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Rhyl Journal
09-06-2025
- Sport
- Rhyl Journal
Prestatyn Running Club members take on Welsh Castles Relay
For 17 of the 20-strong squad, it was a new experience, and though the standard of competition was higher than ever, they did the club proud. The team finished a creditable 48th overall. The team finished a creditable 48th overall. (Image: Submitted) Less than 24 hours after completing mountain stages in the relay, Ben Thomas and Oliver Birch-Jones were in action again in different triathlons. Ben took on the tough Slateman Tri in Llanberis, a tough enough challenge on its own, and finished in 4-18.42. Oliver opted for the Boundary Breeze Sprint Tri in Manchester, coming a brilliant 19th out of 120. In the Slateman Sprint Tri in Llanberis, second-claim member Chris Bennett finished 31st in 1-45.44. Four of the club's ladies also hit the trails again on Saturday (June 7), competing in the 27.1-mile Pilgrim Marathon on the Lleyn Peninsula, with Sue Hughes winning her age group in 6-31. Ally Reid kept her company throughout. Helen Alefounder and Cara Jones finished in 9-15, with Ann Claire Jones four minutes behind them. 10 of the relay squad had warmed up two days earlier by turning out in the first fixture of Deestriders' Off-Road Grand Prix series in Shotton. In fact, 24 club members took part, representing more than 25 per cent of the total field, and 12 of them gained podium places. Marc Jones, the club's road runner of the year, was its only representative in the Llanrug 5k, which incorporated the North Wales championships. True to form, he won the M60 class in both the open race and championship, clocking 20.36. The previous weekend, the club's mountain specialists and joint captains Lee Bailey and Gareth Jones took on one of the region's toughest challenges in the Welsh 1,000s, regarded as a classic event. The 32k race starts on the coast at Abergwyngregyn and finishes on the summit of Yr Wyddfa, and this year it was more testing than usual, with 50kph winds on the peaks. The event incorporated the Welsh Fell Running Championship long race, and Lee, who finished 24th overall, won the M40 class in about five hours and 30 minutes. Gareth also had a superb run, coming 54th out of 142, finishing about half an hour behind Lee. Elsewhere, Zack Webster has been on his travels, clocking 53.08 in the Geneva 10k. Nova parkrun: 1 Tom Carter 17.00 (pb), 20 Jamie Betts 22.32, 36 Reg Jonas 24.19, 38 Neil Davidson 24.24 (pb), 41 Will Lines 24.35, 42 Lisa Lines 24.36, 56 Philip Howarth 25.40, 104 Andy Scott: 29.00, 196 Steve Hatfield 38.18, 221 Suzanne Evans 60.23, 222 Nicki Triggs 60.24, 229 Julie Evans 53.24. Other parkruns: Greenfield Valley: 18 Steve Weedman 24.58. Holkham (Norfolk): 86 Debbie Jones 28.22. Black Ropcks (Matlock): 56 Martin Cortvriend 23.34.
Rhyl Journal
28-04-2025
- Sport
- Rhyl Journal
Prestatyn runners take part in Manchester & London Marathons
Jonah clocked 3-06, and although it wasn't quite what he had hoped for, he was justifiably pleased. "I struggled from 18 miles and was glad to finish, but was happy overall," he said. On his marathon debut in the same race, Craig Smith finished in 3-37.09. Four club members were among the 56,000 who lined up in London, and another in-form athlete, George Williams, clocked 3-08.37, five minutes inside the PB he set in Chester last year. Andy Parry, Dan Liddle and Zack Webster were all making their debuts at the distance. Andy finished in 3-30.10 and Dan, about 40 years after his parents Graham and Susie, who were also club members, ran in London, clocked 3-50.34. Zack, who went through halfway in 2-25, was forced to pull out. Meanwhile, although she failed to gain a place in the actual line-up, Ally Reid completed the virtual London Marathon, finishing in 4-44-23 to earn her medal and T-shirt. The weekend's parkruns provided a boost not only for individual members, but for the club as a whole. In June, the club will be fielding a team in the Welsh Castles Relay for the first time since 2019, a reflection of the club's current strength and status. Only three of the 20 members selected for the team have competed in the two-day event in the past but hopes are high, and five of them produced personal bests in Saturday's parkruns. In total, 10 members recorded PBs on the day. Among them were Tom Carter, who chalked up another victory in the Nova race, and Arwel Jones, the club's most experienced Castles participant, who has run all but three of the race's 20 stages. Placings: 1 Tom Carter 17.15 (pb), 9 Jamie Betts 20.21, 10 Lewis Pierce 20.32 (pb), 59 Martin Cortvriend 24.50, 61 Arwel Jones 24.55 (pb), 283 Neil Davidson 63.46 (Parkwalker). Greenfield Valley: 5 Dave Ellis 20.36, 10 Darrell Jones 22.33, 13 Judah Eastwell 22.53 (pb), 17 Marc Jones 23.16 (pb), 23 Meg Lewis 24.12 (pb), 28 Helen Ashworth 24.59, 30 Steve Weedman 25.12, 38 Philip Howarth 26.10, 39 Vic Manley 26.19, 44 Will Lines 27.04, 45 Lisa Lines 27.04, 57 Sophie Johnson 28.01, 62 Cathy Wood 28.37 (pb), 70 Rachel Jackson 29.11 (pb), 74 Debbie Jones 29.21, 84 Debbie Weedman 30.58, 86 Mandy Cartwright 31.01, 89 Mike Davis 31.25 (pb), 97 Emma Birchall 33.25, 102 Clare Manley 34.16, 117 Steve Hatfield 39.36. Ruthin: 3 Darren Thompson 20.44 (pb). Dolgellau: 22 Helen Alefounder 30.00. The run of good form was not limited to the parkrunners, either, as seven members turned in praiseworthy performances in the latest event in the Tuesday Night Fellraces. The infamous 3 Hills race at Penmaenmawr is probably the steepest in the series, but the Prestatyn members were undaunted. Off-road captain Lee Bailey once again led by example, coming 18th in 36.18, and he was followed by Gareth Jones (38th in 41.05), Ben Thomas (61st in 45.22), Ceri Vaughan (71st in 47.52), Mark Dakeyne (109yj in 53.59), Martin Cortvriend (115th in 55.26), Nem James (129th in 71.07) and Nicki Triggs (130th in 71.09). After a successful trial last week the club will be hosting the Borders League relays at the Ffrith Park on May 7, and it is hoped that those members not selected for any of the club teams will turn out to help on the night. The race will be followed by the presentation of League awards.
