2 weeks ago I spotted a Facebook post from The Trail Events Company looking for volunteers to tail run the Breacon Beacons Trail Marathon.

They were offering you a free race entry at any of their other events and as I happened to be looking for a long hilly run for that weekend to help my training, it fitted in perfectly.

I arrived in South Wales on Friday afternoon to glorious weather. I had taken advantage of their offer of free camping to bring my caravan which makes race prep so much easier. Being 100 metres from the startline, I had a leisurely start to the morning, making my way to the start line at 8:15 for an 8:30 start. A quick race briefing and application of suncream and we were off.

Being the designated tail runner I didnt want to put the slower runners under any pressure so I let everyone leave before I slowly started and I made sure I hung back for the first few miles. Once people were into their stride they settled into a run / walk strategy as we made our way up the gravel road and farm tracks deep into the hills.

The weather couldn’t have been better with clear blue skies and a gentle breeze and it wasn’t long before we made our way up to the first feed station. There were 5 feed stations in total, all well stocked with the usual array of water, drinks, nuts, crisps and various jellied sweets as well as a lovely warm welcome from each of the volunteers.

After the second feed station, the route took us straight up the side of a steep hill and onto the ridgeline. This was the first real steep section of the day with steep steps towards the top but the views from there were to die for.

I really enjoyed the meandering route across the top ridge of the hills for the next few miles. We then headed back down the other side to a feed station before coming back up the hills to the summit of Pen Y Fan. This was the highest point of the route and the steepest and longest climb of the day. However being able to take it slowly at the back of the race gave me the opportunity to really take in the views on the way up

As it was such a lovely day the summit was full of day walkers and families looking to get a bit of early May exercise and for a minute or 2 it was tricky to spot the way markers to find the right route onwards.

From here the route went up and down a few more challenging hills, but none as tough as Pen Y Fan, before heading back into the valley for the final time. The last 2 miles of the route took us back along the canal tow path towards the race HQ, the finish and our medal.

This was a very well organised race, at a reasonable cost and has a stunning route which can provide a challenge for all levels of runner. They also organise different distances on the same day including a 10k, half and Ultra marathon so it really has something for everyone.