Local runners in top form at the Chester half-marathon.
*Pictured above - Jon Evans from NWRRC who was a two-hour pacer.
Local runners in top form at the Chester half-marathon.
Report by Don Hale.
There was a massive entry of over 700 elite, club, and mixed ability athletes at the Essa Chester half marathon last Sunday with several North Wales runners celebrating some superb finishing times and placings.
Tomos Roberts and Martin Green were two top members representing Meirionnydd RC, with Tomos 8th in 1.08.54, and he won his MV35 age cat, with colleague Martin also winning his MV50 cat in 23rd place in 1.15.15.
And full credit to another North Wales star in Steffan Sayer (Menai T&F) who was 20th in 1.14.42, and fellow Welshman Matthew Collins (Oswestry Olympians) in 1.07.58.
The overall race was won by Jack White (City of Norwich) in 1.05.56, followed by Luke Burgess (Bristol & West) in 1.06.09, and Welshman Josh Griffiths (Swansea Harriers) in 1.06.29. *The first female finisher was Abbey Van Dijk (Run4u &Perform) – 40th overall – in 1.18.09, with Melissah Gibson (100 Marathon Club) second (44) in 1.18.51, and Victoria Knight (Cambridge & Coleridge) third (72) in 1.21.45.
*North Wales Road Runners had five entries, and Jonathan Kettle led the team home in 66th place in 1.21.20, and he was 4th in his MV50 age cat; with Carla Green 677th, and seventh in her FV50 age cat, despite a good run in 1.35.42, and Adam Lemalle was 1,007th in 1.40.27.
Veteran Steve Roberts finished in 2,042nd place in 1.49.51, and Jon Evans performed well as the two-hour pacemaker, and he arrived dead on time once again in 2.00.11 in 3,476th place.
*Some additional local runners included: 83rd, Iain Burgess 1.22.08; 2452 Catherine Roberts 1.52.95; 4070 Gemma Thomas (GOG Triathlon) 2.04.05; 5886 Mandy Owen 2.25.31; and 6651 Rachel Morris in 2.42.53. And well done to Gemma Moore (Eryri Harriers) who was a tail runner at Chester in 6,873 place in 2.49.06.
*Porth Eirias Runners (PER) only had two runners, with Mark Downey in 5412 place, as their first finisher in 2.17.40, and Paula Crutchley (5931) in 2.25.58. *There were 7,078 finishers altogether at Chester.
*After the event, some local runners commented:
*
Jonathan Kettle: “Suffering from start to finish but refused to give up. It’s what this wonderful sport is all about. The bad times and races make the good one mean even more. Maybe I need a coach again to get the focus back. Onwards and upwards to the next one.”
Jon Evans: “Always a pleasure to pace at the Chester Half, this morning was no exception. 1:59:37 chip. Lots of happy grateful customers! Saw loads of race crew today and I’ve tried to tag you all! Really comfortable run so big thanks to Rhian Roxburgh and at Triroxtraining.’
Adam Lemalle: "Not sure where that came from, kept with the 1:40 pacer throughout then pushed hard at the end. Absolutely knackered. Next up: Deganwy Dash."
Mandy Owen: “That was tough. Had to wing the second half as I haven’t trained for it. But quite happy with chip time 2:25:31 (usually do this one in about 2:10 so not too bad). And now to work!”
*Pictured right - Mandy Owen at the Chester half-marathon.
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