Once again, horses prove faster than men

LLANWRTYD WELLS, Wales, June 12 (UPI) -- As has happened almost every year since 1980, a horse won the annual Man vs. Horse race Saturday in Wales.

Sly Dai covered 22 miles of mixed terrain on the edge of the Brecon Beacons in 2 hours and 7 minutes, The Daily Telegraph reported. The fastest human in the race was 10 minutes slower.

"It's great to have won," said Llinos Jones, who rode her own horse past the finish line. "I'm a local girl and I've been coming to see the race since I was a little girl but this was the first time I've competed so I'm really happy."

This year's field was a large one with 283 humans, 60 relay teams with three runners each and 44 horses.

The race began in 1980 to settle an argument in the local pub about whether a man or horse would do better over a long distance.

Race organizers say the humans have been doing better. The first horse won with 30 minutes to spare, a lead time that has been cut to a few seconds in some races.

In 2004, Huw Lobb, a champion marathoner, became the first man to beat the horses, a feat that has been matched once since.