Celtic Games

SHANNON FLOWS IN IRELAND

With names like her's it was no surprise that Deeside sprinter Shannon Malone felt at home in "Dublin's Fair City" where put on a sparkling performance in the Celtic Games.

 Despite a headwind she won the U18 100 metres in 12.10 seconds, a performance which earned her the award for the outstanding performance by a Welsh female. In the same race Colwyn Bay's Moli Jones clocked 13.23.

 Shannon, along with Commonwealth Games athlete Hannah Brier, were in the 4 x 100 relay team which set a Games record of 44.90.

 The three North Wales captains of the Welsh teams led by example, Cari Hughes (Menai) winning the U16 800m in 2-14.59 and Matthew Willis (Wrexham) was 2nd in the U16 1,500m in 4-10.09.

 Nathan Thomason (Colwyn Bay) set a new pb in the U18 shot and came fourth in the hammer, while two other Deeside throwers were also in good form. Sabrina Fortune was 3rd in the discus and Amber Rimmington set a new Celtic Games record of 52.07m  in winning the U18 discus.

 Abi Backshall (Colwyn Bay) set a pb of 2-15.08 in the U18 800m and was a member of the 4 x 400 relay which came third.

 Sion Roberts (Swansea, ex-Wrexham) finished 4th in the U18 200m but his 4 x 100 relay came first.

Askern 10

PARRY RETAINS TITLE

Rhyl's Welsh international Katie Parry (Leeds City) repeated her 2013 success by winning the Askern 10-miler near Doncaster.

 The miserable wet conditions affected the times and Katie's time of 62.23 was 80 seconds down on last year's result.

Arenig race

RECORDS SMASHED AT ARENIG

As it was a counter in the Cotswold Outdoor North Wales Series the Arenig race attracted a better field than usual, so it was no surprise that the course records were smashed.

 First man home Lloyd Taggart (Manx) took almost nine minutes off the record, while his partner Jackie Lee went even better, slicing 10 minutes off the ladies' best. The runners-up also beat the old course records.

 Results: 1 L Taggart (Manx, M40) 85.38, 2 R Roberts (Eryri) 87.22, 3 K Steinegger (Ambleside) 98.02, 4 C Fitzpatrick (ua, M40) 98.06, 5 J Brown (Buckley, M40) 98.13. M50: 1 I Edgar (Eryri) 1-48.52, 2 N Shepperd (Bowland) 1-49.01, 3 S Toogood (Buckley) 1-49.05. M60: 1 A French (Wrexham) 2-17.17, 2 M Blake (Eryri) 2-19.43, 3 G Gunner (Croft Ambrey) 2-23.16. Ladies: 1 J Lee (Eryri) 1-39.39, 2 A Rowlands (Eryri, L40) 1-47.33, 3 M Gillie (Clwydian) 1-56.43, 4 N Spinks (Dark Peak, L40) 1-57.46. L50: 1 S Howarth (Mercia) 2-09.34, 2 E Collins (Denbigh) 2-13.24.

North Wales Half

ANDI CALLS THE TUNE WITH A QATAR SOLO

Stockport's Andi Jones, who leaves this month for a new job in Qatar, began his acclimatisation by winning the North Wales Half-Marathon in Conwy.

 With his future running likely to take in the dunes he felt at home on the two stretches of beach at the start and finish, and with six wins in the Snowdon race under his belt the climb up the Sychnant Pass was also relatively problem-free, but he still declared that it was the toughest "half" he had ever done.

 He finished over two minutes clear of second-place Jon Bowie, with the women's title going to Liverpool veteran Jenny Clague.

