Victory for Steve Mason in North Wales Road Runners Christmas handicap race

Report by Don Hale

Steve Mason deservedly won North Wales Road Runners Club’s Christmas handicap race last weekend despite having an 11-minute time delay.

Newcomer Steve soon overcame his personal race time penalty to become both the first finisher, and the fastest runner on the day, among a talented field of 22 club rivals, with the first 10 runners all dipping under 30 minutes.

Several other club members were absent due to injury, illness, prior commitments, or holiday dates, but it was still a very good turnout on a bright sunny, yet bitterly cold and windy Sunday morning, with athletes following a hilly course from West Shore to the WW2 gun site on the Great Orme and back, which covered a total distance of about 6.31k or four hard miles.

The fastest runners with corrected times included: 1st Steve Mason 25.06, 2nd Iwan Evans 26.26, and 3rd Stuart Culverhouse 26.58. The fastest female runner was Kay Hatton in 30.10, with Hannah Griffith 2nd in 31.30.

The overall results included an individual time penalty based on standards, which was reflected by staggered starts, and showed a finish time and position, plus a corrected or actual time placing.

Steve Mason was 1st overall in 36 minutes and 6 seconds (1st 25.06), with Steve Poupart 2nd in 38.05 (7th 27.44), and Sean Butler 3rd in 38.15 (5th 27.28).

The first female finisher was Rachel Morris 38.50 (20th 38.50), with her teenage daughter Mia Morris 2nd female and 9th in 39.35 (16th 33.48), and Kay Hatton was the 3rd female runner and 11th overall in 39.53 (11th in 30.10).

The other results included: Karl Morris 4th in 38.29 (4th 26.59), Kevin Slattery 6th in 38.55 (6th 27.34), Jamie Tharme 7th in 39.30 (8th 28.12), Stuart Culverhouse 8th in 39.33 (3rd 26.58), Iwan Evans 10th in 39.47 (2nd 26.26), Daniel Owens with his guide Tony Price Jones finished 12th in 40.20 (12th 31.01), Steve Roberts 13th in 40.26 (9th 28.59), Richard Scamans 14th in 40.27 (10th 29.26), Kevin Higgins 15th in 40.29 (14th 31.49), Hannah Griffith 16th in 40.43 (13th 31.30), Sue Smith 17th in 41.15 (19th 38.06), Mike Smith 18th in 42.05 (21st 41.27), Helen Hannam 19th in 42.16 (16th in 33.44), Don Hale 20th in 42.19 (15th 33.16), Rob Fryer 21st in 43.15 (17th 34.03), and Mike Hayton 22nd in 44.10 (18th 38.00).

*Following the race, club members gathered for their annual Christmas buffet at the ROAB club in Llandudno.

Plaudits were given to timekeepers Carla and Martin Green and supporters, in addition to John Hatton, and refreshments organiser Kevin Higgins and his team.