Well, the big day was yesterday. Andrew slept well the night before, and on Saturday morning went over to Llanwrtyd Wells (the start of the race)early to register for his team of three. Relay teams wore green numbers and you can see that Andrew is wearing a sweatband with a number on it. This had to be handed over at the interchange points. For runners and riders who were doing the whole race, they were given a set of tags which they had to hand in at each interchange point, partly to prove they had done that bit and partly for safety.

We both went back to the start area in time for the official start and I took some vids which I am hoping to upload later. A local brass band was playing, the Mayor made a speech which nobody could hear, and there was a small and very good natured crowd. Runners had come from all over the UK - I could see club vests from Sheffield, Yorkshire, Surrey, London and the Midlands as well as a number of Welsh clubs. The race is notoriously tough - regarded by many as being harder than many marathons due to the severe changes in gradient and rough ground. I was particularly struck by the elite runners in the front of the field - one or two were only wearing their shorts and numbers, with just a hat (Foreign legion style with neck flap). Most runners have fabulous legs but quite slim upper bodies but some of these guys had incredibly well muscled upper bodies as well - I did wonder if they were either triathletes or service guys (as we are smack in the centre of a huge Army training area) and they have to carry weight as well as have strong legs. Anyway it was a most pleasant sight to behold. Eventually, the field went off in a surge at 11 a.m and the horses followed later at 11.15 - there were 47 equine competitors. Some were Arabs, which are often used for endurance riding, and I also saw a couple of TB crosses and some Welsh Cobs.

Once the competitors were safely on their way, I made my way back to the car and drove slowly over to Abergwesyn, the changeover point where Andrew would finish his leg, and hand over to his team mate. Abergwesyn is a tiny and beautiful hamlet off the Beulah road, and to get to it I had to drive along the most wonderful valley, thick with forests on its steep sides and with a scattering of remote farms and abandoned chapels on the valley floor. Stunning views and an awesome run. Getting to the hamlet, I parked in the hedge (quite literally!) and waited by the changeover spot. Runners and riders could also have water, and there were crews present for the horses in case they needed anything. By the first changeover, several horses had to pull out due to cast shoes and apparently one rider did fall off. The runners came streaming down a steep hill at the side of the valley (you can see it above) and it was also possible to see the horses also picking their way along the narrow paths of the hill. Then they dropped down into the valley floor, across the stream and back past us onwards to climb back up and over to the next part of the run. It was exciting to see the beautiful horses coming through and the hot runners, all looking muddy and sweaty. Andrew came in and handed over his sweatband to Jenny, his running mate and off she went, fast and determined. He had worn his Garmin and later when we got back to the house, he downloaded the route and linked it to Google Earth so I could see exactly where he had run via an aeriel view. We cheered on the club runners who came through and when the bulk of competitors had gone past, we fished out the car from the hedge and came back for Andrew to have a shower. He then returned to Llanwrtyd for the finish - apparently a horse won, but there was allegedly some kerfuffle in that the man who was first thought he had beaten the first horse and was not pleased to find he had not, so much so he threw his beer everywhere! Anyway, Andrew, Jenny and Emma collected their medals and were all very happy to have finished safely. Pics attached of the start, the muddy legs at the end of the stage, the monster hill and the tired competitor. The good news is that the resident athlete really enjoyed it and felt that his training and preparation had been sufficient and thorough.

Not surprisingly the rest of the day was quiet. Today, we went for a walk this morning with the dogs along the Wye valley - one of our favourites. Most of the wild flowers have finished now as the tree canopy was in full leaf, creating a beautiful dappled effect as we walked, hearing only the river and birdsong around us. However, the hedges were full of sprays of wild roses and spiky foxgloves, and there was still a bit of stitchwort, campion and buttercup at the edge of tree line. After walking along the bank in the shade, we then came onto an open meadow, used as an access point for the river Wye by canoeists, and full of wild flowers. We felt like we were wading through a coloured sea of blossom - it was lovely. Things only improved when we saw dragonflies, bright jewelled turquoise with wings marked with black discs, fluttering over the bank. We took the dogs down to the river for a drink and a paddle then slowly meandered back - a fabulous morning. Have had a quiet rest of the day but we do potentially have a home for Murgy - third time lucky? I will report on this later in the week.