Kit a Diogelwch – Kit & Safety

Ras Copaon 1000m Cymru – Welsh 1000m Peaks Race

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Checkpoints and Live Tracking/Timing

Due to the long, linear distance and high terrain covered in the Welsh 1000m Peaks Race, GPS tracking, mapping and timing is provided by Open Tracking. This system gives the Race Organiser, Llanberis Base and Race Marshals live data on competitors’ locations and timings – feeding into safety monitoring and timing results.

There will also be a live feed to this information on display at Llanberis Base where competitors can return for refreshments and Prize Giving – please come and see us all after the race!

At Registration, competitors will be given a small, ‘key fob’ sized GPS Tracker to pop in their race vest/bum bag – which must have a view to the sky during the race. Competitors must ‘touch’ the orange/white flag at Checkpoint locations (see Courses – Checkpoints and Race Marshal Points) and/or present to a Race Marshal (if in location) to ensure an arrival time is recorded at each location – for safety and race results. There are no ‘dibbers’ that make a ‘beep’ sound etc. YOU are responsible for visiting each Checkpoint as per race requirements, otherwise a ‘non-competitive’ result will be issued.

Welsh 1000m Peaks Race - Race registration

Navigation and Personal Responsibility

The Welsh 1000m Peaks Race is organised in accordance with Welsh Fell Runners Association (WFRA) guidelines and continues to support the adventure of ‘map and compass’ navigating, relying on personal competence and experience in mountainous terrain, without the use of digital or GPS/GPX technology for competitors to progress through the unmarked courses. Hence, the race offers excellent opportunities to practise and gain confidence with the skills associated with ‘mountain and fell running’. Planning personal recces of the route can offer great training opportunities – find other race entrants to share this process with if preferable.

View the WFRA declaration that competitors agree to, upon entry:

I accept the hazards inherent in fell running and acknowledge that I am entering and running at my own risk.

I confirm that I am aware of the rules imposed on me by the Race Organiser and that I will comply with them. I confirm that I have read and will comply with, “Safety Requirements for Competitors” I acknowledge and agree that I am responsible for determining whether I have the skills, equipment and fitness to participate in this event.

I accept that neither the Race Organiser nor the Welsh Fell Runners’ Association shall be liable to me for any injury, loss or damage of any nature to me or my property arising out of my participation in this race (other than in respect of death or personal injury as result of negligence).

I consent to publication of my name, club, race category, race number, finishing time and race position in race pre-entry and results lists.

Minimum Race Kit Requirements

Specific weather conditions may influence competitor decisions about personal kit, but the Minimum Race Kit must be carried, based on the long, linear nature of the high mountain courses. The race also finishes at 1085m above sea level and competitors must have adequate layers to safeguard against rapid cooling at this height, even in fair weather.

The Race Organiser and Race Marshals reserve the right to conduct Kit Spot-Checks at any time before or during the race, including at the finish on Yr Wyddfa.

Use your special discount coupon for any additional kit requirements at Crib Goch Outdoor on Llanberis High Street – either before this race or for your next race!

Any competitor found not carrying all items listed as ‘Minimum Race Kit’ will be disqualified:

Waterproof jacket with hood (with taped/welded seams)
Waterproof trousers (full length with taped/welded seams)
Spare warm/insulating long sleeve mid layer (spare to any running layers worn at start)
Hat and/or Cap and gloves suitable for weather (a 'buff' can be a hat)
Route/Race Map with Checkpoint info (covering ALL of the Long or Short Course)
Compass - full base plate ideal
Energy/food source for FINISH - at least 30g carbohydrate
At least 500ml liquid - many competitors will need much more especially if hot
Fully charged mobile phone with Race Organiser contact number
Whistle
Survival Bag ('Bag' you can climb into, not just a foil blanket)
£5 minimum cash/debit card to cover bus ticket (if needed) or refreshments from Yr Wyddfa Visitor Centre Café (if open). Card details stored on mobile phones will only work if you have battery life!
Bum-bag or race vest/bag to carry all items
Fell/Trail running shoes with adequate grip on steep rock/steep grass (road running shoes are not suitable)
NO headphones/earbuds please - NO playing music out loud from phones/devices (WFRA Race Rules)

Welsh 1000m Peaks Race - Wuffler Headwrap

You can choose to include a Ras Copaon 1000m Cymru Headwrap via your online entry. RRP of £12 – but you can opt to purchase for £5. Opting in to add this souvenir kit item keeps race entry costs as reasonable as possible for all. Choose from an original Blue design or new Blue/Green for 2026!

Collect your Headwrap at Registration and wear for the race and onward adventures. No Headwrap sales on race day, as they are produced to order, to avoid wasting resource – so order when you enter!

They come with zero packaging from a small UK based manufacturer, Wuffler. The material is imported from China (as so much material is) but Wuffler are trying hard to source and manufacture as ethically as possible.

We're always on the hunt for Wales based suppliers for race kit and prizes. We're doing pretty well...any feedback welcome.

