The 15th running of this opener to the Meirionnydd Winter Series took place on Saturday November 4th with the first snow forecast for that evening. After a very wet night conditions improved from 9 am and the race was run in lovely if cool autumn sunshine. 61 contenders took up the challenge no doubt all dreaming of the whole Aran Lamb to be shared by the series winners in March (this might be true if there wasn’t a record of many of the winners being vegetarian!). Going underfoot was from wet to treacherous and there were many fallers but no injuries. The men’s race honours were shared amongst the masters. Achille Rattis’ Mark Palmer took the lead just after the stile at Bwlch Goriwared on the ascent and held it to take a win in 54:20 just under 2 minutes outside his 2015 M50 course record. M40 Jez Brown (Buckley) followed him in 54:45 and Mathew Fortes (Eryri) also M40 was third in 54:55, some 12 seconds ahead of the first senior Tristan Evans of organisers Meirionnydd RC.

In the women’s race Katie Beecher of Les Croupiers was first in 1:04:37, followed by Hayley Evans of Buckley (1:05:58) and Katie Cole running for No-mad Running in 1:10:20.

Masters prizes went to Richard Price (Sedgly Striders) 1:09:24; Dyfed Thomas (Eryri) 57:51; Louise Barker (Aberystwyth AC) 1:16:47; Dave Powell also of Aberystwyth AC (1:06:47; Iwan Edgar (Eryri) 1:07:49 and Amanda Purves of the Mysteries in 1:24:16. Buckley scooped the team prize. There was one retirement who was able to descend without assistance so there are 60 runners in with a chance of the Series prize. The next race is Tarrenhendre on Jan 27th with its three super steep climbs and terrific boggy forest descent, after which its not over……