Training and preparing for the 2022 Montane Dragon’s Back Race®
Dreaming of finishing the Montane Dragon’s Back Race® in 2022? We have teamed up with Missing Link Coaching and RAW Adventures to offer you the best possible chance.
Preparing for the Montane Dragon’s Back Race® is a serious undertaking and for the vast majority of the event participants it requires the best part of a year’s dedicated training and preparation. This includes both a training program and ideally, time spent in the wonderful Welsh mountains to become familiar with the race route and rough terrain.
Race Director Shane Ohly explains, “Over the years it has become very clear that the participants who are most likely to be successful at the Montane Dragon’s Back Race® are those that build-up slowly with a considered training plan, and spend time in similar rough and mountainous terrain, ideally actually reconnoitring the race route. I am really excited to announce a new partnership with Missing Link Coaching and confirm a continuation of our existing relationship with RAW Adventures, for runners preparing for the 2022 edition.”
In an age of hyperbole and hype, when phrases like ‘hardest, toughest, most extreme’ have become common place, the Montane Dragon’s Back Race® has become widely acknowledged as one of, if not the hardest mountain running race in the world. The event features six back-to-back days running the length of Wales, with various mountain summits defining the 380km / 17,400m+ route that the runners must complete. The ground is notoriously rough and tough and attrition rate high. Only the most well prepared are likely to make it to the grand finish at Cardiff castle.
RAW Adventures continue to provide official guided recces
During 2021 RAW Adventures provided all the official guided recces of the race route, and they have proved hugely popular with hundreds of successful recces completed. Kate Worthington from RAW Adventures adds, “Our Recce Events are designed and managed as ‘guided’ events, where you can be sure of professional and seamless organisation, clarity of objectives, personal support and an inclusive atmosphere. RAW Running Guides know the route intimately and can bring a wealth of route and event knowledge and share useful skills for running in ‘Dragon’ terrain, in all weathers. Teams will move together; increasing levels of confidence and safety, the ability to manage transport logistics and timings and encouraging runners to find genuine ‘running partners’ and contacts for the 2022 Montane Dragon's Back Race® and beyond”.
“Wow! What a day yesterday! Feel very privileged to have experienced the mountains on a day like that, with some lovely people. It may be the endorphins still circulating, but both of the Recce Events I’ve been on with RAW Adventures have felt more than the sum of their parts - the navigation, route tips and added safety are a given, but there is something else intangible that makes them special!”
Missing Link Coaching to be official coaching partner for 2022
Joining the team preparing runners for the 2022 edition of the Montane Dragon’s Back Race® are Sarah McCormack and Paul Tierney from Missing Link Coaching. Shane Ohly continues, “Some of my friends taking part in the 2021 edition of the Montane Dragon’s Back Race® decided that a personal training programme from Paul and Sarah would really help focus their preparations, and I’ve heard nothing but praise for the high quality of the coaching they have received. With their incredible personal running CVs, Paul and Sarah make a fantastic and experienced team and I have complete confidence that they will be able to help many runners maximise their chances of success in 2022”.
Paul Tierney from Missing Link Coaching adds: "We are delighted to be working as the official coaching partner of such an iconic race. Right from the very first time I became interested in ultra endurance events, the Dragon’s Back Race was one of the really captivating races that inspired me to get involved in the sport; the type of race that you know will push you to your limits. For our partnership with the Montane Dragon’s Back Race, we’re creating a unique community of coached athletes who will have access to training plans, regular live strength and mobility sessions, training Q&A sessions, an exclusive preparation chat group, and webinars with experts in nutrition, rehab and race execution. We aim to provide a quality, accessible coaching service to participants that makes them feel as well prepared as they can possibly be".
“Paul has a lot of experience of multi-day events which has meant I have felt confident that I have been meeting targets at the right time over the last year. He has accommodated training when required as he understands the importance of adjusting to other challenges in life. This has meant getting the balance right. Paul has been supportive and offered humorous, no-nonsense guidance along the way.... he has a way with words! This has made sure I have got the confidence I need going into the event that I have done everything both physically and mentally I can to be successful. I don’t know what I would have done without him!”
Ready to follow the 2021 event?
Don’t miss all the live action and GPS tracking starting 7am on Monday 6th September as our 2021 participants set off from Conwy Castle.
Entries for the 2022 edition open on Saturday 11th September at 10am… the same time that runners will be embarking on the final day of this year’s race.