Athlete's profile (13)

ATHLETE'S PROFILE (13)

Sean McCormack

CLUB: Abergele Harriers, no previous clubs.

AGE: 50

LENGTH OF TIME COMPETING: 16 years

ANY OTHER SPORTS: No, but I did coach rugby before I started running

FAVOURITE RACING DISTANCE: Ultras, but marathons make for a nice "short" training run.

FAVOURITE RACE: The Comrades Ultra in South Africa. Everything about the race is brilliant, brutally hard but brilliant.

PROUDEST MOMENT: Standing on the podium in Llandudno with a bronze team medal in the Commonwealth 24-hour race in 2011, followed very closely by being there to witness my son Steven finishing this year's Comrades Marathon.

WHOM DO YOU MOST ADMIRE (INSIDE ATHLETICS AND OUTSIDE): Inside athletics, Emily Gelder (from Llandrindod) a brilliant Welsh ultra runner whom I am proud to have raced with and known. Outside athletics - my father, who made me the person I am today in every way.

PERSONAL AMBITIONS: I have achieved everything I ever wanted in athletics and am very proud of that. My only ambitions is to continue enjoying the sport I love as much as I do and to help others to enjoy it just as much and to achieve their full potential.

ANY REGRETS: Not looking up when I was running one very dark night in November, 2008, and crashing into a barrier and breaking three bones in my right foot. I never managed to get my speed back to where it had been after that, BUT every cloud has a silver lining and this one has a very silver lining as it led to my taking up ultra running in which I gained several Welsh vests, which I am very proud of.

ANY EMBARRASSING EXPERIENCES: Running into that barrier!

WHAT CHANGES (IF ANY) WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE IN OUR SPORT: More recognition for the fantastic achievements of our ultra runners such as John Pares, Iain Ridgway and Emily Gelder and the utterly amazing Lizzy Hawker.

 

N Staffs CC League (4)

CHRISTIAN COMPLETES CLEAN SWEEP

Wrexham's Christian Smith completed the season undefeated in the North Staffs Cross-Country League, but in the fourth and final race in Leek he had another epic battle with clubmate Matthew Willis, beating him by a single second.

 With Thomas Evans fifth Wrexham were clear winners of the team prize.

 North Wales results included:- Boys under 11: 3 James Evans (Wrex). Boys under 13: 22 Matthew Jones (Colwyn Bay). Boys under 15: 1 Christian Smith (W), 2 Matthew Williams (W), 5 Thomas Evans (W). Senior men: 31 Jake Griffith (CB), 68 Neal Jones (CB), 95 Russ Godwin (CB), 144 Ashley Tomlinson (CB), 160 Ian Mulligan (CB), 164 Mark Jones (CB), 183 Steven Thomas-Spires (W), 190 Arthur Egan (W), 221 Mike H Edwards (W). Girls under 15: 4 Holly Roberts (CB). Girls under 17: 5 Abigail Backshall (CB). Senior women: 48 Vicky Ronald (CB0, 65 Laurie Griffith (CB), 121 Maureen Singleton (CB).

NW Indoor Champs

INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS WILL TAKE PLACE

The North Wales indoor track and field championships will once again be held this winter.

 Problems over the surface of the start area of the track at the Indoor Centre in Kelsterton have restricted its use but officials have now agreed that the facility can be used by moving the start-line one metre forward, even though it reduces the run-off area.

 The meeting will take place on February1st, 2014.

 Some people had suggested that the regional championships be held in Manchester's Sportcity but the cost of hiring the arena would have been prohibitive.

Bentley disqualified

BENTLEY RULED INELIGIBLE

Russell Bentley, the Eryri Harrier who won the second race of the Grand Prix Express North Wales Cross-Country League in Llandudno, has been disqualified.

 It's been confirmed that he is only a second-claim member of the Gwynedd club, having represented his main club, Kent, in various events during the past year.

