May 20, 2026 · 1 hr · 13 segments
This week we’re joined by Nat Taylor to talk about her recent experience setting the new Dragon's Back Race FKT. Nat completed the 380km route from Conwy Castle to Cardiff Castle in an incredible 75…
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So, um, tell us where the idea came from from the amazing FKT that you've just achieved, was from, and I think you'll also have to explain to people what an FKT is and, and you know, all of that good stuff.
Uh, and I've, I've spent a lot of time trying to explain this to my parents that it's not a race.
So, uh, the fastest known times, like they got quite, uh, people got quite keen on doing them like around COVID time because racing wasn't happening and things, and they've existed for a long, long time.
But essentially there's like long distance walks or any kind of route, um, uh, that is a set known route, then people can s- try and set like what's called the fastest known time.
So you just have to, uh, register your start time, uh, with a tracker or GPS or whatever, and then do that complete route and then stop your timer at the end and see, see how fast you can do it and if you can break what the previous record was.
And for me, I did the Dragon's Back route, which is, um, a race route, uh, in September.
Goes over loads of the mountains, like the Carneddau, Snowdon Range, uh, the Rhinogs, uh, Cadair Idris, a whole load around the Elan Valley that nobody knows about.
And then the Brecon Beacons, and then it goes along the, uh, into Cardiff, and it finishes at Cardiff Castle, and that's 380 kilometers, I think, uh, 16,000 meters of climbing over that time.
Uh, and, and that's like the fastest known time, uh, for the Dragon's Back race, uh, route.
And, uh, the reason that I kind of, uh, came up with it was that, um, Shane O'Leary, the guy that is like super famous and synonymous with the Dragon's Back r- really, uh, the race director, um, he set it two years ago, and one of my adventure racing buddies kind of was like, "Nah, I reckon you could do that, and I'm gonna get a van in my retirement, and I'll support you." Um-
Are you sure?" And he's like, "Yeah, definitely." And last May it didn't work 'cause I wanted to do UTS 'cause I wanted to try and qualify for UTMB-
So, um, tell us where the idea came from from the amazing FKT that you've just achieved, was from, and I think you'll also have to explain to people what an FKT is and, and you know, all of that good stuff.
Uh, and I've, I've spent a lot of time trying to explain this to my parents that it's not a race.
So, uh, the fastest known times, like they got quite, uh, people got quite keen on doing them like around COVID time because racing wasn't happening and things, and they've existed for a long, long time.
But essentially there's like long distance walks or any kind of route, um, uh, that is a set known route, then people can s- try and set like what's called the fastest known time.
So you just have to, uh, register your start time, uh, with a tracker or GPS or whatever, and then do that complete route and then stop your timer at the end and see, see how fast you can do it and if you can break what the previous record was.
And for me, I did the Dragon's Back route, which is, um, a race route, uh, in September.
Goes over loads of the mountains, like the Carneddau, Snowdon Range, uh, the Rhinogs, uh, Cadair Idris, a whole load around the Elan Valley that nobody knows about.
And then the Brecon Beacons, and then it goes along the, uh, into Cardiff, and it finishes at Cardiff Castle, and that's 380 kilometers, I think, uh, 16,000 meters of climbing over that time.
Uh, and, and that's like the fastest known time, uh, for the Dragon's Back race, uh, route.
And, uh, the reason that I kind of, uh, came up with it was that, um, Shane O'Leary, the guy that is like super famous and synonymous with the Dragon's Back r- really, uh, the race director, um, he set it two years ago, and one of my adventure racing buddies kind of was like, "Nah, I reckon you could do that, and I'm gonna get a van in my retirement, and I'll support you." Um-
Are you sure?" And he's like, "Yeah, definitely." And last May it didn't work 'cause I wanted to do UTS 'cause I wanted to try and qualify for UTMB-
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