Snowdon Race 2010
Legend Stuart to roll back the
years at Snowdon 2010
Llanberis, Wales – The 2010 International Snowdon Race /
Ras-yr-Wyddfa organising committee this week announced the return of
race record holder and legendary mountain runner
Kenny Stuart to the event in
2010. Kenny will be the official race starter and also be guest of
honour at the prize giving for this prestigious event on the
international mountain running calendar.
2010 marks a very special date in respect of Kenny’s record as his
mark has now stood the test of time for an amazing 25 years. His
1985 time of 62:29 for the 10 mile route from Llanberis to the
summit of Snowdon and back has not been serious challenged in that
period – however with the return to the route of Kenny’s historic
run this year the gauntlet is now clearly thrown down for today’s
elite fell and mountain runners to challenge his time.
Does Kenny feel that anyone can get
close to his record mark?
“I think it will take a fast road runner with good climbing ability
rather than a pure fell runner to break it. You need to be clever on
the way down, but its not very technical, you just need to be able
to run hard down and be confident. Andi Jones could get close, but
he needs someone to push him, a group of good continental athletes
and Andi could run the record close I think.
I’m a bit surprised that the record still stands. The route is a
fast one, suiting fast road runners and indeed continental runners,
I am sure that it will be broken at some stage, though when I don’t
know.”
Time has been kind to Kenny over the last 25 years, and speaking to
the race organisers this week he says that it really doesn’t seem
that long ago, “No, it’s amazing really, I don’t know where the time
has gone to be honest.”, said the quiet-spoken Cumbrian, who still
“keeps fit” running 4-5 times a week around his life-long home of
Threlkeld.
His mind is as sharp as the day he took the historic record on
Wales’ highest peak, and Kenny’s memories are still vivid
“I only did two Snowdon races, in 84 and 85, and I didn’t have a
good experience on my first visit. It was a red hot day, and I
didn’t feel very well, I still finished second though, so I remember
that year for the wrong reasons. 1985 however was a special race,
and one that I can distinctly recall.
My memory of the race that year is that about three quarters of the
way up I was feeling very good, and I was with Robbie Bryson. We
pulled away from the Italians and I was surprised that they didn’t
go with us. Robbie was a good uphill runner, and was first to the
top, I was 11 seconds behind him but I was confident that I could
bring him back on the way down. I caught him quite soon on the
descent and from then on it was about holding my form and pushing
on. It was a great race for me that year.”
Speaking about return to Llanberis, Kenny also has fond memories.
“It will be nice to come back to the race and I’m honoured to be the
starter and prize-giver this year. It will also be good to meet up
with people like Ken Jones again, I’ve stayed in his house a few
times and it will be nice to catch up. I’m really looking forward to
it”.
A programme of events,
starting just after the main 16km race will also see races for
U10, U12, U14, U16 and U18
year olds, varying in length all the way to a 6.4km race for the
under 18’s, to the Halfway Bridge and back to the finish in Padarn
Park.
If you are interested in becoming part of the
International Snowdon Race / Ras yr Wyddfa team you can contact
Stephen Edwards on 07867 976 183 or by emailing - post@creadcyf.co.uk
Saturday 24th July 2010 at Llanberis
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