT. © Steve Ashworth Photography.
Dragon’s Back Fastest Known Time (FKT) Information
History
19/08/2024 Shane Ohly. 102 hours 33 minutes (Supported). GPS Tracking
26/07/2025 Bridget Glaister. 102 hours 40 minutes (Solo Supported). GPS Tracking
Continuous Dragon’s Back Completions
We are pleased to keep a record of continuous completions of the Dragon’s Back route here. Please get in touch if you are considering an attempt and would like to clarify any details of the route or the ‘rules’. Whether you are unsupported, supported, or self-supported, or whether you attempt this challenge alone or not, we require complete transparency about the style of your attempt and clear evidence of completion, such as at least a publicly available GPS track.
FKT Rules and Style
Shane Ohly’s FKT took a straightforward approach: follow the same rules as the event when it comes to following the route, with some minor common-sense adjustments, which are described below. A key element to understand is that the Dragon’s Back Race has sections of mandatory route (these must be followed precisely) and sections of recommended route (where you are free to choose your own route). Shane visited all the mandatory checkpoints, including various mountain summits, and physically touched these summit cairns and trig points.
For an FKT to be accepted, we would expect the same approach. Within a reasonable margin of error, when following the mandatory route, but absolutely no margin for error in terms of visiting the mountain summits that are at the heart of the route. Any attempt at an FKT must follow the same route and actually visit all the checkpoints.
The best way to understand the checkpoints and mandatory sections of the route is to purchase a Dragon’s Back Race map, which clearly lays out all this information. This can be done by contacting the Ourea Events office.
The following bullet points should answer most common questions:
Style. Attempting an FKT on the Dragon’s Back Race route is a serious undertaking that involves significant distance, elevation gain, and remote terrain. Runners are expected to approach the challenge with respect for the environment, personal safety, and the spirit of self-reliant endurance.
Technology. Runners may use GPS devices, smartphones, and watches to aid navigation, alongside traditional navigation tools such as a map and compass.
Unsupported: An unsupported FKT means that the runner must carry all their supplies from start to finish. The only permissible external aid is water collected from natural sources found along the route.
Self-Supported: Runners may utilise any publicly accessible resources (e.g., shops, cafes, taps, or charging points), but not receive private or pre-arranged support from friends, family, or teams. Any resupply must be available to anyone attempting the route.
Supported: Runners may receive planned assistance from others, including food, drink, gear changes, or pacing, at designated points or along the route. The type and location of support must be clearly documented.
Solo: The runner completes the route without any external support or assistance, such as pacers or support runners. The different solo approaches can be further clarified as:
Solo Unsupported: The entire endeavour is completed without ANY external support or assistance at ANY point.
Solo and Supported: The entire route (i.e. on the mountains) is completed solo, but there is roadside support providing food, somewhere to sleep, etc.
Route: Any attempt must follow the route exactly as described on this web page.
Verification: A completely transparent approach by all runners attempting any FKTs is essential. A complete GPS track of the route is required for all FKT claims, which has been uploaded to a public platform (e.g., Strava or Garmin Connect). Photographic evidence or witness statements are encouraged and may be requested. If in doubt, provide more detail rather than less.
FKT Route
First, some important distinctions. The route from Conwy Castle to Cardiff Castle is called the Dragon’s Back. The race, which takes place each September, is known as the Dragon’s Back Race. There are small but significant differences between the two, and confusingly, participants in the Dragon’s Back Race usually refer to the event as simply the ‘Dragon’s Back’ or even the ‘Dragon’.
The difference between the Dragon’s Back Race route and the Dragon’s Back FKT route is that they are designed to enable anyone to attempt this FKT at any time, without the special permissions that the event has to access the two castles and to avoid some short sections of private land used for the Overnight Camps and Support Points during the race.
Conwy Castle Start
We suggest starting late enough to allow yourself time to explore Conwy Castle in the morning. The race begins inside the castle at dawn, and the atmosphere on race day is electric. You do need to pay to access Conwy Castle as a member of the public (please don’t try to blag your way in). The official start of the FKT is located outside the entrance to the castle and gift shop, marked by a “Conwy Castle’ sign. The KFT route also follows the old town walls, which are closed to the public overnight. You’ll need to wait until they reopen each morning before setting off.
