After being postponed earlier this year, the 2023 Devil’s Staircase Ultra Trail Race finally went ahead on September 16th! The race, which is organised by Green Events and sponsored by ourselves here at Get Jerky, started in the centre of Llanwrtyd Wells, and runners gathered to start the race at 9 a.m.The gruelling 50k ultra trail took our runners through the beautiful Abergwesyn valley, the fearsome Devil’s Staircase with its gradient of 25%, Soar y Mynydd chapel, Llyn Brianne reservoir and dam, and on the home run back to Llanwrtyd Wells.
Emma Morris, Sales Director of Get Jerky, was a keen supporter of the race on Saturday, and being familiar with the changing nature of Welsh weather, admitted:
“The weather was kind to us on Saturday, and all the runners that took part thoroughly enjoyed the event. The positive feedback is amazing, and I’m sure it’s due to the race’s great scenic route over many different terrains, despite the challenge it poses to runners.”
The positive feedback was echoed by bystanders and competitors, with one bystander saying that they will “definitely recommend [the race] to our local runners”, and one of our runners stated that the event was “fantastic” and that they “will be back again”. It’s amazing to see that so many enjoyed the race this year and would like to take part again in 2024!
NOW ON TO OUR WINNERS:
The first male finisher and overall winner was Gary Kelly from the Isle of Man, who finished the race in a time of 5:03:03. After the race, he gave a very positive response to the organisers, Green Events, about the race but was honest about the struggles of the race, especially towards the back end.
The first female finisher was Julia Ebbrell, who finished the race in a time of 6:31:00. An experienced ultra trail runner, she travels around the country in her campervan, taking part in marathons and other ultra trail races!
Congratulations to both first-place finishers; we hope to see you again next year. We would also like to thank all the organisers, marshals, and paramedics for making the event happen, and for keeping the runners and supporters safe. The event is only possible due to your hard work!
We’d also like to give a big congratulations to all those who took part in the race on Saturday. And if you didn’t manage to complete the race this year, there’s always next year! Will you be the first to outrun the Devil in next year’s race? Follow Get Jerky’s Devil’s Staircase Ultra Trail Race or Get Jerky on Facebook for the latest information.
