Entries full as hundreds prepare to tackle gruelling Mid Wales challenge
ONE of Wales’ most iconic sporting events, the Man versus Horse Race, has announced a new headline sponsor ahead of this summer’s competition.
Leading work-based learning provider Cambrian Training Company, alongside sister business Trailhead Fine Foods, will sponsor the 45th running of the event, which takes place on Saturday, June 13 in Llanwrtyd Wells.
The famously demanding 22-mile course climbs to 4,000 feet and spans a mix of terrain including roads, forestry tracks, farmland, open moorland and river crossings. This year, organisers have introduced a brand-new route along with GPS tracking as part of the race timing system.
Entries for the 2026 event are already full, with 75 horses, 186 relay teams and 706 individual runners set to take part. Competitors must be aged 18 or over to run, while riders must be at least 16, with all horses undergoing veterinary checks before, during and after the race.
Runners and first-leg relay participants will set off at 11am, followed by horses and riders at 11.15am from outside the Neuadd Arms Hotel.
Representatives from Cambrian Training Company say they are proud to support the event, and may even take part themselves.
Managing director Faith O’Brien said: “Cambrian Training Company is proud to be the headline sponsor for Man v Horse 2026 and we are hoping some of our team will join the challenge themselves as runners or riders.
“Supporting this iconic Mid Wales event reflects our commitment to wellbeing, the outdoors, and continued investment in the region we call home. It’s a celebration of community, challenge and the Welsh landscape.”
Organisers Green Events welcomed the partnership, highlighting the shared commitment to supporting local businesses and the hospitality sector.
They said: “One of the main purposes of the event has always been to bring visitors into Llanwrtyd to boost local businesses. The company’s focus on training and apprenticeships for those wishing to make a career in hospitality fits very neatly with us.”
The race has its origins in 1980, when a conversation in the Neuadd Arms Hotel about whether a man or a horse would be faster over mountainous terrain inspired landlord Gordon Green to put it to the test.
Since then, the event has grown into an internationally recognised challenge, attracting competitors from around the world.
Despite the odds, humans have beaten horses on several occasions, most notably Huw Lobb in 2004, followed by wins from Florien Holtinger, Ricky Lightfoot, Daniel Connolly and Dewi Griffiths.
A jackpot prize is awarded to any runner who beats the first horse and rider, starting at £500 and increasing annually until claimed. After being won in 2004 at £25,000, the prize has now reset to £500.
Widely regarded as one of the toughest races in Wales, the event continues to combine endurance sport with community spirit, drawing runners, riders and spectators alike to the hills of mid Wales each summer.
