Valentine’s Day entrants beat the frost at Rhos and shared their love of running.

*Pictured above - the start of the Llandrillo yn Rhos parkrun last Saturday.

Valentine’s Day entrants beat the frost at Rhos and shared their love of running.

Report by Don Hale. Photos by Michael Finnie and Bill Scriven.

donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025

 

Heavy overnight frost morning forced the cancellation of five parkruns throughout North Wales last Saturday morning, but the surviving Valentine’s Day events proved a love of running, and especially at Llandrillo yn Rhos, where yet another bumper attendance created a tremendous atmosphere.

Despite a rather sandy and challenging 5k promenade course, this event is proving to be a magnet each week for visiting runners – and particularly for elite club athletes - with debutants again accounting for seven out of the first ten finishers.

Talented visiting athlete Paul Jones (Shrewsbury AC) was the first finisher at Rhos on his course debut in just 16 minutes and 50 seconds, but local footballer Aaron Dodwell gave him a good chase in second place in 17.09, with newcomer Keelan Hopewell (Solihull & Small Heath) third in 17.26. 

*The first female finisher was debutant Sophie Hunt (17th overall) in 19.58, with fellow visitor Millicent Fakande was second in 20.21, with Elin Jones third in 20.28. *There were 443 finishers at Rhos.

 

*Above left - the first finisher at Rhos was Paul Jones, and next is the first female finisher Sophie Hunt, with (*right) Joe Culverhouse.

*North Wales Road Runners entered thirteen members with youngster Joe Culverhouse leading the team home in 16th place with a new PB in 19.46, and yet remarkably, due to the outstanding strength of junior competition, he could only achieve third place in his respective JM15-17 age cat. Joe’s father Stuart Culverhouse finished in 18th place on his 250th parkrun, and he won his VM50 cat in 19.59.

*Elizabeth Driscoll with her dog Winston (*above left), with Gwen Charlton and Hannah Griffith at the Llandrillo yn Rhos parkrun event.

James Jones enjoyed a good performance in 73rd place in 23.43, and marathon man Mal Preece was in fine form in 81st place with a new course PB in 24.04, whilst Mal’s grandson Euan Preece also ran well, and he finished 10th on his debut, and he was second in his JM15-17 cat in 19.16.

Gwen Charlton continues to impress and she was 138th with a new PB in 26.34, and master veteran Rob Fryer ran well, and he won his VM70 cat in 140th place 26.37, with fellow master Don Hale 183rd and second VM70 in 27.48. Helen Hannam was another speed-merchant, and she too claimed a new course PB of 28.53 in 230th place.

And Gethin Wyn Jones ran without his baby buggy this week and he too claimed a new PB of 30.00 in 253rd place, whilst running with recovering club mate Steve Mason in 255th place in 30.03.  Veteran John O’Shea was 351st in 34.46, and Elizabeth Driscoll and her dog Winston completed the course with colleague Hannah Griffith in 393rd and 394th places in a shared time of 40.41.

  

*Pictured above left - Stuart Culverhouse, who completed his 250th parkrun, with Gwen Charlton, Rob Fryer and Helen Hannam.

*There were ten GOG Triathlon members involved with Gareth Bowyer their first club finisher in 20th place with a new PB of 20.03; Daniel Jones was the second runner in 27th place in 20.38, with Andy Jones 33rd in 21,06; and their first female finisher was Andria Grove in 228th place with a new course PB in 28.49.

*Porth Eirias Runners entered eight members with VW65 athlete Alan Hackett first in 193rd place in 28.03, and Tal Michael was 217th in 28.33, with Barry Palmer 283rd in 31.17; and their first female finisher was Paula Crutchley in 327th place in 33.06.

 

*Dolgellau: NWRRC members Ben and Sarah Hudson took part in the Dolgellau parkrun last Saturday and they both won their respective VM45 and FV45 age categories. As debutants, Ben finished 6th overall in 23.02, and Sarah was 11th, and the third female, in 25.14. *There were 53 finishers.

 

*Richard Scamans (*above) left at Glossop parkrun, with Ben and Sarah Hudson, who ran at the Shrewsbury parkrun.

*Glossop: Meanwhile another NWRRC member, Richard Scamans, made his course debut in the Glossop parkrun in the High Peak, and he finished 38th in 24.30, and was third in his VM50 age cat. Afterwards he remarked: “It was cold, hilly and I had to dodge some tree roots but well worthwhile.” *There were 168 finishers.

*Penrhyn: The first finisher at the Penrhyn Castle parkrun was Andrew Douse with a new PB in 18.00, with Phil Lynessecond in 18.58, and Nicolas Seguin third in 19.10. *JW15-17 athlete Tamsin Seguin (Menai T&F) was the first female finisher (6th overall) in 20.09, with Lizzie Richards second with a new PB in 22.09, and another JW15-17 youngster in Alys Pritchard finished third in 23.56. 

*Some local runners of note at Penrhyn included: Laura McKenzie (Betsi Runaways) 32nd in 24.31; and identical twins Amanda and Karen Durber ran together with Bethan Wyn Roberts and they finished in 85-87th placings in 28.51 to 28.53, with Bethan narrowly ahead of her friends *There were 173 finishers.

*Bethan Wyn Roberts (*above left) with twins Karen and Amanda Durber.

*Prestatyn: JM15-17 athlete Lewis Morris (West Cheshire) was the first finisher at the Nova parkrun at Prestatyn with a great new PB of 16.56, but it was a close contest with visitor Nathan Trueman second on his course debut in 17.03, and Findlay Sullivan third despite a PB in 17.15. 

*Hayley McEwan (Esporta) was the first female finisher at Nova (19th overall) in 22.18, with visitor Egg Cameron (Macclesfield Harriers) second on her debut in 22.52, and Amos Howellwas third on her debut in 23.39. *There were 258 finishers.

*Newborough: Debutant James Lucas was the first finisher at the Newborough Forest parkrun in 18.39, and William Elgan Jones was second in 19.59, with another newcomer in JW11-14 athlete Thomas Fotheringham (Trafford AC) claimed the third spot in 20.19. 

*JW11-14 runner Chloe Catteroll was the first female finisher (16th overall) with a new PB of 22.38, and Sian Jones was the runner-up in 24.10, with Cerys Jones third in 24.11. *There were 178 finishers.