Keen competition at Conwy parkrun despite the challenging conditions.

*Pictured above - a splashing start for the leaders at last Saturday's Conwy parkrun.

Keen competition at Conwy parkrun despite the challenging conditions...

Report by Don Hale. Photos by John Hatton.

https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com

www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk

 

Numbers were down at Conwy parkrun last Saturday morning due to the Christmas shopping rush, combined with some very challenging weather conditions.

And at the risk of sounding like a broken record, the riverside course was flooded again and resembled a cross between a swamp and a tough 5k cross-country course, yet it still created a great festive atmosphere, with many of the near two-hundred mixed ability entrants wearing their traditional fancy dress outfits.

Despite a strong blustery wind and drizzly rain there were still some good times recorded and the first athlete back was Morgan Kendall (Meirionnydd RC), dressed in his famous Banana-man kit once more, and he faced a keen battle with rival Cai Curtis-Roberts for the top placing, with SM20 Morgan finishing in 17 minutes and 15 seconds, and he was just ten-seconds ahead of SM18 Cai in 17.25, with VM40 GOG Triathlete Simon Cole 3rd in 17.58.

*Banana-man, aka Morgan Kendall (*above left), who finished ahead of the bunch, is pictured with Cai Curtis-Roberts.

The 1st female finisher (10th overall) was SW20 athlete Seren Woodall (Colwyn Bay) with a new PB of 21.29, and fellow SW20 runner Llio Owen took 2nd place (16th overall), with another PB in 22.07, whilst NWRRC veteran Cheryl Frost was (34th overall), won her VM55-59 age cat with another tremendous display to claim the 3rd female placing in an excellent time of 24.04.

North Wales Road Runners entered twelve members and claimed three age cat victories, with Will Williams leading the team home in 6th place in 19.54, and he won his VM50 cat. Adam Lemalle was also on top form, and he finished 15th in 22.02, and was 2nd in his VM40 cat.

Cheryl Frost was 34th overall, and won her VW55 cat in 24.04, with Richard Scamans in close pursuit, and he was just five-seconds adrift of Cheryl after finishing 35th in 24.09, and Kay Hatton also enjoyed a good run in 50th place in 25.22, and 2nd spot in her VW60 age cat.

There was a very keen battle for placings in the male master veteran category with all four members claiming the top positions in the VM70-74 age range. 

Barrie Wells just held off a strong challenge from Rob Fryer to finish just two-seconds ahead of Rob in 71st place in 27.05, with Rob 72nd in 27.07. And fellow masters Don Hale – who almost lost his shoe in the swamp - and Mike Hayton both recorded steady runs with Don 100th in 28.28, and Mike 110th in 29.53.

Veteran John O’Shea finished in 137th place in 32.21, and Alan Davies returned to parkrun action at Conwy again for the first time in over five-years, and he finished 149th in 34.34, whilst Steve Mason walked the course as a sweeper in 190th place in 54.32.

 

*Pictured above - the soggy scene at the start area at Conwy parkrun.

*Exceptional praise was given out this week due to the awful weather conditions, to the run director, to the popular MC John Hatton, and to all the many volunteers and marshalls. *This is a link to the provisional results from Conwy: https://www.parkrun.org.uk/conwy/results/latestresults/

 

 FLASHBACK TO SOME OTHER PHOTOS FROM 2024 AT CONWY PARKRUN: