Steve Gardner and Paul Brooks strike gold at Welsh Masters Athletics

Report by Don Hale

https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com

www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk

North Wales Road Runner Steve Gardner hit the track running last Saturday and won both a gold and a silver medal during the Welsh Masters Athletics Championships, this year held at Yate, near Bristol, due to unforeseen problems at the original venue at Aberdare.

And a second talented North Wales athlete and official, Paul Brooks (Wrexham AAC), was another champion, landing three gold medals in three different field events in his master veteran age cat.

This prestigious T&F WMAL challenge event was staged in breezy, and quite showery conditions, within the Avon/Yate Open meeting whereorganisers generously included the WMAL championships, which attracted over 70 Welsh registrations.

Steve, a quality veteran athlete from NWRRC was delighted by his results in the 1500m and 800m races, which also included two new personal best times (PBs), and two excellent podium places for a gold and a silver medal.

It was his first major venture onto the track for several decades and he wanted to test his speed in the WMAL champs before competing in other top track events, including the British Masters T&F championships.

Steve won the 1500m Final A-race with a gold medal performance and a PB of 5 minutes 13.38 seconds in a mixed age final event, and he was over seven-seconds faster than the next placed athlete.

And in the 800m Final B-race, he finished 5th in another mixed age race but came 2nd in his MV60 age cat in 2 minutes 27.48 seconds, to claim a deserved silver medal.

After the races, Steve confirmed: “After 30 years away from track racing, I competed yesterday in the 1500m and 800m in breezy conditions, coming 1st and 2nd respectively in my MV60 age group.

“I was very pleased with the results. I thought about aiming for the champs a couple of months ago after some pleasing parkruns and road races.

“Unfortunately, I hadn’t been able to get any track training sessions in, so I have been doing them on the road instead, but it doesn’t seem to have been detrimental to my performances on the day.”

Steve accepted that some Welsh Masters’ athletes had to withdraw from the competition due to the change of venue, the change of date, or for other some reasons, but the standards remained very high throughout.

He modestly claimed that he had been very fortunate to have won some medals and confirmed: “I think the 800m was the better performance for me and it was closer than I expected to be, to the MV60 winner.

“I’ll probably enter Derby and will try to sharpen up a bit more for the British champs which will give me a better indication of my standing in Wales/UK is, and where athletes will most probably be at their peak.”

Paul Brooks, a well-respected North Wales Regional Athletics (NWRAC) official and experienced veteran thrower at Track & Field events was another worthy champion.

He claimed a remarkable hat-trick of gold medals in his MV75 age category at three tough and very different field events during the Welsh Masters Athletics championships at Yate on Saturday.

Many of the throwing events, like some of the track races, included competition against multiple ages and mixed entries, and were staged over a very long day of almost continual action.

In the 4kg Hammer A-Final, Paul, who represented Wrexham AAC, recorded a distance of 14.46 and claimed 1st place, and a gold medal in his MV75 age cat.

He continued his golden streak by winning the 1kg Discus competition with a throw of 21.75 in the B-Final and celebrated a hat-trick of unexpected gold medals by winning the Shot Put 4kg B-Final with a throw of 6.97.

Paul is another very talented athlete and another modest performer who tried to play down his remarkable achievement.

He explained: “It’s nice to win medals, but I couldn’t get going in the hammer, and my discus was a disaster! My shot just about rescued the day. Plus, there was a huge downpour during the discus, which stopped us for about seven minutes, so I was wet and grumpy!

“I am determined to put things right by training harder and have several more meetings to compete in before the season ends. When the going gets tough..”

*These are the provisional results from the Avon/Yate Open meeting which also included the WMAL championships: https://meets.rosterathletics.com/public/competitions/details/about?id=20558

Full marks to two top students at Conwy Parkrun dash

Report by Don Hale

Two talented students competed for honours at Conwy Parkrun last Saturday with Bryn Woodall (Colwyn Bay AC) eventually outsprinting his rival Harri Jackson (Manchester Metro University AC) to claim the first place with an incredible time of just 15 minutes and 54 seconds.

Bryn, who is on leave from his studies in America, narrowly failed to match his record on this same picturesque but challenging 5k course, but still finished over a minute clear to additionally win his SM20-24 age category.

Harri was 2nd in the same age cat as Bryn in 17.11, with veteran Bryn Carrington claiming the 3rd spot, and winning his MV40 cat in 17.33. There were 229 finishers.

For the ladies, Alison Campbell (Sheffield University Cross-Country and AC) was the first female finisher in 8th place overall in 18.36, and the winner of her SW30 cat, with Emily Hanlon the 2nd female runner in 13th place overall in 20.08, and the top SW20 cat, whilst veteran Louise Letman took the 3rd spot, but won her VW50 cat on her debut in 35th place overall in 22.36.

North Wales Road Runners entered 10 members and recorded a wide comparison of inter-club age cat wins with Kay Hatton winning her FV60 age cat in 23.11, whilst junior athlete Joe Culverhouse won his JM11-14 cat, and he finished just seven seconds adrift of Kay in 23.38.

Joe’s father, Stuart Culverhouse, was first NWRRC finisher in 16th place in 20.44, with Steve Bozier back after several weeks to finish 17th overall, and 2nd in his MV45 cat in 21.02, and Karl Morris ran well in 23.04 in 44th place.

Meanwhile, Carla Green continued her return to fitness with another promising performance as the 6th female finisher and she was 2nd in her VW50 age cat in 23.11. Kay Hatton was 52nd in 23.31 and she claimed 1st place in her FV60 cat, with Joe Culverhouse 53rd, and 1st in his JM11-14 cat in 23.38.

Veteran John O’Shea finished 3rd in his MV65 cat in 132nd place overall in 29.02, and fellow vet Rob Fryer was 147th in 30.08, with Helen Hannam 159th in 30.42 and Rachel Morris 184th in 33.40.

*Praise was given to the Conwy run director and to all the volunteers and marshals. This is the link to the latest results: https://www.parkrun.org.uk/conwy/results/latestresults/

Other results

*Ruthin: Two NWRRC members ran in the Ruthin Memorial Playing Fields Parkrun last Saturday and both performed well with Will Williams first man home overall with a new PB of 18.04, and he also won his MV50 age cat, whilst colleague Jamie Tharme finished 5th with another PB in 20.09, and was 1st MV45.

*Warrington: Steve Mason finished 9th at the Warrington Parkrun on Saturday, and he was 2nd in his MV45 age cat in 19.44.

*Llangollen: Master veteran Mike Hayton made his debut at the Old Railway Trail parkrun at Llangollen last Saturday and finished 59th overall in 28.15, and he finished 2nd MV70, but just missed out on winning his age cat by 22 seconds!