Day One on the Dragon’s Back Race®: A wet start to a competitive race
It’s been an exciting start to the race on the 2024 Dragon’s Back Race.
An atmospheric start ©No Limits Photography
The atmosphere was magical as always on the start line in Conwy Castle, with the haunting tones of the Welsh Male Voice Choir creating a real sense of occasion. For many competitors, the journey to the start line itself has been epic, with hours and hours spent training out in the hills, dialling in nutrition strategies and practising with kit.
Adding a touch of romance to the start, one participant Kerry Bennett proposed to his partner on the start line, and amidst cheers and applause, she said yes. This joyful moment set a positive tone for what would be a tough day ahead.
The happy couple ©No Limits Photography
Spirits were high as runners set off along the castle walls at 6am this morning, with the sun just coming above the horizon as runners made their way towards Mynydd y Dref and the Carneddau beyond. However, the conditions soon took a turn with heavy rain adding an extra layer of difficulty to the already demanding course.
Tough Conditions at Ogwen Support Point
By the time the runners reached the Ogwen Support Point, the rain was relentless. However, Volunteers at the support station were more than prepared to deal with the influx of tired and wet runners who descended upon them. Watching the team spring into action to fill water bottles and give runners their dry bags and some encouraging words has always been a huge highlight of the race.
Max King was the first to reach the support point, followed closely by SCARPA athlete and former winner Simon Roberts. The two were certainly ready for battle and there was a sense of friendly competition between the two as they made their way through their personal admin with incredible efficiency.
Max King, who traveled from the U.S. to compete, was feeling positive despite the wet conditions. He said, “I’m feeling pretty good. The weather’s not too bad – not as windy as I’d have expected, but my feet are wet. In terms of Welsh weather, this is what it should be like,” he said. With little opportunity to reconnoiter the course beforehand, King added, “The first 2 miles I was good on that – I was great and really confident and then past the first two miles I haven’t recce’d.”
Simon Roberts was equally eager to get going. He had already eyed up Max King on the start line as being his biggest competition. He said, "Max King is somebody I followed for years and years so it’s good to see him here. We’ll see how he goes. I’m a bit of a fanboy of him."
Drizzly conditions set the scene for the climb out of Conwy ©No Limits Photography
Women Lead with Strong Performances
In the women's field, SCOTT athlete Jo Meek (winner of the 2023 Cape Wrath Ultra and course record holder) was the first to the Ogwen Support Point, focused and determined to maintain her lead. She kept her stop short and pressed on. “I’m not underestimating it - that’s for sure!” was her comment as she headed off up the steep climb of Tryfan.
Laura O Driscoll (winner of the 2022 Cape Wrath Ultra) followed ten minutes later, having lost a few minutes on the challenging descent in weather conditions. She seemed in good spirits though as she headed back out.
Not far behind was Elsa Morgan, who also recently completed the Cape Wrath Ultra just this May. (Consequently, Cape Wrath Ultra® completions is emerging as a common theme in the women’s field.)
Reflecting on her quick turnaround between the races, Elsa shared, “Compared to Scotland it’s rocky! You have to really watch where you’re going so much more than in Scotland. I’m a bit nervous about this bit coming up but I’ll just go slowly.”
She also mentioned the unique preparation for this race: “I had no training time, and I got engaged on the top of a mountain in Scotland two weeks ago so I don’t think anyone will have had as much champagne in the two weeks leading up to the race!”
Simon Roberts tackles Crib Goch ©No Limits Photography
A Clear Afternoon and a Strong Finish
The extremely wet conditions of the morning made the going particularly tough for the section over Tryfan and the Glyderau which are famed for their rockiness. This section of the route certainly favours the mountain goats among the runners. This is technical, mountainous terrain and runners who underestimated the challenge certainly found out about it.
Fortunately, the weather brightened in the afternoon, allowing participants to enjoy the breathtaking views from Crib Goch. Crib Goch is a highlight of the route known for its knife edge arête and jaw-dropping vistas. More than one participant was seen going over this infamous section rather gingerly.
The first to cross the finish line this afternoon was Max King, managing to gain a lead over Simon Roberts, who finished just 10 minutes behind. Matt O’Keefe, who came third in the 2021 edition of the race, also had a strong second half of the day, securing third place again having worked his way through the field.
In the women’s race, Jo Meek maintained her lead, finishing as the first woman. Zoe Murphy’s impressive run saw her overtake both Elsa Morgan and Laura O Driscoll to finish less than 10 minutes behind Jo.
She looked incredibly strong at the finish. She said, "Today was good but it was a day of two halves. I wasn’t feeling good this morning. I set off but my legs weren’t there and I thought ‘You’ve got to let them go.’ I reined it in and brought it back to myself. Then I got to Ogwen and suddenly I started to feel good, so then I could just push the pace. I had a really good second half to the day. I loved it then!”
Zoe Murphy is looking to be a serious contender ©No Limits Photography
Laura O Driscoll crossed the line less than half an hour later, after a tough day out on the course, with Elsa Morgan not too far behind.
However, there is still a long way to go. As the days progress, it will be more than just about speed, but about perseverance and mental toughness.
Looking Ahead
While the frontrunners were in camp by the mid afternoon, many runners are still making their way through the course, and will arrive long after the sun has sunk behind the mountains.
The first camp is nestled beneath the tallest mountain in Wales, Yr Wyddfa, and runners had to tackle an incredibly steep descent on their approach, made all the more difficult by the wet and muddy conditions. Watching the head torches come down the mountainside on Day 1 was a magical moment of the race, highlighting the determination of those runners who spend so many more hours out on course battling the elements than those in well within the daylight hours.
On camp, runners were well looked after by event team, as they fuelled well on pasta, chips and cake for the days ahead. Already, there is a pleasant buzz of conversation in the communal marquee, as many runners met their tent mates for the week ahead for the first time.
The forecast for tomorrow looks much better, promising clearer skies and more favorable conditions for the runners as they continue their journey across the rugged terrain of the Rhingydd. It will be exciting to see how the runners fare as they head into the next stage of this epic race.
Stay tuned for more updates and follow the journey of these incredible athletes every step of the way!
The rocky terrain of Tryfan ©No Limits Photography
Results
Top 3 men on Day 1
Max King (07:58:37)
Simon Roberts (08:09:07)
Matt O Keefe (08:43:59)
Max King is currently in the lead ©No Limits Photography
Top 3 women on Day 1
Jo Meek (10:06:41)
Zoe Murphy (10:14:35)
Laura O Driscoll (10:42:22)
Jo Meek tackles the mountains ©No Limits Photography
Tune in at 8am tomorrow for more!
Our first episode of the Dragon’s Back Race® show will go LIVE at 8am tomorrow morning! Featuring interviews with the frontrunners and incredible footage out on the course, it’s the best way to get a real feel for what’s going on in the race.
Stunning scenes later on in the day ©No Limits Photography
Be the dot in 2025! Entries open on 13th September
If watching the excitement has you yearning for adventure, you can enter the 2025 race on 13th September. Don’t want to miss it? Sign up for our Mailing List for a reminder. If you sign up using the link below, you will also get EXCLUSIVE ACCESS to the online world premiere of the film about the first ever continuous completion of the Dragon’s Back Race route.
Join us next year ©No Limits Photography