Wet and windy at Caernarfon for half marathon championships

There was a good entry of more than 600 elite, club and social runners at the Caernarfon Half Marathon last Sunday, which was staged in unusually wet and windy weather but saw the top male and female athletes retain their titles.

This event was also part of the North Wales Regional Half-Marathon Championships, and it also attracted many top athletes from all around the UK, and it was well organised by RunWales.

Tomos Roberts (Meirionnydd RC) was the overall winner in 1 hour 11 minutes and 26 seconds, with Chris Pownall (Cybi Striders) second in 1.15.42, and Steffan Sayer (Menai T&F), third in 1.15.45. The first female finisher was Emma Alofs (Cybi Striders) in 1.27.49, and Eleanor Ashcroft (Denbigh Harriers), was runner-up in 1.31.11, whilst Sian Wild (Felinheli), claimed third place in 1.32.48.

Many local clubs were well represented including North Wales Road Runners (NWRRC) and Porth Eirias Runners, amongst many others.

The NWRRC team entered 11 members and collected an array of varied championship medals. Stuart Culverhouse finished 35th in 1.33.27, and Carla Green was the fourth female finisher (43rd overall) in 1.35.40 and she also won her F50 age cat. Daniel Hennell 90th in 1.42.22; Steve Roberts 113th in 1.45.56; Kay Hatton 116th, and she was the 1st F50 cat in 1.46.34; Cheryl Frost also won her F55 age cat in 1.55.44 in 217th place; Nia Lister 321st in 2.05.20; Hannah Griffith 356th in 2.08.53; Gwen Charlton 432nd in 2.17.42, and Dougie Graham 559th in 2.33.53.

In the NW Regional Championships NWRRC claimed six prestigious medals with three gold, one silver and two bronze. They included: GOLD: F50 Carla Green, F55 Cheryl Frost, and F60 Kay Hatton. SILVER: M50 Stuart Culverhouse. BRONZE: M45 Daniel Hennell, and F50 Hannah Griffith.

Paul Brooks from the North Wales Regional Council also confirmed: “Congratulations to Tom Roberts (Meirionnydd) and Emma Kathleen Alofs (Cybi Striders), who both retained their Regional half marathon titles by winning today’s Caernarfon half marathon. Their times were 1:11:26 and 1:27:49, respectively.

The provisional championship results are available by clicking the link on the N.W.R.A.C Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/755410871224908

Other runners on tour

*Newcastle: Three members of NWRRC took part in the Great North Run last Sunday along with 60,000 plus entrants including Will Evans, who enjoyed a good result finishing in 1 hour 32 minutes and 16 seconds, alongside his daughter Molly, plus experienced club marathon runner Jon Evans, who ran well for Penlan School in 1.53.50.
*Bury: Kevin Higgins (NWRRC) competed in the Bury 10k last Sunday and he ran well, and afterwards, he confirmed: “A good race, a bit undulating but very enjoyable a few thousand people in it happy with my 57 minutes 40 seconds.”

Tail end visitors boosted the numbers at North Wales parkruns

Report by Don Hale

At the tail end of the holiday season, and with the weather still reasonable, most North Wales parkruns still recorded bumper attendances boosted by a host of visiting athletes.

At the Newborough Forest parkrun, seven out of the first ten finishers were all visitors from varied parts of the country, and they also recorded some excellent times.

The same applied to nearby Nant y Pandy, with six out of the first ten finishers making their course debuts, and many other events also reported increased number from travelling runners.

It was good to note that a promising young athlete in Josh Mottram (Colwyn Bay AC), celebrated his 100th parkrun last Saturday at Conwy by finishing 3rd overall with a new personal best (PB) time of just 19.29, and he additionally won his SM18-19 age cat. His clubcolleague, Ian Taylor also ran well, and he finished 17th in 21.56 and he was second in his VM55 age cat.

North Wales Road Runners had seven entrants at Conwy including: Steve Bozier 21.06 and 1st VM45; and Karl Morris – just a week after his epic ultra race on Anglesey – finishing in 32nd place in 23.27, and he won his VM40 cat; Richard Scamans 45th in 24.34; Paddy Walsh 69th in 25.48; Rob Fryer 89th, and he won his VM70 age cat in 27.06; Sean Butler 114th in 28.32; and Len Jackson 128th in 29.42.

Vermuyden Way: Elizabeth Driscoll (NWRRC), made her debut as a visitor to the Vermuyden Way parkrun, near Epworth, and finished as the 6th female, 38th overall in 28.05. After her run she said: “Got a V this morning whilst visiting my dad, 28.05. Nice little trot alongside the dykes but had to watch out for rabbit holes on the bumpy grassy path!”

Penrhyn: At the time of writing the first finisher at the Penrhyn Castle parkrun remained unknown, but John Stringer took the second spot in 19.26, with Phil Lynes third in 19.37.
The first female finisher was visitor Cathy Tuke (11th overall) on her course debut in 21.35, and Ellie Evans (Cybi Striders) ran a new PB (13th) in 22.10 for second place, with another visitor in Alison Smith (Abbey Runners/Leeds) finishing a close third, on her debut in 22.25.
Dougie Graham (NWRRC) made a welcome return to running at Penrhyn after a long spell out with injury, and he ran well in126th place with a new course PB in 33.39. *There were 126 finishers in total at Penrhyn Castle.

Prestatyn: Alex Ryder (Prestatyn RC) was the first finisher at the Nova parkrun in Prestatyn coming home in 19.16, with Luca Bennett claiming a new course PB and just ten-econds adrift in 19.26, with Dafydd Montgomery third in 20.12.

The first female was Katie Parry (Leeds City AC), with a new PB in 21.37, and she was 11th overall, with Kayleigh Williams second (20th) with another PB in 22.43, whilst Lisa Lines (Prestatyn RC), took the third spot (31st) in 24.01.

The host club – Prestatyn RC – entered 17 athletes with Alex Ryder first in 19.16, with David Ellis (12th) in 21.45, and Edward Short 13th in 22.07. The first three female club runners included: Lisa Lines 31st in 24.04, Beth English 52nd with a PB in 25.49, and Casey Blake was 80th in 28.11.* Stuart Culverhouse (NWRRC) finished 47th in 20.24 and he also won his VM50 age cat. There were 251 finishers.

Newborough: Mark Jones (Cybi Striders) was the first man home at the Newborough Forest parkrun with a new PB of 18.23, and he was followed by William Elgan Jones in 20.48, and Sam Warrender with a PB in 21.05. The first female finisher was visitor Megan Proffitt (Wilmslow Striders), on her course debut (19th) in 23.45, with fellow visitor Chloe Haffenden (Petts Wood Runners) second (22nd), in 24.03, and Sacha Hood (24th) in 24.25. There were 157 finishers.

Nant y Pandy: Two visiting athletes took the top two finishing places at the Nant y Pandy parkrun with Matt Pilkington finishing first on his course debut in 18.35, with Martin Greenwood second on his debut and in close pursuit in 18.41, whilst Will Tomlinson was third in 19.18. Heather Brown was the first female finisher (6th) in 20.41, and visitor Alice McLoughlin finished second (13th), on her course debut in 23.06, whilst another visitor and debutant in Susannah Wall (Totley AC) took the third spot in 23.46. There were 95 finishers.