Wet and windy at Caernarfon for the half marathon championships...plus GNR and other results...

 *Pictured above - many members of the NWRRC team at the Caernarfon half marathon last Sunday.

Wet and windy at Caernarfon for the half marathon championships...

Report by Don Hale.

donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025

 

There was a good entry of more than six hundred elite, club and social runners at the Caernarfon half marathon last Sunday, which was staged in unusually wet and windy weather but saw the top male and female athletes retain their titles.

This event was also part of the North Wales Regional Half-Marathon Championships, and it also attracted many top athletes from all around the UK, and it was well organised by RunWales.

Tomos Roberts (Meirionnydd RC) was the overall winner in 1 hour 11 minutes and 26 seconds, with Chris Pownall(Cybi Striders) second in 1.15.42, and Steffan Sayer (Menai T&F), third in 1.15.45. *The first female finisher was Emma Alofs (Cybi Striders) in 1.27.49, and Eleanor Ashcroft (Denbigh Harriers), was the runner-up in 1.31.11, whilst Sian Wild (Felinheli), claimed third place in 1.32.48.

  

 

*Shown (*above left) Hannah Griffith with Gwen Charlton and (*right), Helen Hannam with Nia Lister - all at the Caernarfon half marathon championship race.

Many local clubs were well represented including North Wales Road Runners (NWRRC) and Porth Eirias Runners, amongst many others. The NWRRC team entered eleven members and collected an array of varied championship medals. Stuart Culverhouse finished 35th in 1.33.27, and Carla Green was the fourth female finisher (43rd overall) in 1.35.40 and she also won her F50 age cat. Daniel Hennell 90th in 1.42.22 with a new PB; Steve Roberts 113th in 1.45.56; Kay Hatton 116th, and she was the 1st F50 cat in 1.46.34; Cheryl Frost also won her F55 age cat in 1.55.44 in 217th place; Nia Lister 321st in 2.05.20; Hannah Griffith 356th in 2.08.53; Gwen Charlton 432nd in 2.17.42, and Dougie Graham 559th in 2.33.53.

*Adam Lemalle (*above left), with Dougie Graham at the Caernarfon race.

*In the NW Regional Championships NWRRC claimed six prestigious medals with three gold, one silver and two bronze. They included: GOLD: F50 Carla Green, F55 Cheryl Frost, and F60 Kay Hatton. SILVER: M50 Stuart Culverhouse. BRONZE: M45 Daniel Hennell, and F50 Hannah Griffith.

 

*NW championship gold medal winners - (l-r): Carla Green, Cheryl Frost and Kay Hatton all performed well in the half marathon event.

*Paul Brooks from the North Wales Regional Council also confirmed: “Congratulations to Tom Roberts (Meirionnydd) and Emma Kathleen Alofs (Cybi Striders), who both retained their Regional half marathon titles by winning today's Caernarfon half marathon. Their times were 1:11:26 and 1:27:49, respectively.

 

*The provisional championship results are available by clicking the link on the N.W.R.A.C Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/755410871224908

 

*Other runners on tour: 

*Jon Evans (*above left), with Will Evans and his daughter Molly at the Great North Run last weekend, and (*right) Kevin Higgins at the Bury 10k.

*Newcastle: Four members of NWRRC took part in the Great North Run last Sunday along with 60,000 plus entrants including Will Evans, who enjoyed a good result finishing in 1 hour 32 minutes and 16 seconds, alongside his daughter Molly in 2.06.18, plus experienced club marathon runner Jon Evans, who ran well for Penlan School in 1.53.50. 

And well done to David and Julie Jones who also ran in the GNR: Dave later confirmed: “Just back from Newcastle, what an experience that was. I've never run in such a massive group of amazing runners, 10 to 20+ runners wide and nose to tail for the whole 13.1 miles - incredible! 

“The crowd support was absolutely amazing, and even the Red Arrows roared over us. Well done to the Great North Run organisers.

“Started from the pink wave supporting some friends so aiming for a time was not really an option due to the sheer number of runners Infront of us, so just enjoyed taking the whole atmosphere in 1:51:30 for me and 2:24:01 for Julie.”

*Dave and Julie Jones (*above) celebrate after completing the GNR.

*Bury: Kevin Higgins (NWRRC) competed in the Bury 10k last Sunday and he ran well, and afterwards, he confirmed: “A good race, a bit undulating but very enjoyable a few Thousand people in it happy with my 57 minutes 40 seconds.”