A lot of good news, some very good news and one disappointment – that was the weekend story for Prestatyn Running Club.
The single piece of bad news occurred in Verbier, Switzerland, where Ben Thomas and Nicki Triggs had entered the latest UTMB trail races.
Both had trained hard for the event, but Ben’s 76k race was called off after heavy rain caused landslides which blocked the course. The campsite where they had planned to stay also had to be evacuated.
Instead, Ben and his fellow competitors were offered a 17k race with 1,500m of elevation, which he completed in 2-56.40.
Nicki’s 26k race on a different course the following day went ahead and she crossed the line in 5-12.52.
Conditions were also gruelling for the club’s three members in the 53-mile Wales Ultra Trail 50-mile race on the Llyn Peninsula. Heavy rain had made the coastal path treacherous in parts and other sections were overgrown.
“It was so wet it was like running through a car-wash and some bits were like a jungle,” commented Lee Bailey.
To add to their frustration, they were unable to appreciate the scenery as they were running through the night.
All three deserve huge credit for finishing the race. Lee was the fifth male overall in 11 hours 50 minutes, while Ann Claire Jones and Cara Jones ran together. They finished 25th and 26th females respectively in 19h 40m.
There was a strong contingent of 16 red Prestatyn vests in the annual Fairy Freckled Cow trail race around the Alwen Reservoir on Sunday, which incorporated the North Wales trail championships, and they came away with a bagful of medals in the open race and regional titles.
Full details of the awards were not available at the time of going to Press, but the placings were: 13 Jonah Armstrong 47.13, 27 Marc Jones 52.11 (1st M60 in open and champs ), 31 Martin Cortvriend 55.22 (1st M70 in open and champs), 32 Steve Weedman 55.33 (2nd M55), 36 Helen Ashworth 58.12 (1st L40), 50 Andrew Scott 64.28, 51 Sue Hughes 64.4 (1st L60 in open and champs), 60 Helen Alefounder 68.30 (2nd L50 in champs), 63 Mike Davis 70.47 (1st L75 in open and champs), 64 Debbie Jones 71.48 (3rd L50 in champs), 66 Nem James 72.27, 70 Lesley Furneaux 75.39, 71 Karl Martin 75.41, 72 Cathy Wood 76.58, 73 Emma Birchall 77.27, 78 Julie Evans 89.38 (3rd L60, 2nd in champs).
For several of them it was their second race in three days as they had turned out in the second in Deestriders’ Off-Road Grand Prix Series on Thursday evening. Ten of them gained podium places and look well-placed for end-of-season trophies. The race a debut for Eve Manifold, who looks a very useful addition to the ladies’ squad.
Placings: 8 Tom Carter 25.41 (1st M40), 9 Oliver Birch-Jones 26.01 (1st U20), 11 Dave Ellis 26.17 (2nd M40), 18 Steve Stocker 27.28 (3rd M45), 21 Jonah Armstrong 28.04, 30 Marc Jones 29.36 (2nd M60), 48 Martin Cortvriend 32.51 (1st M70), 53 James Rogers 33.34, 57 Eve Manifold 34.36 (2nd SL), 59 Megan Lewis 34.51 (3rd SL), 62 Andrew Carter 35.22, 65 Andrew Scott 35.57, 78 Jo Lewis 41.04, 79 Mike Davis 41.10 (1st M75), 80 Debbie Jones 41.42, 82 Karl Martin 43.47, 85 Emma Birchall 45.35, 87 Steve Hatfield 55.23 (2nd M75).
The weekend’s piece of particularly good news came in the Chester 10k in which Gordon Jones made his return to competition after six months of illness and injury, including a back problem over the last three weeks which had halted his comeback.
In a field of almost 500 he finished 35th overall and won his M65 class in 40.53.
Last week Martin Cortvriend was the club’s sole representative in the Nant y Gain fell-race, a new 4.3-mile event from Cilcain including 1,217 of ascent. He finished 43rd overall and won his M70 class in 56.25.
The Freckled Cow race meant that fewer club members than usual were in Parkrun action on Saturday, though four of them did “double up”.
Results. Nova: 3 Dave Ellis 20.26, 7 Marc Jones 23.16, 11 Steve Weedman 24.07, 15 Reg Jonas 24.58, 22 Megan Lewis 26.16, 25 Mark Dakeyne 27.17, 29 Rachel Jackson 28.25, 33 Jo Lewis 30.43, 34 Lesley Furneaux 30.45
Chester: 138 Nem James 29.37.
Warrington: 121 Andy Carter 25.51.
Dolgellau: 35 Claudia Smith 28.39 (pb).
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