Team prizes and some notable NW results at the BMAF cross country champs at Corwen.

*Steve Gardner (*pictured above), ran well at the XC champs.

Team prizes and some notable NW results at the BMAF cross country champs at Corwen.

Report by Don Hale.

https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com

www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk

 

The British Masters Athletics Cross-Country championships was held last Saturday at Rhug Farm, near Corwen, and included some exceptional performances by many North Wales runners.

The event attracted 97 top club and elite athletes in the Veteran Men’s up to M60 age cat event, and a further 94 runners in the combined Women’s and Male Masters aged 65-plus race. 

The championships were well organised by officials and members of Prestatyn RC, and this was the fourth time the club had been asked by Welsh Athletics to host the event.

North Wales Road Runner Steve Gardner (*pictured right), finished 52nd overall in the Male open event, and he was 10th in his MV60 cat, and covered the approximate 8k course in 35.37. After his race, Steve confirmed: “I was very pleased with my performance today, finishing 10th MV60 and the 4th placed scorer in the Welsh team, which finished in 3rd place.”

Many North Wales clubs also grabbed some prestigious podium team places, with Wrexham finishing as the 2nd team in the M35-44 cat team, which included Gareth Chaloner, Glyn Wise, and Richard Westwood; whilst Steven Gadd, Glen Price, and Owen Conry, celebrated by winning the 3rd team placing for Denbigh in the M45-54 age cat.

There were also plaudits to several Welsh Masters in the race, including Huw Evans 4th overall, and the 1st M50 cat winner in 31.10, with Mike Whyatt (Eryri) winning his M60 cat in 32.43, and Ifan Lloyd, who finished 3rd in his M60 cat in 30th place.

Some other local results within the provisional result list, also recorded some other worthy performances: Tony Wood (Denbigh) 33rd in 33.59, Thomas Carter (Prestatyn) 43rd in 34.45, and a hat-trick of other Denbigh runners with Steve Gadd 64th in 37.06, with Dafydd Evans 65th in 37.23, and Glen Price 67th in 37.39. Ben Thomas (Prestatyn) finished 82nd in 40.45, with Owen Conry (Denbigh) 84th in 40.56, and Glyn Griffiths (Eryri) 91st in 46.15.

In the Women’s and M65 plus race, run over about 7k, several Welsh age cat teams enjoyed success with Prestatyn runners finishing 3rd in the M65 cat, and included Martin Corvriend, Mark Dakeyne, and Michael Davis. 

And in the W35 section, Prestatyn members Helen Ashworth, Sophie Johnson, and Mandy Cartwright, won the overall team prize; and in the W45 cat, Denbigh claimed the 2nd team prize, which included Joanne Henderson, Melina Morris, and Lee Evans, whilst Prestatyn claimed the 3rd team prize, with Allison Reid, Susan Hughes, and Glenda Roberts.

*Ann d'Albuquerque (*above left) fell over twice but she still won a silver medal in her W70 age cat, and (*right), Emyr Davies, who won his M80 cat.

In addition, there were some other notable individual veteran ladies, and master vet performances, with a brief selection that includes: Joanne Henderson (Denbigh) 9th in 27.16, and she was 2nd in her W45 cat, but a special mention goes to Ann d’Albuquerque (GOG TC), who finished 2nd in her W75 age cat in 84th place in 44.02, despite falling twice, and she also retained a silver medal placing that she has held since 2020.

There was also praise for Neil Owen, from the Llangollen based Run Free club, who won his M70 age cat in 28th place in 30.44. First and second in the MV75 cat were: John Exley, Oxford City/Southern Counties Vets, 33:20, and Alex Sutherland, Inverness, 35:42. Emyr Davies (Rhedw) won his M80 cat in 60th place in 34.48, 

and Don Williams (Eryri) finished in 76th place, and 2nd in his M80 cat in 39.43, and Martin Corvriend (Prestatyn), who enjoyed a good run in 53rd place, and he was 4th in his M70 cat in 33.51.

*A full list of the provisional results can be found via this link:

https://data.opentrack.run/en-gb/x/2024/GBR/bmaf-xc/event/ 

*This is the link to the pre-publicity blog article: Don Hale Blog: Entries open for British Masters Cross-country cha... https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2024/03/entries-open-for-british-masters-cross.html?spref=tw