The Beast

BROWN CONQUERS THE BEAST


 The name may be daunting, but a record number of runners fancied their chances against The Beast, the fell-race at Maeshafn, near Mold.

 The race attracted a large number from over the border, but the winner was Buckley's Jez Brown.

 Results: 1 J Brown (Buckley, M40) 35.36, 2 K Steinegger (Ambleside) 36.33, 3 C Fitzpatrick (Pennine, M40) 36.53, 4 D Fishwick (Chorley, M40) 37.15, 5 D Phillips (Vale R) 37.34, 6 D Boothby (Wrecsam Tri) 37.55. U23: T de Jong (Helsby) 41.24. M50: 1 S Toogood (Buck) 39.55, 2 I Lancaster (Tattenhall) 40.00, 3 J Randall (Meirinnydd) 41.23. M60: 1 M Foschi Helsby) 47.13, 2 A French (Wrex) 47.32, 3 A Garnett (Spectrum) 47.53. M70: 1 N Pratten (Wirral) 59.57, 2 P Jones (Prestatyn) 60.13, 3 J Thomas (Buck) 70.26.
 Ladies: 1 K Foster (Spectrum, L50) 46.20, 2 J Parry (Pensby, L40) 47.44, 3 A Lewis (Pensby, L40) 48.09. L40: 3 J Ashbrook (Pensby) 48.59. L50: 2 D Rutherford (Pensby) 54.31, 3 K Stott (Tattenhall) 54.32. L60: K Lamberton (Pensby) 73.52.
 

Off-Road GP (1)

JONES RESUMES WHERE HE LEFT OFF

Deeside's Lee Jones, winner of Deestriders' Off-Road Grand Prix series last year, opened the new series in the same fashion, finishing 18 seconds clear of Dean Longley (Prestatyn).

 Results: 1 L Jones (Deeside, M40) 25.26, 2 D Longley (Prest) 25.44, 3 V Van Woerkom (Chester Tri, M35) 26.45, 4 A Campbell (Wrecsam Tri, M35) 27.51, 5 C Thompson (Helsby) 28.03, 6 A Clague (West Chesh, M45) 28.15. JM: A Ryder (Prest) 31.47. M40: 2 P Stinton (Buckley) 29.18, 3 M Austin (Buckley) 30.22. M45: 2 G Blackwell (Dee) 28.37, 3 E Davies (Buck) 28.53. M50: 1 K Begley (Chester Tri) 29.59, 2 K Challinor (Dee) 31.52, 3 D Davies (Prest) 33.02. M55: 1 G Jones (Prest) 28.26, 2 S Bellis (Buck) 30.48, 3 D McAllister (Wallasey) 33.33. M60: 1 P Weatherhead (Wirral) 32.48, 2 A French (Wrex) 33.21, 3 G Shone (Abergele) 36.05. M65: 1 S Hatfield (Prest) 36.20, 2 M Davis (Prest) 41.08, 3 R Mackey (Buck) 43.14. M70: B Beattie (West Chesh) 44.54.
 Ladies: 1 S Roberts(Pensby, L35) 31.07, 2 A Muller (West Chesh) 32.53, 3 H Johnson (E Port, L40) 34.05, 4 B Tiedtke (Prest, L50) 35.14, 6 H Evans (Buck, L35) 35.27.

Big Welsh Trail

A FAMILY AFFAIR IN THE FOREST

The Big Welsh Trail 10k in Llandegla forest was won by Stockport's Jamie Loxam, with his father-in-law Edward Davies coming third.

 The age-ranges were also broad in the ladies' race, with veteran Helen Davies coming first and followed by teenager Bronwen Jenkinson.

 Results: 1 J Loxam (Stockport) 40.44, 2 O Roberts 45.09, 3 E Davies (Mald, M50) 46.49, 4 H Davies (Wrecsam Tri, L40)  48.12, 5 A Poole 49.21, 6 C Thompson 49.37. M40: 1 R Foggin (Osw) 52.40, 2 R Chipperton 54.30, 3 D Kinder 55.56. M50: 2 P Cain 50.09, 3 S Phillips 51.49. M60: 1 E Edwards (Eryri) 51.11, 2 G Brier 60.20, 3 B Hargreaves 75.21.
 Ladies: 1 Davies, 2 B Jenkinson (Eryri) 51.14, 3 J Loxam 52.49. L40: 2 N Wright Morgan (Menai) 58.16, 3 R Roberts 59.48. L50: 1 K Hatton (NWRR) 57.02, 2 J Riley 59.17, 3 T Spink 63.17.

