Inov8 Snowdon Twilight 2019 – race preview

This Friday (28th June) see the biggest-ever (since it started 2015) Inov8 Snowdon Twilight race taking place on the famous slopes of Wales’ highest peak.

With the popularity of the International Snowdon Race / Ras-yr-Wyddfa growing year on year, the Twilight is the perfect warm-up for runners who might be looking to test their fitness just three weeks ahead of the iconic Snowdon International.

The Twilight is also a firm favourite with uphill-only exponents, as the race starts from Llanberis and finishes on the 1085m summit. The evening event means that runners can be treated to a wonderful sunset (weather permitting!) as they make their way off the mountain.

Amongst those running are GB internationals and top athletes from across the Home Nations and Ireland, as a record-entry of almost 200 runners to the start line at 7pm.

In the men’s race the form men look to be 2016 Twilight winner Dave Archer and Matlock AC team-mate Alex Pilcher, after top 10 showings at the recent European Uphill Trial in Cumbria.

Local-man Russell Bentley, will be fine-tuning his climbing ahead of Snowdon, where he will once again represent Wales. The Eryri Harrier has been running very strongly in recent weeks.

Winner of the recent Salomon Trail Marathon Wales half marathon Dan Connolly is bang in-form and will be one to watch, as will former local resident and Salford man Callum Rawlinson, on a mountain he knows very well.

Add in Stephen Pyke, Michael Cayton and a host of local runners, and the men’s race should be highly-competitive.

If the men’s race is competitive, it’s a stellar women’s line-up that could be the highlight of the evening’s racing.

GB internationals Hatti Archer and 2015 World Mountain Running Championships bronze medallist Emma Clayton along with former Snowdon International winner and Irish international Sarah McCormack will start favourites.

Archer gained GB selection for the up-coming European Championships after finishing runner-up in the recent UK trial on Skiddaw in the Lake District. McCormack was also super-strong at the event, finishing just 30 seconds back on Archer

Throw in former Twilight winners Beth Hanson and Sarah Willholt, young Eryri runner Annabelle McQueen and Scottish international Miranda Grant, and women’s race should be a great battle.

Thank you very much to Inov8, Snowdon Railway, Staff at the Summit Cafe, Community Centre, Marshals, Volunteers and also Aberglaslyn Mountain Resuce and the community of Llanberis.

Full race details via the Inov8 Snowdon Twilight race page

ENDS