Shane Ohly is the first person to complete the 380km Dragon’s Back Race® route from Conwy to Cardiff in one continuous journey

The conclusion to a very tough day one, which started with gale force winds and rain over the Carneddau and Glyderau, with the weather finally breaking on the summit (literally) of Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon). Photo © Matt Heason.

The Event Director of the Dragon’s Back Race®, a world-famous ultra-marathon in Wales, has taken on his own challenge in a unique way, completing the entire route in 102 hours 33 minutes as one continuous effort.

The Dragon’s Back Race® is widely regarded as the toughest mountain race in the world, running from Conwy to Cardiff, taking in the most famous mountains in Wales along the way, including Yr Wddfa, Cadair Idris and Pen y Fan.

This race was first run in 1992, with Shane Ohly, reviving the race in 2012. Since then, it has become legendary as one of the toughest races there is, and attracts ultra-runners from all around the world to complete the iconic route. After many years of supporting participants on their journey, Shane decided to give it a go himself.

Before setting out on his journey at 10am on Thursday 15th August 2024, Shane said, “The demands of acting as Event Director mean that joining participants on the start line just simply would not be possible. However, in the last year, my mind slowly shifted to celebrating the event and participating in my own way.”

“Attempting to run the entire Dragon’s Back Race® route will tick these boxes a thousand times over, and I get to do this while celebrating and paying my respects to the race participants.”

While the race is usually completed as a stage race over six days, with participants stopping at overnight camps to rest and refuel, Shane has run the route continuously, pushing through to complete in a time of 102 hours 33 minutes, with only short stops for sleep throughout the journey.

Many of the biggest names in the UK Ultra-running community came together to support Shane on his journey, including not one, but 5 past winners of the event (Robyn Cassidy, Hugh Chatfield, James Nobles, Simon Roberts and Lisa Watson). He was also joined by other prominent ultra-runners, such as Emma Stuart and Damian Hall on his journey, along with a brilliant team of supporters providing logistical and road support.

Shane had to contend with difficult weather conditions early on and significant sleep deprivation on his journey to Cardiff, with the night legs proving particularly tough. However, he was still running when he came into the finish in Cardiff Castle at 16:30 on Monday afternoon, having been running since 10am the previous Thursday.

After completing his challenge, Shane said, “What I can confidently predict is that attempting the Dragon’s Back Race route over six-day stages is probably much more enjoyable!”

This never-before-achieved feat is an absolutely phenomenal display of endurance. We will publish a full write-up of the journey from Shane in due course. This will likely be in autumn.

The main Dragon’s Back Race® will take place from 2nd-9th September. Details on how to follow participants as they make their journey will be released next week on the Dragon’s Back Race® website.

Photo © Matt Heason.

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