Busy weekend for the Road Runners at Chester and Bangor races - plus other results.

*Martin Green had a great run repesenting Wales v England in the Chester Marathon.

Busy weekend for the Road Runners at Chester and Bangor races...plus other results...

Report by Don Hale. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com

 

This past weekend proved to be one of the busiest of the season for local runners with four major events taking place at Chester and in Bangor, including a fierce marathon rivalry between English and Welsh athletes, plus several parkruns, in Conwy and elsewhere.

A gruelling schedule staged in unusually warm weather, included seventeen top North Wales Runners involved in the Bangor 10k, Bangor half-marathon, the Chester Metric Marathon, and the full distance, Chester Marathon.

NWRRC had two members selected to represent Wales last Sunday during the International match v England, within the Chester Marathon, and both Martin Green and Cheryl Frost, competed well, and proudly wore their prestigious and famous red vest.

And veteran athlete Martin, who is an experienced long-distance champion, enjoyed an exceptional run finishing in 16th place overall out of 4,586 entrants, and he also won his MV45 age category in just 2 hours 34 minutes and 27 seconds. 

Martin later admitted: “A great day at the Chester marathon this morning, and nice to meet up with lots of fellow athletes. The beauty of this sport is generally you get out what you put in so with different targets over the summer this was always going to be a tough ask, but I couldn’t ask for more than 2.34.30 off just two long runs.”

*Pictured above - Cheryl Frost and Rachel Morris.

Cheryl, meanwhile, unfortunately suffered from a few health issues during the race, but she did not disappoint, and despite some additional pre-race nerves, she still turned in a very brave and gritty performance to run home in 2,051st place in 4.24.14.

A downhearted Cheryl later confirmed: “I had a disastrous marathon, right on target up to 8 miles from the end, but then I had an asthmatic episode, followed by a couple more. Very disappointed and frustrated. I will have to do Manchester now to prove I can do it!”

This challenging 26.2-mile distance also attracted three other club members with newcomer Tom Aindon finishing in 375th place in 3.13.22, and Kelly Marie Alford celebrated an incredible run, knocking a remarkable 28-minutes off her previous best time in 1,415th place, and she just dipped under the 4-hour marker with a fantastic effort in 3.58.04, whilst the ever-green marathon man Jon Evans ran the adjacent 4-hour pacer bus, and once again he arrived right on time in 3.59.29.

A delighted Kelly added: “I finally got myself a sub-4-hour marathon! I’m over the moon! And it was a 28-min PB too!”

*Ben and Sarah Ferguson Hudson (*above left), with Steve Roberts at Chester.

*In the Chester Metric Marathon, Sarah Ferguson Hudson led her team home with a great run in 77th place out of 1,204 starters, and she was the 13th female athlete, and claimed the 5th spot in her FV45 age cat in 2.05.09. Her husband Ben, who had been suffering from a heavy cold, finished in her wake this time, despite a positive effort, with Ben recording 2.14.54, in 134th place.

Cai Roberts was another man in good form, and he finished 431st in 2.38.39, with Vicky Taylor 666th in 3.01.09, and Rachel Morris continued her excellent Eryri Marathon preparations, with a very determined run in 843rd place in 3.20.30.

Rachel later said: “The conditions were extremely hot! I felt unwell enroute and had to take it easy. Some runners collapsed. Such a shame as so much training goes into these long runs. This was my toughest race yet, I think? My feet are burning. I felt ill but I’ve got a nice shiny medal now and a new training top – plus a bag full of goodies.”

*Vicky Taylor, Kelly Marie Alford and Cai Roberts are pictured at the Chester races.

*Five Road Runners took part in the Bangor City half-marathon and Will Evans was the pick of the pack finishing well in 12th place overall out of 264 entrants, and he was also 3rd in his MV40 age cat in 1.32.11, with Sion Thomasalso on song in 40th place in 1.42.29.

Steve Roberts was 46th overall, and he additionally won his MV55 age cat with a strong performance in 1.44.31, and Dave Jones finished 69th in 1.50.32, whilst newcomer Carol Moss was pleased with her club race debut in 180th place in 2.13.24, and she claimed the 2nd spot in her FV55 cat.

*Pictured above - Members of the NWRRC team at Bangor (l-r): Carol Moss, Will Evans, Steve Roberts, Carla Green, Sion Thomas, Mike Hayton, and Dave Jones.

*With so many other events underway this weekend, just two club members entered the Bangor City 10k race, but both runners enjoying podium places, with another promising newcomer Daniel Hennell winning his MV45 age cat in 54.30 in 47th place, whilst master veteran Mike Hayton enjoyed a strong finish in 79th place in 61.01, and he was 3rd in his MV70 age cat.

*Road Runners Daniel Hennell (*left) with Master veteran athlete Mike Hayton at the Bangor 10k.

Other results:

*Southend: Kay Hatton won her VW60 age cat after finishing 39th overall, and the 4th female runner at the Southend on Sea parkrun last Saturday, with a good time of 23.21.

*Chester: Stuart Culverhouse was another age cat winner after finishing 9th, with a course debut time of 19.50, to win his MV50 cat.