Milder weather and a half-term boost at many NW parkruns.

*Pictured above - Martin Green with young rival Tom Vale at Conwy.

Milder weather and a half-term boost at many NW parkruns.

Report by Don Hale. Most photos by Michael Finnie.

donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025

 

The milder weather last Saturday morning and the fact that it was half-term attracted plenty of visiting athletes to the various parkruns around North Wales, with numerous personal best times recorded. 

Visting athlete Ed Slaughter (Porthcawl Runners) was the first finisher at the Llandrillo yn Rhos parkrun with a fast dash of just 16 minutes and 42 seconds, and he led home two other equally talented and fast rivals and course debutants in Martin Sutherland (Woking AC) in 17.05, and Alex Compton third in 17.46.

The first ten finishers all dipped under18-minutes, with another visitor in David Withers (Southville RC) taking the fourth place with a good run in 17.46, just ahead of Simon Cole (GOG Triathlon) 5th in 17.51, and he shared the exact same finishing time as Jonathan Kettle (NWRRC) in 6th place. 

*Teenager Tamsin Seguin (Menai T&F) was the first female finisher (13th overall) in 19.21, and she won her JW15-17 age cat, followed by Abbie Robinson, who was second with a new course PB 21.31, with Mia Williams third in 21.51.

The GOG Triathlon club provided 17 members, with many also acting as welcome pace setters along the sandy 5k promenade course, and they also had a large contingent of supporters at the start/finish to help promote their GOG Aquathon Tri Dewi fundraising event on Sunday 1st March at Eirias Park.

Their first finishers at Rhos included Simon Cole 5th in 17.51, Daniel Jones 30th in 20.45 and Andy Jones 35th in 21.09, with their first female finisher in Paula Maguire making her course debut in 220th place in 28.18, and Simon’s wife Vicky Cole, ran the course together with her children, who enjoyed their first parkrun event as runners.

Jonathan Kettle (*above left) with Simon Cole and Cheryl Frost.

*North Wales Road Runners utilised the new Rhos parkrun for the first time as part of their club 5k championship events with 15 members taking part. Jonathan Kettle led the team home in 6th place in 18.01 and he won his VM50 age cat, with Will Evans next in 15th place, with as PB in 19.22, and he was 3rd in his VM45 cat. Paddy Walsh was 43rd in 21.46; and Richard Scamans 50th with a new PB in 22.01; whilst course debutant Adam Lemalle was 56th in 22.12; and Steve Roberts 61st on his debut in 22.23.

Cheryl Frost won her VW60 age cat with a great run in 64th place, and she recorded a new course PB in 22.50, with her age cat and club colleague Kay Hatton finishing 81st and 2nd VW60, with a PB in 23.43. Master vet Rob Fryer also won his VM70 age cat in 26.19, finishing in 153rd place, and Gwen Charlton was172nd in 26.54.

Master vet Don Hale was second in his VM70 age cat, but he also collected a new course PB of 27.03 in 178th place, with Helen Hannam hot on his heels in 182nd place and another PB in 27.06. 

Meanwhile super-vet Mike Hayton continues to impress with another great effort in 268th place, and he won his VM75 age cat in 30.03, and it was good to note that VM65 member John O’Shea kept the new personal best times rolling with a solid run in 334th place in 33.32, with Gethin Wyn Jones 342nd in 34.10. *There were 8 Porth Eirias runners involved together with five from Colwyn Bay AAC, and overall, there were 452 finishers at Rhos.

*Helen Hannam (*above left) with Gwen Charlton.

*Conwy: Husband and wife super athletes Martin and Carla Green returned to form at the Conwy parkrun following a spate of individual injuries, and Martin (Meirionnydd RC) was quickly back to form as the first finisher in 19.27, but he was made to run hard all the way around by impressive JM15-17 teenager Tom Vale (Mercia Fell RC) with a new course PB of 20.15, and Lee Blundell finished third with another PB in 20.19. 

*Carla Green (NWRRC) took it steady on her return, but finished well as the 6th female, and she also won her VW50 age cat in 31st place in 24.54. *Elen Jones however was the first female finisher overall in 14th place in 22.23. with JW11-14 athlete Hannah Gregson (Birchfield Harriers) second in 23.00 on her course debut, and Katie Somerville (Burnham Joggers) came very close in third place in 23.04.*There were 121 finishers at Conwy.

*Pictured above - the start of the Conwy parkrun.

 

*Prestatyn: Sam Ashton was the first finisher at the Nova parkrun at Prestatyn with a new course PB of 18.07, and he was closely followed by Alex Ryder (Prestatyn RC) in 18.10, with Simon Gwyn Roberts(Buckley AC) third in 19.04. *The first female finisher was Eve Manifold (Prestatyn RC) in 20th place in 21.32, with Victoria Whitehead (Denbigh Harriers) second in 24.13, and Donna Griffiths (Dee Striders) third in 25.35. *And additionally, Ceri Jones (NWRRC) was 107th with a new PB in 30.46. *There were 207 finishers.

*Penrhyn: Owen Roberts claimed a new course PB at the Penrhyn Castle parkrun with an incredibly fast time of just 15.57 as the first finisher, with Russell Bentley second in in 16.15, with the third runner still unknown. And quite amazingly, the first 12 athletes all dipped under 18 minutes. *Katie Reynolds (Edinburgh University) was the first female finisher (24th overall) in 19.50, whilst Efo Baines took the second spot with a new PB in 19.56, and visitor Beca Nia Jones was third on her course debut in 21.16. *There were 247 finishers.