MORE than 50 runners headed to the hills for the Cat's Back Fell run on the new 11.7km course on Sunday.

The race tackled one of the classic ridges of the Black Mountains, starting in the Monnow Valley from Mountain Mayhem’s base at Tybubach in Craswall.

Although conditions were relatively dry under foot, the patchy hill fog and tough climbs made it a challenging route, while cows were an additional challenge for a couple of runners.

Jonathon Ford of Black Mountains fell club Mynydd Du was fastest, setting the inaugural course record of 49 minutes 19 seconds, followed by club mate Wyndham Turner in 50.59.

Fellow MD members Tom Mollekin and Brett Mahoney were third and fourth respectively, in 53.51 and 55.30, followed by Jonah Byrne in 56.13.

Dan Hooper of Sarn Helen took the men's over-50s title in sixth overall in 56.27, with MD trio Joe Rumer (56.48), Wes Sheldon (also 56.48 and over-40 winner) and Matthew Farrer (58.04) next home.

Talf Carter of Hereford Couriers was first U23 man in 59.56, and it was a family affair as Martin Carter took the over-60s class just four seconds behind in an hour dead, just over a minute up on nearest age-group rival Marc Whiting from Weston AC.

Fastest woman and inaugural record holder was Briony Latter of Beacons fell club Mynyddwyr De Cymru in 23rd with 1.01.35.

Emily Browne of Cardiff Runners was second female in 1.05.57 followed by Kath Hardwick of Croft Ambrey AC who took the over-40 women's class in 1.12.24.

The latter's clubmate Flora Gunner - a regular in the local hills – was fastest over-60 woman in 1.15.48, ahead of over 50s winner Bryony Dean of Hereford Couriers (1.19.55).

Croft's Gary Gunner also took the over-70s class in 1.28.40.