Common occasion on June 6-7 is received by workforce from North West England.
After 61 groups completed final yr, led by Pontypridd Roadents, 65 squads signed up for this yr’s occasion, the forty first. Since its inception in 1983, the occasion has featured a sequence of particular person races based mostly upon the numerous castles within the principality.
Nevertheless, Pontypridd had been unable to defend and victory went to Salford from Pontypridd and Meirionydd as all the first three groups had 5 particular person stage wins.
Day 1 (June 6)
There needed to be a change to the primary stage from Caernarfon Citadel to Penygroes as native highway situations meant a discount to 7.8 miles from the traditional 9.1 miles and three Welsh golf equipment dominated.
Pontypridd received total final yr however on this primary leg, it was Meirionydd’s Ifan Daffydd, second on this stage final yr, who received by almost a minute from Swansea’s Ed Slaughter, with the holder’s Jack Blackburn third.
For the ladies’ Bridgend’s Kate Roberts, in her first outing for over a yr, took the plaudits.
Stage two noticed Highgate’s Gray Grierson put down a marker with a 55:38 clocking for the ten.7 miles, forward of veterans Lee Stopford and Karl Dary for Stroud and Salford, whereas Katrina Ballantyne-Chalmers put Leeds ladies on the chief boards.
Swansea too put their identify on the chief board on the 12.3-mile-long ‘mountain’ stage three from Criccieth Citadel to Maentwrog, as Kristian Jones, in his first outing for greater than two years, took the stage in 61:10.
This headed Owen Jones and Alex Lepretre because the occasion confirmed up the excessive commonplace on present this yr however may make little impression on the general lead.
Right here the ladies had been led residence by Clara Evans-Graham’s stage document of 66:14. The 32-year-old had set a private finest 31:13 over 10km in Spain, earlier this yr adopted by a 2:27:03 marathon.
After 4 levels, Salford, second final yr, snatched the general lead from Meirionydd because of their Alex Ediker, who received the 9.5-mile race on to Harlech in 49:51. Right here, Stroud led the vets’ and Chorlton the ladies’s, by eight minutes from 2025 winners Les Croupiers, because of Andreja Zevnik’s 61:38.
A second stage document got here on the 9.6-miles leg 5 on to Barmouth, as prime ranked M35 800m runner Harry Wakefield confirmed his distance pedigree with a greater than four-minute victory in 47:24.
This gave Salford an enormous lead that prolonged to greater than eight minutes on leg six as much as Dolgellau over Swansea, Highgate, Pontypridd and Meirionnydd, who had been all inside seven minutes of one another.
Right here, Swansea’s Conor Rogers had taken the stage in 44:42, as the gap was somewhat shorter than marketed.
With a climb of 449-metres over a ten.1-mile stretch, mountain stage 7 as much as Dinas Mawddwy, is the hardest. Pontypridd’s Jake Smith, who ran 2:12:19 within the current London Marathon, demolished Swansea’s Dewi Griffiths by greater than three minutes. This was with a 50:33 stage document, greater than 4 minutes faster than the earlier finest, as each golf equipment edged nearer to the Salford lead, however Swansea nonetheless led the ‘King of the Mountains’ race.
Yet one more stage document got here on the following leg, stage 8 on to Foel, the place Adam Jones, for Meirrionydd, took almost a minute from the earlier mark with 55:41 for the ten.8-miles stint.
Salford’s benefit had begun to slide and, by the tip of stage 9, which was received by Swansea’s 18-year-old Zac Beddows, in one more stage document, was down to simply over two minutes, as Pontypridd Rodents had been additionally shut.
Along with the brand new males’s mark of 43:32, the ladies’s stage finest was additionally to fall, as 21-year-old Annabel Wallace ran 46:26 for the 8.5-miles on to Llanfair Caereinion.
With the in a single day cease at Newtown looming, the stage ten runners had a 338-metre climb over the half-marathon distance on the third of the Mountain legs.
It was Salford’s Dave Bennett who elevated his membership’s result in greater than 9 minutes over holders Pontypridd.
He was pressed by Jacob Allen who closed his Highgate workforce to 3rd on this the third Mountain stage of the race but it surely was Salford who now led right here too.
For the ladies, holders Les Croupiers comfortably led in a single day from Chorlton, as Crew Tub led the vets.