 The deduction of his points has been taken into account in the totals produced after the Wrexham fixture in which Eryri managed to field only five men. They now lie sixth in Division 1.

Vale of Clwyd Half

HICKS TAKES FIRST VoC HALF TITLE.

Ideal weather conditions greeted the 60 runners who took to the start line for the first VOC Half and it was Birmingham University student Chris Hicks who led the field out of the village and onto the initial stages of the scenic, rural course.

 Meanwhile, Ruthin's Aime Hannant dominated the ladies' race, leading from the start. In pursuit of leader Hicks were Andy Bromley and Craig Davies who exchanged 2/3^rd place on numerous occasions. However he wasn't to be caught and ran strongly throughout to win by nearly 2 minutes in 1:19.59 with Andy Bromley 2^nd in 1:21.46 and Craig Davies close behind in 1:22.06. Aime Hannant won comfortably in 1:30.08, securing 7^th place overall in the process. Debbie Watson of Telford followed in second (1:35.24) and Nicola Jones grabbed 3^rd in 1:37.49.

Other prize winners were M40 – John Taylor (Wrexham AC), M50 – Keith Firkin (Marlborough), M60 – David Owen (Prestatyn), M70 – Geoff Mount (Denby Dale Travellers). F40 – Caroline Hall (Wirral), F50 – Jeni Richards (Abergele). 1^st local MALE – Chris Thomas, 1^st local FEMALE – Victoria Conry.

 

Special mention to Mark Kendrick who was out on the course for nearly 4 hours, walking in pain for the duration, in aid of a charity he has raised hundreds of pounds for. Very well done to you Mark.

 

POS	NAME	CLUB	CAT	TIME
1	CHRIS HICKS	BIRMINGHAM UNI	M	01:19.59
2	ANDY BROMLEY	DEESIDE	M	01:21.46
3	CRAIG DAVIES	DEESTRIDERS	M40	01:22.06
4	JOHN MORRIS	DENBIGH HARRIERS	M	01:22.41
5	JOHN TAYLOR	WREXHAM AC	M40	01:23.16
6	KELVIN DICKENSON	WIRRAL AC	M40	01:27.06
7	AIME HANNANT		F	01:30.08
8	KEITH FIRKIN	MARLBOROUGH RUNNERS	M50	01:30.58
9	IAN JELLEY	CHESTER TRI	M40	01:35.21
10	DEBBIE WATSON		F40	01:35.24
11	NICOLA JONES		F	01:37.49
12	MARTIN WOODWARD		M40	01:37.59
13	DAVE WHITLEY		M40	01:38.57
14	JENI RICHARDS	ABERGELE	F50	01:39:00
15	CAROLINE HALL	WIRRAL AC	F40	01:39.17
16	RACHEL JONES		F	01:39.49
17	JACKI JARVIS	OSWESTRY OLYMPIANS	F50	01:41.26
18	MARY DOWELL-JONES	COLWYN BAY AC	F40	01:43.29
19	STEVE WHITE		M	01:44.16
20	VICTORIA CONRY		F	01:45.09
21	GWYN ROBERTS		M	01:45.36
22	LAURA STEVENSON	DRAGONS RC, SALE	F	01:49.23
23	JOANNA BYERS		F	01:50.07
24	REBECCA FRY		F	01:50.26
25	NEIL BALLARD	OSWESTRY OLYMPIANS	M50	01:50.45
26	JAMES BARNES	UK NETRUNNER	M	01:51.54
27	OWAIN WILLIAMS	TATTENHALL RUNNERS	M40	01:53.45
28	DAVID OWEN	PRESTATYN	M60	01:56.59
29	SUE WYNNE		F	01:57.05
30	JOHN LANCASTER		M50	01:58.52
31	DAPHNE JONES		F50	01:58.59
32	ELOSIE ECCLES		F	02:00.38
33	IAN BLAKEBOROUGH	CHESHIRE HASH HOUSE HARRIERS	M50	02:02.07
34	DIANE MARKEY	ELLESMERE PORT RC	F40	02:03.32
35	JENNY COOPER	DENBIGH HARRIERS	F	02:04.50
36	HEATHER DAVIES		F	02:05.01
37	ISLWYN RICHARDS		M40	02:06.32
38	KAREN EVANS	DENBIGH HARRIERS	F40	02:06.43
39	SUSAN KAY		F50	02:07.13
40	TIMOTHY GORIN		M50	02:07.30
41	FRAN MILLS		F40	02:08.16
42	EMMA WILLIAMS		F40	02:08.17
43	JAN PHILLIPS		F	02:08.34
44	HELEN WHITEHEAD-HUGHES		F	02:08.44
45	KATHERINE MACORMACK		F	02:09.41
46	EMMA JONES		F40	02:09.49
47	CHRIS THOMAS		M50	02:09.52
48	GEOFF MOUNT		M70	02:13.53
49	DANIEL SMITH		M	02:19.20
50	SARAH KRIVOSIC		F40	02:20.55
51	PETER KRIVOSIC		M40	02:20.55
52	BETH WILLIAMS		F	02:22.29
53	TRACEY GRIFFITHS		F40	02:24.25
54	JACK GORIN		M	02:27.11
55	SARAH MCCOOLE		F	02:31.13
56	JULIE-ANN MCDONALD		F40	02:31.53
57	SUE LEVINSON	DENBY DALE TRAVELLERS	F50	02:38.09
58	DAVID MCNAMARA		M40	02:38.38
59	MARK KENDRICK		M	03:53.25

