Jones pips Ryder at Ras Glyndwr

Ras Glyndwr, the short and sharp fell running blast on the hills of Llynlloedd which overlook the town of Machynlleth, took place on Saturday and saw a great battle between a couple of top fell runners...

Paul Jones (Mercia Fell Runners) and Brycheiniog runner Peter Ryder set the scene from early on in the race as 50 runners left the Parc Llynlloedd fields.

The 3.2 mile race takes in some of the finest views in the Dyfi Valley as runners embark on the hills above Machynlleth, with the terrain changing from trail to open fell and fast grassy descents, as over 700ft of ascent and descent was tackled.

The historic mid-Wales market town is town steeped in the history of the legend that is Owain Glyndwr, described as the ‘last native Welshman to hold the title Prince of Wales'. His story is told the world over, defeating the raiding English armies in the late 1300s and early 1400s and upholding the independence of the Welsh nation.

As the race started to ascend Ryder and Jones, followed by Meirionnydd athlete Ifan Richards, really put the hammer down, blasting up the path that leads to the Glyndwr Way above the town, with Ryder just ahead at the top checkpoint some 1.5 miles into the race.

What followed was a galloping, grassy descent, via Bryn Glas Farm (part of the Llynlloedd estate) and the steep final descent via the Ffridd to Parc Llynlloedd, with Jones leading out on the descent and Ryder fighting back.

However, the Mercia man was just a little too strong in the end and won in 21:12, from Ryder's 21:23. Richards (coming back from injury) ran valiantly for third, in 21:51.

In the women's race it was a deja vu performance from Aberystwyth runner Louise Barker, winning the race for the second year in 27:09, with young Gwen Jones (28:51) in second and local triathlete Anwen Jones (29:43) in third.

With over £200 being raised for local causes from the event, and highly favourable feedback on the organisation and course, Ras Glyndwr looks set to be a permanent fixture on the annual Welsh fell running scene.