1) You ended 2014 on a high with a win at the UK Skyrunning 3x3 Ultra in the Lake District. Has training and preparation over the winter been successful?

My winter training and prep has been a bit mixed, my running has been ticking over and I've been doing as much as I can (lots of dark and wet 5am runs), but my work has been extremely busy lately with lots of long days and travelling, I've spent 6 weeks working out in Lillehammer over the winter, so my training has had to take a bit of a back seat if I'm honest.

1) For many years you have concentrated on road running - marathons and ultras mainly - with enormous success. First, can you explain your decision take part in such a grueling off road race?

After an inauspicious start to 2014 (being tripped and trampled in the first few metres of a marathon and so breaking a rib and my nose), the latter part of the year involved some amazing experiences, representing Scotland and GB on the roads over various distances (marathon, 50k, and 100k). This meant that I had to pack a lot of time-oriented road running into a short space of time, and so by the end of the year, I felt mentally, physically and emotionally drained from it all......and reluctant to spend 2015 chasing similar goals.

1) Having volunteered at the 2012 Dragon's Back Race™ you have more knowledge than many of the 2015 competitors of the race, some would call it inside knowledge! Has this been useful in your preparations or daunting?

I was able to see how the event works, see what strategies people were using (in terms of finishing routines, eating habits) and chat to most of the runners and learn from their experiences which I think has been very useful in general.

The 2015 Berghaus Dragon's Back Race will be taking place 22nd-26th June 2015. The legendary Dragon’s Back Race™ follows the mountainous spine of Wales from Conwy Castle to Carreg Cennen Castle. This incredible 5-day journey is approximately 300 kilometres long with 16,000 metres of ascent across wild, trackless, remote and mountainous terrain. It is not a trail race.

We are very happy to recommend Joe Faulkner and his team at NAV4. Their Mountain Running Skills and Mountain Running Essentials courses have been specifically designed for mountain runners and mountain marathon competitors and are highly relevant to less experienced competitors wishing to take part in any of our mountain running events such as the Dragon’s Back Race™ , Marmot Dark Mountains™ , Great Lakeland 3Day™, Marmot24™ and the Rab Mountain Marathon™. These courses are also recommended for novice competitors at the Original Mountain Marathon , Lowe Alpine Mountain Marathon  and Saunders Lakeland Mountain Marathon and many other similar events.

YHA Conwy has been reserved for exclusive use by Berghaus Dragon's Back Race™ competitors (and marshals) ONLY on Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st June 2015. It is only possible for competitors to book a dormitory bed rather than booking a room for exclusive use; this is so we can accommodate as many competitors as possible on these nights. We expect demand to be very high as pre-race registration, briefing and meal will all be held at the YHA on Sunday 21st. There are only 80 beds at YHA Conwy but there are plenty of other options (B&B's, Hotels etc in Conwy). Beds at YHA Conwy will be sold on a first come, first served basis.

The initial line up for 2015 Berghaus Dragon’s Back Race™ has been announced (details HERE) and there is some stand out British names taking part such as Jez Bragg and Lizzie Wraith.

Winner of The North Face Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc and a Commonwealth 100km gold medalist, Jez Bragg had this to say, "The Dragon's Back Race has been on my radar for some time now so I'm excited to have the opportunity to run the race in 2015. The route down the spine of Wales is an absolute classic, and will no doubt test our mountain craft and running skills to the absolute limit, not least because of the severity and wild nature of the terrain. I fully expect this race to be one of those week's to remember forever; it will be epic for sure!"

The legendary Dragon’s Back Race™ returns next year for its third edition and today we can reveal that Berghaus, Britain’s leading performance outdoor brand, will be the title sponsor of this iconic event.

The Berghaus Dragon’s Back Race™ follows the mountainous spine of Wales from Conwy Castle in the north, to Carreg Cennen Castle in the south. This incredible 5-day race is approximately 300 kilometres long with 17,000 metres of ascent across wild, trackless, remote and mountainous terrain.