New Llandrillo-yn-Rhos parkrun celebrated an amazing launch event with over 500 athletes from across the UK

*Pictured above and below - hundreds of runners listen intently to the instructions given by run director Richard Peevor at the launch of the new Llandrillo-yn-Rhos parkrun

New Llandrillo-yn-Rhos parkrun celebrated an amazing launch event...with over 500 athletes from across the UK.

Exclusive report by Don Hale.

https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com

www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk

What a fantastic turn-out for the very first Llandrillo-yn-Rhos (Y Promenade) parkrun last Saturday, as over 500 mixed ability athletes travelled from near and far to help create and enjoy a spectacular occasion.

Run directors Richard Peevor, Sharon Hughes, Dougie Graham, and Chris Spillane, together with their hard working support team of new volunteers and marshals, worked their socks off to produce an excellent event on a near perfect day - weatherwise - after recent storms had deposited a load of sand along the promenade course at Rhos on Sea.

  

*Above left - Run director Richard Peevor, and (above right), Tris Owen.

The parkrun also welcomed members from the 5K Your Way, Move Against Cancer group, who had many participants that either ran, jogged, or even walked the course. And later, the group confirmed: “Another amazing meet up of our lovely 5KYW group this week. Thirty of us joined the launch of parkrun in Rhos-on-Sea which had a turn-out of 501 people. 

"The sun shone and it stayed dry showing off how lucky we are to live here. Thank you to everyone who volunteered and supported the event. Here’s hoping our local community and businesses benefit from everyone’s support as well. Until next weekend.”

*Pictured above - some members from the 5K Your Way, Move Against Cancer group at the new Rhos parkrun, and (*below), some Porth Eirias Runners at the start.

Backed by generous support from members of Porth Eirias Runners, many local runners, and numerous club runners, this extremely popular debut parkrun attracted an amazing and rather surprising number of athletes on the day, where the organisers even ran out of tokens and later had to record many results on paper.

Numerous club vests and entries were noted from Rotherham, Halifax, Northampton, Warrington, Tamworth, Oswestry, Liverpool, and even from Northern Ireland; and local running clubs were also very well represented, including 18 from GOG Triathlon, 12 from North Wales Road Runners, 8 from Porth Eirias Runners, and 4 from Prestatyn RC, amongst others.

 

*Three of the four Llandrillo-yn-Rhos parkrun run directors (*above left), Dougie Graham, Sharon Hughes and Richard Peevor, and (*above right), Danielle Peevor and fellow volunteers.

Talented teenager Elliot Rowe entered the history books as the first ever finisher at Llandrillo-yn-Rhos with an incredible display from this JM15-17 youngster who stormed home in just 17 minutes and 19 seconds.

He was just seventeen-seconds ahead of veteran rival Jonathan Kettle (NWRRC), who put in a great effort to finish second in 17.36, with Mathew Baker third in 17.46. Emily Hanlon was the first female finisher in 5th place overall in 18.02, with Alex Aldous (24th) and second in 20.01, whilst Ffion Roberts was third (49th) in 21.18. *There were 501 finishers at Rhos.

After the event, Richard Peevor said: “I would say that yesterday exceeded all my expectations. It was truly one of my best days ever, though a little nerve racking when I saw 500 people in the gardens! 

“The most amazing thing about yesterday was how well our volunteer team coped. we had a perfect set of results, and our marshals did so well guiding people around what was a completely new course. 

“I was ever so grateful for all of the lovely positive feedback we got about the event and it was also pleasing to see that we didn’t get any negative comments from the local community and at the cafés of Rhos were very grateful for their extra support. We look forward to seeing people next week."

*Pictured above - runners chat about the new parkrun and the course and (*below), the start of this first event at Rhos. Praise was given to all the volunteers and marshals.

*NWRRC member Stuart Culverhouse ran at Rhos with his son Joe, daughter Sophia, and his wife Lucy. Stuart finished 25th overall in 20.04, and he won his VM50 age cat, and Joe was 30th in 20.20 and 4th in his JM15-17 cat; with Sophia claiming a great new 5k PB and winning her JW15-17 cat in 176th place in 26.09, whilst mum Lucy also ran well in 339th place in 31.20.

 

*Other NWRRC results include: Paddy Walsh 52nd in 21.27; Dave Jones 71st in 22.19; and Carla Green 97th, and she won her VW50 age cat in 23.33; Sandy Johnston 126th and first VM75 cat in 24.31; Rob Fryer 195th and second VM70 cat in 27.00; Don Hale 211th in 27.24 and third in the same cat as Rob; Mike Hayton 293rd and second VM75 cat in 29.50; Gethin Wyn Jones (with buggy), 379th in 33.40; and John O'Shea 383rd in 33.56.

*Some other notable local results were: Romeo Ciotec 13th in 19.14; Marcus Jones 19th in 19.47; Josh Mottram (Colwyn Bay) 47th in 21.15 and he won his SM18 age cat; 69th Darren Dentith 22.18; Ian Taylor (Colwyn Bay) 89th in 23.12;  Laura McKenzie (Best Runaways) 107th in 23.49; Tristan Owen 111th in 24.02; Mike Pemberton 132nd in 24.49, and third in his VM65 age cat; Dave Munday 136th in 24.58; Kelly Owen 316th in 30.33; and Peter Johnson 238th in 28.17.

 

*This is the link to the provisional results from the Llandrillo-yn-Rhos parkrun: https://www.parkrun.org.uk/ypromenadllandrilloynrhos/results/latestresults/