The popular event on June 6-7 is being won by the North West England team.
After 61 teams completed last year led by Pontypridd Roadents, 65 teams entered this year’s event, the 41st. Since its inception in 1983, the event has featured a number of individual races based on many of the princely castles.
However, Pontypridd could not defend and it was Salford from Pontypridd and Meirionid that took the win as the first three teams all had five individual round wins.
Day 1 (June 6)
The first leg from Caernarfon Castle to Penygro had to be changed as local road conditions meant a reduction to 7.8 miles from the usual 9.1 miles and was dominated by three Welsh clubs.
Pontypridd won overall last year but in this first leg it was Meirionydd’s Ifan Dafydd, second at this stage last year, who won by almost a minute from Swansea’s Ed Slaughter, with owner Jack Blackburn in third.
For the ladies, Bridgend’s Kate Roberts, on her first tour in over a year, won plaudits.
In the second round, Highgate’s Gray Grierson clocked 55:38 over the 10.7 miles, ahead of veterans Lee Stopford and Carl Derry for Stroud and Salford, while Katrina Ballantyne-Chalmers put the Leeds women on the leaderboards.
Swansea also put their name on the leaderboard in the 12.3-mile hilly third stage from Chrissiet Castle to Mentwrog as Christian Jones, on his first outing for more than two years, took the stage in 61:10.
This was led by Owen Jones and Alex Lepretre as the event showed a high level this year but could make little impression on the overall leader.
Here the women were led home by Clara Evans-Graham’s stage record of 66:14. The 32-year-old ran a personal best of 31:13 over 10km in Spain, followed by a 2:27:03 marathon.
After four stages, Salford, who were second last year, took the overall lead from Meirionydd thanks to their Alex Ediker who won the 9.5 mile run to Harlech in 49:51. Here Stroud led the vets and Chorlton the women by eight minutes from 2025 winner Les Croupiers thanks to Andrea Zevnik’s 61:38.
The second stage record was set in the 9.6 mile 5th leg to Barmouth as top M35 800m runner Harry Wakefield showed his distance pedigree with a win of over four minutes in 47:24.
This gave Salford a big lead which extended to more than eight minutes in the sixth half until Dolgellau with Swansea, Highgate, Pontypridd and Meirionnyd all within seven minutes of each other.
Here Swansea’s Conor Rodgers took the stage in 44:42 as the distance was slightly shorter than advertised.
The 10.1-mile, 449-meter-elevation 7th mountain stage to Dinas Maudwin is the toughest. Pontypridd’s Jake Smith, who ran 2:12:19 at the last London Marathon, demolished Swansea’s Dewi Griffiths by more than three minutes. This was in a lap record of 50:33, more than four minutes faster than the previous best, as both clubs closed in on Salford’s lead, but Swansea still led the race for King of the Hill.
Another stage record was set in the next round, stage 8 to Foyle, where Adam Jones, for Meirrionydd, took almost a minute off the previous mark in 55:41 for the 10.8 miles.
Salford’s lead had begun to slip and by the end of stage 9, won by Swansea’s 18-year-old Zach Beddows in another stage record, it was down to just over two minutes as Pontypridd Rodents were also close.
In addition to the men’s new mark of 43:32, the best on the women’s stage also fell as 21-year-old Annabelle Wallace ran 46:26 over the 8.5 miles to Llanfair Caereinion.
As the overnight stop in Newtown approached, the ten runners on the stage climbed 338 meters in the third leg of the mountain over the half-marathon distance.
It was Salford’s Dave Bennett who extended his club’s lead to more than nine minutes over the Pontypridd hosts.
He was pressured by Jacob Allen, who locked his Highgate side into third place in this third mountain stage of the race, but it was Salford who also led the way here.
For the women, holders Les Croupiers were comfortable overnighters from Chorlton as Tim Bath led the vets.
