Loyal athletes battled horrific weather in Run Wales 5k and 10k races...plus Martin and Carla Green at Telford 10k.

*Will Williams (*above) finished 2nd in the Run Wales 5k race

Loyal athletes battled horrific weather in Run Wales 5k and 10k races...plus Martin and Carla Green at Telford 10k.

Report by Don Hale.

 

Nine Road Runners took part in the Run Wales Loyalty 5k and 10k races last Saturday despite freezing conditions that included sleet, rain, and snow, and a tough course covered in mud with many deep puddles.

The race organisers confirmed this was a non-profit event and offered a free bonus place to runners who had previously entered at least two Run Wales events this year. 

Both races utilised what was meant to be a very fast, flat, and scenic course long the cycle tracks from Conwy Bridge to Deganwy Quay and back, but the adverse weather conditions made the races far more of a challenge than expected.

The 5k race attracted twenty-one runners, and it was won by James Yarwood (Abergele Harriers) in 16.39, with Will Williams from NWRRC claiming a deserved 2nd place overall, and 1st in his MV45 age cat in 18.02, with his new club colleague Steve Gardner finishing 3rd, and 1st in his MV60 cat in 19.55.

Jamie Tharme (*pictured above) recovered quickly from injury and claimed 6th place overall and 2nd in his MV45 cat in 20.46, whilst Mandy Owen ran with her friend Sarah Tuck. Mandy finished 18th in 28.29, and Sarah finished just ahead of her in 27.49. 

The 10k race, which was won by Rob Grantham (Wirral AC) in 35.52, welcomed seventy-nine athletes over the same shared and saturated course as the 5k entrants in similar horrific conditions.

*Stuart Culverhouse (*above left) with Nicola Wylie.

Stuart Culverhouse led a team of four NWRRC members home and finished in 11th place and 2nd in his MV50 age cat in 39.51. Nicola Wylie was 40th overall and the 6th female runner in 49.20, and she also claimed 2nd spot in her W50 cat. 

*Helen Hannam (*above left) with Sue Smith.

Helen Hannam battled the elements to finish in 62nd place in 55.18, and Sue Smith was 2nd in her F55 age car, and in 74th place overall in 1.01.59. After the 10k race Helen Hannam said: “Loyalty 10k. Thank you to Run Wales. That was horrible, rain, mud, puddles, but the great support and marshalling made it much more bearable, thank you!”

*This is the link to the provisional results from the Loyalty races;

https://www.runwales.com/calendars/sport-events/results

(*Above) The start of the wet Run Wales Loyalty 5k and 10k races on the Cob.

*Other events: Telford 10k: Martin Green and his wife Carla Green ran at the Telford 10k last Sunday and battled a very difficult course containing snow and ice. Martin admitted he was not quite at his best due to the challenging conditions but still recorded a good time of 34 minutes and 32 seconds to finish in 269th place overall. Carla was 569th, and the 119th female athlete in 40.06 and she was 7th in her W50 age cat.

*Carla and Martin Green (*above) competed at the snowy Telford 10k race.

*Next weekend: NWRRC will be staging their club handicap 4-mile race next Sunday from West Shore to the old WW2 gun site and back. Registrations required on club FB page.