Course debutants and first timers boosted local parkruns over Easter...plus results round-up.

By Don Hale don hale blog April 22, 2025

*Pictured above - some of the many hard working volunteers at the Nova parkrun.

Course debutants and first timers boosted local parkruns over Easter...plus results round-up.

Report by Don Hale.

https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com

*Members of the NWRRC team at Nova (*above l-r): Gwen Charlton, Hannah Griffith, Carla Green, Cheryl Frost, Daniel Hennell, and Nia Lister, with Adam Lemalle on the back row.

The Easter weekend series of local 5k parkruns attracted massive attendances again this year, with many recording record numbers of entrants including a large input of course debutants and first timers!

Nova at Prestatyn and Penrhyn Castle parkruns, were probably the most popular events last weekend in North Wales, with bumper attendances also reported at Newborough Forest, who welcomed 297 runners, and Nant y Pandy 145, whilst most other local events also welcomed a large number of families, visitors and first-time participants.

Conwy parkrun director Gwyn Williams, who has perhaps been the inspiration for the recent ‘Conwy on Tour’ experience, has provided an excellent round-up of members travelling far and wide during the temporary suspension of the Conwy course due to renovation works.

*Conwy run director Gwyn Williams ((second from the left), with other Conwy parkrunners at the Nant y Pandy event last Saturday.

Gwyn explained: Wow! Another bumper Saturday morning of activity by you industrious lot. And as I’ve mentioned before, the Easter weekend is renowned for being busy, so it was no surprise to see our two nearest neighbouring parkruns breaking their previous attendance records, 358 at Penrhyn, and 395 at Nova Prestatyn, swelled by many visiting Conwy parkrunners.

“It was also great to see Rob Fryer, John Hatton and Mark Jessett, volunteering at these events, which helps to manage the big numbers. Venues visited by Conwy tourists this week included: Nant y Pandy, Nova at Prestatyn, Penrhyn, California County, Old Railway Trail, Crichton, Pont y Bala, Loch Leven, Chester and Greenfield, whilst Elizabeth and Harry Driscoll ran at the Hasenheide parkrun in Germany.

“And away from parkrun, a group of Porth Eirias Runners did their weekly route around the Orme (with cake) Joanna Knight-Griffith had a run on Llandudno prom, Todd Frith ran his own version of parkrun in Dominica whilst Elaine Heyes was having a well-earned rest recovering after running the Paris marathon last weekend.

“It was a last minute decision for me today to give Nant y Pandy parkrun a go. As I crossed the Britannia Bridge the rain got heavier and I started to wonder if I’d made the wrong decision.

“On arrival though, I was made very welcome and bumped into several familiar faces with a small number of Conwy parkrun regulars including Mike Pemberton, Saxon Ridley, Elisabeth Williams and Katie Harvey, all making me feel at home, along with Mike’s friend Phil, whose home run is at Bushy parkrun, but he is originally from Colwyn Bay, and he runs at Conwy whenever he’s ‘back home.'"

*Gwyn Williams (*above left), with some of the volunteers at Nant y Pandy.

The Nova run director also confirmed: “The predicted rain stayed away but we still had a ‘Nova breeze’ as our attendance record was broken once again today when 395 people ran, jogged or walked the 5k course, including 36 people doing their very first parkruns, plus 137 first timers, with 49 recording new PBs, and some 45 different clubs were represented.

“Thank you to the 23 volunteers including our regulars who kept calm under pressure and those who stepped in to help scan at the finish – cheers all, we could not do it without you. If you are able to help in the coming weeks, please get in touch by messenger or e-mail, so we can add you to our volunteer rota.

“Next Saturday at Nova, we will again be joined by Nova Prestatyn 5K Your Way, Move Against Cancer who will be offering support to anyone affected by cancer who would like to take some part at our parkrun event. Please see their Facebook page for more information on how to get in touch. Also happening next Saturday is parkrun’s big Parkwalk Day. The aim is to attempt to get a record number of walkers at parkrun events on the day.”