Stage 1: Caernarfon Castle to Penygroes (7.8m, 138m). 1 Defiddin (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 Wood (Cleve) 48:51
Women. 1 K Roberts (B’end) 50:38
Stage 2: Pennygroner to Critchiet Castle (10.7m, 113m). 1 G Grierson (High) 55:38; 2 L Stopford (Stroud, M40) 55:50; 3 K Darcy (Salph, M40) 56:07
Women. 1 K Ballantyne-Chalmers (Leeds) 61:24; 2 N Sutton (R4All, Neath, W35) 62:03
Stage 3: Critchity Castle to Maentvrog (12.3m, 288m).1 K Jones (Swan) 61:10; 2 O Roberts (Meir’dd) 61:26; 3 A Lepretre (High) 61:34
Women. 1 C Evans-Graham (P’pridd) 66:14
Stage 4: Maentwrog to Harlech Castle (9.5m, 149m). 1 A Ediker (Salf) 49:51; 2 C Booth (Swan) 51:40; 3 A Richardson (High) 51:42
Women. 1 E Davies (Neath) 55:26
W40: A. Zevnik (Chorl) 61:38
Stage 5: Harlech Castle to Barmouth (9.6m, 139m). 1 H Wakefield (Salf) 47:24
M40: 1 S Lewis (P’pridd) 52:48
Women. 1 S Vilar-Eluch (San D, W35) 65:36
Stage 6: Barmouth to Dolgellau; Distance (9.0 m, 201 m). 1 C Rogers (Swan) 44:42; 2 T Hodgson (Salph) 46:10; 3 P Graham (P’soil) 46:43
M40: 1 Williams (Les C) 47:51
Women. 1 T Freeman (B&R, W40) 58:23
Stage 7: Dolgellau to Dinas Maudvi (10.1m, 449m). 1 J Smith (P’pridd) 50:33; 2 D Griffiths (Swan) 53:43; 3 T Cornthwaite (Salf, M40) 55:14
Women. 1 A Gascoigne (T Bath, W40) 64:46
Stage 8: Dinas Maudvi to Foel (10.8m, 310m). 1 A Jones (Meir’dd)) 55:41; 2 J Griffiths (P’pridd) 56:42; 3 L James (T Bath) 57:06
M40: 1 M Snow (Leeds) 62:20
Women. 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
Women. 1 A Wallace (T Bath) 46:26
Stage 10: Llanfair Caereinion to Newtown (13.1m, 338m). 1 D Barratt (Salf) 67:39; 2 J Allen (High) 67:44; 3 D Griffith (Meir’dd) 68:35; 4 C Lewis (Les C) 69:13
M40: 1 T Charles (Chorl) 72:54
Women. 1 G Palmer (Les C) 86:12
Day 2 (June 7)
Another win for Salford came in the first leg of Day 2. It was another hilly stage and saw last year’s runners-up extend their lead to over 10 minutes in the open class and up to five minutes in the hilly event.
Josh Birmingham ran the 10.5 miles with his 378m climb in 56:40, or his club’s fourth stage win, followed by Meirionnydd veteran Russell Bentley.
A second women’s stage record was set on these hills when Sarn Helena’s Polly Summers shaved 28 seconds off Amber Gascoigne’s 2024 mark in 66:49.
Salford then hit back on leg 12 as Pontypridd’s Ben Hughes added a minute in 56:52 over the 11.2 miles from Llanbadarn Fynid to Crossgates.
13th, on Built Wells, saw the 1.2 stage, Pontypridd’s Oliver Price and Highgate’s Malik Ouzier take the overall lead from Salford, but there was still more than eight minutes at the line.
Another hilly stage followed with 10.8 miles to the Drovers Arms and it was Pontypridd’s Adam Bull who took another minute off the Salford leader, in both the overall and hill classifications, clocking 58:34 for his 10.8 mile climb of 493 metres.
For Salford, Calum Rawlinson’s second place continued the pressure as Tomos Roberts edged Meirionnidd to third overall at Highgate.
Pontypridd then increased their chances of retaining the trophy by claiming the next two rounds, albeit by narrow margins over their rivals.
First it was Gavin Stewart in 15th, then Dan Nash in 16th, but by just six seconds over Salford’s George Beardmore, whose efforts secured the Kings of the Mountain trophy.
Meirionydd then cruised to a stage win over the 8.7 miles from Torpantau to Sifartfa Castle in 45:51, but veteran Bruno Lima was close, but more importantly gained over three minutes in Pontypridd.
Fourth-placed Mike Barrett was awarded the Jeff Wood Award for being the first M50 to finish the stage in memory of Wood, who collapsed and died here in 1998.
It all meant that after 17 laps, Salford’s lead over Pontypridd was now more than ten minutes, as third-placed Meirionnydd still had three minutes to spare at Highgate.
