Kettle on the boil at Nova Parkrun in Prestatyn

Report by Don Hale. Photos by Steve Jeffery
https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com

Jonathan Kettle led a team of 10 North Wales Road Runners home in the Nova Parkrun at Prestatyn, with a superb victory as part of the club championships.

Making his debut on this flat and fast course, Jonathan won his MV45 age cat and finished in 1st place overall with an excellent time of 17 minutes and 48 seconds.

He was followed by visiting MV35 athlete Ian Higgins (Telford Harriers) with a new PB of 18.19, and SM30 runner Jamie Betts (Prestatyn RC) in 18.52.

The event attracted 162 runners with seven athletes all dipping under 20 minutes.

The first female finisher was Lisa Johnson, 18th overall, and 1st SW30 in 23.33, with debutant Laurel Morgan-Hughes 39th overall in 25.42, and SW30 athlete Eiry Read claimed 2nd place in her age cat and despite a new PB in 25.49, she finished just 7 seconds adrift of her rival.

NWRRC members celebrated five debuts within their ranks at the Nova Parkrun, and recorded five first-placed age cat wins, in addition to two second places and one third.

Jonathan Kettle was the first finisher overall, with course debutant Steve Bozier 8th overall in 20.19, and Stuart Culverhouse 10th, and 1st MV50 age cat in 20.30.

Bozier later remarked: “My first Parkrun away from Conwy and I’m happy with improvements, onwards and upwards on the road to Eryri Marathon.”

Debutant Sion Thomas was 11th in 21.04, and 2nd MV40. And young Joe Culverhouse won his JM11-14 in 17th place in 23.31, with veteran Rob Fryer back to form with a good run in 38th place with a new PB of 25.29 to win his MV65 age cat.

Master vet Mark Mason also won his MV70 age cat in 52nd place on his debut in 26.42, with fellow master Mike Hayton claiming the 2nd spot in the same age cat with a fine effort in 67th place with a new PB of 28.08.

Meanwhile, Gwennan Charlton was another debutant and she finished 4th in her VW35 cat in 83rd place in 29.56, with Rachel Morris 91st, with a new course PB of 31.16 and 3rd VW40.

*These are the provisional results from the Nova Parkrun at Prestatyn, where praise was given to the run director, and to all the volunteers and marshals:
Nova: https://www.parkrun.org.uk/novaprestatyn/results/latestresults/

Other results

*Gladstone: Josh Keogh competed in the tough Gladstone 9 fell race last Sunday, which included 784m of elevation over a challenging 14k plus course. His event also recorded him tackling Tal Y Fan (610m) and Foel Lus (360m), but Josh ran well throughout and completed his run in 13th place overall in a time of 1 hour 35 minutes and 48 seconds.
*Witney: Tony Gibson enjoyed a solid performance in the Witney Parkrun last Saturday and finished 59th out of 206 entrants in 25.49, and he claimed 2nd place in his MV65-69 age cat. Afterwards he confirmed: “I’m chuffed with my placing as it was a hard tricky course on grass and dirt with undulating trails.”

Good weather, bumper turn-out and fast times at Conwy Parkrun

Report by Don Hale. Photos by Steve Jeffery

In stark contrast to previous weeks, it was bright, warm, and sunny at the September 2 Conwy Parkrun which attracted numerous visitors for a bumper turn-out on a challenging 5k course.

Promising young travelling athlete Harri Jackson (Manchester Metro University AC) stole the show with another tremendous performance as the first finisher in just 17 minutes and 12 seconds, and he also claimed the top spot in his SM20 age category.

He was closely followed by MV45 cat winner Matthew Baker, a superb new PB of 17.44, with Lewis Hall the 3rd finisher, with another PB in 19.18 and 1st SM18. The event recorded 244 finishers, with the first 9 runners all dipping under 20 minutes.

First female finisher was talented youngster Bethan Buckley (Keighley & Craven AC), who won her JW11-14 cat with a new PB in 20.51, with Jo Buckley (Bingley Harriers) next in 21.23, who was also 1st in her VW45 cat, and NWRRC veteran Carla Green claimed the 3rd female place in 22.16, and was 1st VW50.

The Road Runners only entered eight members this week due to colleagues competing at the Nova Parkrun at Prestatyn, which counted as part of the club championships, but they all performed well and celebrated three first-placed age cat victories, and two second places, on a difficult, but puddly course.

Jamie Tharme was first NWRRC runner home in 14th place overall with a new PB of 20.45 and he also won his MV45 age cat.

He was followed by Carla Green, 3rd female finisher in 27th place, and VW50 winner in 22.16, with Steve Roberts 35th and 2nd MV55 with an improved time of 23.10.

Mal Preece was 2nd in his MV60 age cat finishing in 55th place overall in 24.37, with master veteran Don Hale returning to parkrun after a month out with injury and kidney problems to win his MV70 in 110th place in 27.41.

MV65 veteran John O’Shea was 119th in 28.19. And it was good to see Gethin Wyn Jones also returning to Conwy following an absence of 12 weeks and the birth of his baby daughter, and he was pleased to finish in 129th place in 29.12.

*Praise was given to the run director Gwyn Williams and the hard-working team of volunteers and marshals. This is the link to the provisional results from Conwy: https://www.parkrun.org.uk/conwy/results/latestresults/