A HELLISH race that is not for the faint hearted is taking place this weekend in Powys.
The Get Jerky Devil’s Staircase Ultra Trail Race is aptly named as competitors must take on a 31-mile course and ascend and descend 4,700ft, including the hellaciously steep 25 per cent climb up the iconic Devil's Staircase.
The race takes place on Saturday, September 16, starting and finishing in Llanwrtyd Wells, with entries accepted on the day.
Postponed on April 1 when heavy rain made a river crossing along the route dangerous, the race is in its second year after debuting in 2022.
It starts and finishes at the Neuadd Arms in the centre of Llanwrtyd, which is home to some of the world’s most wacky and wonderful outdoor activities.
The Get Jerky Devil’s Staircase Ultra Trail Race is designed to test endurance and stamina. The route combines a mixture of road, forest tracks, bogland, farmland, river crossings and the gruelling climb up the Devil's Staircase.
Local landmarks along the route include St David's Church, which dates to the 12th century, an old drovers road to the Abergwesyn valley, the Devil's Staircase, Soar y Mynydd Church, built in around 1822 and claimed to be the most remote chapel in Wales and the Llyn Brianne Dam.
The course will be marshalled and waymarked with water points and two feed stations providing cold and hot drinks, bananas, biscuits and sweets. Waiting at the finish will be Welsh cawl and a vegetarian alternative.
Each runner will receive a unique devil medal and there will be prizes for the first three male and female runners. The entry fee is £45 and commemorative technical t-shirts, in a variety of sizes, can be ordered at time of entry for an additional £15.
Llanwrtyd has developed a reputation for organising a series of off the wall outdoor activities since 1980, under the leadership of Green Events.
Thousands of visitors enjoy annual events such as the World Bog Snorkelling Championships, Man v Horse race and the World Mountain Bike Chariot Racing Championships.
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The race is sponsored by Welshpool-based Get Jerky snacks manufacturer Trailhead Fine Foods, whose executive chairman Arwyn Watkins was brought up in the shadow of the Devil’s Staircase and whose family still farms there.
Trailhead Fine Foods also the headline sponsor of the Get Jerky Rally North Wales based in Welshpool and sponsors junior playing strips for Meifod-based COBRA Rugby Club.
Other Green Events dates for the diary for the rest of this year include the International Four Day Walking Festival from September 20-23; the Ron Skilton Memorial Half Marathon, to raise funds for research into MND, on October 22; the Real Ale Wobble, a non-competitive event for mountain bikers through local forestry and other trails on November 18; the Real Ale Ramble, comprising gentle walks through the surrounding countryside, on November 25 and 26; and the Mari Lwyd New Year Walk on December 31.
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