4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Powys County Times
I took on the Man vs Horse race and lived to tell the tale
IN the annual battle of human versus beast, man triumphed for the third year in the last four at the Man vs Horse Race.
There really is something truly special about running alongside a horse on a slippery, treacherous trail in the forest tracks and bogs surrounding Llanwrtyd Wells each June.
Man vs Horse isn't even the most 'out there' invention that Green Events has in its stable. There's also the Mountain Bike Chariot Racing, Welsh Open Stoneskimming and World Bog Snorkelling championships all on the calendar, but this is by far the most popular, and in my humble opinion, the best.
It consistently brings in the crowds, and competitors, with about 1,000 people descending on the quirky Mid Wales town last Saturday, June 14, to test their mettle against more than 60 horses.
It's my favourite event to do, and lots of people I know feel the same. Why? Who can say?
It's a hell of a lot of fun.
I think it's the combination of exploring stunning scenery and watery, mud-covered trails, conquering the lung-bursting and leg-screaming hills, running literally alongside horses, the camaraderie built with fellow runners and the overall sense of pride and achievement at the finish line that make it so special.
As a friend and fellow endurance junkie, Dan Graham, put it afterwards: 'It's bonkers'.
The eccentric 'This can't possibly be a thing' element of Man vs Horse is also what puts the event on a pedestal and plays a part in its popularity.
There's plenty of wacky races up and down the UK; from cheese rolling in Gloucestershire, Race the Train in Tywyn on the West Wales coast, the Great Knaresborough Bed Race and Dorking's Wife Carrying Championships.
And Man vs Horse is right up there alongside them as a bucket list challenge.
This was my fourth year of entering and third doing the full distance, after I dipped my toe in 2022 with a relay place (you can either enter as a solo runner or play a part in a three-person relay team).
After the epic thunderstorms on Friday night, Saturday felt like a proper, authentic Man vs Horse experience.
The rain made for a treacherously thrilling course in places, with plenty of boggy plunges – one descent early on the second leg at Trallwm genuinely made me feel like I was on a slip 'n' slide.
After the first sight of the horses negotiating the gruelling 'Garn', you encounter them sporadically throughout the race, even though they follow a slightly alternate route.
There are obviously a few hills to contend with – my Strava told me I'd amassed 3,999 feet of elevation – and it takes a toll in many ways. One lady fell off her horse, which then went AWOL, before turning up at a nearby farm.
After cruising into the final checkpoint, at around 16 miles, near Llwynowen, the last 6 or so miles was a real slog.
The terrain had truly zapped my legs and I was just grateful to reach the finish line, where friends, family, an alcoholic beverage, and gratefully, the ice cream man, were waiting for me.
I came home in 6 hours 10 minutes then had a few more very well-deserved alcoholic beverages.
Shout out to Izzy and Gary Watts – two Man v Horse fiends (Gary, very reluctantly so, every year) who agreed to be tail walkers.
They came across the line in 7 hours and 25 minutes, but made the day of the final finisher Roshan Khan, who'd tried and failed to complete the race previously; but with Izzy and Gary's help, achieved a long-held ambition.
