Diolch, Ddirprwy Lywydd. Born in 1700, Griffith Morgan, known as Guto, lived in Nyth Brân farm in Llanwonno. Guto was a remarkable runner, able to personally round up the family’s sheep and even catch birds in flight. One tale describes him running the 7 miles to Pontypridd and back home again before a kettle had boiled. In his greatest race, Guto ran 12 miles in 53 minutes, but died shortly afterwards, aged just 37.

Although he had died, his story lived on. On New Year’s Eve 1958, organised by Mountain Ash resident Bernard Baldwin, the first Nos Galan race was held to pay tribute to the legend of Guto, the highlight of which was the midnight race through the town centre. Each year, a mystery runner, a prominent figure from sport whose identity is always a closely guarded secret, leads the race, embodying the spirit of Guto in an act of pilgrimage that commences at Guto’s graveside in St Gwynno’s church.

Strong support from the community has been the foundation as the event has grown from strength to strength, with elite, amateur and children’s races all packed full of runners. The Nos Galan is now truly international, bringing close to 10,000 people into Mountain Ash each year. 2016 marks the fifty-ninth anniversary of the Nos Galan, with people from all over the world taking part and raising money for charity. Last year, competitors came from as far afield as South Africa and Texas. I will be stewarding at the Nos Galan races again this year, playing my own part in commemorating Guto Nyth Brân and celebrating his legend.