Snowdon Race (Ras yr Wyddfa) Llanberis, Wales Mountain Race
At 1085m, Mount Snowdon is the highest mountain in both England & Wales. On the 19th July, 1976, the inaugural Snowdon Race took place, with 86 runners competing. The first winner, David Francis, completed the course in 1 hour, 12 minutes and 9 seconds.
The overall distance is broken down below:
- Ascent: 7.16km
- Descent: 7.19km
- Flat: 1km
- Elevation: 994m
- Total: 15.35km
The path to the summit is a popular tourist attraction, with walkers taking to the mountain year round. Beginning in the small village of Llanberis, once a year runner's pack the streets, waiting for the race to begin. Smooth roads soon give way to country farm paths before turning to rough stone and dirt trail. The route takes runners gradually up towards the summit, the incline increasing on the approach
Towards the peak, runners often find the temperature plummeting, surrounded by grey clouds. The track now resembles a rocky staircase, a stark contrast to the comfortable terrain at the beginning of the race. A team of race marshals in coats, gloves and high visibility jackets directing runners back down the mountain undoubtedly must come as a welcome relief.
However, although gravity may help tired muscles somewhat and the pace may quicken, the hasty descent back down Snowdon is the most dangerous part of the race. Now there is a constant effort to judge each hazardous step, where a slight error may at best result in a stumble, a fall could mean serious injury.
Dropping back below the clouds, dodging and weaving through oncoming runners and walkers, the path slowly becomes more forgiving. Further down, joining the roads once again, spectators line the streets, cheering the runners towards the finish line. Finally, having made their way up and down the highest peak in England and Wales as fast as possible, the race comes to an end on the soft grass of Padarn Park.
In 2019, the 44th annual Snowdon Race took place. This time, Andrew Douglas was the fastest to conquer the mountain, posting an unbelievable time of 1 hour, 4 minutes and 4 seconds. Over 600 runners took part in 2019 as well as 200 junior runners competing in a range of races.
Bringing added prestige to the event, The Snowdon Race has now been included in the World Mountain Running Championships World Cup Series. With continued participation and an influx of top level international athletes attending the event, while the weather may not always be spectacular, it can be assured that the competition and perseverance shown by each runner will be guaranteed.
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