Stage 1: Caernarfon Citadel to Penygroes (7.8M, 138m): 1 I Dafydd (Meir’dd) 43:37; 2 E Slaughter (Swan) 44:25; 3 J Blackburn (P’pridd) 44:46
M40: 1 M Holmes (E Chesh) 44:58 M50: 1 A Buckley (Leeds) 47:32. M55: 1 S Wooden (Cleve) 48:51
Ladies: 1 Ok Roberts (B’finish) 50:38
Stage 2: Penygroes to Criccieth Citadel (10.7M, 113m): 1 G Grierson (Excessive) 55:38; 2 L Stopford (Stroud, M40) 55:50; 3 Ok Darcy (Salf, M40) 56:07
Ladies: 1 Ok Ballantyne-Chalmers (Leeds) 61:24; 2 N Sutton (R4All, Neath, W35) 62:03
Stage 3: Criccieth Citadel to Maentwrog (12.3M, 288m):1 Ok Jones (Swan) 61:10; 2 O Roberts (Meir’dd) 61:26; 3 A Lepretre (Excessive) 61:34
Ladies: 1 C Evans-Graham (P’pridd) 66:14
Stage 4: Maentwrog to Harlech Citadel (9.5M, 149m): 1 A Ediker (Salf) 49:51; 2 C Sales space (Swan) 51:40; 3 A Richardson (Excessive) 51:42
Ladies: 1 E Davies (Neath) 55:26
W40: A Zevnik (Chorl) 61:38
Stage 5: Harlech Citadel to Barmouth (9.6M, 139m): 1 H Wakefield (Salf) 47:24
M40: 1 S Lewis (P’pridd) 52:48
Ladies: 1 S Vilar-Eluch (San D, W35) 65:36
Stage 6: Barmouth to Dolgellau; Distance (9.0M, 201m): 1 C Rogers (Swan) 44:42; 2 T Hodgson (Salf) 46:10; 3 P Graham (P’pridd) 46:43
M40: 1 O Williams (Les C) 47:51
Ladies: 1 T Freeman (B&R, W40) 58:23
Stage 7: Dolgellau to Dinas Mawddwy (10.1M, 449m): 1 J Smith (P’pridd) 50:33; 2 D Griffiths (Swan) 53:43; 3 T Cornthwaite (Salf, M40) 55:14
Ladies: 1 A Gascoigne (T Tub, W40) 64:46
Stage 8: Dinas Mawddwy to Foel (10.8M, 310m): 1 A Jones (Meir’dd)) 55:41; 2 J Griffiths (P’pridd) 56:42; 3 L James (T Tub) 57:06
M40: 1 M Snow (Leeds) 62:20
Ladies: 1 V Hill (SWRR, W45) 70:47
Stage 9: Foel to Llanfair Caereinion (8.5M, 98mt): 1 Z Beddows (Swan, U20) 42:37
M40: 1 J Tyler (Meir’dd) 44:59. M60: 1 M Roscoe (Leeds) 49:39
Ladies: 1 A Wallace (T Tub) 46:26
Stage 10: Llanfair Caereinion to Newtown (13.1M, 338m): 1 D Barratt (Salf) 67:39; 2 J Allen (Excessive) 67:44; 3 D Griffith (Meir’dd) 68:35; 4 C Lewis (Les C) 69:13
M40: 1 T Charles (Chorl) 72:54
Ladies: 1 G Palmer (Les C) 86:12
Day 2 (June 7)
One other Salford win got here on the primary stage of day 2. It was one other mountain stage and noticed final yr’s runners-up prolong their result in over 10 minutes within the open class and to 5 within the mountain standings.
Josh Birmingham ran the ten.5-miles with its 378 metres of climbing in 56:40, or his membership’s fourth stage win, as Meirionnydd’s veteran Russell Bentley adopted.
A second ladies’s stage document got here on these hills as Sarn Helena’s Polly Summers shaved 28 seconds from Amber Gascoigne’s 2024 mark with 66:49.
Salford had been then pegged again on leg 12, as Pontypridd’s Ben Hughes’ 56:52 for the 11.2-miles from Llanbadarn Fynydd to Crossgates gained a minute.
The thirteenth, on to Builth Wells noticed the stage 1,2, Pontypridd’s Oliver Worth and Highgate’s Malik Ouzier, nibble into Salford’s total lead, but it surely was nonetheless properly over eight minutes on the line.
One other Mountain stage adopted on the ten,8-miles to Drovers Arms and it was Pontypridd’s Adam Bull who took one other minute out of the Salford lead, in each total and Mountain classifications, with a 58:34 clocking for the ten.8-miles with its 493-metres of climb.
Calum Rowlinson’s second spot for Salford saved up the stress as Tomos Roberts edged Meirionnydd nearer to Highgate’s total third spot.
Pontypridd then boosted their possibilities of a trophy retention by claiming the following two levels, albeit by small margins over their rivals.
First it was Gavin Stuart on 15, then Dan Nash on 16 however solely by a meagre six seconds over Salford’s George Beardmore, whose effort secured the Kings of the Mountains trophy.
Then Meirionydd popped in a stage win over the 8.7-miles from Torpantau to Cyfarthfa Citadel, with 45:51, however veteran Bruno Lima was shut however, extra importantly gaining greater than three minutes on Pontypridd.
Fourth positioned Mike Burrett was given the Geoff Wooden Award as the primary M50 to complete the stage, in reminiscence of Wooden who collapsed and died right here in 1998
All this meant that, after 17 levels the Salford lead was now over ten minutes on Pontypridd, as third positioned Meirionnydd nonetheless had three minutes leeway on Highgate.