The penultimate stage from Abercycnon to Nantgarw saw Ben Porter win for Meirionydd but there was little change in the overall standings but there was another record for the ladies as Lizzie Rayner covered the 7.7 miles in 44:49.
It was then all the way down to Cardiff Castle and Joseph Moores celebrated Salford’s overall victory in the race with another stage win, their fifth, this time with another record; 48:36 9.1 miles from Caerphilly Castle.
Olivia Zim won the women’s stage in 59:49, but it was long-time leaders Les Croupiers who retained their overall title despite a low finish in the final stage.
Stage 11: Newtown to Llanbadarn Finidd (10.5m, 378m). 1 J Birmingham (Grease) 56:40; 2 R Bentley (Meir’dd, M45) 58:41
Women. 1 P Summers (Sarn H) 66:49
Stage 12: From Llanbadarn Fynydd to Crossgates (11.2M, 154m). 1 B Hughes (P’pridd) 56:52; 2 C Haywood (High) 57:17; 3 T Potter (Salph) 57:37; 4 D Franks (Leeds) 58:00
M55: 1 N Grinnell (Nith) 61:56
Women. 1 V Ratcliffe (T Bath, W50) 70:28
Stage 13: Crossgates to Builth Wells (10.6M, 158m). 1 Price (P’pridd) 56:17; 2 M Ouzia (High) 56:35; 3 L Williams (Meir’dd) 56:40; 4 E Kenyon-Betts (E Chesh) 56:57; 5 P Henderson (Salph) 57:04
M45: 1 D Craig (Les C) 60:12
Women. 1 A Domville (T Bath) 65:06
Stage 14: Build wells to Drovers Arms (10.8m, 493m). 1 A Bull (P’pridd) 58:34; 2 C Rowlinson (Salph) 59:49; 3 T Roberts (Meir’dd) 61:42
Women. 1 C Merwood (CDF) 70:49
Stage 15: Epynt Visitor Center to Brecon (12.8m, 151m). 1 G Stewart (Meir’dd) 65:34; 2 H McMurtrie (T Bath) 66:08; 3 M Ward (P’pridd) 66:35; 4 G Priestley (Salf) 66:37
M40: 1 M Hobbs (Swan) 71:44
Women. 1 E Bassini-Gazzi (Lewes 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
Women. 1 L Flynn (Les C, W40) 82:37
Stage 17: Taff Fechan Station, Torpantau to Sifartfa Castle (8.7m, 127m). 1 B Harding (Meir’dd) 45:51; 2 B Lima (Salf, M40) 46:04
Women. 1 A Roberts (Macc) 54:27
W60: 1 S Avery (Chesh Dr) 58:26
Stage 18: Merthyr Tydfil Rhyd-y-Car Center to Abercynon (Navigation Park) (9.1M, 123m). 1 M Rees (Swan) 48:08; 2 2 O Morris (Les C) 48:47; 3 J Vicente High) 49:17; 4 M Burrett (Leeds, M50) 49:27
Women. 1 L Marland (Les C, W35) 55:41
W50: 1 R McKean (T Bath) 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 K Cann (Salf) 42:04
M45: 1 M Harvey (Swan) 43:33
Women. 1 L Rayner (T Bath) 44:49
Stage 20: Caerphilly Castle to Cardiff Bute Park (9.1m, 63m). 1 J Moores (Salf) 48:36; 2 J Hall (Leeds) 49:23; 3 E Foster (Les C) 50:27
M45: C Callaghan (Buckley) 53:57
Women. 1 to Tsim (P’pridd) 59:49
The final table
Total (209M). 1 Salford 18:08:54; 2 Pontypridd 18:27:04; 3 Merionydd 18:32:30; 4 Highgate 18:36:10; 5 Swansea 18:49:47; 6 Les Croupiers 19:28:50
M40: 1 Team Bath 22:25:12; 2 Les Croupiers 23:14:02; 3 Pontypridd 23:29:24
King of the mountains. 1 Salford 6:09:44; 2 Pontypridd 6:13:25; 3 Merionides 6:19:13
M40: 1 Team bathroom 7:12:52
Women. 1 Les Croupiers 23:19:28; 2 Chorlton 24:16:02; 3 CDF 25:02:55
Queens of the mountains. 1 The Croupiers 7:41:31
Business team. 1 South Wales Police 24:19:18
65 teams finished
