NW Masters on top form at the Great North International 10k race.

*Four top female Welsh athletes at the Great North race (l-r): Emma Collins, Cheryl Frost, Kay Hatton and Carla Green.

NW Masters on top form at the Great North Masters International 10k race.

Report by Don Hale. 

https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com

www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk

*The Welsh team are pictured above at the Masters International race

A strong team of top Welsh veteran athletes competed in the Great North 10k on Sunday amidst a massive entry of over 10,000 elite, club and mixed ability runners in this popular North-East challenge.

The event also included a Masters International Road Race featuring age group teams representing Wales, England, Northern Ireland, and the UK Armed Forces.

At the time of writing the enormous list of results was still awaiting full verification, and a further report may be added later, but several North Wales runners celebrated some amazing results with Tomos Roberts (Meirionnydd RC) finishing 7th overall in 32 minutes dead, with Llyr Ap Gruffydd (Eryri Harriers) 35th in 33.42, and Martin Green (NWRRC/Meirionnydd RC) was 57th in 34.46, as the 3rd Welsh finisher.

After the event, Martin confirmed: “I was 3rd V50 across the line and as it was a champs race and I won the bronze. England 1st Army 2nd then me. Vest number 13, I think today for Wales v England, and The Armed Forces. For once happy with my race, managed to blag 3rd place off gun time, so justified my selection which is always the first aim.”

*Above left - Martin Green ahead of some Welsh team members, and (*above right), Jonathan Kettle with Will Williams.

There were some other memorable Top 100 results too from James Yarwood (Wrexham AAC) 65th in 34.59, Jonathan Kettle (NWRRC) 77th in 35.37, and Will Williams (NWRRC) who was 98th in 36.14. Several other North Wales Road Runners were also selected for this prestigious race, and they included: Carla Green 698th in 44.42, Cheryl Frost 1,294th in 48.32, and Kay Hatton 1,311th in 48.39.

Will Williams later said: “What a fantastic day. It’s always such an honour to wear the red vest and represent my country! It was also doubly special to get to race it with Jonathan Kettle. A great day and motivation for me to run with this legend. 

“Best performance for me I think thus far in the vest, but whilst running down the home straight I could see the clock just ticking over into the 36 minutes again, but this course was a bit tougher, and especially the second half, but I gave it everything.”

*The race was won by Dean Williamson (Colchester Harriers), with Lewis Hannigan (Kilbarchan AC) 2nd in 30.21, and Kieran Walker 3rd. The1st female was Louise Small in 33.35, with Gemma Steel 2nd in 35.04, and Ellen Leggate 3rd in 35.37.