Don Hale
Mar 27, 20232 min
Outstanding win for Josh Keogh at Colwyn Bay Metric Marathon.
Report by Don Hale. Photos by Steve Jeffery. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com
North Wales Road Runner Josh Keogh was the outstanding winner of the Colwyn Bay Metric Marathon last Sunday, finishing almost two minutes ahead of his nearest rival.
The popular all-round athlete, who combines road races, with fell running, trail, and endurance events, set a hot pace throughout despite a blustery headwind, and he proved a worthy champion of this challenging Metric Marathon, which also proved to be an ideal warm-up for the forthcoming London (full) Marathon.
Starting from the athletics track at Eirias Park, Colwyn Bay, this event attracted some 425 mixed ability finishers from across the UK, over a new and testing course, that became a race of two halves due to a strong and persistent sea breeze.
Josh also won his M21-24 age cat in a fast chip time of just 1 hour 35 minutes and 14 seconds, with Steffan Sayer(Menai Track & Field) finishing 2nd in 1.37.11, and Sean Warburton (Salford Harriers) 3rd in 1.37.57.
The 1st female athlete was Olivia Ashton (Deestriders RC) in 1.49.52 in 14th place overall, with Tinka Vinks (Breda, Netherlands) 2nd in 1.51.07, in 19th place, and 3rd was Gemma Moore (Eryri Harriers), who finished in 1.54.47 in 28th place.
NWRRC entered twelve members and claimed six podium places including five exceptional first-place age category victories. Josh Keogh led the team home with club newcomer Rob Evans next in 9th place overall in 1.46.53, and he also won his M35 age cat.
Iwan Evans (*pictured left) finished 24th in 1.52.21, and Stuart Culverhouse ran well to win his MV50 cat in 37th place in 1.58.41. Ben Hudson gave chase but eventually had to settle for 41st place in 2.02.15, with Ben’s wife Sarah Ferguson Hudson winning her FV40 age cat as the 6th female, in 63rd place overall, in 2.07.22.
Jamie Tharme made a successful return from injury to finish in 65th place in 2.08.22, with Mal Preece 85th in 2.15.44; and Nicola Wylie celebrated another fine run by winning her FV55 cat in 2.20.22, with Cheryl Frost in close pursuit and claiming the 2nd spot in the same age cat as Nicola, finishing in 117th place overall in 2.21.04.
And it was good to see Helen Hannam back in competitive action amidst her heavy marathon training, and she was thrilled by her time of 2.37.29 in 206th place, and Gwennan Charlton also enjoyed her run in 331st place in 3.02.55.
*Pictured above - Ben and Sarah Hudson.
*This is the link to the provisional results from the Metric Marathon: