Jessica Raynor took part in the Brecon to Cardiff Ultra on the second Sunday of February, writes Hamish Spence.

The 70k race saw runners set off at 8am from the town of Brecon in the beautiful Brecon Beacons National Park.

The route takes runners along the River Taff and makes use of the abandoned branch of The Taff Vale Railway and The Glamorganshire Canal. It utilises footpaths, forestry trails and cycle routes, passing mountains, waterfalls, reservoirs and many reminders of the Welsh industrial heritage. It was really well organised and marked out for a long distance 70k race, with better than forecasted weather for the competitors.

Jess managed to find a steady 8.48 min/mile pace and ran with a chap from the 30k point until around the 60k mark, helping them both stay sane.

She enjoyed the amazing views and felt it was a good course. Jessica was also happy with her place and time, claiming second lady overall in a time of 6:24:36 and a fantastic overall final finishing berth of 16th out of the 377 to finish the event.