8th June 2024
For decades, Whole Earth have been making utterly delicious, wholesome food that’s good for you and good for the earth. We bring delicious food to the masses – everything from famously good peanut butter to the UK’s first organic cornflakes. Our aim is simple: to make healthy, natural and delicious food, whilst doing our bit to make the earth whole again.
By sponsoring events like Man V Horse, a race that now has legendary status amongst nutty endurance runners, Whole Earth aligns itself with the pursuit of physical fitness, outdoor adventure, and a deep appreciation for the natural world.
For more information follow us on social – @wholeearthfoods
Where it all began...
The event began in June 1980 following a chat over a pint (or three) in the back bar of the Neuadd Arms Hotel. The then Landlord, Gordon Green, overheard two men discussing the relative merits of men and horses running over mountainous terrain. The enterprising Gordon, never one to miss an opportunity to promote Llanwrtyd Wells and improve business at his hotel, decided to put it to the test. And so began Green Events and its first, longest standing and now internationally acclaimed event, Man v Horse.
The course was changed in 1982 to provide a more even match between the man and the horse, resulting year on year in very close finishes - sometimes with the horse winning by only a few seconds. It took 25 years before a runner finally beat all the horses - in 2004 Huw Lobb won in 2hrs and 5mins, beating the fastest horse by 2 minutes. His feat was repeated 3 years later by Florien Holtinger, again in 2022 by Ricky Lightfoot very swiftly followed by Daniel Connolly in 2023. Could you be the next?
2014 saw the introduction of electronic timing, with each competitor wearing a tag which automatically recorded their times. This has improved on the timeliness and accuracy of the results published, which can be found on the Results Base website.
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The escalating jackpot for a runner who beats the first horse and rider, which starts at £500 and increases by £500 each year the event takes place until it is won, stands at £500 for 2024. The first jackpot received by Huw Lobb in 2004 had reached £25,000!
Daniel Connolly the winner of 2024 Whole Earth Man-V-Horse finishing in a time of 2 hrs 24 mins 38 seconds.
Green Events would like to thank the National Buying Consortium for providing the bottled water for this event.
