Runners to be challenged to go as far into Wales as possible during Shropshire Way 80K Festival

This year will see a new event, entitled How Welsh Dare you Go?, in which runners will travel on the Heart of Wales Line, as far as they want into Wales, and then run back to the start.

The jeopardy is that if they have to return within 24 hours.

The popular event will see participants from across the country and beyond descending on the Shropshire Hills Discovery Centre in Craven Arms to take part in one of five events.

These include the mighty SW80K, The Mammothon, Half-Mammothon and Tusker’s 10 kilometre race.

Last year as many as 220 people took part in the 80 kilometre race, 230 in the Mammothon and 210 in the Half-Mammothon.

The festival offers stunning courses which showcase the rugged beauty of the local area, taking in Iron-Age hillforts, jagged peaks, ancient woodlands, upland heath and traditional market towns.

Run as a fundraiser for Grow Cook Learn, the charity which has operated the centre since 2014, the event is about supporting the mission to connect people to the food, history and landscape of the Shropshire Hills.

Grant Wilson, the centre manager and event organiser, said: “We are super excited to be running the event again.

"We just love showing off our amazing hills and hearing all the positive comments from our runners and walkers who discover them for the first time.

"For me personally, it is all about the food. We serve Shropshire Fidget pies, our famous Bara Brith and a local beef stew in a barn high in the hills.

"This all gives the event a real taste of Shropshire and is the reason why people return year after year.

"If people want to challenge themselves and help raise some money for our centre, they should enter one of our events by going onto the bookings page of the Shropshire Hills Discovery Centre website."

Visit shropshirehillsdiscoverycentre.co.uk/event/shropshire-way-80k-festival