Cold and windy but well attended New Year’s Day parkruns.
*Father and son, Stuart and Joe Culverhouse (*above) ran well at Conwy.
Cold and windy but well attended New Year’s Day parkruns.
Report by Don Hale.
It was another very cold and very windy morning at most of the New Year’s Day parkruns, yet the conditions still failed to deter hundreds of hardy and determined athletes from travelling a long way just to start their 2026 events in style.
Known parkrun events took place at Conwy, Llangollen, and at Newborough Forest, to name but a few, and all reported good attendances, and were well supported by generous teams of enthusiastic volunteers.
At Conwy, the organisers welcomed 242 entrants including numerous first timers, and the first finisher was Wrexham AAC star James Yarwood in 17 minutes and 45 seconds. Iain Burgess ran a good second place in 18.10, and visitor Thomas Watkiss took the third spot in 18.44.
Anna Drinkwater (Eryri Harriers) (*pictured right) was the first female finisher (14th overall) in 20.30, with visitor Amy Jane Freeman-Hughes second on her debut in 22.12, and Lucy Young (Warminster AC), third in 22.29.
*North Wales Road Runnersentered ten members, with four GOG Triathlon members, and several other local club and social runners were well represented.
Stuart Culverhouse was the first NWRRC man to finish in 15th place in 20.42, with his JM15-17 son Joe Culverhouse next in 19th place with a new PB in 21.13.
Richard Scamans also enjoyed a promising display in 41st place in 23.38; and Kay Hatton and Cheryl Frost had a good day out with Kay 45th in 23.51, and she won her VW60 age cat, whilst Cheryl was 49th in 24.01, and she finished second in her new, and same age cat as Kay.
Three club master veterans took all three placings in their respective VM70 age category, with Barrie Wells first in 74th place in 25.20, followed by Rob Fryer 93rd in 27.21, and Don Hale, who struggled with a cold in 130th place in 29.17. Super-vet Mike Hayton was 138th, and he won his VM75 age cat in 29.28, and Steve Mason was 238th as an event tail walker in 50.33.
*The recorded GOG runners were: – Matthew Gaskin 4th, with a new PB in 19.21; Neil Vicars Harris 62nd in 24.36; Gary Jones 70th in 25.08, and Tom Simpson 108th in 28.14.
*Some other local runners of note at Conwy included: Rhys Pugh 17th with a new PB in 20.57; Josh Mottram 28th, and third in his SM18 age cat in 21.40; Andrew Roberts 78th and second in his VM60 cat in 25.37; Mike Pemberton81st in 25.52; Dave Munday 88th in 26.19; Meanwhile, Bethan Wyn Roberts and Amanda Durber ran the course together with Bethan 102nd in 27.50, and she also won her VW55 age cat, with Amanda just one place and one second adrift. John Stallard finished in 152nd place in 30.33, and Lucy Culverhouse was 176th in 32.25, with her close relative Elinor Chapman (Penny Lane Striders)194th in 34.40.
*Llangollen: Julian Ayres (Trismart) was the first finisher at the Old Railway Trail parkun at Llangollen on New Year’s Day with a good time of 17.52. He was followed a full minute later by visiting JM11-14 youngster Cruz Confue on his course debut in 18.52, with Marc Johnson third following a new PB of 19.15. *Sarah Ferguson Hudson (NWRRC) was the first female finisher (24th overall), and she also won her VW45 age cat on her debut in 24.51.
JW15-17 athlete Lydia Jones (Step it up Active) took the second spot, and she was only five-seconds adrift of Sarah despite a great effort in 24.56, whilst Alys Griffiths (Hyde Park Harriers) finished well in third place in 25.10.
*Ben and Sarah Hudson both won their age cats at the Llangollen parkrun.
*Other notable Llangollen results: Ben Hudson (NWRRC) won his VM45 cat on his course debut with a determined run in 22.40, and Wrexham AAC entered five club members with Connor Rogers the first finisher in 6th place overall in 20.05, with Glynn Thomas 9th, and he won his VM35 age cat in 21.13, whilst Mark Hughes was 67th in 29.25, and VM65 vet Charles Ashley was 74th, and he was second in his VM65 cat in 30.10, plus Rachel Nickerson-Reeves who was 121st in 53.02. *There were 124 finishers at Llangollen.
*Newborough: The highly talented Delamere family were back in action again at a very busy New Year’s Day event at the Newborough Forest parkrun, which was won by JW10 athlete William Delamere with a new PB in just 16 minutes and 23 seconds. JW10 athlete Thomas Delamere finished 5th with a new PB of 19.11, whilst VM50 John Delamere(Southport Waterloo) took 7th place in 19.20, and JW11-14 athlete Lucy Delamere was 19th in 20.34, whilst VW40 Gemma Delamere ran home in 132nd place in 27.32.
*SM20 visitor William Scott was the second finisher overall at Llangollen on his debut in18.19, with Daniel Figg (Garden City Runners) third in 18.42. *GOG Triathlon entered several members, and Simon Blain was their first finisher in 64th place overall in 24.15, with Rob Stewart 73rd in 24.48, Andrew Elwood 200th in 30.00, and Megan New 234th in 31.32. *There were 428 finishers at Llangollen.
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