Special Agent Races to Success on Gruelling Course used by the SAS

June 13, 2016

An estate agency worker has achieved a huge triumph by finishing first in a gruelling 24 km race in the Brecon Beacons.

Mother of three, Louise Wood, who works for Gibbs Gillespie in Gerrards Cross, came first in the female section of the Fan Dance run which features running up and down the Pen Y Fan, the highest mountain in the Beacons.

The course, which takes in cobbled tracks, steep climbs and no paved areas, is part of the SAS and other special military forces’ training and endurance runs.

Louise, was among 400 others who took part on Saturday 4 June, and described her victory in the Clean Fatigue as ‘unexpected’ and left her feeling ‘euphoric’.

Louise who works in the company’s Land and New Homes Department said: “When you hear the name Fan Dance it sounds a bit of easy fun but it’s far from it. The SAS use it in their training exercises and it is renowned among endurance runners for being really tough.

“I love running and trained for six months for this and just gave it a real go. When I reached the half way point and a guy told me I was the first woman past I couldn’t believe it.

“It spurred me on and I kept going by just thinking how proud my three boys would feel about their mum. When I reached the finished line I was emotional but really chuffed to have not only completed the course but to have won my category.”

Louise, who lives in Bourne End, Hertfordshire and has worked for Gibbs Gillespie for 16 years, was the seventh person to cross the line and at one point had to clamber up the steepest section on all fours to get to the top.

The Clean Fatigue category is for people taking part without any additional extra weight such as rucksacks.

Louise added: “It was a really memorable experience for me especially getting to the top of Pen Y Fan and literally running in the clouds.”

Alex Evans

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