Ieuan
Don’t worry, I get it all the time, my name is pronounced “Yay-an.”
I’m a mountain runner, guide, endurance coach and a bit of a geek, with a background in engineering and a lifetime of kayaking and adventuring. Before making the switch to coaching and guiding, I spent ten years working as a mechanical design engineer, and much of my life either kayaking, multiday hiking or exploring interesting and remote places.
King of the Alps, Italy, 2018
I’ve always been drawn to the mountains, but never envisaged this is where I would forge a future. It has been a gradual transition where I kept making moves in the direction where I wanted to go. I went for my Mountain Leader qualification in December 2021 and entered the freelancing world the next season. I picked up the UESCA Ultra Running certification too, initially to support with my own running and that grew into helping others. I now work in the mountains doing my best to help others be outside and sharing the knowledge I’ve built along the way to help them in their future endeavours.
Sunset on Foel Fras at the end of a Welsh 3000s
On the running side, I knew I had this potential to have my version of a perfect performance. I experienced glimpses of it, where everything went flawlessly, but it was sporadic and unreliable. I set out to figure out what it took to reach that state consistently. I absorbed everything; books, podcasts, endless articles alongside the UESCA cert. It all helped form pieces of the puzzle, but it was incomplete.
The Dragon’s Back finish line in Cardiff, 2025
The thing that helped most was experimenting during races and challenges. This came with so many DNFs and fails. Each time I learned something useful which I implemented into the next experiment. Eventually experimenting turned into confirmation. This led to some moments I’m proud of; The Dragon’s Back Race (4th overall), The Cape Wrath Ultra, The Mountain Goat Circuit FKT (winter), and a solo, unsupported Paddy Buckley Round.
I believe with the right knowledge, we all can do some amazing things. I’m driven to share it.
Standing on The Dragon’s Back podium 2025
Achievements
2025
The Dragons Back Race, 380km, 16500m, 3rd male, 4th overall
5km Personal Best, 16m52s
GL3D, The Fellrunner Course, 2nd
The Goat Circuit (Winter, solo and unsupported) 7h45m - New Fastest Known Time
2024
The Goat Circuit (Winter, solo and unsupported) 8h45m
The Paddy Buckley Round (Solo and unsupported), 105km, 8500m, 24h30m
Pedol Peris fell race, 3h55m - I’ve been chasing sub 4 hours for years
Switzerland’s Ultraks Sky Race - hampered by food poisoning, 50th out of 776 runners
Welsh 1000m Peaks Race, 32km, 2700m, 5th
2023
Welsh 3000s Route (solo and unsupported) - 6h45m, things clicked, it was eye opening
Paddy Buckley Round (Solo and unsupported) - DNF to help someone in need of a rescue
The Dragons Back Race - DNF day 3, heat exhaustion
Foel Fras Fell Race, 2nd
Cape Wrath Ultra, 400km, 11,000m
2022
Trofeo Vanoni Mountain Relays on behalf of Eryri Harriers
Paddy Buckley Round (Solo and unsupported) - DNF, muscle niggle
Pen Dinas Fell Race, 3rd
2021
Four Fans Fell Race, 3rd
Snowdon Sky Race, 8th
Paddy Buckley Round (Solo and unsupported) - DNF, niggle
The Dragons Back Race - DNF, heat exhaustion
Paddy Buckley Round (Winter, solo and unsupported) - DNF, fuelling problem
2020
Siabod Fell Race, 2nd
2019
Two Hill Forts fell race, 5th
Petzl Night Race, 3rd
On the Carneddau during my Solo and Unsupported Paddy Buckley Round 2024