The Man versus Horse Marathon is an annual race over 22 miles, where runners compete against riders on horseback.[1][2] The race — which is not technically a marathon, as the route does not meet the requisite distance — takes place in the Welsh town of Llanwrtyd Wells every June.
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The event started in 1980,[3] when local landlord Gordon Green overheard a discussion between two men in his pub, the Neuadd Arms.[4] One man suggested that over a significant distance across country, man was equal to any horse. Green decided that the challenge should be tested in full public view, and organised the first event.
The first woman to run the race was Ann King in 1981. In 1982, the route of the course was amended slightly to give a more even match between the competitors. The course is slightly shorter than a traditional marathon at 22 miles, but over rougher terrain. In 1985, cyclists were allowed to compete too - and that year, U.S. ladies' champion cyclist Jacquie Phelan narrowly lost to the first horse. In 1989, British cyclist Tim Gould beat the first horse by three minutes - the first time that a horse was beaten by a human in the race.
In 2004, the 25th race was won by Huw Lobb in 2 hours, 5 minutes and 19 seconds. It was the first time that a man racing on foot has won the race, thereby winning the prize fund of £25,000 ($31,786.40) (which had been growing by £1,000 each year from the race's inception until claimed by a winning runner). The year's race also saw the highest ever number of competitors; 500 runners and 40 horses.[1] The feat was repeated in 2007, when human competitors outpaced the first equine competitor by up to 11 minutes.[5]
The 2009 race was marred by controversy when the organizers deducted time spent in the 'vet checks' from the horse times in addition to the 15 minutes for the delayed start of the horses. The deduction of this additional time enabled the horse to triumph by 8 minutes, instead of being defeated by 2. Whilst the organizers at the time claimed that the time spent in the vet check (which is not accurately monitored on a horse-by-horse basis) had always been deducted, this had not occurred in previous years.[6] The fastest runner, Martin Cox, refused to accept the winners trophy in protest at the decision. Following protests from other competitors, the organizers reverted to the previously followed rules of only deducting 15 minutes for the 2010 edition of the race. However, despite Haggai Chepkwony running the fastest time since Huw Lobb's record breaking effort in 2004, a horse triumphed by 10 minutes. 2011 was most certainly the year of the Horse with a number of very good riders and horses competing.The underfoot conditions favoured the hoof over the shoe. However some very good times were recorded by the front runners considering wetness of the track. First Rider was Beti Gordon riding Next in Line Grangeway whilst first runner home was Charlie Pearson from London.
The race now attracts a maximum entry of 50 horses, enabling it to lay claim to being "the world's largest horse race".
| Year | Type | Fastest Horse | Fastest Runner | Weather Conditions | Going |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Horse | Beti Gordon on Next in line Grangeway (2:08:37)[7] | Charlie Pearson (2:25:45)[7] | Rain/Sun/Windy | Heavy |
| 2010 | Horse | Llinos Mair Jones on Sly Dai (2:07:04)[8] | Haggai Chepkwony (2:17:27)[8] | Hot | Good to Soft |
| 2009 | Horse | Geoffrey Allen on Dukes Touch of Fun (2:11:43)[9] | Martin Cox (2:20:02)[9] | Hot | Heavy |
| 2008 | Horse | Geoffrey Allen on Dukes Touch of Fun (2:18:13)[3][10] | John Macfarlane (2:18:43)[3][10] | Hot | Good to Soft |
| 2007 | Human | Geoffrey Allen on Lucy (2:31:26)[11] | Florian Holzinger (2:20:30)[11] | Hot | Good to Firm |
| 2006 | Horse | Denise Meldrum on Tarran Bay (2:10:29)[12] | Haggai Chepkwony (2:19:06)[12] | Warm | Soft |
| 2005 | Horse | Lise Cooke on Gifted Lady (02:19:11)[13] | Stephen Goulding (02:33:22)[13] | Unknown | Unknown |
| 2004 | Human | Zoe White on Kay Bee Jay (2:07:36)[14] | Huw Lobb (2:05:19)[14] | Hot | Unknown |
| 2003 | Horse | Robyn Petrie-Ritchie on Druimguiga Shemal (2:02:01)[15] | Mark Croasdale (2:19:02)[15] | Unknown | Unknown |
| 2002 | Horse | Robyn Petrie-Ritchie on Druimguiga Shemal (2:02:23)[16] | James McQueen (2:18:52)[16] | Unknown | Unknown |
| 2001 | Horse | Heather Evans on Royal Mikado (2:08:06) | Martin Cox (2:17:17) | Unknown | Unknown |
| 2000 | Horse | Heather Evans on Royal Mikado (2:08) | Mark Croasdale (2:10) | Unknown | Unknown |
| 1999 | Horse | Jackie Gilmour on Ruama (1:58)[17] | Mark Palmer (2:16)[17] | Unknown | Unknown |
| 1998 | Horse | Jackie Gilmour on Ruama (1:46)[17] | Stuart Major (2:16)[17] | Unknown | Unknown |
| 1997 | Horse | Megan Lewis on unknown (1:52)[17] | Paul Cadwallader (2:09)[17] | Unknown | Unknown |
| 1996 | Horse | Ken Mapp on Ahmaar (1:57)[17] | Mark Palmer (2:12)[17] | Unknown | Unknown |
| 1995 | Horse | Ken Mapp on Ahmaar (1:57)[17] | Paul Cadwallader (2:06)[17] | Unknown | Unknown |
| 1994 | Horse | Celia Tymons on Eskalabar (1:52)[17] | Mark Croasdale (2:09)[17] | Unknown | Unknown |
| 1993 | Horse | John Hudson on unknown (1:47)[17] | Robin Bergstrand (2:03)[17] | Unknown | Unknown |
| 1992 | Horse | Zoe Jennings on Hussar (1:38)[17] | Derek Green (2:09)[17] | Unknown | Unknown |
| 1991 | Horse | Zoe Jennings on Hussar (1:30)[17] | Mark Croasdale (2:05)[17] | Unknown | Unknown |
| 1990 | Horse | Ray Jenkins on The Doid and Chris Powell on Elkie (1:36)[17] | Glyn Williams (2:07)[17] | Unknown | Unknown |
| 1989 | Horse | Ray Jenkins on The Doid (1:54)[17] | Mark Croasdale (2:10)[17] | Unknown | Unknown |
| 1988 | Horse | John Davies on Mavies (1:47)[17] | Mark Croasdale (2:08)[17] | Unknown | Unknown |
| 1987 | Horse | Ray Jenkins on The Doid and Bill George on Mando (1:32)[17] | Paul Wheeler (1:57)[17] | Unknown | Unknown |
| 1986 | Horse | Nia Tudno-Jones on Jenny (1:44)[17] | Fuselier Hughes (2:08)[17] | Unknown | Unknown |
| 1985 | Horse | Nia Tudno-Jones on Jenny (1:40) | David Woodhead (2:08) | Unknown | Unknown |
| 1984 | Horse | William Jones on Solitaire (1:20) | David Woodhead (2:05) | Unknown | Unknown |
| 1983 | Horse | Ann Thomas on Nutmeg (1:26) | Dic Evans (2:02) | Unknown | Unknown |
| 1982 | Horse | Sue Thomas on Simon (2:06) | Paul Brownson (2:10) | Unknown | Unknown |
| 1981 | Horse | Clive Powell on Sultan (2:02) | Dic Evans (3:24) | Unknown | Unknown |
| 1980 | Horse | Glyn Jones on Solomon (1:27) | Dic Evans (2:10) | Unknown | Unknown |