Quality competition at the Abergele 5k and 10k races.

*Gwen Charlton (*above left) with Kevin Higgins and Kevin Slattery at the Abergele races last weekend.

Quality competition at the Abergele 5k and 10k races.

Report by Don Hale. 

donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025

 

There was a massive turn-out of over 500 quality athletes for the Abergele 5k and 10k races held on the town’s promenade on Sunday, which was well organised by RunWales.

Despite some wind and rain, both events attracted a wealth of elite, club, and social runners and the 5k race set a hot pace with the first 15 finishers all dipping under the 20-minute mark including the first two female athletes! And just 20-seconds separated the first six finishers!

In the 10k race, the first 14 athletes ran under 40-minutes, with some close times between the top six places, and the first female athlete was almost three minutes ahead of her nearest rival.

The first finisher overall at the 5k event was Huw Gwynn (Eryri Harriers) with a good time of 16 minutes and 37 seconds, with Anthony Davidson (Buckley RC) second in 17.00, and Cai Williams (Rhedwyr Hebog Runners) third, and he was just two-seconds adrift in 17.02.

It was a close encounter too for the first female places with Llio Jones (Cybi Striders) first in 19.52, and Ella Jennings (Les Croupiers) a narrow second in 19.56, with Lynsey Coan (Bromborough) third in 21.28. *There were 187 finishers in the 5k.

*North Wales Road Runners entered three members in the 5k, with master veteran and club chairman Kevin Slattery finishing 22nd overall, and winning his M70 age cat in 21.44, and Kevin Higgins doubled up on both races, and won his M60 cat in 65th place in 29.14, whilst Gwen Charlton was the 13th female with a good time of 26.11.

 

*Pictured above left - Stuart Culverhouse, with Rob Fryer and Gethin Wyn Jones. 

*In the 10k race, Bangor University student Andrew Moore was the first finisher overall in 33.36, with Steffan Sayer(Menai T&F) second in 34.18, and local footballer Aaron Dodwell took the third place in 35.51. *The first female was the outstanding and runaway leader Katie Baldwin (Cybi Striders) in 44.58, and she finished well ahead of second placed rival Hannah Ibbotson in 47.47, and Swyn Edwards in 48.26. 

*Four NWRRC members also ran in the 10k with Stuart Culverhouse 18th, and he won his F50 age cat in 41.16, with master vet Rob Fryer also winning his F70 cat in 99th place in 53.12, and Kevin Higgins completed a unique race double finishing 145th in 59.38, with Gethin Wyn Jones 163rd in 64.50. *There were 356 finishers in the 10k.

 

*This is a link to the provisional results for both races:

https://www.runwales.com/calendars/sport-events/results