The penultimate stage from Abercycnon to Nantgarw noticed Ben Porter win for Meirionydd, however little change to the general standings however there was one other document for the ladies, as Lizzie Rayner coated the 7.7-miles in 44:49.
Then it was throughout on the run all the way down to Cardiff Citadel and Joseph Moores celebrated Salford’s total race win with one more stage victory, their fifth, this time in one other document: 48:36 for the 9.1-miles from Caerphilly Citadel.
Olivia Tsim took the ultimate ladies’s stage win in 59:49 but it surely was long-time leaders Les Croupiers who retained their total title regardless of a lowly last leg end.
Stage 11: Newtown to Llanbadarn Fynydd (10.5M, 378m): 1 J Birmingham (Salf) 56:40; 2 R Bentley (Meir’dd, M45) 58:41
Ladies: 1 P Summers (Sarn H) 66:49
Stage 12: Llanbadarn Fynydd to Crossgates (11.2M, 154m): 1 B Hughe (P’pridd) 56:52; 2 C Haywood (Excessive) 57:17; 3 T Potter (Salf) 57:37; 4 D Franks (Leeds) 58:00
M55: 1 N Grinnell (Neath) 61:56
Ladies: 1 V Ratcliffe (T Tub, W50) 70:28
Stage 13: Crossgates to Builth Wells (10.6M, 158m): 1 O Worth (P’pridd) 56:17; 2 M Ouzia (Excessive) 56:35; 3 L Williams (Meir’dd) 56:40; 4 E Kenyon-Betts (E Chesh) 56:57; 5 P Henderson (Salf) 57:04
M45: 1 D Craig (Les C) 60:12
Ladies: 1 A Domville (T Tub) 65:06
Stage 14: Builth Wells to Drovers Arms (10.8M, 493m): 1 A Bull (P’pridd) 58:34; 2 C Rowlinson (Salf) 59:49; 3 T Roberts (Meir’dd) 61:42
Ladies: 1 C Merwood (CDF) 70:49
Stage 15: Epynt Customer Centre to Brecon (12.8M, 151m): 1 G Stewart (Meir’dd) 65:34; 2 H McMurtrie (T bathtub) 66:08; 3 M Ward (P’pridd) 66:35; 4 G Priestley (Salf) 66:37
M40: 1 M Hobbs (Swan) 71:44
Ladies: 1 E Bassini-Gazzi (Lwes C) 83:38
Stage 16: Brecon Canal Basin to Torpantau (12.5M, 360m): 1 D Nash (P’pridd) 67:34; 2 G Beardmore (Salf) 67:40; 3 R Owen (Meir’dd) 69:39
Ladies: 1 L Flynn (Les C, W40) 82:37
Stage 17: Taf Fechan Station, Torpantau to Cyfarthfa Citadel (8.7M, 127m): 1 B Harding (Meir’dd) 45:51; 2 B Lima (Salf, M40) 46:04
Ladies: 1 A Roberts (Macc) 54:27
W60: 1 S Avery (Chesh Dr) 58:26
Stage 18: Merthyr Tydfil Rhyd-y-Automobile Centre to Abercynon (Navigation Park) (9.1M, 123m): 1 M Rees (Swan) 48:08; 2 2 O Morris (Les C) 48:47; 3 J Vicente Excessive) 49:17; 4 M Burrett (Leeds, M50) 49:27
Ladies: 1 L Marland (Les C, W35) 55:41
W50: 1 R McKean (T Tub) 57:21
Stage 19: Abercycnon to Nantgarw (7.7, 85m): 1 B Porter (Meir’dd) 41:16; 2 T McCarthy (P’pridd) 41:29; 3 Ok Cann (Salf) 42:04
M45: 1 M Harvey (Swan) 43:33
Ladies: 1 L Rayner (T Tub) 44:49
Stage 20: Caerphilly Citadel to Cardiff Bute Park (9.1M, 63m): 1 J Moores (Salf) 48:36; 2 J Corridor (Leeds) 49:23; 3 E Foster (Les C) 50:27
M45: C Callaghan (Buckley) 53:57
Ladies: 1 O Tsim (P’pridd) 59:49
Ultimate standings
Total (209M): 1 Salford 18:08:54; 2 Pontypridd 18:27:04; 3 Meirionydd 18:32:30; 4 Highgate 18:36:10; 5 Swansea 18:49:47; 6 Les Croupiers 19:28:50
M40: 1 Crew Tub 22:25:12; 2 Les Croupiers 23:14:02; 3 Pontypridd 23:29:24
King of Mountains: 1 Salford 6:09:44; 2 Pontypridd 6:13:25; 3 Meirionydd 6:19:13
M40: 1 Crew Tub 7:12:52
Ladies: 1 Les Croupiers 23:19:28; 2 Chorlton 24:16:02; 3 CDF 25:02:55
Queens of Mountains: 1 Les Croupiers 7:41:31
Enterprise Crew: 1 South Wales Police 24:19:18
65 groups completed
