Antonio Codina

It's been 3 weeks now since I received my little dragon trophy and the race seems like a distant dream. So many emotions and hard work were packed into that week and it is not easy to come down from a high like that. The Montane Dragon's Back Race® had been on my list of races to do for a long time, but I was not sure when I could attempt it. 6 days running is a very long time away from the house and work. It would require a big commitment to train for it, and a lot of precious holidays that I usually don’t have. But the covid lockdown had some advantages. Holidays or races abroad looked very complicated and I had saved a bit of money and holidays so 2021 was the perfect year to do it. In January, at the time when in the last few years I would be applying for a race in the Alps, I joined the waiting list for the Dragon’s Back Race. There were only 13 people in front of me and my place was confirmed soon after. 

Antonio enjoying Crib Goch on day one of the Montane Dragon’s Back Race® ©No Limits Photography

I have run 3-4 ultras a year for the last 5 years therefore I had good base training and experience for it. My main concern was that I had always done non-stop instead of stage races. I had completed the winter Spine race over 5 days therefore I had confidence in my ability to run day after day, but I knew from friends that had done the Dragon’s Back Race that the cut-offs are very strict and there is not much margin for error. I had to fight some injuries accumulated over lockdown but I did a couple of races in May and June and felt strong. The most useful though was a two stage race called Race Across Snowdonia. It covers sections of the first three days of the Dragon’s Back Race and I learnt lots from it. I realised how gnarly the terrain in Snowdonia is compared to the Lakes or Northumberland where I usually train. Racing in Wales helped me to tune my choice of footwear and my navigation strategy using a combination of GPS device and map. It also helped me to see how fast I could move over that technical terrain and realised that the cut-offs seemed within reach. If I have any advice for future dragons is to spend some time on the course and test your gear and your ability on the Welsh mountains. They really are harder than anything I have run on before.

My friend Simon Franklin has completed the event and had some advice for me: “ enjoy it, it's a beautiful journey”. He was so right. The route is just amazing and a beautiful way to see Wales. There were many “wow” moments like the sunset from the Snowdon horseshoe on day one or the beautiful sunrise while climbing Cadair Idris on day 3. I was blown away by the remoteness of day 4 but my favourite stage was day 5. I did not know the route at all and I loved it. I ran most of the day with Cat Slater and we made a great team. I will never forget the moment when the clouds opened while we were running over the Brecon Beacons and suddenly we saw the landscape all around.

All smiles for Antonio as the week progressed! ©Bib Number Photography

Getting back to camp was a highlight every day. On top of the joy of having finished another stage there were the amazing volunteers that received us, fed us and got us back on the trail the next day. Unfortunately, for a mid pack runner like me I did not have many hours to relax at the camp. It was all about eating, getting ready for the next day and sleeping (not lots). 

Not everything was fun of course, my worst moment was during day 2, when the heat was relentless and I had a really bad patch before the support point. I knew what I had to do, cool down, eat and drink. I turned it around, I continued over the Rhinogydd and finished it. Day 2 is the hardest and I knew by doing it I had done the crux of the race. The rest of the week was about managing injuries, refuelling and keeping running! If I learnt anything from this race, it’s the amazing ability of the human body to endure and recover. It takes years to know your body and tune your nutrition but apart from some tendonitis on my right ankle I managed to run well every day. 

The final day running into Cardiff was special because I shared it with many runners that I had met over the week. Geoff, Keith, Cat, Peter, Gregg and many others that had shared the trails with me over the last 6 days. The return to reality was hard though and I was very emotional the week after the race. I would nearly cry every time someone said to me “you did amazing”. The Dragon's Back Race is the hardest race that I have ever done and the memories from that week will stay with me forever.

Antonio celebrating with 3rd placed woman Cat Slater at the finish line in Cardiff Castle ©No Limits Photography