The Snowdon Race () is a ten-mile endurance running competition in
Gwynedd
Gwynedd () is a county in the north-west of Wales. It borders Anglesey across the Menai Strait to the north, Conwy, Denbighshire, and Powys to the east, Ceredigion over the Dyfi estuary to the south, and the Irish Sea to the west. The ci ...
, from
Llanberis
Llanberis () is a village, community (Wales), community and electoral ward in Gwynedd, northwest Wales, on the southern bank of the lake and at the foot of Snowdon, the highest mountain in Wales. It is a centre for outdoor activity, outdoor ac ...
to the peak of
Snowdon
Snowdon (), or (), is a mountain in Snowdonia in North Wales. It has an elevation of above sea level, which makes it both the highest mountain in Wales and the highest in the British Isles south of the Scottish Highlands. Snowdon i ...
. Contestants must make the five miles up the
Llanberis Path to the summit ( above sea level) and return down. Currently entrants must be over-18 to compete in either the men's or women's race. In 2009 a junior race was incorporated.
The race was first held in 1976 when Ken Jones from Llanberis put forward the idea to the village's Carnival Committee. 86 runners took part in the first race. In 2010, nearly 500 runners competed, with the nations represented including
Scotland
Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...
,
Italy
Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
and
Kenya
Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country located in East Africa. With an estimated population of more than 52.4 million as of mid-2024, Kenya is the 27th-most-populous country in the world and the 7th most populous in Africa. ...
.
The men's course record stands at 1:02:29, set by
Kenny Stuart in 1985. The women's course record stands at 1:12:48, set by
Carol Greenwood in 1993.
Radio Cymru
BBC Radio Cymru is a Welsh language radio station owned and operated by BBC Cymru Wales, a division of the BBC. It broadcasts across Wales on FM, DAB, digital TV and BBC Sounds.
The station broadcasts general factual and entertainment pro ...
broadcasts live from the event, and
S4C
S4C (, ''Sianel Pedwar Cymru'', meaning ''Channel Four Wales'') is a Welsh language free-to-air public broadcast television channel. Launched on 1 November 1982, it was the first television channel to be aimed specifically at a Welsh-speakin ...
produces a television highlights programme showing profiles on individual racers.
In 1996, the course was used for the
European Mountain Running Trophy, run on the same weekend but separately from the annual Snowdon Race. Jaime Dejesus-Mendes was the winner of the men's race in 1:03:16. The women ran a shorter course, with Isabelle Guillot finishing first in 53:09.
In 2001, the race was part of the
World Mountain Running Association Grand Prix.
Results
*All Jeska's athletics results were declared null and void when she failed to produce samples of her testosterone levels.
References
{{Skyrunner World Series races
Athletics competitions in Wales
Fell running competitions
Mountain running competitions
Skyrunning competitions
Skyrunner World Series
Snowdonia