Good weather provided a tourism boost at many North Wales parkruns.


*Bright sunshine and another great attendance (*above) at the Nova parkrun start.

Good weather provided a tourism boost at many NW parkruns.

Report by Don Hale. Photos by Malcolm.

https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com

 

The good weather and the start of the main holiday season provided bumper attendances at most of the local parkruns in North Wales last week, with many reporting multi-elite, club, and social runners attending from all parts of the UK.

The firm ground and a generous selection of venues to choose from also enhanced numerous personal best times (PBs), with many visiting athletes determined to make an impact on their course debuts, with Penrhyn, Nova, Nant y Pandy, and Newborough Forest, enjoying a surge in popularity.

*Prestatyn: It was another bumper holiday crowd at the Nova parkrun at Prestatyn with visiting athletes claiming the first two places including Phil Banton, who made a successful debut in 18.57, with Chris Morgan (Brighton Phoenix) taking the second spot in 19.12, and he was just six seconds ahead of Jonah Armstrong (Prestatyn RC) in 19.18.

The first three female runners also included two new visitors with Laura Butterworth (4th overall) on her course debut in 19.32. Kayleigh Williams finished second (21st), following a new PB in 23.16, and Bernadette Cooper (Aycliffe RC) was third (29th) on her debut in 23.52. The fourth place went to Sian Beck (Prestatyn RC) in 25.17 (51st overall), and she won her VW45 age cat. Congratulations were also given to Andy Jones (GOG Triathlon), who was 9th overall in 21.12, and also won his VM50 cat. *There were 263 finishers.

https://www.parkrun.org.uk/novaprestatyn/results/latestresults/



*Fiona from the Nova parkrun at Prestatyn is pictured (*above) in one of her many fancy dress costumes at Prestatyn.

NEWS UPDATE FROM NOVA: Introducing our newest run director, Fiona, who is usually to be found in fancy dress somewhere along the course. Fiona loves the whole parkrun ethos of for the community, by the community and is trying to keep an even volunteering to parkrun ratio (currently 107 v / 104 parkruns).
When not spending time with her Nova Prestatyn parkrun family Fiona, a Welsh speaker, enjoys touristing with her extended Macclesfield parkrun/5K Your Way family or St Asaph City Striders.

*Penrhyn Castle, where they had an excellent turn-out at this popular venue, the organisers confirmed: “Well done to the 268 finishers at Penrhyn. We had visitors from Northampton, Sutton Coldfield, Derbyshire, Ipswich, Huddersfield, Bristol, Poolsbrook, and Hull, Also, it was somebody’s Stag Do - what a brilliant way to celebrate!”

Sam Gunning was the first finisher at the Penrhyn Castle parkrun with a very fast time in just 16 minutes and 51 seconds. The second person’s name remained unknown at the time of writing, but veteran Nicolas Seguin was third in 18.10.

Will Williams (NWRRC) finished 4th at Penrhyn following his return from holiday, and he was 2nd in his VM50 age cat in 18.45, and after his run he admitted: Steady to hard - not an all-out effort but it felt harder than I’d hoped. So definitely lost a little bit of fitness. The bonus was that my calf was fine; and plaudits too to Dougie Graham as a tail walker in 42.55.

The first female finisher was visitor Julia Jagger (Hallamshire Harriers) on her course debut (8th overall) in 19.10, with Jodi Bemand (West Cheshire) second (17th) in 20.16, whilst another visitor and first-timer Aimee Seager (Charnwood AC) took third place (20th) in 20.28. *There were 268 finishers overall.


Nant y Pandy:  This particular parkrun venue attracted a massive number of visiting athletes with 16 out of the first 20 all making their course debuts. Finlay McCance was the first man home on his debut in 18.15, whilst Chris Pownall(Vegan Runners) gave Finlay a hard chase, and he was just 10 seconds adrift with a new PB in 18.25, with another visitor in Leslie Dash (Hesby RC) living up to his surname in third place in 18.37. *And again, the first three female placings all went to visiting athletes, with Danielle Scott (Knowsley Harriers), the first female finisher (12th overall) in 22.30 on her debut, and Kate Barnes was second (17th) in 23.59, with Jess Morgan third (37th) in 26.49. *There were 139 finishers at Nant y Pandy.

*Newborough: SM20 athlete Ed Slaughter (Porthcawl Runners) set a very fast pace, and he claimed a remarkable new PB at the Newborough Forest parkrun with a time of just 16.12. He was followed by visitor Jonny Pennell (St Alban’s St) on his course debut in 18.47, and Ciaren Skinner who finished third in 19.09. *The first three female finishers were all visitors with JW15-17 athlete Amelia Cooke, enjoying an amazing course debut in 22.00, and she was (29th overall), with Hollie Ryder (St Alban’s St) second (33rd) in 22.45, and Lucy Lee-Smith third (38th) in 23.16. *There were 305 finishers.

https://www.parkrun.org.uk/newboroughforest/results/latestresults/

 

*Pwllheli: There was a good turn-out of 129 runners at the Hafan Pwllheli parkrun and two NWRRC members, Ben and Sarah Hudson, who now live over there, were volunteers with Sarah involved with the barcoding, and husband Ben ran as a tail marker in 1.03.18. 

The first finisher was Andrew Worster (Vegan Runners) on his debut in 20.55, with Ali Hunter (Whitchurch Whippets) second on his debut in 21.21, whilst Isaac Skivington (North Norfolk Harriers), gave Andrew a good chase and claimed the third place with a PB in 21.26.

*Three visiting athletes took the top three female places at Pwllheli including Emma Richardson (Rossendale Harriers), who was the first female finisher in 25.35 (11th overall), with Evie Hodgkinson (South Leeds Lakers) second (18th) on her course debut in 27.23, with fellow debutant Marta Acosta third in 27.39.

 

*Ruthin: There were numerous fast times at the Ruthin Memorial parkrun with two of the top three runners recording PB times. Tobias Olsson was the first finisher, and he celebrated his best time in 18.18, with visitor Gareth Taylor (Darwen Dashers RR) second with a PB in 19.16, and another visitor in Jack Davy took the third spot on his debut in 19.49. 

*JW11-14 athlete Aoife Roberts (West Cheshire) was the first female finisher at Ruthin (6th overall) in 21.11, and another same-aged junior in Daisy Jones (14th) was second in 22.42, with F60 veteran Tracey Williams (Denbigh Harriers), third (22nd) in 23.36. *Sarah Elwood (GOG Triathlon) was 53rd on her course debut in 30.16. *There were 108 finishers in total.

https://www.parkrun.org.uk/ruthinmemorialplayingfields/results/latestresults/

 

*Llangollen: JM15-17 junior athlete Hardy Nash was the first finisher at the Old Railway Trail parkrun at Llangollen with a superb time of 18.16. Visitor Andy Brown was second on his debut in 20.01, with Vicky Unsworth (Liverpool Harriers) third on her debut in 20.22.

And with Vicky taking the first female spot, Kate Morris (Hereford Couriers RC) was second (15th overall) on her debut in 22.50, and Daisy Clarke finished third (27th) in 24.29. *There were 143 finishers in total.




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