News Report 13^th October 2008

Constant overnight rain and thick, low cloud led to the organisers of last Saturday's Rhinog Horseshoe Fell Race in Llanbedr with no alternative but to alter the original course which originally included a planned ascent of all 4 peaks which make up the Rhinog range.

Instead, the race committee decided to re-route the event to a shorter, 8 mile course from Llanbedr, to the peak of Moelfre, before returning to Llanbedr for the race finish outside the Victoria Hotel.

This, given the poor conditions, still represented a tough 8 mile fell racing challenge, a challenge which was however met by eventual race winner, Lloyd Taggart (Dark Peak AC), who completed the event in an impressive time of 1hr 05.33mins. Having won the female section of the Penmaenpool 10 Mile Trail race the previous Saturday, Louise Barker (Aberystwyth AC) returned to the area to plunder further success in the female category, on this occasion victorious in a time of 1hr 26.25mins. In an event which attracted a sole affiliated local competitor, Tony Hodgson (Meirionnydd Running Club) of Llanelltyd came home, to take the local plaudits, in a time of 1hr 46.20mins.

Results

Tony Hodgson (centre with yellow gloves) of Llanelltyd at the start of last Saturdays shortened Rhinog Horseshoe Fell Race.

Another recent off-road event held locally was the 6.7mile Arenig Fawr Fell Race in Bala, an event which included a total of 1,900 feet of climbing. Race winner was again Lloyd Taggart, on this occasion, in a time of 53.52mins. There were five locally affiliated athletes amongst the 59 race finishers, the first of these home, in an overall 9th place, was Steve Gilliland of Tywyn, the Bro Dysynni athlete completing the challenge in a time of 1hr 03.39mins. There then followed a quartet of Meirionnydd Running Club athletes as John Smith came home in 1hr 21.20mins, Nic Bradley of Dolgellau in 1hr 24.36mins, Kevin Evans of Brithdir in 1hr 25.42mins and Victor Gretton in 1hr 45.59mins.

As ever, the onset of Autumn also sees the commencement of the cross country season and Colwyn Bay recently played host to the first of the five fixtures which make up the 2008-09 North Wales Grand Prix Express Cross Country League.

Six athletes from Bro Dysynni made the trip to Eirias Park to represent their club. In the ladies section, Brenda Jones led home the Dysynni trio in a time of 24.42mins, to be followed by Yolanda Marconi-Nolan in 27.26mins and Marj Griffiths of Aberystwyth in a time of 28.04mins. There male counterparts were led home by Richard Griffiths of Tywyn in a time of 42.14mins, with a free from injury John Nolan following in 46.04mins and Barrie Jackson of Bala completing the team in a time of 46.35mins.

A.Unwin