Women took the outright wins in both Ring O’ Fire events, setting new women’s course records in a first for the races. The Dragon’s Back began its first edition under Ultra X, Megan Eckert and Sarah Perry continue deep into the six-day world championship, and adidas INFINITE TRAILS faced difficult questions after evacuating runners from rapidly deteriorating mountain weather.
Dragon’s Back Returns Under Ultra X
The Dragon’s Back Race started at Conwy Castle this morning, with the 2026 edition running from 7–12 September. The Full Dragon is 379–380km with around 17,400m of climbing, and this is the first edition under the new ownership of Ultra X following Ourea Events’ collapse earlier this year. ITRA lists 500 participants and a Mountain Level 7 classification.
The big change this year is that the race has moved to a single mandatory route, rather than the historic free-route-choice format. Ultra X is also running the new Dragon’s Fire, which starts today and tomorrow and covers the northern, technically hardest part of the course. Bryony Shircore (header image) is running on behalf of RunUltra and will be reporting on the race.
This is the first edition since Ourea Events ceased trading and entered administration. Ultra X acquired Dragon’s Back and the Northern Traverse in April.
The course remains unmarked and runners must still navigate for themselves. However, everybody will tackle the same route. The organisers said the mandatory-course system should help with land access, environmental protection and consistent race management.
The change reduces some of the strategic freedom of previous editions while leaving navigation central. Over six long days in the Welsh mountains, following a GPX track accurately while tired will still be part of the test.
Entwistle and Brookwell Win Outright in Wales
Tracy Entwistle won the Firelighter 50 outright in 8:34:11, cutting 58 minutes from the previous women’s course record.
Entwistle spent much of the race running with Roger Thompson before pulling away over the final few miles. Thompson finished in 8:48:06 to record the fastest men’s time.
Louise Brookwell completed the double by winning the Ring O’ Fire 130 outright in 30:20:32, also setting a women’s course record. The 209km race follows the coast of Ynys Môn over rugged paths that make pace difficult to maintain.
Eckert and Perry Continue Six-Day Challenge
The GOMU 6-Day World Championship continues until 9 September in Balatonfüred, Hungary. Its 108 starters have 144 hours to cover as much ground as possible on a traffic-free 898.2m asphalt loop.
Megan Eckert entered the race aiming to extend her pending women’s world record, set at 970.685km, and surpass the US men’s record of 975.654km. Reaching the latter figure would require at least 1,086 laps.
Eckert told The Guardian that uncertainty is built into how she selects targets.
“I like to choose goals where I have a 50% chance of success and a 50% chance of failure.”
Britain’s Sarah Perry is also racing. She holds the women’s Backyard Ultra world record after completing 95 yards, equivalent to 637km, at Big Dog’s Backyard Ultra in 2025.
A backyard runner must complete 6.705km every hour to remain in the race, while a six-day competitor controls when to run, walk and sleep. Perry’s ability to keep moving through four days of hourly starts gives her a strong endurance base, but the open pacing structure creates a different problem. Live timing is available throughout the race.
INFINITE TRAILS Evacuation Complicates Results
A supercell forced adidas INFINITE TRAILS organisers to evacuate runners, marshals and sweepers from summit sections in Gastein on Saturday.
Race director Mike Hamel said the weather system developed within about five minutes. Twelve specialist Rescue Marshals, including mountain-rescue personnel and certified guides, began clearing exposed areas. Visibility later dropped below two metres amid severe wind gusts.
The evacuation left runners at different waypoints, creating a classification problem. Organisers decided that only athletes who completed the original 60K, 45K or Loop L course would appear in the official results. Everyone else can access their times and splits by bib number.
Time penalties and bonuses were considered, but rejected because the varied turnaround points offered no workable common comparison. The decision preserved a clear definition of a finisher, although it left safely evacuated runners outside the main rankings.
Read Anna Buckingham’s report of the adidas TERREX Infinity Trails when she attended for RunUltra in 2024
Browning Leaves Hospital in France
Jeff Browning has left hospital nine days after suffering a heart attack during TDS at UTMB Mont-Blanc. The 55-year-old collapsed near an aid station, where emergency teams defibrillated him before he was airlifted to hospital. Three stents were inserted during emergency treatment.
After two procedures and surgery, Browning moved into an apartment in France ahead of his expected journey home to Arizona. He said in a video posted after his discharge:
“The future remains to be seen. But I’m happy to share that there is a path forward and a path to me getting stronger and being back on the trails.”
An authorised fundraiser for Browning’s care has passed $300,000. It will support treatment, travel, cardiac rehabilitation and household costs while the self-employed endurance coach cannot work.
Gitonga and Kiriago Win Trofeo Nasego as Beadle Takes Maga Skymarathon
Kirsty Skye Dickson finished second in the Vertical Nasego, while Matthew Knowles and Edward Hobbs also made the top eight during a strong weekend for British mountain runners in Italy.
Ruth Gitonga and Philemon Kiriago won the Trofeo Nasego in Casto, Italy, on Sunday, completing a Kenya-led Mountain Running World Cup weekend.
Gitonga won the women’s race in 1:47:07. Defending champion Kiriago took the men’s title in a course-record 1:30:08, with Kenyan runners filling the first five places.
British athletes also featured in two Italian events. Kirsty Skye Dickson finished second in Saturday’s Vertical Nasego, while Natalie Beadle won the 38km Maga Skymarathon in Val Serina.
Gitonga Holds Off Engelhard
The 25th Trofeo Nasego covered 21.45km, climbing 1,330 metres and descending 1,040 metres. It began with a faster stretch along forest roads and broad trails, then the main climb headed towards Rifugio Nasego before a descent of less than four kilometres brought the race to the finish.
Gitonga led early and began the principal climb about 90 seconds ahead of Germany’s Nina Engelhard. Engelhard closed to within roughly 25 seconds near the top, but Gitonga retained her advantage on the descent and won by 26 seconds.
Engelhard finished in 1:47:33, one day after winning the Vertical Nasego. Kenya’s Miriam Chepkirui was third in 1:50:14, while Dickson placed eighth in 1:55:49.
“I arrived aware of my condition and therefore took the race in the lead, confident in my abilities,” Gitonga said in the organisers’ race report.
Kiriago Breaks Kipngeno’s Record
Kiriago and Patrick Kipngeno stayed together near the front on the main climb before Kiriago pulled clear during the descent. His 1:30:08 lowered Kipngeno’s 2022 course record by 38 seconds and earned a €1,000 bonus.
Kipngeno finished second in 1:31:10, with Michael Selelo Saoli third in 1:32:13. Britain’s Matthew Knowles took seventh in 1:37:12, only 12 seconds behind Eritrea’s Petro Mamu.
Dickson Takes Second in the Vertical
Saturday’s Vertical Nasego climbed 1,000 metres over 4.3km to Rifugio Nasego. Engelhard won the women’s race in 39:29, beating Dickson by 50 seconds. Andrea Mayr was third in 40:59.
Kipngeno claimed his fourth men’s victory in 33:31. Richard Omaya Atuya followed in 34:11, while Britain’s Edward Hobbs finished seventh in 35:54.
England placed third behind Italy and France in the weekend’s Seven Nations team competition.
Elsewhere in Italy, Beadle completed the four-peak Maga Skymarathon in 5:27:50. She beat France’s Eva Delafosse by 10:45, with fellow British runner Eve Pannone finishing fourth in 5:50:25.
