Snowdon Skyline 2019: Race Preview
Nestled away in the quiet Gwynant valley in Snowdonia, the sun is set to shine on Hafod y Llan this weekend and tensions are also rising for the penultimate showdown of the Skyrunner UK and Ireland series. As the selection race for the SkyMasters World Series finale, the inaugural Snowdon Skyline was bound to bring a few big names crawling out of the woodwork, and a look at both the men’s and women’s start lists does not disappoint.
Brace yourself! Skyrunning returns to Wales this weekend! © Tom Bailey.
On Saturday at 3pm over 20 masochistic souls will take on the inaugural Snowdon VK: Only the second event of its kind in the UK and the first in Wales. 6km with 1000M+ elevation gain of running above threshold will be sure to get those competitive juices flowing for the main attraction on Sunday. If you’ll be at the event this weekend, don't forget to come along to the Elite Athlete Q&A session at 6pm on Saturday evening too!
Thanks to event suppliers Salomon Running, Torq Fitness, Bragdy Lleu, Poblado Coffi and Conker Living, there is a very generous prize pool on offer for the event. See HERE for more info!
Who will be the proud winner of one of these custom 3D printed trophies?! Designed by Design Real, manufactured by Conker Living.
The Snowdon Skyline race route has been meticulously designed to provide the UK’s most pure Skyrunning race experience. A relentless 36km with 3160M+ elevation gain, taking in such iconic scrambles and ridges as Tryfan North Ridge and Crib Goch will secure its status as an international must-do race. With three well-stocked aid stations, plus 24 Mountain Safety Team member points throughout its length, it provides an ideal environment for entrants to push their absolute Skyrunning limits. View more details about the route HERE.
In the women’s race the last-minute addition of Sally Fawcett has caused quite a stir. The Montane sponsored ultra-runner has represented GB in the Trail World Championships four times, won the Lakeland 50 and was a strong second behind Henriette Albon in last year’s fiercely competitive Scafell SkyRace.
Previous Sky Lakes Ultra winner and Snowdon Horseshoe record holder, Sarah Ridgway is bound to make waves in the women’s race also, and will surely put home advantage to good use.
Last year’s Skyrunner UK series winner, Beta Running’s Sophie Grant, will be looking for another good result to put alongside her first-place finish in the Sky Lakes Ultra. It is a tight turn around for Sophie, just two and a half weeks after an 11th place finish in the technical 145km TDS race at UTMB, and a lot will come down to how well her post-race recovery has gone.
Kasia Osipowicz, currently leading the series, has been going from strength to strength this year and is bound to be a serious contender. Kasia placed second in both the Scafell SkyRace and the Lakes Sky Ultra, and then went on to take the win in the inaugural 50k Seven Sisters Skyline – a race which she dominated from start to finish.
Kasia Osipowicz en-route to victory at the Seven Sisters Skyline © Ian Corless.
Other names to look out for in this star-studded field include Rebecca Ferry, Llanberis-based Elizabeth Richardson and Irish international Elizabeth Wheeler.
In the men’s field, pre-race favourite Tom Evans sadly won’t be toeing the start line due to injury. We wish him a speedy recovery and hope he can race next year!
Spain’s Javier Rodriguez will be making things challenging for the locals! Javier has some fantastic results to his name in long technical races, including a 5th place finish in the 2017 TDS, 5th in the Skyrunner World Series (ultra-distance), 11th in last year’s formidable Glen Coe Skyline and 3rd in a stacked field at last year’s Garmin Mourne Skyline.
Making great shapes in the series this year is Scotland’s Damian Gielty, who will be looking to extend his winning streak, having taken first place in both the Scafell SkyRace and the Seven Sisters Skyline.
Damian Gielty en-route to victory at the Seven Sisters Skyline © Ian Corless.
Back for round two is Montane sponsored athlete Jayson Cavill, who finished a close second behind Damian at Scafell SkyRace before winning this year’s Lakeland 50. For the statistics nerds, these two hold an identical ITRA score of 718, and it is hard to pick a clear favourite between them.
Liam Mills should also place highly in the men’s race, to follow on from an impressive fourth place finish in the Lakes Sky Ultra. Liam has plenty of form in Snowdonia, having placed second in the gruelling UTS 50 earlier in the year, won last year’s Maverick Inov8 X Snowdonia Marathon, and placed second in both the summer and winter editions of the Pen Llyn Ultra last year.
Other names to watch out for in the men’s race include Marcin Drozdziok, who finished 6th in the Seven Sisters Skyline, and Kristian Karlsen from Norway, Matthew Fortes, 6th in last year's UTS 50 and Dan Murdoch.
All runners will receive a lovely gender-specific tech-tee, 'Buff' and window sticker, plus a hearty homemade vegan/veggie chilli and flapjack by event caterers Maes Coch as well as a bottle of real ale from local brewery Bragy Lleu upon arrival at the finish! There will also be free fresh coffee on tap all weekend thanks to local roastery Poblado Coffi!
The games commence at 8am on Sunday and you can follow all the action on the live tracker HERE.
What a route!