Road Runner Llyr dips under chequered flag to win Mallory Park Duathlon

Report by Don Hale

https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com

Llyr ApGeraint-Roberts just managed to dip under the chequered flag at the Mallory Park race circuit last Sunday to win the ATW Duathlon event with another stunning performance.

And he finished just six-seconds ahead of his nearest rival, Stephen Ball.

North Wales Road Runner Llyr celebrated a great couple of runs and a bike ride, and apart from winning the overall event, he also claimed 1st place in his MV50-54 age cat in a total time of 1 hour 4 minutes and 9 seconds.

He recorded a split time of 18.40 in his first 5k race, following by a bike ride of about 18k in 34.51, and then completed another short road dash of about 3k in 9.52. Stephen Ball finished in 1.04.25, with Mike Wheeler (Coventry Triathlon) 3rd in 1.05.19.

Fast and furious for elite NW athletes at Mid-Cheshire International 5k challenge

Report by Don Hale

It was another fast and furious encounter at last Friday night’s Mid-Cheshire Summer 5k Dash with the first 43 runners all dipping under 15-minutes, and just five seconds separating the top three male finishers.

This very popular event, staged on an established ultra-quick course, included an exciting international match between Welsh Masters and England Masters, with two North Wales Road Runners in Martin Green and Kay Hatton selected to proudly wear the red vests of Wales.

The overall race was won by James West (Tonbridge AC) in a very speedy 14 minutes and 3 seconds, with Jonathan Cornish (Hercules Wimbledon AC), 2nd in 14.06, and Carl Avery (Morpeth Harriers), 3rd in 14.07.

The first female athlete was Samantha Harrison (Charnwood AC), who is also understood to have broken the course record with a very fast time of 15.11.

NWRRC had eight members within the bumper 891 entrants and included mainly elite or top-club runners.

Martin Green led the club team home and enjoyed another excellent run in 180th place overall in just 16 minutes and 6 seconds, and he finished as the 5th international runner in his MV45 age cat.

Jonathan Kettle put a difficult couple of weeks behind him to finish 270th and recorded his second-best 5k time ever of 16.45, with Will Williams going from strength to strength and celebrated a 22-second PB of 17.12 in 337th place. Richard Eccles had another fine run finishing 489th in 18.30, and young Harry Driscoll was 585th with an impressive time of 19.29.

Jamie Tharme was 756th in 20.01, and two of the club’s talented veteran ladies, Kay Hatton and Cheryl Frost, were on top form again with Kay claiming 768th place overall, and she was the 5th FV60 age cat runner in 22.40, with Cheryl 773rd, and the 19th FV55 cat in 22.54.

After the race, Jonathan Kettle said: “I went out after work and ran my second fastest ever 5km in a time of 16.45. I always feel so fortunate to have a body which has the ability to let me hurt it by running.

“With everything that’s been going on for the past two weeks and no speed training for months, I was happy with this run.”

Will Williams explained: “I didn’t think I was going to run this race, even in the warm-up. My hip and groin were painful and tight, but I gave it a go anyway. So super-chuffed to get a twenty-second PB. I now know that when fully fit a sub-17-minute is on.”

Richard Eccles added: “Not a bad outing! A busy field and lots of NWRRC runners. No Welsh Masters selection again, but that made me chase down those V55 vests and finish 3rd in the Welsh Masters group.”

And Kay Hatton commented: “It was a very high-quality field, and I was thrilled to get 22.40. I ran for Welsh Masters – and finished 7th out of 9 in the International FV55-64 age group – and just realised I was the 4th counter for Wales!”

*This is the link to the provisional results from the Mid-Cheshire 5k from 25/8/23:
https://runcheshire.niftyentries.com/Results/Mid-Cheshire-5k-Summer-2023?ResultSetupId=962b05d2-0641-4312-a14e-8e0739459d80

NWRRC trio tackle tough Ras Y Mynydd midweek race

Report by Don Hale

Three Road Runners took part in the rather challenging Ras Y Mynydd multi-terrain fun-run last Wednesday night amidst a generous entry of some seventy-two hardy athletes.

Cai Roberts was the first club athlete home of the trio in 53rd place in 44 minutes 31 seconds and the race was competed over an undulating, yet picturesque 4.6-mile (7.3km) course, with Cai’s partner Kelly Marie Alford very close behind in 56th place in 45.07, and Vicky Taylor finishing in 53.54.

This race was perhaps a tough task for the NWRRC team and within a couple of days of them tackling the Caernarfon 10k last Sunday, where Kelly admitted to fatigue, but nevertheless, they all performed well and seemed to enjoy the run despite the course, and it meant a return to her home patch for Kelly Marie who spent 22 years living in the village.

Local club Eryri Harriers enjoyed a bumper entry with the club winning both the male and female top places. Math Roberts finished 1st in 28.04, and club colleague Suzie Richards was 12th overall, and the 1st female athlete in 34.06. John Higgs was the 2nd male runner, with Ian Edwards (Eryri Harriers) 3rd in 29.38.

Course and car park swamped by downpour at soggy Conwy Parkrun

Report by Don Hale

More than 300 entrants took part in a very soggy Bank Holiday parkrun at Conwy last Saturday which attracted numerous visiting club and social runners.

On a challenging 5k course that more resembled a cross between a lake and a swamp following a heavy overnight and early morning downpour, participants even had to negotiate a flooded car park before starting their run.

Despite numerous weather-related problems, the first two finishers were still able to splash their way around this riverside route, with both recording extremely fast times, including Adam Jones who claimed 1st place in only 17 minutes and 17 seconds to win his SM25-29 age cat.

He was closely followed by rival Hamish Morton (Cambridge & Coleridge AC) in 17.30, who was 2nd in the same age cat as Adam, and Alex Wright on his debut, settled for 3rd place in 18.27, and he won his SM20-24 cat.

Visiting athlete Jo Buckley (Bingley Harriers) was the 1st female finisher, and in 14th place overall, in 20.19, and she additionally won her FV45 age cat.

Seline Ismail-Sutton took the 2nd spot on her debut in 20.53, and won her SW25-29 cat in 20.53, with junior runner Bethan Buckley (Keighley & Craven AC), finishing 3rd in 21.06, and the winner of her JW11-14 age cat.

North Wales Road Runners could only enter six members due to prior commitments including the Friday night Mid-Cheshire 5k Dash, or alternative events, but it was good to see Carla Green heading back to form to win her VW50-54 age cat in 30th place in 22.17.

Nia Lister continued her rapid improvement and claimed a new PB of 28.19 to finish 3rd in her VW35.39 age cat, with Richard Scamans coming home in 156th place in 29.21.

Meanwhile, Gwennan Charlton was 183rd in 30.29, whilst Rachel Morris celebrated her second-best run of the year in 190th place in 30.44, with Steve Mason tail-walking the course in 300th place in 59.47.

Other results:
*Chiltern Hills: Stuart Culverhouse celebrated a new PB of 21.17 and he finished 4th in the Wendover Woods Parkrun last Saturday, near the Chiltern Hills, and he also won his MV50-54 age cat.

*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/