Road Running quartet amongst winning North Wales Cross-Country team at Inter-Regional championships.
Report by Don Hale.
https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com
www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk
Four North Wales Road Runners swapped their trainers for spikes and competed in the combined Welsh Inter-Regional cross-country championships held at Dolerw Park, Newtown, last Saturday.
The quartet, which included Cheryl Frost, Kay Hatton, Will Williams, and Steve Gardner, were all eventually part of the overall winning team that finished ahead of rivals West Wales, East Wales, and South Wales, to take the deserved plaudits.
North Wales ladies won the female team prize with 121-points, whilst the male team finished 3rd, yet the overall points tally confirmed that North Wales were the outright team victors of this prestigious challenge competition.
This was a unique cross-country event which included juniors aged from 13 upwards to master veterans in varied races over different distances, where athletes could compete individually, and in a team for their respective Welsh Regions in the Inter-Regional Championships.
Cheryl Frost had an excellent run, and she was perhaps the pick of the NWRRC entrants and finished 9th in her MW55 age category, in 32 minutes and two-seconds, as the 4th counter in the gold medal winning female team. Kay Hatton also put in a determined performance and ran well in 33.12, and she was 15th in the same MV55 age cat as Cheryl.
Will Williams was 95th in the male veteran’s race, 18th overall in his MM45 age cat in 41.49, and he was also the 6th finisher in the NW team; whilst club colleague Steve Gardner also enjoyed a good run to finish 133rd overall, and he was 15th in his respective MM55 cat in 44.37.
*Pictured above (*left), Will Williams, with Steve Gardner.
Following her race, Kay Hatton confirmed: “Cheryl and I ran at the Inter Regional XC Champs at Newtown today. Cheryl did 32.02, and she was the 4th counter in the gold medal winning team MW55-64.
"Emma Collins from Denbigh was the 1st counter, and Helen Blair from Eryri was the 5th counter, and Gemma Moore, who was also from Eryri Harriers, also ran very well, and she won both an individual and team medal. I did 33.12 and enjoyed the run on a very muddy but quite flat course."
Cheryl Frost also remarked: “So much fun and the North Wales team were fab. It was a great race and NW won overall, which makes it all worthwhile.”
Will Williams though was slightly disappointed with his efforts and added: “Not my best. That was tough! I felt weak both physically, and mentally today. That course beat me. The wet and boggy conditions exposed my lack of off-road conditioning and strength.
“That said 18th in MV45 age cat, and the 6th finisher in NW MV45 team - just outside being a counter. I can’t take any credit for N Wales winning overall but chuffed to be part of the winning team.”
Bernie Jones delighted with overall results.
Bernie Jones, the secretary of the North Wales Cross-Country League, and one of the hard-working team officials, was delighted with the performances of all the athletes at Newtown, and with winning the overall team prize.
He said: “A big thank you to everyone, athletes, parents, coaches and especially out fantastic team managers, John Messum, Crispin Backshall, Eric Campbell, and Mike Robbins.
“The results will be posted on the Welsh Athletics website but without even seeing them I can say we had probably the best ever day we’ve had at the Inter-Regions.
“A massive thank you and well done to Maldwyn Harriers who hosted today’s event and made sure you didn’t have to travel as far as normal. They put on a great course and their marshals were first rate. Thank you. And the best news is North Wales won overall!
“On a negative note, one of our team managers was spoken to inappropriately by a parent today. Our managers are volunteers and have given their time and energy to help athletes across North Wales. “They are not there to be abused. The North Wales vests have been the way they are for nearly 40 years, so just because you don’t agree with them. doesn’t give you the right to abuse a team manager.”
*Provisional results list for individual athletes and team scores: https://www.welshathletics.org/en/competition/results/view/2023-welsh-inter-schools-inter-regional-cross-country-championships
*Overall team results link: https://www.welshathletics.org/image/competition/Results/2023%20Inter%20Regional%20XC/2023%20Inter%20Regional%20%20Inter%20Schools%20XC%20Championships%20Results.pdf
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