*Pictured above left - John Hatton and colleagues at the Nova parkrun, with (*above right), Jonathan Kettle, who was the first finisher at Prestatyn.

Results round-up:

*Prestatyn: Jonathan Kettle (NWRRC), was the 1st finisher at the Nova parkrun at Prestatyn with a new course PB of 17,27 and he also won his VM50 age cat. In second place was Tom Carter (Prestatyn RC), in 17.48, and in 3rd place was James Callaghan on his debut in 18.09. The first female finisher was Beatrice Cordingley (Sale Harriers), with a new PB of 19.59 in 10th place overall, with Sharon Dixon, (Hoad Hill Harriers), 2nd on her debut (14th) in 20.43, and in 3rd place was Eve Manifold (21st), in 22.06.

The Nova parkrun also attracted thirteen members of NWRRC who used the event as part of their club championships. As mentioned, Jonathan Kettle was the 1st finisher overall, and he led the team home. Some of the other top placings included: Adam Lemalle 19th in 21.51, Carla Green 22nd in 22.11, and Kay Hatton, who won her VW60 age cat in 58th place in 24.25.

*All the other parkrun results and the NWRRC champs from Nova can be found on this link: https://www.parkrun.org.uk/novaprestatyn/results/latestresults/

*Some enthusiastic athletes (*above) are shown at Prestatyn's Nova parkrun.

*Nant y Pandy: Conwy run director Gwyn Williams (Colwyn Bay AC), was one of 145 entrants at the Nant y Pandy parkrun on Anglesey last weekend, and he enjoyed a good result finishing 15th in 22.47, and won his VM50 age cat. He was joined by many other Conwy regulars including veteran Mike Pemberton who was 46th in 26.14. The first finisher overall was Adam Roberts (Parc Bach RC), with a new PB in 18.54, whilst the 1st female was Anna Glyn with another PB of 24.15.

*Penrhyn: The first finishers at Penrhyn Castle parkrun included: 1st Sam Gunning with an incredible new course PB of just 16.34, with 2nd, Dominic Perry on his debut in 17.08, and 3rd, another debutant in Matthew Wake (Cambridge Tri Cub), in 17.19. The 1st female finisher (15th overall) was Donna Sherwin (City of Stoke), in 19.04, with Jodi Bemand, (West Cheshire), 2nd (18th), on her debut in 19.46, and in 3rd place was Cara Bird (Cybi Striders), with a new PB of 20.23 (24th overall). *Some Conwy ‘tour’ runners included NWRRC members Mark Jessett and John O’Shea. Mark was 6th overall with a new PB of 18.28 with John 225th with another course PB of 30.55, and John Stallard finished well in 29.13.

*Newborough: The first three finishers at Newborough Forest parkrun were: 1st Andy Dunkerley on his debut in 18.19, with Rhodri Williams (Cybi Striders), 2nd in 18.59, and Angus Morgan 3rd with a new PB of 19.50. The 1st female finisher was Laura Coucill (Salford Harriers) with a PB of 20.21, and Trang Nguyen (Blackheath and Bromley H), ran 21.14 on her debut, and Sarah Longshaw (Rossendale Harriers) finished 3rd on her debut in 21.25.

*Seaton: Husband and wife athletes Simon and Vicky Cole enjoyed their trip to the Devon seaside where they took part in the Seaton Esplanade parkun. Simon was the 1st finisher overall, and he also won his VM40 age cat in a fast time of 17.35, whilst Vicky was the 2nd female finisher, and she was also 2nd in her VW40 cat on her course debut in 21.22.

*Husband and wife duo Simon and Vicky Cole at Seaton parkrun in Devon.

*Berlin: Mother and son Elizabeth and Harry Driscoll travelled to the Hasenheide parkrun at Berlin last Saturday where Harry ran well and finished 5th overall in 18.01, with Elizabeth also enjoying a good run out in 28.00.