S4C will broadcast highlights of one of the year’s top events in the mountain racing calendar – the International Snowdon Race – in an hour-long programme at 9pm on Sunday 22 July. The programme, Ras yr Wyddfa 2012, will be screened the day after the race itself and only a week before the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in London.
A total of 600 runners are set to run the gruelling 10-mile race, from Cae’r Ddol on the shores of Llyn Padarn to the summit of Snowdon at 1085 metres (3650ft) and back down again.
By now the race is part of the Skyrunner World Series and this has given the event new status and means it attracts more runners of international standing to take part.
Race organiser, Stephen Edwards said, “We’ve always striven to get the best here to compete but being part of the Skyrunner World Series has given the race a significant boost. We’re extremely pleased as well that the race will be on television once again especially as the Snowdon International race is iconic to Wales and because we had such an exciting event last year. The excellent co-operation we have from the Snowdon National Park Authority and the Snowdon Railway helps both the runners and the spectators.”
Last year’s winners – men’s race victor, Andi Jones, five times winner, and women’s winner, Pippa Jackson, are both expected to compete again. Against them this year will be runners from France, Canada, Italy, Russia and Sweden, among other countries. Among the new competitors in the women’s race will be Emile Forsberg from Sweden and Zhanna Vokueva from Russia, both capable of breaking records, according to Stephen Edwards.
Gareth Roberts will present the programme on S4C with Nic Parry commentating on the race – the 37th International Snowdon Race.
Each runner has a story to tell and production team, Cwmni Da, will include some of those stories in the programme with film portraits of a number of the runners.
