Quality field battled for honours at Llandudno’s 5k Easter Prom Dash

Report by Don Hale. Photos by Kevin Slattery

The annual Easter 5k Dash on Llandudno promenade attracted a massive quality field of top club and social runners with many raising thousands of pounds for local charities.

Blessed by bright, warm sunshine, several hundred athletes created a fast and furious encounter watched by huge crowds of supporters and tourists on the prom, who generated a tremendous and unique atmosphere from start to finish.

Dion Griffith (Menai T&F) was the eventual winner of this popular race, but it was a battle to the finish with several keen rivals, who made him fight all the way for honours. Dion eventually took the plaudits and won his senior men age cat with an incredible chip time of just 15 minutes and 46 seconds.

He was closely followed by talented youngster Noah Vaughan (Eryri Harriers), who won his junior men’s cat in 15.53, just one second ahead of Tomos Land (GOG Triathlon) in 15.54, who won his own senior male age cat title.

Gemma Moore (Eryri Harriers) was the 1st female athlete home finishing in 25th place overall in 18.50 and she also won her F35 age cat.

Olivia Ashton competed with Gemma all the way and finished just four seconds adrift, but won her senior female cat, with Amy McKechnie the 3rd female finisher in 19.42, and the 1st F40 age cat winner.

The Llandudno Prom Dash recorded a mixed variety of entrants ranging from teenagers to athletes in their late 80s, including an amazing husband and wife veteran duo Roger Harrison-Jones (Prestatyn RC), and wife Valerie, who both won their respective MV85 and FV80 age categories in excellent times. And prior to the main race, there was also a popular children’s event.

Roger finished the 5k in 304th place in 30.05, whilst Valerie ran home in 44.27, and Roger’s Prestatyn team mates also collected prestigious honours in several other master veteran age cats with George Nixon winning his MV70 cat in 93rd place in 24.03, and Gareth Hughes topped his MV75 cat in 123rd position in 25.38.

North Wales Road Runners celebrated success with a huge turn-out of some 24 athletes who collected eleven podium places, including four age category victories.

Martin Green was the pick of the team finishing 6th, and winning his MV45 cat in 16.26, with newcomer Alastair Canaway running well in 12th place in 17.01, and Will Williams recovered from injury to finish 14th and 1st MV50 in 18.10.

Steve Gardner retained his top form and claimed 1st place in his MV60 age cat finishing 20th in 18.42, with Iwan Evans 24th overall, and 3rd MV45 cat in 18.50, and Harry Driscoll was 29th in 19.06. In addition, Mal Preece was 47th in 20.42, and Jamie Tharme 50th in 20.49.

Steve Poupart finished 54th in 21.06, Steve Roberts was 76th in 22.38, whilst three top female club veterans battled it out for glory with Kay Hatton 81st overall, and 2nd FV60 in 23.12, Nicola Wylie 83rd and 1st F55 in 23.22 and Cheryl Frost 85th in 23.42, and 2nd in the same age cat.

Tony Gibson had a good run in his new MV65 cat finishing 98th in 24.23, with Hannah Griffith 115th in 25.13.

Master veteran Mark Mason was 124th, and 2nd MV70 cat in 25.40, just ahead despite his chip time from Rob Fryer 125th in 25.35, and Karen Butler was 126th in 25.48 and 3rd FV60, with veteran Len Jackson 128th in 25.54.

Helen Hannam benefitted from her recent marathon training to finish well in 141st place in 26.21, and she claimed 3rd FV45, master vet Mike Hayton finished 152nd and 3rd MV70 in 26.58, with fellow master vet Don Hale running his first race in over seven months finishing in 168th place in 27.54.

Meanwhile, teenager Mia Morris made a positive return to racing with a solid run, finishing 208th in 30.29, and her mum, Rachel Morris, had a steady run in 217th place in 31.24.

*These are the provisional results from the Llandudno Prom Easter 5k Dash:
https://results.sporthive.com/events/7046520953166821888/races/1

Bumper entry at Conwy’s Easter Parkrun

Report by Don Hale. Photos by Steve Jeffery

Conwy Parkrun had a bumper number of entrants again for their annual Easter Saturday event with 342 mixed ability athletes tackling the challenging 5k course.

The first three male finishers were all tourists, with both Hamish Fletcher-Cooney, the first man home, and Gordon Stanford, the second placed finisher, both making their debuts at Conwy, whilst in third, Conor Donaghy (Sale Harriers) claimed a new course PB.

Hamish was the 1st SM30 cat winner in 17 minutes and 29 seconds, with Gordon finishing in 17.56, and winning his MV35 cat in 17.56, and Conor was 2nd in the same age cat as Gordon in 18.01.

Emily Hanlon was the 1st female runner in 15th place overall in 20.30, and won her SW20 cat in 20.30, with debutants, Alison Soye 35th overall, and won her SW30 cat, in 22.14, whilst teenager Freya Evans was the 3rd female in 39th place overall in 22.27, 1st SW18.

North Wales Road Runners had only two entrants due to the fixture clash with the Prom Dash and Tony Price-Jones was the first club man home 81st place in 25.11, and John O’Shea finished in 143rd place in 28.11, and 3rd MV65.

*Praise was given again to the Conwy run director, and to all the volunteers and marshals, who made the parkrun event such a success. *This is the link to the provisional results:
https://www.parkrun.org.uk/conwy/results/latestresults/