One of the hardest races in the UTMB circuit is back this weekend. Taking place in the Snowdonia National Park, Ultra-Trail Snowdonia (UTS) promises steep climbs, technical terrain, and hopefully, breathtaking views.
Last year, the weather was uncharacteristically warm. For some runners, it was a little too hot, with very little shelter on route causing many people to overheat.
This year, the weather is looking fairly warm again, with temperatures reaching 20°C, although light – we hope – rain threatens across the weekend. But mountains can be unpredictable, and anything can happen during the hours the runners are out on the course. In 2022, the 100m race was actually cancelled midway, due to severe weather.
Races and start times
UTS 100m kicks off 13:00 (local time) on Friday May 10
UTS 100k has an early start of 05:00 on Saturday May 11
UTS 50k follows a few hours later at 08:00 on Saturday May 11
ERYRI 25k begins at 10:00 on Saturday May 11
“I’m feeling weirdly relaxed but excited about it, which tells me I’m as ready as I could be.”
Charlotte Clarke
Ultrarunner Charlotte Clarke will be among the many eager competitors toeing the line at the start of the 100km race this weekend. She’s only ever broken the 100km mark once, in 2021, when she raced the Salomon Serpent Trail. Clarke says it is a ‘stark contrast to what’s to come’.
“I am excited. I feel like I’ve been in a real pursuit of finding out what I’m capable of and this might really show me. I’m feeling weirdly relaxed but excited about it, which tells me I’m as ready as I could be.”
After completing the 100k last year, Christian Quick is back to tackle the 50km course: “I did the 100k last year with the idea of doing the 100m this year but after the brutal heat of 2023, I decided to go for a distance I’d find more enjoyable. It’s a taxing course, and I have Lakeland 100 and UTMB OCC coming up later in the year, so the plan is to go out and have fun.”
Lorna Mann of Run Dem Crew, is taking on the 25k. While the shorter of the races, it’s by no means a walk in the park, with over 1300m elevation: “As a slower runner, I find the cut offs times a little intimidating. I’ve recce’d the route and done as much hill training as possible – so I’m ready. But those trails are pretty gnarly!”
Live tracking
Follow this link to live tracking on the UTMB website, where dot watchers can follow their favourite runners by adding them to ‘favourites’.
Athletes to watch
UTS UTMB is the UK’s biggest trail running event, with runners from over 63 nationalities participating. Among them, elite athletes and local legends are ready to give the course everything they’ve got:
100m – Women
Corine Kagerer, Switzerland
Nikki Arthur, UK
Rachel Fawcett, UK
Myvanwy Hanna, UK
Sophia Schnabl, Austria
Sanna Duthie, UK
100m – Men
Mathieu Clement, Switzerland
Ivan Hrastovec, Slovenia
Guillaume Deneffe, Belgium
Mark Darbyshire, UK (100k winner, 2021)
Michael Dunstan, Australia
Adrian Busolini, UK
100k Women
Paulina Krawczak, Poland
Jelena Malyseva, Lithuania
Aleksandra Narkowicz, Poland
Georgina Lewis, UK
Tess Elias, UK
Teresa Reason, IK
100k Men
Philipp Ausserhofer, Italy
Daniel Jung, Italy
Ronnie Sparke, UK
Keith Wigley, UK
Christian Meier, Canada
Josh Bakker-dyos, UK (100m winner, 2021)
50k Women
Sanna El Kott Helander, Sweden
Henriette Albon, Norway
Lina el Kott Helander, Sweden
Lena Glasbrenner, Germany
Rebecca Di Luzio, UK (100k winner, 2022)
Nicole Frisby, UK
50k Men
Michele Meridio, Italy
Riccardo Montani, Italy
Thibaut Jean, France
Brennan Townshend, UK
Luke Frenfell-Shaw, UK
Josh Wade, UK (UTS 100m winner in 2023)
