A fresh clear day on the Brecon Beacons, a bottle of Cribyn beer for every runner courtesy of the Breconshire Brewery, and two course records added up to a successful event. Organiser Helen Fines, who found time to compete and break her own record from four years back, regretted afterwards that she would have to hand over ownership of this rugged 5.5 miles/3,100 feet race due to the difficulties of managing it at long range from her Yorkshire home.

The men’s race developed into a two-hander with Simon Barnby finally getting away from Matt Stott on the tricky descent from Pen y Fan, with young Jon Barnes a couple of minutes behind. Simon said later that it was his first attempt at the event and wasn’t aware that he’d edged inside Colin Donnelly’s time set in 1999.

Fourth-placer Martin Shaw was the M40 winner, while Kevin Hagley, Steve Littlewood and Rob West took the other age group prizes.

An impressive sixth overall, Organiser Helen was followed in the women’s race by Niki Morgan and Vanessa Lawson, with Sharon Woods again claiming the F50 bottle of wine.

Thanks to Kay and Martin Lucas for marshalling the peaks of Cribyn and Pen y Fan, to Gill Stott and Andy Creber for guiding on the lower slopes, and to John Chidlow and Sue Ashton on start and finish duties.
Dick Finch