Big Trail Half-Marathon: 1 M Kallenberg (Cardiff) 1-24.25, 2 P Jones (Osw, M40) 1-26.09, 3 R Heath (M40) 1-35.38, 4 A Campbell (Wrecsam Tri, M35) 1-36.51, 5 J Fellick (Wallasey, M40) 1-37.44, 6 T Gardner 1-37.55. M50: 1 B Jonesn1-56.42, 2 D Snell 2-02.55. M60: S Hill 2-16.07.
 Ladies: 1 S Caskey (Bangor Uni) 1-49.49, 2 L Morley (Wrexham, L40) 1-50.22, 3 J Cox (L40) 1-55.31. L40: 3 L Marsden (Swinton) 1-58.01. L50: 1 T Budd 2-08.48, 2 K Stott (Tattenhall) 2-11.51, 3 T James 2-12.25.

3 Hills race

SPILL SETS ANOTHER RECORD

Teenager John Spill gave another impressive performance in winning the tough Three Hills race at Dwygyfylchi, the eighth in the Joe Brown Tuesday night series - and he set  yet another course record in the process.

 He was followed by fellow teenager Iolo Hughes, with Paul Jenkinson and Mark Davies then crossing the line together.

 At the other end of the age-scale, Buckley's John Morris also set a new M70 course record.

 Results: 1 J Spill (ua, U18) 29.55, 2 I Hughes (Menai, U18) 31.30, 3 (eql) P Jenkinson (Eryri, M40), M Davies (NWRR) 32.56, 5 C Muskett (ua) 33.31, 6 C Allen (ua) 35.28. U16: R Cain (Menai) 37.07. M40: 2 G Porter-Jones (Eryri) 37.33, 3 I Rowlands (Cybi) 37.51. M50: 1 P Jones (ua) 38.02, 2 A Lewis (Eryri) 38.59, 3 K Rowlands (Eryri) 39.38. M60: D Whiteside-Thomas (Eryri)39.57. M70: J Morris (Buckley) 42.04.

 Ladies: 1 G Lees (ua) 39.09, 2 N Albiston (ua) 40.15, 3 E Farrar (Eryri, L50) 41.24, 4 S Barnwell (Eryri, L40) 41.48, 5 H Turner (Eryri) 42.33. L50: 2 E Salisbury (Eryri) 43.13.

Athlete's Profile (20)

ATHLETE'S PROFILE (20)

NAME: Eluned - though most people these days refer to me as Ellie Salisbury 

CLUB: ERYRI HARRIERS 

ANY PREVIOUS CLUBS: No 

AGE AND DATE OF BIRTH: 53-  DoB 04/03/1961 

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN COMPETING: Since my first fell race - the evening, Summer version of the Llyn Elsi race, 1986 

ANY OTHER SPORTS PLAYED: mountain biking, road biking, horse-riding, skiing 

OTHER HOBBIES OR INTERESTS: Travelling - I’ve just returned from Iceland, where my partner & I finished 3rd in the Icelandic Mountain Marathon, & where we climbed up a glaciated volcano, & where I enjoyed the most amazing, very fast long ride on an Icelandic horse on a lonely beach, with Arctic terns & an eagle for company.  Music -  I sing with the Monteverdi Singers in Bangor, & with Cantamus, a local chamber choir. I also play the violin & various recorders. 

FAVOURITE RACING DISTANCE: 2-day mountain marathons 

FAVOURITE RACE AND WHY: The Moel Wnion Race – it’s in March, so it’s never sunny (I hate running in the heat), it’s got 4 climbs/descents (I hate flat terrain), it’s short enough not to hurt too much, & it’s in my favourite area – the Northern Carneddau, which I think of as my back garden.  

FAVOURITE TRAINING SESSION:  I don’t do any training sessions! I just run or bike in the hills every day with my dog, Elsi 

PROUDEST MOMENT:  I have four very proud moments, & I’m finding it difficult to chose between them:

• running on the Welsh ladies fell-running team in Ireland in 2001 – amazing to wear that red & white vest
• getting to the top of the Ngozumpa Glacier at about 19,000ft (the longest glacier in the Himalays, & stretching below Cho Oyu, the 6th highest mountain in the world)  – fantastic to be able to take a photo of the North face of Everest in the Winter
• finishing second overall in the Medium Score Class of the Karrimor International Mountain Marathon with Adrian, my partner, in the Cheviots in 2002, being narrowly beaten by a pair of very fit-looking Swiss gentlemen!
• arriving in Perpignan with two of my best friends last Summer, having left Biarritz 5+1/2 days before, & having cycled about 800kms, unsupported, across the Pyrenees  

WHOM DO YOU MOST ADMIRE (INSIDE ATHLETICS AND OUT) AND WHY:  Inside athletics – Steve Redgrave.  Like him, I’m an insulin dependent diabetic, so his amazing achievements have been an inspiration to me.  Outside athletics – my mother!!  She’s an amazing, independent, quietly confident, selfless lady.  How many other 86 year old would visit Kracow then Budapest on their own, & attempt to learn to speak Hungarian?!

