Nos Galan road race

**Guto Nyth Bran** statue, Oxford Street, Mountain Ash

The Nos Galan road race is an annual five-kilometre (3.1 mi) road running event, held on Nos Galan (Welsh: Nos Galan), New Year's Eve, in Mountain Ash, in the Cynon Valley of South Wales.

History

The Nos Galan race celebrates the life and achievements of Welsh runner Guto Nyth Brân. Founded in 1958 by local runner Bernard Baldwin, it is run over the 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) route of Bran's first competitive race.

At its height covered by the BBC nationally as part of its New Year's Eve celebrations,^[1] the races were halted in 1973 due to concerns expressed by the Glamorgan Police regarding the undue delay to traffic.^[1] The Nos Galan race was resurrected in 1984, when a reduced field of 14 runners ran a 1 mile (1.6 km) race. The race also broke with tradition, with three mystery runners, representing the present, past and future of athletics, carried the Nos Galan Torch.^[1]

It still attracts runners from all over Great Britain. The 2009 race attracted over 800 runners, and 10,000 people into Mountain Ash for the associated entertainment.^[2] In 2023, after two years of virtual races, the number of runners had grown to 1,925 participants.^[3]

A virtual race was held in 2020.

Route and traditions

The main race starts with a church service at Llanwynno, and then a wreath is laid on the grave of Guto Nyth Brân in Llanwynno graveyard. After lighting a torch, it is carried to the nearby town of Mountain Ash, where the main race takes place. The format of the race has changed several times over its history. The current race consists of three circuits of the town centre, starting in Henry Street and ending in Oxford Street, by the commemorative statue of Guto.

Traditionally, the race was timed to end at midnight.^[1] But in recent times it was rescheduled for the convenience of family entertainment, now concluding at around 21:00.^[3]

Rescheduling has resulted in a regrowth in size and scale, and now starts with an afternoon of street entertainment, and fun run races for children, concluding with the church service, elite runners race and presentations.^[4]

Mystery runner

The race is started and run by a mystery runner, normally a running or local sporting celebrity. The mystery runner lays the wreath:^[1]^[5]

1958 – Tom Richards
1959 – Ken Norris
1960 – Derek Ibbotson
1961 – John Merriman
1962 – Martin Hyman
1963 – Bruce Tulloh
1964 – Stan Eldon
1965 – Ann Packer
1966 – Mary Rand
1967 – Ron Jones
1968 – Lyn Davies
1969 – Lillian Board
1970 – John Whetton
1971 – David Bedford
1972 – David Hemery
1973 – Berwyn Price
1984 – Steve Jones, David Bedford, Lisa Hopkins
1985 – No Race
1986 – Kirsty Wade
1987 – Tony Simmons
1988 – Tim Hutchings
1989 – Bernie Plain
1990 – Phillip Snoddy
1991 – Dennis Fowles
1992 – Guto Eames, Tremayne Rutherford
1993 – Simon Mugglestone
1994 – Steve Robinson
1995 – Neil Jenkins
1996 – Robbie Regan
1997 – Iwan Thomas
1998 – Jamie Baulch, Ron Jones
1999 – Garin Jenkins, Dai Young
2000 – Christian Malcolm
2001 – Darren Campbell
2002 – Matt Elias
2003 – Stephen Jones
2004 – Nicole Cooke
2005 – Gethin Jenkins, Martyn Williams, T. Rhys Thomas
2006 – Rhys Williams
2007 – Kevin Morgan
2008 – Linford Christie
2009 – James Hook, Jamie Roberts
2010 – John Hartson, Mark Taylor^[6]
2011 – Shane Williams, Ian Evans^[7]
2012 – Dai Greene, Samantha Bowen^[8]
2013 – Alun Wyn Jones^[9]
2014 – Adam Jones
2015 – Colin Jackson
2016 – Chris Coleman
2017 – Nathan Cleverly and Colin Charvis
2018 – David Bedford, Sam Warburton and Rhys Jones
2019 – Nigel Owens
2020 – VIRTUAL RACE
2021 – VIRTUAL RACE
2022 – George North^[10]
2023 – Gareth Thomas and Laura McAllister^[11]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e "Mountain Ash". Rhondda Cynon Taff. Archived from the original on 18 July 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2009.
^ "Wales stars help warm up Nos Galan runners". South Wales Echo. 1 January 2010. Retrieved 1 January 2010.
^ ^a ^b Aitken, Catriona; Gillibrand, Peter (31 December 2023). "Nos Galan mystery runners are Gareth Thomas and Laura McAllister". BBC News. Retrieved 1 January 2024.
^ "Nos Galan". nosgalan.co.uk. Retrieved 1 January 2010.
^ "Roberts and Hook are Nos Galan mystery runners". BBC Wales. 1 January 2010. Retrieved 1 January 2010.
^ "John Hartson and Mark Taylor are Nos Galan runners". BBC Wales. 31 December 2010. Retrieved 1 November 2011.
^ "Rugby legend Shane Williams joins Nos Galan races new year celebrations". walesonline.co.uk. 31 December 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2013.
^ "Dai Greene helps start Nos Galan run in Mountain Ash". BBC News. 1 January 2013. Retrieved 1 January 2013.
^ "Nos Galan: Record turnout with Alun Wyn Jones 'mystery' runner". BBC News. 31 December 2013. Retrieved 6 January 2014.
^ "Nos Galan Mystery Runner Revealed". Rhondda Cynon Taf. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
^ "Nos Galan mystery runners are Gareth Thomas and Laura McAllister". BBC News. 31 December 2023. Retrieved 31 December 2023.

External links

Nos Galan Road Race (Rhondda Cynon Taf authority website)

[RCTHist-1] "Mountain Ash". Rhondda Cynon Taff. Archived from the original on 18 July 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2009.

[2] "Wales stars help warm up Nos Galan runners". South Wales Echo. 1 January 2010. Retrieved 1 January 2010.

[Aitken&Gillibrand2024-3] Aitken, Catriona; Gillibrand, Peter (31 December 2023). "Nos Galan mystery runners are Gareth Thomas and Laura McAllister". BBC News. Retrieved 1 January 2024.

[4] "Nos Galan". nosgalan.co.uk. Retrieved 1 January 2010.

[5] "Roberts and Hook are Nos Galan mystery runners". BBC Wales. 1 January 2010. Retrieved 1 January 2010.

[6] "John Hartson and Mark Taylor are Nos Galan runners". BBC Wales. 31 December 2010. Retrieved 1 November 2011.

[7] "Rugby legend Shane Williams joins Nos Galan races new year celebrations". walesonline.co.uk. 31 December 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2013.

[8] "Dai Greene helps start Nos Galan run in Mountain Ash". BBC News. 1 January 2013. Retrieved 1 January 2013.

[9] "Nos Galan: Record turnout with Alun Wyn Jones 'mystery' runner". BBC News. 31 December 2013. Retrieved 6 January 2014.

[10] "Nos Galan Mystery Runner Revealed". Rhondda Cynon Taf. Retrieved 31 December 2023.

[11] "Nos Galan mystery runners are Gareth Thomas and Laura McAllister". BBC News. 31 December 2023. Retrieved 31 December 2023.

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Nos Galan road race

History

Route and traditions

Mystery runner

References

External links

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