*Pictured above - Welsh Masters Carla and Martin Green at Conwy Parkrun.
Personal best times at final parkrun event of the year.
Report by Don Hale. Photos by Steve Jeffery.
It was another good turn-out for the final parkrun of the year at Conwy last Saturday morning where a trio of talented students received full marks for a great tussle, with the first two finishers both claiming new personal best times.
Morgan Kendall (Durham City & Harriers AC), hit top form again, and he was the 1st finisher despite battling with the usual puddle-filled, muddy, and near waterlogged 5k course, and he just managed to hold off a determined challenge from rivals James Smith and Harri Jackson, both from the Menai Track & Field club.
Morgan won his SM20 age cat with a great new PB of just 16 minutes and 16 seconds, with James 2nd despite a PB of 16.49, and Harri was 3rd in 17.40. They all shared the same age cat, and it was good to note that another promising junior runner, Jack Woodhouse (Neath Harriers), won his JM10 age cat on his debut with a great run finishing 6th overall in 19.31.
The event proved to be a very fast dash throughout, with the first eight athletes all dipping under 20-minutes, and there were 211 entrants.
Gemma Moore (Eryri Harriers) was the 1st female athlete (7th overall) in 19.46, with Kelly Dicks (Great Western Runners), next home on her course debut in 20.31, and 11th overall, with junior Lexi Dundas 3rd in 20.45, and she also won her JW11-15 age cat, after finishing 15th overall.
*Pictured (left) Carla Green.
North Wales Road Runners entered eight members and claimed three age cat victories with Steve Mason leading the team home in 14th place overall in 20.46, and he won his VM45 age cat.
Adam Lemalle was the next man back, and he finished 53rd in 24.22, with Carla Green 70th in 25.34, and she won her VW50 cat.
Veteran Karen Butler ran well in 79th place, and she won her VW65 age cat in 26.00, whilst Martin Green made a welcome return to parkrun with a steady run finishing 96th in 26.46, whilst Helen Hannam claimed 3rd place in her VW45 cat in 127th place in 28.20.
Another veteran John O’Shea was 149th overall, and he was 2nd in his VM65 cat in 29.52, whilst Rachel Morris celebrated her 100th parkrun in 181st place in 34.21.
After the event, Rachel confirmed: “This was my 100th parkrun. I set a goal to get to 100 parkruns by the end of this year, and I just about scraped it by doing it on the last one of the year but I need to up my running game now, as next year’s goal is the Fire Lighter Ultra 37.5 miles.”
Welsh veteran Karen Butler (right):
*Other results: Ruthin: Steve Mason ran on Christmas Day at the Ruthin Memorial playing fields parkrun with his dog Coco. Steve was 65th overall in 25.25, and he was 3rd in his VM45 age cat, with Coco the lead runner and the first canine finisher!
*Praise was given to the run director and to all the volunteers and marshals on another challenging day for weather. And a special mention should also go to photographer Steve Jeffery; This is the link to the provisional results from Conwy: