Man vs Horse: The Welsh Race Where a Human Has Actually Won

01A bar-room bet

It all started with a bar-room argument. The year is 1980, in Llanwrtyd Wells, a small town in central Wales. Gordon Green, then landlord of the Neuadd Arms hotel-pub, is debating with local huntsmen: over a long distance, out in open country, who is faster, man or horse? Rather than settle it at the bar, he organizes a race.

02The Man vs Horse Marathon: about 35 km of moor and hills

The course is about 35 km (21 to 23 miles depending on the year), and it changes regularly. Moorland, hills, steep climbs where the horses slow down, technical descents where the runners suffer: in 2026, the official Wales.com site reported more than 1,300 m of climbing. The runners start first, the riders about a quarter of an hour later, and the horses go through veterinary checks. According to the tourist board Visit Mid Wales, the course was changed as early as 1982 to make the duel tighter.

032004: a human finally wins

In 2004, Huw Lobb finishes in 2:05:19, ahead of the first horse (2:07:36). The first human winner, after 24 editions won by horses. He pockets £25,000: a prize pot that had grown year after year, for lack of a runner able to beat the first horse. According to the Reuters report from the day, Lobb is 27, runs marathons out of south London, and the event drew a record 566 runners against 47 horses.

Today, the prize for the runner who beats the first horse starts at £500 and grows by £500 every year that nobody claims it. Plenty of motivation for the legs.

042007, 2022, 2023, 2025... and the horse strikes back

Florien Holtinger wins in 2007. Then comes a 15-year wait: in 2022, Ricky Lightfoot, a trail runner from Cumbria, finishes in 2:22:23, ahead of the first horse, in a field of about 1,000 runners and 50 horses. He wins £3,500. Daniel Connolly follows in 2023 (2:24:38, about ten minutes clear), then Dewi Griffiths wins in 2025, nearly 12 minutes ahead of the horse Gweni.

In 2026, according to Wales.com, the horse takes back the upper hand: Rachel Lima and Zameel in 2:31:37, with Daniel Connolly the first runner home eight minutes later. The duel goes on.