REGIONAL RECORDS.........OR NOT?
The recent reference to Andy Davies (Maldwyn) setting a new North Wales 10-mile record in the Great South Run in Portsmouth has caused a bit of a debate.
Andy clocked 50.17, thus bettering Steven Henshaw's record by 20 seconds, but that prompted Gary Blackwell (Deeside) to speak up on behalf of his "big brother" Tony, one of the finest athletes North Wales has ever produced.
Gary points out that in 1988 Tony clocked 48.22 in the Ballycotton 10 and was inside 49 minutes on a few other occasions. If I remember rightly Simon Shiels also broke 50 minutes in Llandudno.
So why is Andy's time regarded as a record? The answer is that until North Wales secretary Paul Brooks began compiling the regional records in 1998, when the North Wales Regional Council came into being, no official records were kept and so many outstanding performances have been lost in the mists of time.
I'm sure some of you could come up with many other potential records e.g. how about Arwel Lewis's 2-20 marathon or several of Lynn Maddison's performances for Colwyn Bay, Wrexham or Prestatyn?
I'd love to hear from you, as I'm sure would other North Wales athletes.
The recent reference to Andy Davies (Maldwyn) setting a new North Wales 10-mile record in the Great South Run in Portsmouth has caused a bit of a debate.
Andy clocked 50.17, thus bettering Steven Henshaw's record by 20 seconds, but that prompted Gary Blackwell (Deeside) to speak up on behalf of his "big brother" Tony, one of the finest athletes North Wales has ever produced.
Gary points out that in 1988 Tony clocked 48.22 in the Ballycotton 10 and was inside 49 minutes on a few other occasions. If I remember rightly Simon Shiels also broke 50 minutes in Llandudno.
So why is Andy's time regarded as a record? The answer is that until North Wales secretary Paul Brooks began compiling the regional records in 1998, when the North Wales Regional Council came into being, no official records were kept and so many outstanding performances have been lost in the mists of time.
I'm sure some of you could come up with many other potential records e.g. how about Arwel Lewis's 2-20 marathon or several of Lynn Maddison's performances for Colwyn Bay, Wrexham or Prestatyn?
I'd love to hear from you, as I'm sure would other North Wales athletes.
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