Great performance by Martin Green to win the Pier2Pier half-marathon...and some other excellent club results...

*Martin Green (*above), crosses the finishing line at Colwyn Bay.

Great performance by Martin Green to win the Pier2Pier half-marathon...and some other excellent club results...

Report by Don Hale. Photos by John Hatton and Dave Jones.

https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com

*The NWRRC team (*above) at Colwyn Bay for the Pier2Pier half-marathon.

 

North Wales Road Runner Martin Green quickly bounced back to top form last Sunday to win the new Pier2Pier half-marathon race following a close a battle with his club colleague Jonathan Kettle and the third placed finisher Chris Pownall.

Martin, who has only just returned to racing following a period of ill health, looked comfortable all the way along this challenging promenade course from the Eirias Park Stadium to Llandudno Pier and back, despite a blustery wind, and dodging the aftermath of storm damage.

He was one of ten NWRRC members who competed in this well organised event by RunWales, and he was pleased with his time of 1 hour 17 minutes and 35 seconds to additionally win his M45-49 age cat, and it quite remarkably it also turned out to be a family celebration in terms of results, with his wife Carla winning her own F50-54 age category, despite an earlier fall during her warm-up, yet she bravely continued and still finished well as the 3rd female athlete.

Jonathan Kettle ran in close pursuit of Martin in 1.18.02 to finish 2nd overall, and in second spot in the same age cat, whilst Chris Pownall (Cybi Striders/Vegan Runners), won his M21-34 cat in 1.19.23. The Ladies race was won by Tinka Vinks, (Breda, Netherlands), 10th overall in 1.27.04, with Katie Johnson 2nd (24th), in 1.34.11, and Carla Green (NWRRC) was 3rd (27th) in 1.35.45, and she won her M50-54 cat.

*Pictured above - Martin Green (*left), with club colleague Jonathan Kettle, an (*above right), Carla Green receives her prize from Tracey Yorke at RunWales.

Stuart Culverhouse was another club athlete, who enjoyed his windswept dash in 21st place in 1.32.41, and he finished 3rd in his M50-54 cat, with Steve Roberts 58th, and he celebrated 3rd place in his M55-59 cat in 1.44.21. Meanwhile Kay Hatton won her F60-64 age cat with another great display in 71st place in 1.48.21, as the 9th female, and Adam Lemalle chalked up another excellent result in 76th place in 1.49.48.

Master veteran Sandy Johnston also set a hot pace to win his M70-74 age cat with a determined run in 84th place in 1.46.32, and it was good to see Nicola Wylie racing well again, and she was the 20th female athlete in 98th place in 1.53.11, and 2nd in her F55-59 cat. And Helen Hannam was another race returnee and she finished 174th, and the 41st female in 2.07.44.

 

*Adam Lemalle (*above left), with Steve Roberts, and Kay Hatton, and (below), l-r, Stuart Culverhouse, Sandy Johnston, and Nicola Wylie

  

Carla Green battled on after a heavy fall during her warm-up.

*A brave performance from Carla Green despite a nasty fall during her warm-up at Colwyn Bay. Pictured (*above left), the aftermath from her fall, and (*above right), Carla however, was soon back in action to eventually finish as the 3rd female athlete.

*There were just over 300 finishers, and this is a link to the provisional results:

https://www.runwales.com/files/user_uploaded/results/535/Half%20Marathon%20Overall%20Results.pdf

Other race results:

*Manchester: Four NWRRC members competed in the Manchester Marathon last Sunday with Steve Mason leading the quartet home in 3 hrs 31 minutes despite suffering all week with hay fever. Cheryl Frost was next with another positive performance in 4.04.15, and Kelly Marie Alford also recorded a decent time of 4.10.18, and Cai Roberts ran back in 4.34.53. 

After the race, Cheryl said: “I ran the Manchester marathon today, and little annoyed as it was 26.5 miles, so did me out of a sub-4. Strava had me down as 4:01, anyway I was 41st in cat. Seeing the overall stats, I’m a bit happier, but I don’t think marathons are quite my thing!” And Kelly also added: “That was a tough one! Disappointed with my time but no way that I could go any quicker!”

*Manchester Marathon runners Cheryl Frost, (*above left), with Steve Mason, and (*below left), Cai Roberts and Kelly Marie Alford, with (*below right), Kevin Higgins in Crete.

*Crete: Kevin Higgins completed a unique hat-trick of consecutive races whilst enjoying the sunshine in Greece. His race times and distances included: 10k (61.58), 5k (31.07), and a 2.5k race in 14.40. He later said: “All done in Crete! I ran in one race after another in very hot conditions. The times were not the best, but it was all about just finishing.” 

*Cheshire: Rachel Morris (*pictured left), enjoyed a good midweek run in the Cheshire Spring 5-mile race finishing well in 55.11. Afterwards, she said: “This was the third time I’ve done this race. I love the route, and it’s always a beautiful evening run.” 

*Liverpool: Sion Thomas and James Jones ran in the Mersey Tunnel 10k last Sunday. James enjoyed his run run in 41.41, and he was 64th out of 1,976 entrants, and Sion also recorded a good time of 45.21, and he finished 148th.