NW CC League (3)

SECOND WIN IN A WEEK FOR BOYNTON

Steve Boyton (Deeside) claimed his second win in seven days when he claimed his first-ever victory in the Grand Prix Express North Wales Cross-Country League in Wrexham. The previous Sunday he won the opening Borders League fixture in Tattenhall.

 With Eryri fielding an under-strength squad and now out of the reckoning for the Division 1 title Deeside are very comfortably placed, even though they finished second to Shrewsbury on the day.

 Bangor University also finished second in Division 2 but are now 404 points clear of second-placed Buckley in the promotion race.

 In the ladies' competition Claire Martin led Telford to victory but Colwyn Bay, who finished third, also look odds-on favourites to take the Division 1 title, while a rejuvenated Menai are well ahead in the Division 2 race.

Results. Men: 1 S Boyton (Deeside) 29.12, 2 J Roberts (Wrex) 29.29, 3 J Brocklehurst (Shrews) 29.41, 4 L Jones (Deeside, M40) 29.52, 5 P Jones (Osw, M40) 29.53, 6 J Wignall (Bangor Uni) 29.53, 7 I Howarth (Shrews) 30.09, 8 D Rowlands (Wrex, M45) 30.11, 9 L Renton (Bangor Uni) 30.21, 10 D Weston (Wrex) 30.42, 11 P Middleton (Shrews) 31.02, 12 D Kashi (Bangor Uni) 31.06, 13 W Sheridan (Dee) 31.15, 14 D Kirby (Shrews) 31.16, 15 M Rose (Buck) 31.17.
 Teams. Division 1: Shrewsbury 101, Deeside 150, Wrexham 271, Telford 307, Meirionnydd 317, Tattenhall 332, Oswestry 361, Eryri 554. Division 2: Buckley 212, Bangor University 229, Colwyn Bay 417, Wrecsam Tri 440, Prestatyn 471, Dwenbigh 542, Whitchurch 633, West Cheshire 633, Menai 714, Deestriders 737, Abergele 780, Vale Royal 782, NWRR 800, Cybi 811, Maldwyn 816, Clwydian 862, Aberystwyth 865, Bridgnorth 867.

