A 68-year-old has died while taking part in a special forces-style endurance event on South Wales’ highest peak, Pen y Fan, according to police.
Emergency services were called to Pen y Fan in the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park on Saturday, the BBC reports.
The man was taking part in the 24 km Fan Dance event when concerns were raised about his welfare, the Dyfed-Powys Police Department told People in a statement.
“Officers attended alongside Mountain Rescue and the Ambulance Service. Sadly, the 68-year-old man passed away. His next of kin are aware and his death is not being treated as suspicious,” police said.
Global News has reached out to the Dyfed-Powys Police Department for further comment, but has not received a response.
The race organizer, Avalanche Endurance Events (AEE), describes the Fan Dance event as a “gruelling 24km SAS Selection test march” that is “used as the first major indicator of whether a candidate has the physical and mental aptitude to complete the legendary Selection course.”
In a statement on Facebook, AEE’s March Director Ken Jones wrote, “This message is to share news that AEE experienced a fatality during the Fan Dance Race Series event on Saturday 4th July 2026.”
“At this immediate time our focus and thoughts are with the family, therefore, AEE, nor I as the March Director will issue any further press release until the family is in possession of the full timeline of events and approve any further messaging. Our team is working on this at the time of posting,” Jones added.
“I wish to express my thanks to the Air Ambulance Service, Brecon Mountain Rescue Team, and AEE’s Mountain Safety Team for their swift response and professionalism. Also, our thanks to the event patrons whose professional skills and response helped us to manage this challenging significant event,” the post concluded.
The AEE said that the Fan Dance event has “historically been an integral part of the British SAS Selection course which was first introduced as an essential test in the decade following the Second World War,” according to the website.
“The Fan Dance Race Selection Series UK was originally established by the AEE as a training exercise and test for clients wishing to gain entry into elite branches of the British military system, namely Paratroopers, Royal Marines Commandos and SAS & SBS reserve units,” the AEE wrote.
The AEE original Fan Dance U.K. takes place biannually with a summer and winter edition in January and July, according to the website.
Based on reporting by Global News.