The Borders Road-Running League season got off to a tremendous start for Prestatyn Running Club on Sunday with a record turnout of 35 members, eight of them League debutants.
There were 440 finishers in the event which was held on a new and varied course at Norton Priory, Runcorn, and in a keenly contested competition in which the standard was higher than ever the club turned in an excellent all-round performance.
The club's first finisher was Tony Wood, but he received good support from two of the first-timers, Aled Hughes and Gareth Jones in particular. Six of the squad finished in the top three places in their age-group. The placings were: 23 Tony Wood 27.31, 48 Aled Hughes 28.51, 88 Gareth Jones 30.26, 93 Dean Longley 30.49, 97 Jamie Betts 31.04, 108 Andy Parry 31.31, 124 Alex Ryder 31.49, 129 Darren Blazier 31.51, 147 Rachel Shipley 32.27, 149 Gordon Jones 32.29 (1st M65), 151 Jonah Armstrong 32.20, 199 Ed Shirt 34.21, 226 Marc Jones 35.36, 234 Emma Collins 35.56 (1st L60), 256 Patrick Haberland 36.46, 274 Martin Cortvriend 37.33 (2nd M70), 282 Geoff Lloyd 37.58, 297 Meg Lewis 38.27, 338 James Rogers 40.09, 344 Ann Claire Jones 40.38, 370 Mark Dakeyne 43.15, 372 Ally Reid 43.21, 380 Cara Jones 44.08, 382 George Nixon 44.10, 383 Sue Hughes 44.36 (2nd L65), 384 Sophie Johnson 44.37, 389 Gareth Hughes 44.54 (1st M75), 394 Mandy Cartwright
45.32, 397 Liz Martin 45.52, 399 Grahame Sjone 46.08, 408 Jo Lewis 47.52, 412 Duncan Longley 48.22, 420 Jo Edwards 50.22, 439 Julie Evans 61.05, 440
Steve Hatfield 62.34 (2nd M75).
Only 24 hours earlier four of the squad had competed in the Trailffest Half-Marathon from Ffestiniog to Porthmadog. The earlier heavy rain made conditions very muddy but added to what is an interesting, scenic course.
Their results were:- 42 Marc Jones 2-01.52 (5th M60), 94 Ann Claire Jones
2-26.52 (3rd L50), 123 Ally Reid 2-34.22, 127 Sue Hughes 2-36.31 (2nd L60),
and 172 Cathy Wood 3-05.53.
Canyon Wilson joined the huge field in Sunday's Berlin Marathon and despite is relatively light training finished in a commendable 3-36.45.
Last week Oliver Birch-Jones produced a superb performance in the European
Junior Triathlon Championships in Vichy, France, despite a series of setbacks.
Representing Great Britain, the 18-year-old finished fifth overall but was not far off a podium place. He came off his bike at a roundabout because of the slippery road surface and he lost about a minute as his chain came off. On the return he was baulked by a car at the same spot, then suffered cramp 3k into the run.
Nem James and Nicki Triggs ran together in the Warrington half-marathon, finishing in 2-12.54 and 2-12.57 respectively, but that meant that Nem took a massive 8m 15s off his pb.
Prolific racers Marc Jones and Ann Claire Jones joined Nicki in the final race in the Wirral Trail Series at Arrowe Park last week, which was also slippery. Marc finished 84th in 32.19, with Ann Claire 163rd in 36.40 and Nicki 222nd in 42.39.
With Sunday's Borders League race the centre of attention fewer club members than usual participated in the weekend Parkruns and though some doubled up most took it relatively easy.
Parkrun results:- Nova: 21 Darrell Jones 25.15, 22 Andy Clark 25.21, 25 Martin Gill 25.45, 35 Jamie Betts 26.57, 36 Dave Ellis 26.58, 38 Andy Scott 27.12, 51 Liz Martin 28.21, 64 Lesley Furneaux 30.36.
Greenfield Valley: 23 Mandy Cartwright 28.18, 32 Sophie Johnson 29.58.
Conwy: 181 Emma Birchall 32.52.
Ellesmere Port: 10 Ed Shirt 23.40.
Pennington Flash Leigh: 62 Martin Cortvriend 28.21.
This Saturday ((5)) it is hoped to have an equally strong turnout for the opening fixture in the David Alun Williams North Wales Cross-Country League at Colwyn Bay.
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