The shield is awarded each year at the end of the Grand Prix Express North Wales League season to the individual judged to have made a special contribution to the League. As Gareth will not be present at the final fixture in Oswestry this Saturday the news was broken at Corwen by David Alun Williams, secretary of the North Wales Cross-Country Association.

FIVE individual awards and a team prize was a very satisfactory haul for Prestatyn Running Club from Saturday’s Rhug Organics North Wales Cross-Country Championships in Corwen.
Several of the club’s regular competitors were either unavailable or injured, and as the club was again hosting the event others were officiating, so both the men’s and women’s teams were below strength.

In fact five of the six who won the senior team prize last year were missing, and so it was particularly pleasing that the trio of Gordon Jones, Dave Henley and Neil Owen managed to take gold this time in the veterans’ team event. Gordon was second in the M50 class and Neil was first M55.

Oliver Harrison-Jones, who had been suffering with a cold for two weeks, clung on bravely for third place in the U20 class, while his grandfather Roger Harrison-Jones and Dave Hughes dominated the M70 category. Dave, in tremendous form at present, was a clear winner, with Roger taking silver.

Amie Bagnall was the club’s sold representative in the U17s’ race and although numbers were small there was certainly quality in the field, and Amie continued her recent improvement to take fourth place.

This year no medals came the way of the club’s ladies but the quartet of Glenda Davies, Gay Waring, Eleri Goddard and Eleri Jones turned in their usual very gutsy performances in a good quality field, and again all finished within five places of each other.

The club could also take pride in the display of Katie Parry, from Rhyl, who was a member of the club several years ago. Now a member of the Leeds-based Valley Striders, she was determined to do well in her first North Wales championship and had a superb run to finish third overall and almost certainly gain selection for the North Wales squad for the British inter-counties’ championships in March.

The event once again proved a huge success and massive credit is due to the Prestatyn members and others who marshalled the scenic course so brilliantly under the guidance of chief marshal Jason Burton.

The club placings were:- Senior men: 14 Gordon Jones 42.16 (2nd M50), 21 Dave Henley 44.18 , 22 Neil Owen (1st M55) 44.30, 40 Lee Bailey 48.31. U20: 3 Oliver Harrison-Jones 33.09. M70: 1 Dave Hughes 28.52, 2 Roger Harrison-Jones 31.09. Ladies under 17: 4 Amie Bagnall 18.43. Senior ladies: 24 Glenda Davies 27,54, 25 Gay Waring 28.12, 28 Eleri Goddard 28.31, 29 Eleri Jones 29.45.