Stubbington Green Runners

"YOU smell awful dad" - that was the greeting Graham James received from his youngest daughter after completing the Welsh 1000 Metre Peak Race.

Graham likes a challenge, and despite the changeable weather conditions plus a stamina-sapping climb, the Stubbington Green Runner finished 17th from 72 finishers in 5 hours and 28 minutes. The winning time was 3hrs 55mins.

The race itself was marred by the death of a soldier who fell 500ft after he ran into low cloud and became disorientated during the punishing mountain race.

Sgt Paul Upton, of the 1st Battalion the Parachute Regiment, he fell to his death on Carnedd Llewelyn above the Ffynnon Llugwy Reservoir, in Snowdonia. Rescuers said it was believed the 37-year-old suffered a heart attack after falling hundreds of feet. An RAF rescue helicopter was called to the scene and he was treated with a heart defibrillator.

Here is Graham's reflections on a tough race.

"The Welsh 1000 Metre Peaks Race starts at Aber on the North Wales coast, and makes its way over the four Snowdonian summits that exceed 1000m in height, finishing on the top of Snowdon after some 21 miles and 8000 feet of ascent. Apparently Runners World magazine once listed it as a 1000m track race!

The start was in bright sunny conditions, in fact it was a relief to enter the shade of the forest after the initial section along minor roads and tracks. A contouring path across scree gives good views of the Aber Falls, and the stream crossing above the falls is the last chance to pick up water until after crossing the Carneddau.

Approaching the first summit, Carnedd Llewelyn, the conditions change completely as we encountered the low cloud that had been forecast. The short run to Carnedd Dafydd was uneventful, but the descent from here went somewhat wrong, as on emerging from the clag the expected reservoir was not there! Spotting other runners on a parallel course, I made my way over to them, probably losing five to 10 minutes.

The steep downhill on the Tarmac road was no fun, but my time at the checkpoint on the A5 was just inside my 2hrs 45min target, despite the navigational error.

The next massif, the Glyders, tops out at 999m, so no summits were to be visited. However, it has to be crossed, and it was still a 450m ascent from the road to the col. No pretence at running on this section - just a steady walk, gradually overtaking competitors in the walker's category, who set off 90 minutes earlier from Aber, wearing boots and carrying ruck sacks. Occasional glances over my shoulder assured me that the runner behind is also walking, and not gaining on me. At last the gradient eased and I started to run again. The guy behind was still walking, and I could see no-one in front as I re-entered the clag. The path here was indistinct, and although I was fairly confident, it was still a relief to reach the checkpoint at the top of the miners' track.

The next section showed up my biggest weakness at fell running - as two runners overtook and left me behind very quickly on the descent. I pressed on and found the narrow trod which leaves the miners' track to take us to Pen-y-Pass.

At Pen-y-Pass my time was 4hrs 2mins, just two minutes behind target and only the ascent of Snowdon to go!

The Pig track started off gently, and my brain told me it should be very run-able. If only I could persuade my legs of this. The guy in front was running, so I supposed I had better try. It was a relief when the gradient steepened and I had an excuse to walk again.

At last we reached the steep zig-zags and I settled into a determined plod. My legs were threatening to seize up, and I was not sure that the cereal bar I ate at Pen-y-Pass was going to stay down. Why am I doing this? Finally I reached the summit ridge - Snowdon was just up to the left, but first I had to turn right and drag myself up the subsidiary summit of Garnedd Ugain.

Having clipped at this penultimate checkpoint, I ran back down to the col and headed for the finish.

I had last seen my wife and daughters at Llanberis, some seven hours earlier - they were planning to ascend Snowdon to meet me. My estimated time of arrival was 3pm, and I had advised them to allow about four hours for their walk up. To everyone's amazement, we met at 2.55pm, about 100m short of the summit.

A brief hello as I passed, then on to cross the line in 5 hours 28 minutes, soon to be joined by my family, and the greeting from younger daughter: "You smell awful, Dad!"