 

ANY PERSONAL AMBITIONS:  I’d like to visit St Petersburg & then to climb Mount Elbrus, the highest mountain in Europe. 

ANY REGRETS:  I wish I’d started fell running as a junior, & had the opportunity to train with a coach like our Eryri juniors are fortunate to do now.  Although I ran XC & 800m for the old county of Denbighshire while at school, I had no idea that a sport called fell-running existed until I was in University, & at no time was I lucky enough to be coached.

 

ANY EMBARRASSING EXPERIENCES:  When I ‘collapsed’ on The Cadair Idris race a couple of years ago.  It was very hot, & I was obviously dehydrated, & since dogs aren’t allowed on that route, I didn’t have Elsi, my diabetic assistance dog, with me. I had a terrible race, & my legs just buckled just before re-joining the road towards the end.  Because my blood glucose had dropped too low, my muscles wouldn’t work, & so an elderly spectator had to lift me off the ground & help me to get going.  She offered to drive me back, bless her, but 4 jelly babies later, I managed to restart my pathetically-slow jog. Having to be driven back to the finish would have been even more embarrassing than having to be lifted off the ground by someone twice my age!  I learnt a few lessons that day.

WHAT CHANGES (IF ANY) WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE IN THE SPORT: I’d prefer not to get involved with politics here........!

 

Welsh T & F Champs

JOHNCOCK HAS GLASGOW IN SIGHTS

Former Colwyn Bay sprinter Rachel Johncock (Swansea) is hoping she has done enough to persuade the selectors to include her in the Wales Commonwealth Games.

 In the Welsh senior championships and trials in Cardiff she won the 100m in a "B" standard qualifying time of 11.45 - and she could have Welsh Athletics' performance coach Scott Simpson to thank if she is Glasgow-bound.

 He decided that the 100m should be switched to take advantage of a 1.7 metre-per-second wind, and that was enough for Johncock, who just missed the qualifying time in the heat, to scrape through.

 Deeside's Shannon Malone was 3rd in her heat to make it into the final, where she finished 7th in 11.94.

 Liverpool-based hammer-thrower Osian Jones, another with a B standard already secured, had to settle for second place after Jonathan Edwards (Plymouth) beat his previous best by two metres to set a new championship record of 66.28m.

 In the ladies' hammer Laura Douglas (Sale) also claimed silver behind her long-standing rival and Commonwealth medallist Carys Parry.

 Owen Smith (ex-Deeside) proved he is right back from injury by winning the 400m in 47.73 while teenager Adele Nichol also took gold in the shot.

 Sian Swanson (Swansea, ex-Maldwyn) was another to claim a national title with a best effort of 11.33 in the triple jump.

 Hannah Thomas (Wrexham), who had been hoping to boost her chances of going to Glasgow, was 2nd in her 200m heat but was 5th in the final in 24.11.

 Her clubmate Megan Rogers took bronze in the 440m in 55.21, and Chloe Jones (Wrex) was 8th in 59.74.

 There were shocks for two of the North's most experienced competitors, Olympian Gareth Warburton (Cardiff) from Caernarfon, and Welsh record-holder Sally Peake (Birchfield) from Hawarden, both being beaten into second place in the 800m and pole-vault respectively.

Abersoch 10k

VAUGHAN CASHES IN

Two days after helping to deliver the Queen's Baton to the summit of Snowdon Alun Vaughan literally came down to sea level for a nice pay-day.

 For the second year running he won the Abersoch 10k, picking up a £300 bonus. His time of 33.04 was slightly down on 2013 but he was still well clear of runner-up John Heap.

 The 3k beach run was won by teenager Ryan Cain (Menai) who was first U16 in Thursday's Baton 5k in Caernarfon.

 Results: 1 A Vaughan (Eryri) 33.04, 2 J Heap (M40) 34.49, 3 S Sayer (Menai) 35.03. Ladies: 1 J Evans (L35) 37.14, 2 L Finch (Wigan Phoenix, L35) 41.13, 3 L Liver 41.53.

3k: R Cain (Menai) 12.39.