The race finishes on the summit of Yr Wyddfa. Please note that Yr Wyddfa Visitor Centre Café is not always open. Competitors must have sufficient energy/water and the ‘Minimum Race Kit’ extra layers available at the summit, and for the descent from Yr Wyddfa. There should be no reliance on Race Marshals being able to provide food/drink/shelter by default.

Provision is made for unforeseen circumstances, and this is very limited. Competitors are not able to purchase ‘single descent’ tickets from Snowdon Mountain Railway, descent is made on foot (see Race Day for more information).

Welsh 1000m Peaks Race - Descent from Carnedd Llewellyn

Welsh 1000m Peaks Race - Recovering lost fluids

Welsh 1000m Peaks Race - Runners racing across rough terrain

Mountain Weather Forecasts

Check links here to plan for expected conditions on race day:

Adverse Weather – Long and Short Course Options

At the Race Organiser’s discretion, an Adverse Weather Course may be implemented for the Long and/or Short Course and this decision will be shared (at the very latest) at Race Registration. In this instance, the Race Organiser will aim to publish any Adverse Weather Course routes prior to the race (if possible) and at Race Registration, so routes/information can be marked on Race Maps. If weather is hazardous enough to abort exposed summit routes, then very few options are workable for this particular race. Options include ALL competitors following the Short Course or a lower alternative to the Short Course and ascent to Yr Wyddfa, if possible.

Decisions regarding Adverse Weather Courses seek to prioritise the safety and well-being of all Race Marshals and competitors, especially over high ground for long periods of time. Adverse ‘summer’ weather conditions can include extreme heat, very high winds and threat of lightning. Cancellation of a race is the last possible resort, but may be required in these contexts. Competitors will be informed at the most appropriate time to allow for the most up to date risk assessment to take place.

Awareness of Hazards and Risk

The Welsh 1000m Peaks Race Long and Short Course take place over rugged, mountainous terrain and through busy valleys. There are significant potential risks of injury or loss, which can arise from the following hazards:

Steep and rocky ground (scree slopes, cliffs, gullies, vegetated slopes) where a slip or fall could result in slight injury, serious injury or death
Weather extremes (extreme heat/sun, extreme cold, high winds, thunderstorms) leading to hypothermia, heat exhaustion or being struck by lightning
Fast traffic, where competitors are crossing busy A roads, with the potential for collision

The Race Organiser has a ‘duty of care’ to ensure that reasonably foreseeable risks are mitigated as far as possible, and commensurate with the characteristics of a fell race. Self-sufficiency and self-navigation (without the assistance of technologies such as GPS), are central to the ethos of fell running and especially fell racing. Factors including weather and terrain mean that fell racing takes place in a potentially hazardous environment.

The philosophy of fell running is that each competitor is responsible for their own safety and that they enter a race with this understanding and that they equip and conduct themselves accordingly. Visit WFRA for further information.

Race Rules

Race Organisers are required to organise their races in accordance with the WFRA’s requirements. If requirements are not met, the WFRA may withdraw insurance cover for a particular race or impose other sanctions.

As a condition for entering any WFRA race, the competitor shall:

comply with these safety rules and any additional race specific safety rules imposed by the Race Organiser (RO).
follow the procedures described by the RO if they fail to start or if they abandon the race.
obey all instructions from race officials.
be aware of the serious disabling consequences of hypothermia, dehydration and heat exhaustion and act appropriately during the race.
carry sufficient kit, e.g. full body and leg cover which gives protection from the effects of wind chill and safety equipment, (including food and drink) throughout the race to be able to navigate and provide protection from hypothermia, or dehydration and heat in the worst foreseeable weather conditions during the race, noting that rescue could take a long time.
take note of the length and severity of the race and local weather forecast for the day and judge their capabilities accordingly.
consider how any health impairments may jeopardise their safety or of others and act accordingly.
take specific note of RO’s information on the nature of the terrain on the race route, checkpoints to be visited or course to be followed and any restrictions to route choice.
have the skills, experience and equipment required to comply with the RO’s navigation and safety requirements, having assessed conditions on the day noting that the use of GPS devices for navigational purposes is prohibited.
take reasonable care not to create hazards that may cause harm to other people and support anyone in need of assistance, even if it means abandoning their race.

Further specific rules of the Welsh 1000m Peaks Race, as directed by the Race Organiser:

Any competitor seen leaving litter on the course or crossing walls/fences other than at public access crossing points will be disqualified
Any competitor knowingly entering Out of Bounds areas to gain competitive advantage will be disqualified
Any competitor found not be carrying all items listed as ‘Minimum Race Kit’ will be disqualified
Any competitor playing music/devices out loud or listening via earphones/wearables will be disqualified
If retiring from the race anywhere on the course, competitors must report to the next Race Marshal position. Contact must also be made to the Race Organiser by phone to confirm decision, and follow any instructions given by the Race Organiser
A significant financial charge will be made to any competitor who fails to hand in their Tracker to a Race Marshal/Race Organiser and departs the race in possession of it
Only official Assistance Dogs are allowed to run with competitors in agreement with the Race Organiser
Any ‘disqualifications’ will be reported to the WFRA for potential breach of competitor rules which may lead to a discipline hearing