Watch runners cross the finish line of the 100 mile Rack Raid race on the steep hill by the Castell Y Bwch pub

A runner seconds after reaching the finish line

Fairwater Runners are the organisers of the quirky road race called the Rack Raid. The 100 mile team relay started at Grosmont Castle at 7.30am on Sunday and finished at the Castell Y Bwch pub at around 7pm last night.

The route takes runners by castles and historic sites in Gwent. Twenty-five teams took part with 325 runners each running a relay leg each.

The Cwmbran club must be congratulated for pulling off a cracking event. I spoke to several runners and spectators and they all said it well organised with a great atmosphere.

The finish line at the top of the steep lane next to the Castell Y Bwch is very clever. It meant lots of cheering and an exciting atmosphere as hundreds of people waited for the first runner to appear in the country lane.

Once next year’s date is known pop it in your calendar and go along. Cars were packed into a field opposite the pub and a BBQ kept everyone well fed.

Kyle Davies from Pontypridd crossed the finish line first. He ran the 13th and final leg for his team, the 5.43 mile route from Caerleon Amphitheatre to the Castell Y Bwch in 33min 5secs .

Watch this YouTube video of runners crossing the line of the Rack Raid 2014

I grabbed Kyle for a few words and posted this video on YouTube. You can see the first few runners cross the line with the loud support of the spectators getting them up the final steep part of the hill.

The Rack Raid was established in 1993 and is the club’s most prestigious race. It involves over 100 miles of racing split into 13 stages of varying distances.