The winner of this year’s 43-mile Brecon to Cardiff Classic explains why he loves the sport
WHEN Sam Humphrey crossed the finishing line to win a 43-mile ultra run from Brecon to Cardiff his wife, kids and parents were there to congratulate him.
“I felt absolute joy when I crossed the finish line,” said Mr Humphrey, aged 39. “It was really special.”
He completed the mountainous ultra course in a rapid 5hrs 25mins.
But rather than being an elite professional athlete, the Penarth and Dinas Runners club member is a father of two who went back to his day job in communications for a health board on Monday.
He is one of a growing number of amateur runners taking on ever more extreme challenges as the ultra-running culture expands.
This year, more than 350 competitors entered the 11th Brecon to Cardiff Classic, organised by Run, Walk, Crawl, and is among the most popular in the UK ultra running scene.
A further 164 people completed Brecon to Cardiff Xtreme, a more mountainous cross-country variation of the race held on the same day. The route summits 11 peaks between Brecon and Cardiff with a massive 2,680m of elevation.
“Trail and ultra running is becoming more accessible,” said Mr Humphrey. “People don’t see it as this exclusive thing anymore.
“In the past, it was probably more of a fringe activity—people would have thought you were mad—but now participation is so high that not just a hardcore few.”
Left: The route of the Brecon to Cardiff Classic
The term ‘ultramarathon’ generally refers to any race over the length of 50km, and can come in many shapes and forms – including the six-day, 251km Marathon des Sables across the Sahara, and the multi-stage Dragon’s Back race that runs 380km down the spine of Wales.
Participation continues to grow, especially among women. In 2010, there were 1,033 female ultramarathon runners in the UK, which had increased to 10,321 by 2024—a rise of 899%. Male participation also grew by 558%, from 3,892 in 2010 to 25,596 in 2024.
The UK has seen a sharp rise in the number of ultra events, from 74 in 2010 to 346 in 2024.
Ultra running continues to grow in popularity, with races like Brecon to Cardiff regularly selling out. Organisers such as Run, Walk, Crawl have extended cut-off times to allow people of varying abilities to take part.
“In an ultra, everyone is doing something extreme,” said Mr Humphrey. “It’s a common interest, so you feel that shared challenge. There’s a real sense of camaraderie.”
After completing the 2015 Berlin Marathon in a fast 2hrs 25mins, Mr Humphrey decided to start training for ultra distances instead.
“When you’re training for a fast road marathon, you’re always on edge. The intensity is very high.
“With an ultra, the focus is on volume. It’s more enjoyable, and there is less risk of injury.”
Mr Humphrey is a member of Penarth and Dinas Runners: “The club has been very supportive – they’re all so lovely. Everyone’s going through the same experience, no matter their ability.
“To distract myself from the pain, I focus on my running form—imagining the perfect runner, like Kipchoge, smiling.
“You’ll never look like the greats, but you can feel like them.
“This landscape helps too. The canal was beautiful first thing in the morning, as well as the reservoirs before Merthyr.
Left: Sam Humphrey. Image: James Bessant Davies
There are five checkpoints along the route, with water refill points and food. The last stop in Pontypridd even has the option of battered sausage and chips-an option that Mr Humphrey declined.
Instead, he fuelled with Clif bars and blackberry sports gels.
“I didn’t quite get my nutrition right. Five Clif bars are a few too many. Next time I might aim for some variety.”
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Mr Humphrey finished more than nine minutes ahead of the second-place finisher, and he was not the only runner from Penarth and Dinas Runners to compete.
His club-mate Jacob Williams finished the Xtreme variant in an impressive 11hrs 11min, securing 63rd place.
For Mr Humphrey, the appeal of the extreme events is straightforward: “If you love running, you just want to keep running.”
‘Survival instincts kick in’
by James Bessant Davies
There’s no better way to cover a race than to run it yourself and I finished the Brecon to Cardiff Classic in 7hrs 17mins, taking 28th position.
It was my first ultra event, and I was really struck by the community and friendliness of the other runners. When someone passes you, the courtesy is to ask: ‘how are you doing?’, ‘how are you holding up?’.
It’s a mindset of ‘we’re all in this together’, unlike the competitive nature of shorter road races. The goal tends to be finishing, with the only real competition being against yourself.
For the period of the race your mind doesn’t focus on the pressures of day-to-day life, but survival instincts come back. Food, water – warmth. It acts like a hard reset.
The beauty of long-distance running is that it’s simple – you have to get from A to B, and nothing else matters.
