The Legend of the Legend
How the Dragon’s Back Race® was born
Above: Ian Waddell (left) and Shane Ohly (right) the two Dragon's Back Race® organisers. © No Limits Photograph
Ian Waddell was the organizer of the original Dragon’s Back Race® held in 1992. Photojournalist Rob Howard was there to document the first edition of the race and we are very grateful for his archive photos used on this page and the In The Footsteps of Legends journal. You can read the continuation of his Historical Article here.
Ian Waddell explained how the original race got started, “After a stint in the forces, I decided to keep fit by training to run marathons, which I did, but I soon got bored. About this time, I was invited to take part in the South Downs 80 miler. I did reasonably well, completing it in under 15 hours, hence I became addicted to ultra-mountain running (though not top class by any means)”
“As it happened, I was reading John Gillham's book 'Snowdonia to the Gower' which describes a route across Wales using the mountainous areas as stepping stones. I thought this would make a good 5/6-day challenge, so I put an advert in Running Magazine, expecting a handful of like-minded idiots to reply. Instead, I started getting letters from all over the world, including top runners like Rune Larsson of Sweden (3 times winner of the Spartathlon) and Stefan Scarlett of Germany, whose endurance runs included 162 miles in 24 hours, plus top Americans and many more.”
“It was obvious that I could not handle this alone. I needed money and a team to handle the logistics of such a mammoth task. So, I turned to old forces friends for assistance. Food, medics, tents, etc. were pledged, provided I could come up with the funding. After many false dawns, Conoco (Jet Petroleum) came up with a stunning offer that included TV rights and dealing with PR worldwide.”
“All this achieved by a Mr. Nobody, who had previously not even arranged a Church Fête! After much hard work and doubting my ability to pull it off (sheer bloody luck played a big part!), in September 1992 the race went ahead, 2 years after I read that damned book! Needless to say, it's fiction only now!”
“It was obvious that I could not handle this alone. I needed money and a team to handle the logistics of such a mammoth task. So, I turned to old forces friends for assistance. Food, medics, tents, etc. were pledged, provided I could come up with the funding. After many false dawns, Conoco (Jet Petroleum) came up with a stunning offer that included TV rights and dealing with PR worldwide.”
“All this achieved by a Mr. Nobody, who had previously not even arranged a Church Fête! After much hard work and doubting my ability to pull it off (sheer bloody luck played a big part!), in September 1992 the race went ahead, 2 years after I read that damned book! Needless to say, it's fiction only now!”
Example newspaper coverage from 1992.
Men vanquished in one fell swoop… That newspaper headline feels very dated by modern standards of journalism and following changes in societal attitudes towards women in sports, but it does hint at one of the reasons the Dragon’s Back Race® become so famous after just one edition.
Helene Diamantides (now Helene Whittaker) and Martin Stone’s victory has resonated across trail running history with the rise of modern trail runners like Courtney Dauwalter in part, aided by the trail-blazing exploits of athletes like Helene.
The 1992 Dragon’s Back Race® logo
The 1992 Dragon’s Back Race® ‘map’
A lasting legacy
That original Dragon’s Back Race® might well have remained lost in the mysteries of running folklore, but it was brought to life by Richard Askwith’s excellent book Feet in the Clouds, which was published in 2004. Feet in the Clouds marked a boom in off-road running in the UK, and the 1992 Dragons Back Race® had an entire chapter dedicated to it (pages 282 – 299 - enjoy the reading).
This picture was taken in 2011 as Shane Ohly got his head around planning a five-day, 200-mile race. This collection of 1:50,000 Ordnance Survey maps has been laminated so that the route can be clearly marked, discussed easily, and annotated... just not a very practical size for taking out on the hill being nearly 4m long!
It was whilst reading Feet in the Clouds in 2010, that Shane Ohly had the idea to resurrect the event on the 20th anniversary. At the time, he was working on a consultancy project for Berghaus and naturally, he pitched the idea to Berghaus to sponsor a modern edition of the Dragon’s Back Race®. At the time, this was thought to be a one-off event and Shane spent much of the next two years working on the logistics and permission required for the event. His very first job was to track down Ian and get his consent to take on the event.
Shane explained, “Martin Stone thought Ian might be resident in Abergavenny, and I followed this lead to South Wales. Eventually, I tracked down Ian after some detective work, and we sat in a hotel bar and discussed the original Dragon’s Back Race and my idea to resurrect it at length. At the end of the conversation, Ian shook my hand and wished me the very best of luck… I had no idea what I’d just taken on!”
Speaking after attending the 2023 edition of the Dragon’s Back Race®, Ian Waddell said, “What Shane has done is amazing, and with modern technology and an exceptional team, the sky is the limit, but what I did was also something special and I very much doubt it could be repeated in the modern world. Imagine having this opportunity again, especially on a £10 entry fee!”
He continued, “I would like to see another race, but with my various health problems, plus recent heart failure, it's pretty unlikely, but I know am leaving a lasting legacy in safe hands; The Baby Dragon has grown up!”
Briefing the Event Team on the morning of Day 4 in 2012. The participants camped in barn overnight! © Jon Brooke
The small but successful Event Team at the finish in 2012. © Jon Brooke
If Not Now, When?
Perhaps you have enjoyed reading this article. Perhaps you are inspired enough to take part in the Dragon’s Back Race® yourself?
Shane Ohly recorded the following six very short films (ok… we should call them adverts!) with the media team over the course of the 2023 event week, and we hope that they inspire future Dragons and Hatchlings to come to Wales and take on the adventure of a lifetime.