Nos Galan road race

Nos Galan road race
Guto Nyth Bran statue, Oxford Street, Mountain Ash

Nos Galan (Welsh: Rasys Enwog Nos Galan), is an annual 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) running road race, run on New Years Eve in Mountain Ash, in the Cynon Valley of South Wales.

Contents

History

Nos Galan 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 Years Eve celebrations,[1] the races were halted in 1973 due to concerns expressed by the Glamorgan Police regarding the undue delay to traffic.[1] Nos Galan 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]

Nos Galan 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]

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 Bran in Llanwynno graveyard. After lighting a torch, it is carried to the nearby town of Mountain Ash, where the main race takes place. The race consists of a double-circuit 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.

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.[3]

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][4]

References

Photographs of this years race, http://www.mountainashstudio.co.uk/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.ShowItem&g2_itemId=104142

External links

http://www.mountainashstudio.co.uk/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.ShowItem&g2_itemId=104142


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно решить контрольную?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Saint Silvester Road Race — This article is about the race in São Paulo, Brazil. For the race held in Madrid, Spain on December 31, see San Silvestre Vallecana. The Saint Silvester Road Race (official name in Portuguese: Corrida Internacional de São Silvestre) is a long… …   Wikipedia

  • New Year's Eve — For other calendars, see New Year. For other articles with similar names, see New Year (disambiguation). New Year s Eve Also called Hogmanay (Scotland), Calennig (Wales), Silvester (Austria, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary,… …   Wikipedia

  • Christmas and holiday season — Christmas season redirects here. For other uses, see Christmas season (disambiguation). Christmas and holiday season Christmas tree in Japan Also called Christmas season …   Wikipedia

  • New Year's Eve at Underground — The peach waits for the New Year celebrations to begin at Underground Atlanta. The Peach Drop is the name of the annual celebration on New Year s Eve held at historic Underground Atlanta in Atlanta, Georgia. The entire event is similar in style… …   Wikipedia

  • Red Bull New Year No Limits — New Year No Limits is an annual American television special that airs on ESPN since 2007 during the New Year s Eve period (December 31, 2007/January 1, 2008 2009,2010). It was created, hosted and sponsored by Red Bull. The program usually airs… …   Wikipedia

  • Vienna New Year's Concert — The New Year s Concert of the Vienna Philharmonic (German: Das Neujahrskonzert der Wiener Philharmoniker) is a concert of classical music that takes place each year in the morning of January 1 in Vienna, Austria. It is broadcast around the world… …   Wikipedia

  • Auld Lang Syne — For other uses, see Auld Lang Syne (disambiguation). Auld Lang Syne (Scots pronunciation: [ˈɔːld lɑŋˈsəin]: note s rather than z )[1] is a Scots poem written by Robert Burns in 1788[2][3] and set to the tune of a traditional folk song (Roud… …   Wikipedia

  • Mummers Parade — A group of comic mummers in the 2005 parade The Mummers Parade is held each New Year s Day in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Local clubs (usually called New Years Associations ) compete in one of four categories (Comics, Fancies, String Bands, and… …   Wikipedia

  • Only an Excuse? — Genre Sketch Created by Phil Differ Starring Jonathan Watson Tony Roper (1993 94) Alistair McGowan (1996 98) Greg Hemphill (1995) Lewis MacLeod (1995) Gordon Kennedy (1996) Grant Smeaton (1997 ) Paul Reid (2000 01) …   Wikipedia

  • NHL Winter Classic — The NHL Winter Classic is an annual event held by the National Hockey League (NHL) on New Year s Day where regular season games are played outdoors, in areas hosted by NHL teams. Though largely derived from the Heritage Classic outdoor game held… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”