UTS 2022 Race Report

This year’s Ultra Trail Snowdonia by UTMB® was a special one, as the first year that the event is part of the new UTMB World Series. This was a poignant and landmark moment for all involved — organisers, staff and loyal returning runners who have been part of the event since its humble beginnings in 2017 — to see Race Director Michael Jones’ vision for creating the U.K.’s answer to UTMB realised in such a literal sense.

UTS 50 Start Line © David Miller

This year the event moved to a stunning new location – the National Slate Museum in Llanberis, which provided the perfect backdrop for the finish area. Over 1,000 hardy runners from more than 40 different countries descended on this small Welsh village to compete over three distances – 165km, 100km and 50km – packing 10,200m, 6,600m and 3,100m of elevation, respectively. Battles were fought at all ends of the field and some superb times were logged. Racers in the 50k exceeded expectations, with the male winner coming in well ahead of the expected time and the top three women all making the top 20 overall.

Unfortunately, the uncontrollable factor of the weather did not work entirely favourably for the event. The 165km set off at 11am on Friday amid already wet conditions. Conditions continued to deteriorate rapidly, with high winds and poor visibility, and the race committee made the difficult decision to stop the race and return all runners to Llanberis. All runners were safe and accounted for and were given the option to switch their entry to either the 100k or the 50k the next day, an option many availed of. Thankfully, the storm had abated sufficiently for the 100k race to start as planned at 4am on Saturday, and conditions were well improved by the start of the 50k race at 9am on Saturday.

Stunning Snowdonia © Alexis Berg 

In the men’s 100k race, hot favourite Josh Wade had a very commanding win in a time of 13:16:23, besting his second-place finish in last year’s 100 by an hour and 17 minutes, and smashing Mark Darbyshire’s 2021 course record. The race was in the most part contested by the top four runners. Wade led into the first checkpoint, Moel Eilio at 10km, with Germany’s Simon Widmann hot on his heels. Widmann took the lead on the descent into Waunfawr. For a while the two alternated at the front, with Wade gaining on the climbs and Widmann descending well. Meanwhile, Artūrs Vadzis, who had been sitting in fourth, crept up the field and briefly held the lead. But past the 40k point, Wade asserted himself as the strongest runner on the day and had a stormer of a second half, to eventually finish 41 minutes clear of Vadvis in second. Ireland’s Gavin Byrne ran a solid and consistent race, never far back from the leaders, and finished in third on his UK racing debut. Widmann held on for fourth, just missing out on the ticket to CCC, as the UTMB World Series final for the 100k distance. Notably, each of the top four runners contesting the podium in the men’s race were from four different countries, reflecting the international nature of the event.

Josh Wade on route to victory in the UTS 100 © Ian Corless

In the women’s 100k race, Rebecca Di-Luzio was untouchable, winning in another course record time of 18:58:37. She came into Moel Eilio with already a two-minute lead after 10km to Hong Kong’s Sarah Pemberton, who followed in second, with Barbara Szkaluba not far back in third. Di-Luzio continued to pull away from the chasers, and when the race reached the summit of Snowdon for the first time, some 32km/19.7 miles in, she had put a gap of 18 minutes on Susan Fawkes, who had moved up to second. Rhi Willmot and Pemberton followed closely, all still in the mix for podium honours. In the second half, the race spread out considerably, with Di-Luzio not only cementing her win in the women’s race, but climbing steadily up the overall field to finish 19th overall, and obliterate Sarah Staveley’s 2021 course record of 21:41:03. Despite being a good gap back from first place, Rhi Willmot, who finished second, was also comfortably under the old course record in a time of 21:12:27. Pemberton claimed the final podium spot in 22:14:13.

The women’s race in the 50k was one of the strongest start lists of the weekend and was always going to be a standout race. GB international runner Kirsteen Welch took top honours in a time of 6:19:59, placing 10th overall. She set the tone for the race early on and was more than four minutes clear of Lauren Woodwiss in second by the top of the first climb at Moel Eilio, with Meryl Cooper – another GB runner – following in third. By the summit of Snowdon, Welch had more than an 18-minute lead on Cooper, who had moved into second. Cooper had a strong finish and narrowed the gap to around eight and a half minutes, coming in at 6:28:28 for second place. Woodwiss followed in third in an impressive 6:41:36, with all three women making the top 20 overall.

Kirsteen Welch, UTS 50 Ladies winner © Ryan Balharry

Three men broke six hours in this technically challenging, mountainous 50k, with Jack Scott storming home to take the win in a cracking 5:32:26. Scott placed third in last year’s UTS 100k and appeared to have more form in longer ultras, but demonstrated that he has bags of ability over the 50k distance too, and he could make a real impact at OCC should he choose to take up his place. Scott led from pillar to post and finished seven and a half minutes clear of George Fisher in second. Fisher had a very different day, moving gradually up the field from eighth and ninth at the earlier checkpoints, but really asserted himself in the second half to finish second. Matthew Hammerton was third and first M40-44 in a time of 5:48:24, having held second for a time before Fisher caught him on the technical stretch between Snowdon and Y Lliwedd.

As an addition this year, the media team for the race had introduced the “Extraordinary Humans of UTS”, which saw us follow two non-elite runners on their journey to complete the arduous UTS 165. Amy Norfolk, who was determined to finish this year after a DNF last year, went into the race feeling rough after a recent bout of Covid. Despite struggling from early on, she powered on until the race was halted, but opted not to avail of a place on either start line the following day. Antonio Codina, however, decided he wasn’t done yet, and started the 50k on Saturday, finishing in a time of 9:29:51 after a great day out!

That’s a wrap for the 2022 Ultra Trail Snowdonia by UTMB®. We hope you’ll join us on the start line in 2023. See you in Eryri!