Having Pen y Fan first is actually reverting to the original pattern from 2008 to 2016; in 2017 we moved Fan y Big to the Saturday to coincide with the Llanfrynach Village Fete. But since Covid times that relationship no longer exists, and we felt the original order worked best, with the shorter race on day 1.

We've reversed the Fan y Big race as well, we were getting a bit bored of it and fancied a change! We recce'd the course clockwise and loved it. You get the road over and done with at the start, you still get the "do I take the shortcut" dilemma on the tops, and the descent is fantastic. We might alternate directions in future years, if people like this direction.

Let us know which you prefer after this year's races!

I should say.. it's not as if we have ever been putting people at risk, as payment for our race entries is taken by PayPal, which has its own security, but it did mean usernames and passwords for this site were travelling over the wire unencrypted. I suppose that meant someone else could feasibly steal your login and pay for your race entry! But seriously, more importantly it meant that (in theory) others could intercept the administrative login for the site.

Well not any more! Thanks to the magic of LetsEncrypt (and of course our mojoPortal CMS) I have configured www.breconfans.org.uk to run under https and to be inaccessible any other way.

You may now feel even more relaxed about registering, signing in, and pre-entering for the races!

Now the bad news... we've increased prices by £1 for each race, so that we can pay the farmers for parking out of the entry fees we receive. OK not such bad news really, as we collected money for parking anyway at Fan y Big, so including it in the entry fee will save that particular hassle.

Overall, because there are more runners than cars, we will collect a little more revenue than before, and we will use this for refreshments and the prize fund.

It's the first price increase since we took over organising the Pen y Fan race in 2006 and since we started the the Fan y Big race in 2007, so we hope people find it reasonable.

+£1 ⇒ ↑ + ↑

And I’ve tweaked the web site to make the text bigger. All suggestions welcome for further changes.

Online entry is now open for 2013!

If you are coming to the Pen y Fan Race today (and why wouldn't you?!) please be aware of the following...

Parking

Due to the recent rains, the field on the right of the track is out of bounds for parking, at the farmer's request. Combined with the fact that we are a championship race this year, this means there will be some pressure on parking space.
Please share transport where possible.
When you arrive, please try to park in the area on the left of the track. Overflow parking will be available further up the track, beyond the large boulder that says "no vehicles beyond this point"!

Registration

Please leave plenty of time for finding the venue, parking and registration. Allow 15 minutes from Brecon, and make sure you have a map - every year someone manages to get lost in the lanes. You can find relevant information and maps on the race page.
It is about 15 minutes walk from registration to the start. We advise arrival and registration by around 10am. The race starts at 11.

Weather and Kit

The forecast is mixed, with mist and cloud likely on the tops, possible rain, and possible sunny spells. The temperature on the tops will be about 6 degrees C, feeling much colder with a Northerly wind of about 20 mph.
Therefore kit will be mandatory, that is:

• bumbag or rucksack
• compass
• whistle
• full windproof body cover (long trousers and jacket)
• map of the route

See you there!

The Buttermere Sailbeck race is about the same length as the Fan y Big Horseshoe, which also crosses the area where Carol Matthews died in a relay race in 1991; but the same could happen in almost any race that crosses high ground when conditions are poor. So this has made us re-examine our plans for the Brecon Fans races. The key lesson is to be absolutely certain whether there are still any runners out on the course, i.e. that every race number that crossed the start line also crosses the finish line, or is otherwise accounted for.

We'll try to make the races as safe as possible without becoming too bureaucratic. But runners also need to play their part - be well prepared for the race (in fitness and knowledge of the route), carry the right kit, report to marshals if anything is wrong, read and listen to race instructions. Oh, and please don't cross the finish line more than once while having a warm-down!

Our thoughts go out to Brian Befield and his family, but also to the organisers of the race, who must be going through a difficult time.

and embedded a panel for it into the home page of this site. I expect a turnout of at least 5000 after this sophisticated marketing campaign.

Please all "like" it a lot, then go for a run in the hills...

Maybe one year I’ll be able to run the race…

• the Welsh Athletics Mountain Running Championships
• the WFRA South Wales Summer Series

Entering is easy… just use the “ENTER” page to add one or both races to your cart, then proceed to checkout. Payment is via PayPal, but you do not have to have a PayPal account – you can just pay with a card if you want.  You will then receive a confirmation email, and an order reference.

Bring this to registration on the day to collect your race number.

Anyway, it's raining, or at least it was 5 minutes ago. And Pen Y Fan is shrouded in murk...

But I'm sure it will clear up soon!

On the pin front, Emma texted at midnight to say emergency pin supplies are coming to the race with Ricky.

And Mark P (fell running superstar and Fan y Big organiser)  called to share a chuckle about how many people cannot read the stuff about on the web site and contact us to ask whether the race goes up any hills, or whether any kit is needed, etc etc... and then Mark said "right see you at 12 then". Umm, the race starts at 11 !! 

Our massive bag of safety pins has gone walkabout!  We think maybe we took it along to Fan y Big last year, and never reclaimed it afterwards. Anyway, we've scoured the house and come up with a small tinful, but nowhere near enough for all. So this is an appeal to all runners to bring some pins please!

(apart from that, everything going just swimmingly, and yes, the beer is fine).

Still need a photographer for the finish line.

Now recruiting helpers and marshals. We have Mike Law on the summit of course, but he needs someone with him to help take the summit splits. And we need at least one helper at the finish, car parking, registration. And of course photographers.  Some of the News of the World sports photographers might be at a loose end next week...?

Sponsors... unfortunately St Mary's Bakery cannot support the race after all this year, and it's too late to find a replacement, so we are making industrial quantities of magnificent flapjacks, to be washed down with lovely Breconshire Brewery ale!

Hooters... this year we are going to start the race with a big honking hooter, and then give a blast at the summit when the first runner arrives. This will help synchronize split times, but it's also good for spectators and runners.

Naomi has secured sponsorship from Cotswold in Brecon which is great news.

Still on the "to do" list for June:

• Putting posters up around town, and at Dering Lines barracks
• Arrangements with St Mary's Bakery and Breconshire Brewery
• Recruiting marshals and photographers
• Write to the Brecon Mountain Rescue

And probably loads of other things I've forgotten!