 Masters. M40: 3 A Walling (Menai) 31.49. M45: 2 G Norgrove (Wrecsam Tri) 32.02, 3 G Blackwell (Dee) 32.35. M50: 1 R Jones (Shrews) 33.27, 2 J Garmson (Tel) 33.39, 3 V Belshaw(Denbigh) 35.17. M55: 1 G Jones (Shrews) 34.02, 2 G Jones (Prest) 34.11, 3 A Lewis n(Eryri) 34.40. M60: 1 P Savill (Shrews) 36.05, 2 N Owen (Prest) 36.26, 3 M Cortvriend (Denbigh) 36.41. M65: 1 G Owens (Prest) 36.00, 2 JG Evans (Aberystwyth) 40.18, 3 A Egan (Wrex) 42.16.
 Teams: Buckley 17, Shrewsbury 44, Oswestry 44, Wrecsam Tri 56, Deeside 58, Telford 60, Wrexham 82, Prestatyn 85, Eryri 95, West Cheshire 104, Colwyn Bay 105, Denbigh 107, Tattenhall 129.

 M70: 1 D Williams (Eryri) 24.52, 2 P Norman (Wrex, M75) 33.35, 3 B Forster (Wrex, M80) 34.07, 4 B Walters (Bridgnorth).

Men under 17: 1 B Paxton (Wrex) 18.19, 2 T Henry (Dee) 18.24, 3 A Williams (Wrex) 1931, 4 R Halliwell (Dee) 19.40, 5 J Parry (CB) 20.06, 6 B Harrison (Prest) 23.05.

  Ladies: 1 C Martin (Tel, L35) 18.21, 2 A Lavender (Osw) 18.27, 3 D Williams (Menai) 19.14, 4 I Redfern (CB, L40) 19.43, 5 E Crowe (Wrex, L40) 19.45, 6 L Davis (Dee, U17) 20.09, 7 A Rowlands (Eryri, L35) 20.26, 8 M Davies (Menai, U17) 20.27, 9 B Taylor (Bangor Uni) 20.42, 10 S Marshall (Tel) 20.43, 11 L Wright (Wrex, L45) 20.50, 12 M Clarke (Tel, L40) 21.02, 13 C Jones (Os, L35) 21.34, 14 A Robinson (Tatt) 21.49, 15 H McArthur (CB, L45) 21.51.
 Teams. Division 1: Telford 40, Oswestry 60, Colwyn Bay 66, Wrexham 66, Eryri 80, Buckley 160, Denbigh 213. Division 2: Menai 29, Tattenhall 106, Prestatyn 138, Abergele 173, Cybi 185, Deeside 206, Bangor Uni 209, Vale Royal 219, Bro Dysynni 251, Wrecsam Tri 252, Shrewsbury 253, Deestriders 275.

 Masters. L35: 3 D Sanders (Tel) 22.00. L50: 1 E Collins (Denbigh) 22.38, 2 E Salisbury (Eryri) 23.23, 3 Y Hill (Osw) 23.45. L55: 1 A Whitelaw (Wrex) 24.04, 2 C Willgoose (Abergele) 24.19, 3 A Byrne (Shrews) 31.58. L60: 1 B Ward (Osw) 24.56, 2 M Docking (Wrex) 24.59, 3 S Richards (Shrews) 32.09. L65: 1 C Birch (Abergele) 24.38, 2 M Oliver (Eryri) 28.03, 3 M Griffiths (Bro Dys) 32.30. L70: 1 B Jones (Bro Dys) 29.20, 2 M Singleton (CB) 34.07.
 Teams: Wrexham 17, Telford 17, Eryri 30, Colwyn Bay 34, Oswestry 38, Buckley 67, Denbigh 85, Prestatyn 94, Tattenhall 99.

AGGREGATE AFTER  THREE RACES. Men, Division 1: Deeside 404, Shrewsbury 639, Telford 778, Meirionnydd 900, Tattenhall 1,097, Eryri 1,163, Oswestry 1,244, