Big Weekend on the Trails and Roads

UTS by UTMB Brings the World to Eryri

Our area once again played host to one of the biggest mountain running festivals in the world as runners from across the globe descended on Eryri for Ultra-Trail Snowdonia by UTMB.

Among the thousands taking on the challenge were a strong contingent from Eryri Harriers, proudly representing the club across multiple distances.

The event once again showcased not only elite endurance performances, but also the resilience, camaraderie and adventurous spirit that define mountain running in North Wales. The UTS 100M, 100K, 80K, 50K and 25K route is widely regarded within the trail running community as one of the hardest races in the UTMB World Series, simply reaching the finish line is a major accomplishment.

The headline performances came in the gruelling UTS 100M, where Rachel Sergeant produced a phenomenal run to finish 28th overall, 3rd female and 2nd in her category in an outstanding time of 33:17:25. She was greeted and presented her medal at the finishline by her children. An unforgettable moment for all.   

Clubmate Ruth Metcalfe also conquered the 100-mile course, finishing 97th overall, 11th female and taking 1st place in the F55-59 category in 46:19:31 — an incredible achievement over one of the toughest hundred-mile routes in Europe.

In the UTS 100K, Aled Jones delivered a strong and consistent performance to finish 94th overall in 23:17:02. The race also saw determined efforts from Nathan Price and Jordan Stanford, who both battled deep into the course before withdrawing. Nathan also created a video sharing his tips for the race: https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1B9keNQ4co/

The UTS 80K saw another standout club performance from Nia Albiston, who finished 55th overall, 5th female and 2nd in category in a superb 10:33:07. Meanwhile Gavin Rogerson completed the demanding course in 14:00:07.

In the UTS 50K, Ben Shaw claimed 2nd place in the MV55 category with an excellent run of 8:41:20, while Iolo Owen also successfully completed the course in 12:12:26.

The shorter but fiercely competitive ERYRI 25K saw strong performances from several club members. Chris Smith finished an impressive 34th overall and 3rd in category in 2:19:20. Jordan Collins followed closely behind in 50th overall with a time of 2:24:34, while Dafydd Evans crossed the line in 2:38:27.

Special mention to our very own Ieuan Belshaw – an amazing, experienced and very sensible ultra runner. He pulled out late on in the race to protect ongoing niggles – a lesson to us to think a bit longer term and that sometimes, it’s best to call it a day to enable us to go further later on. (He also got this awsome picture)

Congratulations to every member who took part, supported, marshalled or helped behind the scenes during an unforgettable weekend on the trails.

Special Breathwork Session a Huge Success

Members recently gathered at Treborth Track for a special breathwork and running session led by David “Jacko” Jackson from Pro Breathwork.

The session explored how breathing can directly influence running performance, recovery, focus and wellbeing, with practical exercises both on the track and indoors. Judging by the feedback, the session was a massive success — and perhaps most importantly, members discovered that breathing really is quite important for running after all!

A full recap of the session can be found on the club website https://www.eryriharriers.org.uk/post/sesiwn-arbennig-i-aelodau-special-session-for-members-breathworks-gyda-jacko , and due to popular demand another session is already planned for September.

Brilliant Results at Ras y Gader

There were fantastic performances from club members at Ras y Gader in very challenging conditions, with 289 finishers taking on the iconic mountain race around Cadair Idris.

Special congratulations go to:

• Keiran Cattanach – 2nd overall

• Mike Whyatt – 1st MV60 & 27th overall

• Efa Baines – 1st U23 & 2nd Female

• Jackie Lee – 1st FV50 & 4th Female

• Miranda Grant Roberts – 1st FV40 & 5th Female

• Mabli Baines – upgraded to 1st U23

Another superb showing from Eryri athletes across the categories in one of the classic races on the Welsh mountain running calendar.

Chester Half Marathon

Further strong performances came on the roads at the Essar Chester Half Marathon, where six Eryri Harriers featured among more than 7,000 finishers.

Leading the club home was Dan Rodrigues, followed by:

• Andy Savage

• Iolo Roberts

• Robin Emyr Jones (congrats on the PB)

• Rhys ab Elwyn (club legend)

• Sion Rhys Jones

Well done to everyone racing, supporting and representing the club over another incredibly busy and successful weekend.

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