55 intrepid fell racers turned up for the second race in the South Wales winter fell series - amazing after the gales and squalls of the day before. The bunch set off in blue skies along the track to Llyn y Fan Fach with Bannau Sir Gar towering above, topped with cloud. Leaving the track here they hit the fell, up around the bowl to the ridge proper – awesome sky running if you could see the sky and not the cloud – up to CP1 at Picws Du. From the cairn, the runners followed the ridge to a small descent then a second rise to Fan Foel and CP2. From there, theoretically, there is a steep exciting descent - if you got the right line (though it seems there were various versions taken at this point!) –which brings you down to the hill below racing back to the car park, hopefully avoiding stream gullies and bog to the right and left, the odd unsuspecting rock and a leat.

Matt Stott (MDC) was a clear winner with a time of 00:47:15, followed by over 40 category winner and second man, Daniel Hooper (Sarn Helen) just over 30 seconds later in 00:47:39. Ben Moon (MDC) was third man in at 00:49:12. Helen Fines (Holmfirth), current female record holder, was first woman coming in at 00:53:46. Emma Bayliss (Mynydd Du) came in with an exciting sprint finish at 1:00:22.

Other category winners were Alice Bedwell (MDC), first female over 50; Paul Jeggo (Springfield), first male over 50; Fay Walsh (Aberystwyth AC), first female under 23; Bev Tucker (Brecon AC), first female over 40; and last but not least Steve Littlewood (Hereford Couriers), first male over 60 winner.

Well done to all who ran – many, many thanks to my very able registration team of Emma Bayliss and Lou Massey, my two marshals on the tops, Sean Taylor and Julian Price, Sean also for bringing his work / tea and cake van, John Sweeting for handing over so much info and advice with this race. Most thanks to my family who helped me set up and Tom who time kept, watered and fed us.

See you next year in September!      Sasha Habgood