Pontypridd Roadents and Les Croupiers come out on top in the 40th running of this event

Since its inception in 1983, the event has missed just three years due to foot and mouth disease and the pandemic, so this is the 40th running of the event that features a series of individual races based upon the many castles in the principality.

Highgate Harriers returned to defend their 2024 title and expected a challenge from Leeds City and locals Pontypridd Roadents and it was they who pressed throughout and eventually won by exactly five minutes from Salford, with previously unfancied Meirionnydd third.

However, on the first stage from Caernarfon Castle over 9.1 miles it was Chorlton’s Mike Leigh who won from Meirionnydd's Ifan Dafydd in 52:26.

That first stage women’s winner was Winchester Running Club’s Alex Lane in 56:53.

Nick Barry won for Salford on stage 2 to Criccieth Castle but with Thomas Charles next home for Chorlton stressing their strength in the veterans’ class, their intentions were clear.

After three stages, Pontypridd had taken the lead and were more than two minutes up on Salford thanks to an outstanding run from their Jake Smith on this, the first of the ‘mountain’ stages. Last year’s stage 12 winner hacked two and-a-half-minutes from Dewi Griffiths’ record for the 12.3-miles on to Maentwrog with a 59:36 effort. Leeds and Highgate were 8th and 12th at this point and struggling to make an impact.

After six stages, however, Salford had taken the lead and were nearly seven minutes ahead overall, thanks to veteran Bruno Lima’s stage five win and were clear of the two Welsh clubs Meirionnydd and Pontypridd as Sale and Leeds followed 10 minutes down. Holders Highgate were now seventh.

The open stage record on this leg was bettered by Winchester’s Matthew Port but road works in Barmouth meant a late change and so the stage started closer to its Dolgellau’s end point and was shorter than billed.

With its 447-metres of climb, the next, over 10.1-miles, saw Pontypridd’s Paul Graham narrowly head Meirionnydd's Adam Jones with a 56:05 split as they closed on Salford, with Leeds next.

It may not be counted in the ‘mountains’ category but stage 8 has an elevation of 310-metres and SWRR’s Oliver Thorogood completed the 10.8-miles in a course record of 56:27 to take 13 seconds from the previous best.

This was set by Highgate’s Robert Wilson who was second here and also inside his 2024 mark, as his club edged up the leader board to fourth behind new leaders Pontypridd.

Going into Newtown, as day one’s racing drew to a close, Leeds threw in their star man as Richard Allen won the half-marathon-length ‘mountain’ stage in 67:25, from Salford’s Dave Barratt and Meirionnydd's Rhodri Owen.

Pontypridd still led overall and Les Croupiers’ women led their classification from Team Bath. This was by over half-an-hour following a series of stage wins, culminating in Alaw Benyon-Evans’ 79:24.

Also following a series of good efforts, Chorlton led the vets’ class by getting on for an hour.

There was an early start on day two and there was another stage best on number 11 thanks to Nigel Martin’s 55:27 for the 10-and-a-half-mile ‘mountain’ stint into Llanbadarn Fynydd, but Ed Bovington was also inside the previous mark for Leeds.

The Yorkshiremen continued to close on number 12 thanks to Nathan Marsh’s 55:55 for the 11.2-miles into Crossgates so that, after two legs on Day two, Pontypridd still led from Meirionnydd and Salford but Leeds had moved up to fourth, 17 minutes off of the lead but 17 minutes to the good of Highgate.

For Winchester Running Club, veteran Erin Willmers shaved a few seconds from the women’s stage best here, with 63:29.

For the first time in the race, Meirionnydd took the overall race lead on stage 13 to Builth Wells, thanks to Tomos Roberts’ 53:29 for the 10.6-mile trip, as Pontypridd were a minute in arrears in second.

That advantage was not to last as Adam Bull sent Pontypridd back into the overall lead on stage 14 on to Drovers Arms, with a 58:55 clocking for the 10.8-miles with its 493-metre climb.

Here, Peter Chambers took second, for Highgate, but the holders were running out of stages upon which to challenge to retain their title and Leeds slipped back.

Two more wins, by James Heneghan’s stage 15 record and Dan Nash, followed by a solid outing from veteran James Thie, ensured that Pontypridd were nearly home and dry after 18 stages as they led by 12 minutes from Salford as Meirionnydd and the pre-race favourites Highgate and Leeds slipped up

At the finish in Cardiff, Dan Griffith won for Meirionnydd to secure their podium place and Akkeal Chambers made a do or die effort to unseat Pontypridd, hacking over four minutes from their lead with a second stage place but it was too late for Salford as Pontypridd took the overall honours.

Overall (209M): 1 Pontypridd 18:41:19; 2 Salford 18:46:19; 3 Meirionnydd 18:57:18

M40: Chorlton 22:15:19

King of Mountains: 1 Pontypridd 6:10:25; 2 Salford 6:24:33; 3 Leeds 6:27:43

Women: 1 Les Croupiers 23:10:57; 2 Team Bath 24:00:08; 3 Sasle 24:08:05

Queens of Mountains: 1 Les Croupiers 7:37:39; 2 Team Bath 7:53:49; 3 Sale 8:02:52

Business Team: 1 Burgess Salmon 25:25:58

61 teams finished

Day 1 (June 11)

Stage 1: Caernarfon Castle to Penygroes (9.1M, 138m): 1 M Leigh (Chorl) 52:26; 2 I Dafydd (Merr’dd) 52:39

M40: 2 M Lockyer (Leeds) 55:48

M50: 1 H Evans (P Bryn) 57:32

Women: 1A Lane (Win RC) 56:53

Stage 2: Penygroes to Criccieth Castle (10.7M, 113m): 1 N Barry (Sale) 53:33; 2 T Charles (Chorl), M40) 54:03