Camp 1 at Gwastadannas Farm
There is no need to enter Gwastadannas Farm, which is private, where Overnight Camp One is located during the Dragon’s Back Race. Continue along the track, which becomes a road heading south to Llyn Gwynant. There are some great lay-bys by the lake that can be used as ad-hoc support points during an FKT attempt. Please do not drive support vehicles up the road to Gwastadannas Farm.
Camp 2 at Vanner Farm Caravan & Camping Site
There is no need to enter Vanner Farm, which is private, where Overnight Camp Two is located during the Dragon’s Back Race. About 100 metres before the turn into Vanner Farm, turn sharply right and join the start of the Day Two Dragon’s Back Race route. A suitable lay-by is immediately before this turn and can be used as an informal support point during an FKT attempt. Please do not drive support vehicles into Vanner Farm, and absolutely do not be tempted to enter the Caravan & Camping Site to use their facilities.
Day Three Support Point in Machynlleth
Do not follow the Day Three race route through Machynlleth to the Support Point location. The Support Point is on private land with no public right of way, and special access is organised for race day only. Please take the minor road past the industrial estate and then use the public rights of way to rejoin the Dragon’s Back Race route.
Camp 3 at Fagwr Fawr Farm
There is no need to enter the fields used for the Overnight Camp at Fagwr Fawr Farm, but you will need to pass through the farmyard. There is a public right of way here, but please be very respectful of the residence and pass by in silence during the hours of darkness to rejoin the Dragon’s Back Race route. A kilometre before Fagwr Fawr Farm, and immediately after crossing the road, there is a very large lay-by at Dyffryn Castell that is suitable for an ad hoc support point.
Abergynolwyn to Tarren y Gesail
The Dragon’s Back FKT route follows the major track as shown in the map extract below. It is not acceptable to cut corners. This is the route followed by Shane Ohly in 2024.
Day Four: Banc Nantycreuau
This area is a problem for both participants in the Dragon’s Back Race and anyone attempting an FKT. Shane Ohly followed the route shown below left during his August 2024 FKT, and this has been the route used by the race for many years. However, in December 2024, Storm Darragh caused considerable damage to forestry across Wales, including to this section of the Dragon’s Back Race route. In 2025, the Dragon’s Back Race route will divert onto paths and tracks to the northeast, shown in the right-hand image. The 2025 route is approximately 3 km longer, has about 130 m less ascent, and is much more runnable. Bridget Glaister followed the 2025 route during her continuous completion. We recommend following the 2025 (right) version, as this aligns with the current race route.
Camp 4 at Rhandirmwyn Bridge
There is no need to enter the fields used for the Overnight Camp at Rhandirmwyn Bridge, as they are private and have no public access. Just stay on the main road heading south towards the village of Rhandirmwyn.
Camp 5 near Talybont Reservoir
There is no need to enter the fields used for the Overnight Camp near Talybont Reservoir, as they are private and have no public access. Just stay on the main road heading west towards the hamlet of Abercynafon.
Day 6 Route north of Merthyr Tydfil
We are reverting to the original six-day route at the 2025 edition of the Dragon’s Back Race. This route (shown on the right below) follows lovely paths and trails rather than the tarmac Taff Trail north of Merthyr Tydfil. It is a much nicer route, and it would have been taken for Shane Ohly’s FKT in 2024, except that it was closed to the public between 2022 and 2025 due to construction work on the A465. The route Shane Ohly took is shown on the left. Bridget Glaister followed the 2025 race route (the right-hand one) during her continuous completion. We recommend following the 2025 (right-hand version), as this aligns with the current race route.
Cardiff Castle Finish
The official finish is outside the ‘North Gate’ entrance to Cardiff Castle, where Shane Ohly stopped his watch. Usually, the metal gate leading from Bute Park to the North Gate is open, and the North Gate itself is also usually left open when the castle is open to visitors. It’s worth noting that the final kilometres of the route pass through Bute Park, which is closed to the public overnight (opening hours are currently 07:30 to 21:00). It might be possible to climb over a fence to access Bute Park if you are finishing in the middle of the night... but we do not recommend this.
Shane Ohly - First FKT
Start: 10:00 Thursday, 15th August 2024
Finish: 16:33 Monday, 19th August 2024
Result: 4 days, 6 hours, 33 minutes (102 hrs 33 minutes)
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.
© Shane Ohly collection courtesy of many friends supporting his KFT.
