Conwy Urban Night orienteering event proves a success
Report by Don Hale
A brand-new Urban Night orienteering event held in and around the historic town of Conwy proved a great success last Thursday night (Jan 22) with over 60 runners taking part in several individual or team categories.
The event, which was postponed from the previous week due to the freezing conditions, attracted first time orienteers and some more experienced athletes from a varied range of backgrounds including road, fell, trail and triathletes.
It also led to a family double with husband and wife Sam Drinkwater and Anna Drinkwater each winning their respective male and female individual categories.
Organiser Gwen Charlton promoted the event as a chance to explore the Medieval streets of Conwy, and the 60-minute plus challenge included locating and discovering key information from a number of checkpoints without using a map, and relying on just a pen and paper, with the whole exercise resembling an interesting sort of treasure hunt.
Just after the event, Gwen confirmed: “Last night went really well. A fab turn-out, largest numbers for the Eryri Urban Night events so far, 67 in total. The event included a mass start for all entrants to head off around the town, and to get to as many controls as possible to accumulate the highest score.”
Gold medal for Josh as the North Wales 10k champion
Report by Don Hale
A massive well done to the very enthusiastic and talented young athlete Josh Mottram, who won a prestigious gold medal last in the challenging Twin Piers 10k race as the North Wales Regional champion for his age category.
The Colwyn Bay AC runner was second overall in his age cat in the main race to another excellent young runner in Ryan Rutledge in 36.47, but he finished first as the Under-20 champion in the NW Regional competition, completing his race in just 39 minutes and 59 seconds.
His friends and club colleagues helped him celebrate this great effort, and said they were very proud, as he finally dipped under the 40-minute mark for the first time ever over this distance for a deserved new PB, and he knocked an amazing 3 minutes 30 seconds off his time from last year’s race. Josh was also the first Colwyn Bay runner home.
Freezing cold gale force winds proved a challenge for parkrunners
Report by Don Hale
It was a very stormy and rather windswept morning across much of North Wales last Saturday as many hundreds of parkrunners battled gale-force and blustery headwinds during their challenging 5k workouts.
Llandrillo-yn-Rhos
It proved a particularly tough battle along the seafront to Colwyn Bay and back from Rhos for over 2k on the outward leg, against freezing temperatures, and a swirling, gusty wind, plus a sandy course, but it was pleasing to note that so many plaudits were deservedly given en-route and afterwards, to the hard-working team of RD’s, marshals and volunteers.
Despite all the handicaps, and tough conditions, quite incredibly, experienced top athlete Simon Cole (GOG Triathlon) was first finisher overall in a very respectable 16 minutes and 58 seconds, with Harry Driscoll (Meirionnydd RC) second in 18.19 and James Smith third in 18.57.
Visitor Katie Jayne Latham (Nantwich RC) was first female, recording an equally good time of 19.30 on her course debut (5th place overall), with fellow visitor and debutant Ursula Dixon (Newcastle/Staffs) second in 20.44, and JW11-14 athlete Lois Evans third in 21.28. There were 371 finishers.
North Wales Road Runners entered nine memberswith Stuart Culverhouse leading the team home in 13th place and 2nd VM50 in 20.36. Paddy Walsh was 30th in 22.31 and Gwen Charlton continued her impressive form, finishing in 113th place in 26.35 and 2nd VW35.
And there was some friendly rivalry between the master and super-vets with Rob Fryer 145th and 2nd VM70 in 27.59, with Don
Hale just four seconds down in 148th and 3rd VM70 in 28.03. Mike Hayton was 179th and 1st VM75 in 29.29.
NWRRC veteran John O’Shea was 290th in 34.54, with Gethin Wyn Jones 303rd in 36.23 and newcomer Chris Davies 317th on his course debut in 37.18.
Praise was given to Lucy Culverhouse, who completed her 50th parkrun, including eight at Rhos, and recorded her second-best time in 22nd place in 31.12.
GOG Triathlon entered 14 members, with Simon Cole first man home overall, with course debutants Richard Wilyman 7th in 19.41 and Gareth Bowyer 12th in 20.24. Their first female was veteran Wendy Trelease in 172nd place in 29.03.
Porth Eirias Runners had six members involved, Jasper McQueen their first club finisher in 35th place overall in 22.56, with Tal Michael 156th in 28.23 and Paula Crutchley 195th with a new PB in 30.06.
Other local runners of note included: Nic Brook (Eryri Harriers) 6th with a new PB 19.34; teenager Josh Mottram (Colwyn Bay AC) 15th in 20.48; and James Yarwood, who ran the course together with his JM10 son Hugo, 45th in 23.36. Darren Dentith was 50th in 23.53; Andrew Roberts 55th in 24.07; Ian Taylor 81st in 25.33; and especially well done to Rhos RD Chris Spillane, who ran for the second week running as an essential guide to partially-sighted athlete Daniel Owens (NWRRC), with both athletes finishing well in 130th place in 27.32.
Conwy
There were 48 visiting athletes among the 146 finishers at the Conwy Parkrun last Saturday, including the first three males, and two out of the first three female runners, and the results also confirmed six out of the first ten finishers were all newcomers to this
highly controversial and challenging riverside course.
Conor O’Neill was first man home on his debut in 17.49, only one-second ahead of second-placed Aaron Dodwell, a keen local
footballer and referee, who usually runs at Nova, in 17.50, and Inigo Atkin, who finished third in 18.28.
First female finisher was Hayley Mortiboys (Tipton Harriers) on her debut (4th overall) in 19.22, with Elen Jones second in 21.18, and visitor Andrea Harland (Crossgates Harriers & AC) making her debut in 24.25.
Other notable local results included: James Singleton 12th in 21.56; Paul Aubert (NWRRC) 13th in 22.00; Gwyn Williams 14th in 22.10; Gareth Jones (GOG Triathlon) 20th in 23.57; Rhys Pugh 27th in 24.36; Tony Parvin 38th in 25.27; Amanda Durber 62nd in 28.32; John Stallard 64th in 29.07 and Pam Grant 82nd in 30.45.
Prestatyn
Jonah Armstrong (Prestatyn RC) was the first man home at the Nova Parkrun at Prestatyn in 19.44 with Louise Bennett second following a new PB in 20.32, and David Ellis (Prestatyn RC) third in 21.09.
Eve Manifold (Prestatyn RC) took the first female spot (15th overall) in 23.52, Michelle Meredith-Roberts came second in 25.26, with JW11-14 visitor Megan Hatfield (Wrexham AAC) claiming third place on her course debut in 25.40.
The home based Prestatyn RC team proved dominant, with 24 members involved including two out of the first three male finishers, plus the top female finisher, and Adam Jeffries also ran well to claim 4th place overall in 21.39 – 241 finishers.
Penrhyn
There was a good turnout of 186 athletes at the Penrhyn Castle Parkrun, where Steffan Sayer (Menai T&F) was first across the line in 17.35, followed by teenager Rowan Townsend in 19.52, and Lawrence And Hopey third in 20.02. Visitor Lottie Rowedder (Herts Phoenix) was first lady on her debut in 20.41, but it was a close encounter with fellow visitor Anna Mathew (Lindley RC) second in 20.49, and JW11-14 athlete Holly Worth third despite a new PB 20.54.