The inaugural Push Up The Pincyn attracted 50 runners from as far away as Keswick and Preston in England and plenty of local Welsh runners represented from Eryri, Wrexham, Prestatyn and Clwydians.
The weather god's smiled on the Clawddnewydd and Clocaenog show from where the race began.

Being limited in 'true' mountains in that area the race made the most of the terrain, using fields and forest, brooks and bogs to try and sap the energy from the runners. Lack of sheer up and sheer down meant for a fast and furious pace. The gentle drop in altitude from the start in Clawddnewydd to Clocaenog meant for a gruelling long drag from fields into the forest and to the base f Pincyn Llys.
The Pincyn is a monument to the Baggot family who owned the land and it's position commands fantastic views of the Clwydian Range to the East, Liverpool Bay to the north, the Berwyn range to the south and good old Snowdonia to the west. I very much doubt anyone stopped to take in the vista having climbed a very steep final 300m in slippery mud to reach the peak. How many people wished they had fell shoes rather than trail shoes? The climb was eaten up from the outset by Chris Edis of Keswick who was pursued by Ian Houston of Wrexham Tri. Close behind were team mates from Sale Harriers - Richard Huston and Gareth Rhys Mathews. The course sent competitors down and then back up through sections of forest before starting a long fast down to Cloc. Exposed roots, stones and mud for the down resulted in an array of bloody, grazed and mud splattered limbs. Runners retraced their footsteps once back at Cloc. This made for a steady climb back up to Clawdd. The cheers from the show spectators spurred on the sweating and now exhausted runners to fall like nine pins once over the line. The finishing line-up remained the same as the climb with Chris setting the record at 44mins 54sec. Poor Chris had a microphone shoved under his nose by the MC asking him where he was from. As he heaved for air through a very attractive face pack of mud, sweat and saliva the reply sounded something like Kez....w....ick.
First lady was Welsh woman Ruth Metcalf of Eryri in 54:23 who I know really does prefer the sheer stuff.
Many thanks from the organisers for the support and the very many positive comments from the runners, here's to next year. Neil Coppack