News Report 11th June 2006

The recent good weather has seen athletes from both Bro Dysynni A.C. and Meirionnydd Running Club turn out in force recently.

A total of 8 local athletes headed to Dinorwig for the latest race in the Eryri Harriers Tuesday Evening Summer Series. On this occasion, Adam Haynes of Rhyd led home the local contingent, claiming 8th place overall and victory in the male over-40 category in a time of 40.44mins. The next local finisher, making a welcome return to his first competitive race for a long while was Tristan Evans of Dolgellau, finishing in 47.00mins. He was followed by Graeme Stringer of Arthog in 49.10mins whilst Will Haynes of Rhyd followed in his father  with a strong finish in 50.37mins. The next Meirionnydd Running Club finisher was Nich Bradley of Dolgellau in 51.17mins with Bob Chilton of Bro Dysynni finishing shortly afterwards in 52.00mins. The final local duo to finish on this occasion were Iori Jones of Dolgellau in 52.34mins and Andrea Goode of Arthog, putting in her final preparations before her debut in this weekends Three Peaks Yacht Race, as she finished in 54.12mins.

A further 8 athletes headed to Powys for the Newtown Carnival 5k Road race. On this occasion, the local contingent were led home by Dewi Roberts of Blaenau Ffestiniog, claiming a 4th place finish in 18.29mins. He was followed home by Jos Jones of Tywyn who pipped Nigel Evans of Dolgellau in respective times of 20.04mins and 20.11mins. There was the usual strong performance from Richard Griffiths of Tywyn, home in 22.47mins, whilst Kate Williams of Aberdyfi continues to impress, on this occasion finishing in 27.42mins. After her age group category victory in the Newtown 10k race, Eirlys Griffiths of Tywyn showed well to finish in 37.14mins with team-mates Helen Williams of Aberdyfi finishing just behind her in 37.17mins with Dolgellau veteran Sheila Symonds following in 38.00mins.

A trio of local athletes also competed in the gruelling Welsh 1000 metres fell race which incorporates an ascent of Ogwen, Pen-Y-Pass and Snowdon with the race starting at Aber near Bangor. With the hot weather decimating the number of race finishers, Owen Rees of Bro Dysynni was justifiably happy with his excellent overall finishing time of 5hrs 20.14mins which claimed an overall 19th place finish. Two places behind him was Tony Hodgson of Llanelltyd, who tomorrow (Friday) will be participating in the 90k Comrades Ultra-Marathon in South Africa, who finished his final preparation race strongly in 5hrs 27.41mins. In the shorter race on the day, which started at Ogwen, there was overall victory for Adam Haynes of Meirionnydd Running Club, the 1st of 30 starters home in 1hr 50.06mins.

As mentioned above, Tony Hodgson of Llanelltyd will, this Friday, be competing at the 90k Comrades UItra-Marathon Race run between Durban and Pietermaritzburg in South Africa, alongside another athlete with local connections, namely Adrian Bailey, originally of Barmouth, but now based out of Queenstown, New Zealand. Last month the Llanelltyd athlete was also competing in another gruelling stamina based event, namely the Scotish Islands Peaks race, a combined sailing and running event taking in the islands of Oban, Mull, Jura and Aran on the west coast of Scotland before finishing in Troon. A combined time of 46hrs 30.52mins ensured the local team on board the Lightning Reflex claimed an overall 18th placed finish.

To complete the busy period of racing, Barrie Jackson of Bala claimed victory in the male over-65 category at the recent Mynydd Myfyr Hill Run held in Trefonen, near Oswestry, in a time of 30.48mins whilst Dewi Roberts claimed a tremendous 36th placed finish of the 1892 finishers at the Shell Chester Half marathon in a time of 1hr 20.58mins.

A.Unwin