International Snowdon Race

The International Snowdon race has to be one of my favourite races of the year.  It's the race where I know after it I will hurt.  The race is from the foot of Mount Snowdon to the summit and back down.  For those who have ever ventured up Snowdon you will know its not easy, its steep, rough and demands respect. 

I have done this race four times before and won it on each occassion, so I wasn't doing the race this year to just make up numbers.  I had one aim and that was to win the race.  I was wanting to run a quick time as well, but overall I just wanted to win.  I couldn't do the race last year as it landed the week before the European Maratrhon Championships and I don't think the team managers would have been overally impressed if I was to race the Snowdon race seven days before!  So having won the race in 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 and in doing so being the one person to win it so many times I was after nothing more than the race win on Saturday.  And I think everyone knew this.  I had made no secert of this fact.  I had checked out the other runners prior to the start and ntoiced Scotland had a very good team.  Off the back of Scotlands recent strong display at the World Long Distance Mountain Running Championships I knew the Scottish lads would be putting up a good race.  Also on the England team with me was probably the best fell runner ever in Ian Holmes.  The guy might be in his forties but I wouldn't want him near me on the long run back down Snowdon.  Iam can descend very well and as I predicted before the race he was the quickest down the mountain on Saturday.

The race starts at 2pm on Saturday.  Llanberis is alive with supporters who have come to watch family members do battle with the mountain and its also a great party day for the locals of the villages.  The place is rammed and aliove with activity.  As the race gets under way you have about 2 minutes of good flat running before hitting the bottom of the road leading to the mountain path.  I set off with intent and got a lead early on and people have become used to this.  I like to get up the mountain as quick as I can as I know I am not the best at coming down.  I need a nice lead at the summit to ensure I dont get caught on the way back.

I was first to hit the mountain path and got in to my running well.  I was moving well and getting reports from spectators that I was pulling a lead out.  It wasn't until watching the race back that I now know I never really got a big gap over the chasing runners.  In years gone by I have been minutes clear at the summit and never challenged on the way down but Murray Strain was about to put an end to me having it all my own way again.  I was about 45 seconds clear of him at the summit but I didn't realise he was so close.  I also didnt really know much about him but soon learnt that he can run fast downhill over rough ground.  He quickly caught me and seemed to sail by leaving me trailing him thinking, oh dear I need to respond.  I didn't panic too much about not being in the lead even though it was the first tikme in the five races I had done wher I had been in any position in the race other than first.  I still knew we had about three miles of running left and a lot could happen in this time.  I tried hanging on to him over the rough ground to limit the damage he was doing to me and then tried to work even harder on the easier running ground.  The lead swapped hands several times on the way down which made it a very good race to watch.  The spectators on the mountain were brilliant, cheering me on to a fifth win but equally excited about the prospect of me being beaten.

Murray and I hit the road together at the end .  About 0.9 miles to go with a very steep tarmac hill before hitting the flat road of Llanberis and back to the race field.  Again the lead changed hands and now Murray was in the lead.  He seemed to just fly down the final hill as I was running along feeling every step in my quads.  When we hit the flat road we had about 500m until the finish and I was trailing Murray by some 5 seconds.  It was time to run and run I did. I was desperate to win again for the fifth time and was not going to loose in the final stages.  I over took Murray and the crowds were going mad.  I could hear people shouting me on and also shouting for Murray to respond and to go with me.  I then realised he wasn't going to catch me again as I was running along the finish straight as was able to celebrate.  Murray had ran a fine race, he came with me up the mountain and gave it his all on the way back down to get away.  It made for great viewing on the S4C programme highlights of the race.  It was the first time I had to really race anyone so closely in the Snowdon race and boy did I know I had raced.  As I crossed the finish line I could do nothing but drop to my knees.  A minute or so later I was up, shaking hands with Murray and soon crossing the line in third place was Robbie Simpson, last years winner and the youngest winner of the Snowdon Race.  It was Robbie I thought would be giving me the race which just goes to show you can never under estimate any athlete in the race.  Scotland finished 2nd, 3rd and 4th and in doing so won the team even ending Englands winning role at the event.  Lloyd Taggert had a great race beating all the rest of the England team to finish a strong fifth in the race.  He was obviously telling me stories when he said before the race he was here for a training run!!!

The Snowdon race has a very string history as being an International race.  It has attracted some of the best mountain runners from around the world over its time and the international status the race holds is building again.  The record for the race is amazing and set by Kenny Stuart in a time of 1.02.29 in 1985.  My time this year of 1.05.57 is my second fastest time in the race with my quickest being in 2007 when I ran a little quicker in 1.05.38.  My question is, who is going to break kenny Stuarts record?

In finishing this race report I would like to thank all those who help organise the race and all the supporters of the race.  A great event.