Women: 1 R Friend (Leeds) 64:25

W40: G Moore (Eryri) 66:37

W45: 1 A Jones (SWRR) 66:45

Stage 3: Criccieth Castle to Maentwrog (12.3M, 288m): 1 J Smith (P’pridd) 59:36; 2 C Rowlinson (Salf) 63:53

M40: 1 D Wyeth (Chorl) 71:22

Women: 1 E Fell (Les C) 77:53

W50: 1 V Ratcliffe (T Bath) 80:21

Stage 4: Maentwrog to Harlech Castle (9.5M, 149m): 1 D Bodman (P Bryn) 49:11

M40: 1 A Reynolds (P’pridd) 53:35

M50: 1 A Buckley (Leeds) 54:08

Women: 1 S Shedden (Win RC, W35) 59:53

Stage 5: Harlech Castle to Barmouth (9.6M, 139m): 1 B Lima (Salf, M40) 52:42

M50: 1 M Green (Merr’dd) 54:35

Women: 1 E Wyatt-Haines (Les C, W35) 67:10

W50: 1 S Witt (Win RC) 69:23

Stage 6: Barmouth to Dolgellau; Distance (9M, 201m): 1 M Port (Win RC) 47:12

M45: M Burrett (Leeds) 49:34

Women: 1 C Wosika (T Bath) 56:55

W40: 1 L Stephens (Les C) 61:15

Stage 7: Dolgellau to Dinas Mawddwy (10.1M, 449m): 1 P Graham (P’pridd) 56:05; 2 A Jones (Merr’dd) 56:38

Women: 1 L Morgan (Les C, W50) 70:08

Stage 8: Dinas Mawddwy to Foel (10.8M, 310m): 1 O Thorogood (SWRR) 56:27; 2 R Wilson (High) 56:36; 3 J Blackburn (P’pridd); 4 B Gilham (Leeds) 57:58

M45: 1 C Donnelly (Sale) 61:34

Women: 1 L Jones (Les C, W45) 69:47

Stage 9: Foel to Llanfair Caereinion (8.5M, 98nt): 1 S Hopton (SWRR) 45:07; 2 S Harnett (High) 45:35; 3 G Edwards (P’pridd, M45) 46:20

Women: 1 J Whedeler (P’pridd) 50:47

W45: K Szabo (Chorl) 53:22

Stage 10: Llanfair Caereinion to Newtown (13.1M, 338m): 1 R Allen (Leeds) 67:25; 2 D Barratt (Salf) 68:06; 3 R Owen (Merr’dd) 69:04

Women: 1 Alaw Benyon- Evans (Les C, W35) 79:24

Day 2 (June 12)

Stage 11: Newtown to Llanbadarn Fynydd (10.8M, 378m): 1 N Martin (Sale) 55:27; 2 E Bovingdon (Leeds) 55:55; 3 D Hamilton (P’pridd) 56:19

Women: 1 F Morgan (CDF) &1:35

Stage 12: Llanbadarn Fynydd to Crossgates (11.2M, 154m): 1 N Marsh (Leeds) 55:55

M45: 1 A How (P’pridd) 59:32

Women: 1 E Williams (Win RC, W40) 63:29

Stage 13: Crossgates to Builth Wells (10.6M, 158m): 1 T Roberts (Merr’dd) 53:29; 2 G Priestley (Salf) 55:40; 3 S Lewis (P’pridd, M45) 56:30

M50: 1 J Edwards (Les C) 58:22

Women: 1 M Lyons (P’pridd) 63:17

W45: 1 S Bowes (Les C) 71:39

Stage 14: Builth Wells to Drovers Arms (10.8M, 493m): 1 A Bull (P’ridd) 58:55; 2 P Chambers (High) 59:23; 3 T Cornthwaite (Salf, M40) 59:45

Women: 1 R Antoinette (Llis) 70:55

W40: 1 L Flynn (Les C) 71:23

Stage 15: Epynt Visitor Centre to Brecon (12.8M, 151m): 1 J Heneghan (P’pridd) 64:03; 2 J Reeder (T Bath) 65:20

M40: 1 K Darcy (Salf) 68:03

Women: 1 A Weyers (Chorl, W40) 80:14

Stage 16: Brecon Canal Basin to Torpantau (12.5M, 360m): 1 D Nash (P’pridd) 68:25

Women: 1 N Kuiper (Les C) 83:29

Stage 17: Taf Fechan Station, Torpantau to Cyfarthfa Castle (8.7M, 127m): 1 P Henderon (Salf) 45:37

M45: 1 J Thie (P’pridd) 47:42

M50: 1 J Moles (Chorl) 48:53

M55: 1 J Walton (Leeds) 48:41

Women: 1 E Musgrave (Les C) 57:05

Stage 18: Merthyr Tydfil Rhyd-y-Car Centre to Abercynon (Navigation Park) (9.1M, 123m): 1 E Foster (Les C) 48:04

M40: 1 A Curvis (Sale) 49:44; 2 G Medcraft (P’pridd) 49:47

Women: 1 A Drinkwater (Eryri) 56:10

Stage 19: Navigation Park to Nantgarw (7.7, 85m): 1 J Birmingham (Salf) 38:49; 2 T McCarthy (P’pridd) 41:45

Women: 1 A Bagnall (Chesh Dr) 47:48

Stage 20: Caerphilly Castle to Cardiff Bute Park (10.1M, 63m): 1 D Griffith (Merr’dd) 47:42; 2 A Chambers (Salf) 48:26

Women: 1 J Nesbitt (P’pridd) 54:40