Rasus y Bannau
Info: New entries for this event closed on Wednesday 16th September 2026 at 20:00.
| 100 km | £99.00 | |
| 40 mile Ultra Trail | £75.00 | |
| Marathon | £50.00 |
Rasus y Bannau (The Beacon Races) are 3 epic, long distance mountain adventures starting and finishing in Brecon and following a circular route around the Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) National Park.
There are 3 race distances to choose from:
• 100 km Ultra - (65 miles / 104km) with +5100m ascent
• 40 mile Ultra Trail - (40 miles / 65km) with +2850m ascent
• Marathon - (26.5 miles / 43km) with +2000m ascent
The Routes
All three races start in Brecon town centre, climbing directly onto the north ridge of Cribyn. From here, runners head east to Fan y Big, before following a fast ridgeline traverse towards Carn Pica.
The Marathon and 40 mile routes turn towards Blaen y Glyn and Torpantau, while the 100km Ultra runners descend to Talybont Reservoir and a dramatic climb up Tor y Foel. A runnable section leads through the Blaen y Glyn waterfall complex, then up onto Craig y Fan Ddu, where the Cambrian Way and Beacons Way meet.
From Torpantau, all routes head through the Taf Fechan Forest, crossing the old dam into the valley and climbing onto the ridgeline of Cefn Cul and Craig Gwaun Taf, before dropping to Pont ar Daf. Here the courses split: the Marathon climbs to Corn Du and Pen y Fan, before descending directly into Brecon for the finish.
Both Ultra routes swing west following the classic lines over Fan Fawr and Fan Llia before dropping to Blaen Llia. The 40mile Ultra heads north towards Craig Cerrig Gleisiad National Nature Reserve, while the 100K Ultra pushes further west on the Beacons Way into the Black Mountain (Carmarthen Fan), topping out on Fan Brycheiniog.
The 100K finally turns east for the rollercoaster traverse across a series of summits including Fan Gyhirych and Fan Nedd, before re-joining the 40 mile course above Craig Cerrig Gleisiad. A long descent follows the Beacons Way back across the A470 with Pen y Fan looming.
The final leg takes all ultra runners to the summit of Pen y Fan – where, depending on your timing, you may catch a sunrise or sunset – before a fast, glorious descent of the north ridge back into Brecon for the finish.
Time limits and start times
There are new timings for the 2027 event with increased cut of for the 100km
The Rasus y Bannau 100km ultra race starts at 1730 on Friday evening and has a 30 hour time limit (Saturday 2330).
The Rasus y Bannau 40 mile ultra race starts at 0730 on Saturday morning and has a 16 hour time limit (Saturday 2330).
The Rasus y Bannau trail Marathon starts at 0830 on Saturday morning and has a generous 15 hour time limit (Saturday at 2330).
What your entry fee includes:
- Finishers medal
- Emergency first aid cover
- GPS tracking
- Electronic timing
- Checkpoints with refreshments
- Route marking
- Mountain safety teams
- GPS file
- Free race photography for downloads and bragging
- 1 drop bags for the 100km ultra race at the 40 mile checkpoint
View the Event Disclaimer / Terms and Conditions.
View the Event Cancellation / Refund Policy.
This event offers the option to purchase XCover, so that participants may be able to get a refund if they are unable to attend due to unforeseen circumstances.
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