 Results: 1 A Jones (Stockport, M35) 75.06, 2 J Bowie (Trismart) 77.29, 3 E Banks (Birmingham) 79.53, 4 D Weston (Wrexham, M35) 82.45, 5 G Williams 84.40. U21: J Daffern 1-52.37. M35: 3 D Owen (Eryri) 86.58. M40: 1 M Williams (F1) 85.34, 2 D Blazier (Abergele) 89.01, 3 V Barton (Mercia) 91.32. M45: 1 J Fellick (Wallasey) 91.45, 2 D Baker (Denbigh) 99.26, 3 S Coleman (Astley and Tyldesley) 1-40.26. M50: 1 M Belshaw (Eryri) 94.37, 2 F Sweeney (Sale) 95.18, 3 T Darkey 1-41.58. M55: 1 PMW Jones 1-41.39, 2 T Poole (Thornton Cleveleys) 1-50.45, 3 P Walters (Winston) 1-51.58. M60: 1 B Sheppard 1-41.30, 2 G Stanton (Cheshire Tally Ho) 1-49.39, 3 B Thain 1-58.21. M65: 1 JG Evans (Aberystwyth) 1-52.33, 2 M Winstanley (Rochdale) 2-02.03, 3 G Wright (Les Cr) 2-32.29.

 Ladies: 1 J Clague (Liv H, L40) 93.29, 2 M Jones (Valley) 94.44, 3 V Walls (Spectrum) 97.52, 4 D Raggett (Cornwall, L40) 99.32, 5 T Llewellyn (Cybi, L35) 1-40.04. U21: R James 2-19.11. L35: 2 J Macey (Wrekin) 1-46.35, 3 R Cullen (Stainland) 1-48.38. L40: 3 C Green (NWRR) 1-55.49. L45: 1 D Kirkham (Sweatshop_ 1-46.46, 2 M Lupton (Red Rose) 1-56.34, 3 M Stephenson 2-05.32. L50: 1 K Bennett (Wrekin) 1-52.03, 2 C Morrison (Birkenhead) 2-00.53, 3 S Phillips 2-02.21. L55: 1 D Kenwright (Sarn Helen) 1-51.38, 2 V Sheppard 2-18.21, 3 R Rick (Penny Lane) 2-21.41. L60: V Edwards 2-01.51. L70: K Ling (Wrekin) 3-33.44.

Aberdaron race

WALKER IS TOP RUNNER

Steve Walker, from Chester, was the winner of the eight-mile multi-terrain race at Aberdaron, which includes sections of the scenic coastal path.

 Results: 1 S Walker (Chester, 1st vet) 55.45, 2 Dyfed Thomas (Eryri) 55.56, 3 Owen Roberts (Porthmadog) 57.14, 4 Noel Craine (Eryri, 2nd vet) 57.47, 5 Rhys ab Elwyn (Eryri, 3rd vet) 58.39, 6 Gwilym Batchelder (Morfa Nefyn) 59.00. Ladies: 1 Rhian David (USA) 74.22, 2 Carol Morrison (Wirral), 3 Claire Davies (USA).

Super Saturday

NORTH WALIANS GIVE WALES A GREAT FINISH

North Wales athletes played a major part in what turned out to be an excellent final night's athletics for Wales at the Commonwealth Games.

 Having been disqualified and then reinstated in the 4 x 100 metres relay the Welsh women lined up against some of the world's top athletes in the final.

 The young quartet of 16-year-old Hannah Brier, Hannah Thomas (Wrexham), Mica Moore and Rachel Johncock (Swansea, ex-Colwyn Bay) did Wales and themselves proud with a series of slick changeovers. They came in seventh but once again improved the Welsh record to 44.51.

 Meanwhile Hawarden's Sally Peake and her fellow pole-vaulters had to brave the worst weather of the Games, but while several other competitors faltered the former Deeside athlete put in a very gutsy series of vaults.

 She led for much of the competition before failing at 4.35m, allowing Australia's Alana Boyd to move clear and win gold with a clearance at 4.40.

 Sally twice failed at that height but her silver medal was just reward for an outstanding performance.

Counties' challenge

COUNTIES TO VISIT ABERGELE

North Wales, who have sent teams to races over the border in the past, are to host a return visit.

 Both Cheshire and Staffordshire have confirmed that they have accepted an invitation to an inter-counties challenge within the Abergele 5 race on November 2.

 Once again the race will also incorporate the North Wales championship.