Dragon’s Back Race 2026 Stories

Image: Dragon's Back Poppy Collingwood

This year started with doubts about whether the Dragon’s Back Race would return, as previous owner Ourea Events went out of business. We were all so happy to see Ultra X take over, put it all together, and deliver a brilliant week of racing, adventure, and excitement across Wales. Whether you dot watched your friends, followed along with the YouTube video series for inspiration, or are just finding out about it now, you may consider putting the Dragon’s Back Race on your bucket list! A huge well done to all the runners! 

- Kate, Director - Founder

Isobel Turner and Danny Smith Secure Remarkable Victories

The Dragon’s Back Race calls itself the World’s Toughest Mountain Race and it is not exaggerating: the six-day adventure takes runners down the “dragon’s back” of Wales, from Conwy Castle in the north to Cardiff Castle in the south. It covers a huge variety of terrain, from slate trails, rocky ridges, and dry, unforgiving mountain tops, to grassy valleys, boggy sections, and even some flatter racing ground. In total, 380 km with 16 400 m of ascent, taking in the top of Eryri (Yr Wyddfa / Snowdon), the iconic Crib Goch ridge, Elan Valley, the Black Mountains, and more.

152 brave runners started in Cardiff on day 1, and by the end, only 53 would complete the full course. Among them, 36 women and 11 full-course finishers. Bethan Logan was a big race favourite and a clear leader from day 1 in the women’s race, running strong and with a simple goal of “having the most fun and seeing how far [she] can go”... as well as “getting [her] money’s worth from the camp food” (as per her Instagram post). Bethan volunteered here last year, which allowed her to recce some of the course and know what she was getting into. She ran a superb race up until Day 5, when she recounts having had to be rescued by a gang of clubmates, get off the mountain, and call it a day. 

Her drop meant that second-placed Isobel Turner moved into the lead ahead of the last day of racing. Isobel had gone through some dark moments on days 2 and 3, accumulating fatigue and soreness after the toughest mountain stages, but picked herself up from the halfway point. As she recalled in her post-race interview with Lowri Morgan, she found the race much more manageable after the halfway point, succeeding in breaking it down better. She was a worthy winner, running into Cardiff Castle after showing determination and mental resilience, with a total time of 67:46:19. Following her on the women’s podium were Jacqueline Lee (70:02:40) and Sarah Ingram (71:16:48).

In the men’s race, Danny Smith took the lead on day 1 and never looked back. The former Cape Wrath Ultra champion is no stranger to multi-day adventures like this one, telling Lowri in one of their interviews that he felt it was “a privilege to run this route” and he was making the most of it. Through careful execution and steady running, Danny crossed the finish line in first place overall, in a time of 46:59:52. Second place went to Matt Hammerton, who had been chasing him throughout the week, with a cumulative time of 50:39:42. Alastair Graves (who placed third at the 14 Peaks Ultra last year and was part of the Team GB & NI roster at the World Mountain & Trail Running Championships) was third in 52:56:33.

A special mention goes also to the person who has spent the most time on course this year: Felix Buchner, who finished the full Dragon’s Back in 88 hours 57 minutes and 34 seconds. The organisation recognises this effort with a special trophy: “Daffy” the Dragon. A brilliant way to acknowledge the extraordinary resilience and endurance required to make the full journey.

Hatchlings: the Dragon’s Back “Lite”

Ever felt like you wanted to give the Dragon’s Back a go, but were afraid you’d be timed out on day 1 and all your efforts would be in vain? 

Meet the alternative to the full Dragon: the Hatchling is open to all the 152 starters, allowing runners who for any reason realise they cannot complete the full course, to still get a “lite” finish. Completing even half of the full course is a remarkable achievement. So, if you get timed out during one of the days, or only aim to complete half of every day or a full first day but less of the following, there are options to then still get a Hatchling finish. 

When you enter the event, you can state your intention outright. But it’s all very flexible, since there is no set Hatchling route. The only requirement is that runners complete some of the race route each day. 

The result? A more inclusive approach, encouraging more starters and potentially building next year’s full finishers! This year, 63 Hatchlings finished, of which 15 were female runners. Well done to everyone!

Image: Dragon's Back Poppy Collingwood

Inaugurating the Dragon’s Fire and the Dragon’s Tail

New for 2026 were also two alternative options for experiencing the Dragon’s Back without doing the full course: the Dragon’s Fire, covering the first two days; or the Dragon’s Tail, covering the last two.

In the Dragon’s Fire, runners took on what seems to be the hardest parts: the challenging first day with a whopping 4100 m of ascent across 50 km, climbing the Carneddau, the Glyderau, and Yr Wyddfa. On day 2, there are another 60 km with 3200 m of ascent going from Nant Gwynant to Dolgellau. Definitely a challenge for the mountain runners who enjoy technical terrain and lots of vertical! 

Congratulations to the first female winner, Bryony Shircore, who was also second overall in a brilliant time of 20:07:15. She was joined on the podium by Sara Perez Sanchez (24:32:13) and Hannah Donald (24:37:36). The men’s race was won by Tim Patterson (20:03:03), followed by Rob Patterson Coates (20:25:16) and Jonathan Caunce (20:58:20).

The other inaugural event covered the final two days of the full route: the Dragon’s Tail involved a crossing of the Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) and a flat, fast ultra into the heart of Cardiff. 72 km with 3200 m of ascent followed by 65 km with 1300 m of climbing to reach Cardiff Castle. Only 10 finishers this year (out of 13 starters): Will Preene won in 19:53:51 and Frances and Victoria Barradell finished in first place for the women, hand in hand, in 25:26:18. Well done all!

Whether you’ve got the end-of-season blues or are looking for new inspiration for next year’s adventures, following the Dragon’s Back Race is definitely the way to get some fresh motivation. The brilliant daily vlogs on YouTube feature so many amazing scenery shots, it’s got me considering adding it to my bucket list. And it’s been fantastic to get a flavour of middle and back-of-the-pack runners’ experiences, as well as seeing the efforts that new race operators Ultra X are making to include more types of runners into the event. Well done to all, and long may it continue!

- Alecsa Stewart