For the first time since 2019, hundreds of runners descended on St Davids as the Ras Dewi Sant race returned to the city.
 
After the coastal races were scuppered first by adverse weather and then the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, restrictions weren't lifted in time for 12 months later, before a scaled-down event was held in September.
 
However, this represented a welcome return to the traditional slot of St David's Day weekend, with the Ultra runners starting at 7am, and the full marathon entrants getting underway an hour later.
 

Fraser and Eleri take the 10K honours

 
At 9am the 10k and half-marathon runners headed out towards Whitesands Beach before going their separate ways, and it was Fraser Watson who was first home in the shorter event in 41:08.
 
Tom Sinton was second in 43:29, and Ben Lindsay just 10 seconds behind in third.
 
Eleri Rivers was the first female back in 52:10, some 56 seconds ahead of second-placed Francesa Cooper, who beat Victoria Withers by a whisker to the line.

Tremlett family one-two in half marathon

 
In the half-marathon Jack Tremlett, of Carmarthen Harriers, clocked an impressive 1:38:28 to win from Will Kernick (1:40:45). Local runner Steve Williams was just 47 seconds further back third.
 
Elizabeth Tremlett made it a family one-two by winning the female race in 1:52:18 from Beth Lance (2:02:08) and Catherine Marks (2:02:59).
 

James and Frankee lead the way in brutal marathon

 
In the marathon, it was Worcester-based James Davies who overcame a brutal route to win in 4:03:25, but there was little chance for him to coast up the Cathedral steps by the finish line with Haverfordwest's Sean Rice pushing him to cross just 25 seconds later.
 
Wayne Davies was nine minutes further back in third.
 
Frankee Auditano prevailed in the female race in 4:40:00, some 20 minutes ahead of Lottie Vaughan. Jane Rees was third.
 
Last in were the three Ultra's, who had begun their event in Fishguard and battled 40 arduous miles of the Pembrokeshire coastal path.


 

John heads a small Ultra field

 
John Keat won the event having taken eight and a quarter hours, coming in 65 minutes ahead of the now famous Lenny Hughes, who continues to commit to the event every year despite being in his 60s. Karen Warlow clocked an impressive 30 miles, before fading light scuppered her chances of making the cut off time to finish.




 

Fintan is relieved – and delighted

 
Afterwards, main organiser Fintan Godkin, of MUUK-Adventures, admitted his relief at being able to return the event to some kind of normality.
 
"It was just nice to get it done. When I was looking through the bookings some people had paid up back in 2019," he told Pembrokeshire Sport.
 
"So, it's been a long time coming and today was just about getting things up and running again. Unfortunately, we did have a few drop out in the past 48 hours because of Covid but a big thankyou to everyone who came down to do it - some people have been so patient."
 
And after the recent chaos caused by Storm Eunice, Godkin was also pleased runners could be blessed with calmer conditions.
 
"There was a cool wind but it was mostly at the backs of people, especially for the marathon runners on their route."