Rasus y Bannau

Rasus y Bannau, also known as The Beacon Races, invites endurance runners to explore the rugged beauty of the Brecon Beacons National Park. This challenging series features three distinct race distances: an epic 100km Ultra, a demanding 40-mile Ultra Trail, and a classic Marathon.
The races begin in the heart of Brecon town center before climbing directly onto the north ridge of Cribyn Mountain. Runners then follow a fast ridgeline traverse to Fan y Big and Carn Pica. At this point, the marathon and 40-mile routes diverge towards Blaen y Glyn and Torpantau, while the ultra runners continue with a descent to Talybont Reservoir followed by an ascent up the dramatic slopes of Tor y Foel.
As the courses progress through the breathtaking scenery, participants encounter the cascading waterfalls at Blaen y Glyn before ascending onto Craig y Fan Ddu. This section merges two iconic trails: the Cambrian Way and Beacons Way.
Further into the race, all routes converge once more as they pass through Taf Fechan Forest, crossing an old dam and climbing to Cefn Cul and Craig Gwaun Taf ridgeline before descending to Pont ar Daf. The marathon route then climbs up Corn Du and Pen y Fan for a direct descent back into Brecon.
The ultra routes continue westward over the classic terrain of Fan Fawr, Fan Llia, and Blaen Llia. While the 40-mile Ultra veers north towards Craig Cerrig Gleisiad National Nature Reserve, the 100km Ultra ventures deeper into Black Mountain (Carmarthen Fan), reaching its highest point on Fan Brycheiniog.
The final stretch of the 100km race is a thrilling rollercoaster across multiple summits including Fan Gyhirych and Fan Nedd before rejoining the 40-mile route above Craig Cerrig Gleisiad. Runners then follow the Beacons Way back towards Brecon, with Pen y Fan towering in view.
All ultra runners conclude their journey by scaling Pen y Fan’s summit where they may witness a sunrise or sunset depending on race timing and daylight conditions. The descent down the north ridge provides a fast and exhilarating finish as participants return to Brecon.
The event offers start times tailored for each distance: the 100km Ultra begins at 5:30 PM Friday evening with a 30-hour time limit, while the 40-mile starts early Saturday morning followed by a generous 16 hours. The Marathon kicks off slightly later and allows participants up to 15 hours to complete their journey.
Rasus y Bannau combines stunning mountain landscapes and challenging terrain into an unforgettable experience for trail runners of all levels.