Horse beats man again in 40th anniversary of Whole Earth Man v Horse race – Runner’s World (UK)

The annual Whole Earth Man vs Horse race took place on Saturday in Llanwrtyd in Powys, Wales. 650 runners raced a team of 60 horses and riders over 22 miles, across rugged terrain, steep hills and bogs to see who would win.

Often withheld as one of the UK’s most extreme off-road running events, only twice in the race’s 40 year history has a runner ever beaten a horse. This year, Mark Adams, riding Herbie, became the latest winner, finishing the course in 2:18:51.

Runners from all over the world travelled to Wales for the event. The first runner across the line was British ultrarunner Jack Wood, who finished in 2:23:39 – five minutes behind the winning horse. In second place was New Zealand marathoner Paul Martelletti and American athlete Mike Wardian.

The event was born from a bet in a pub in 1980, in which locals argued over whether a man could ever out-run a horse in a long-distance race. The pub, Neuadd Arms, is still the starting point for the race.

Next year’s race will take place on 13 June 2020, entries will open early in January and normally sell out quickly.