Man v Horse

In 1980 a landlord in Llanwrtyd Wells began a crazy race between horses and men over 22 miles of the mid Wales countryside. Whilst there have been numerous close races, the first time a man actually won was Huw Lobb from Bedford in 2005.On the 12th June this year Jonny Hull and Gary Buckle set out to attempt it again. There were 253 solo runners and 115 realy teams competing against 44 horses.

Unfortunately, neither of them quite managed the feat, with the first rider crossing the line in 2:04, ten minutes ahead of the first runner. However, they did both complete the very hilly cross-country course successfully with Gary coming home in just under 3:48 and Jonny in 4:40. Anyone concerned about animal welfare needn't worry as there are specific points where vets check the horses and sometimes enforce rest. There are no vets to check the runners though!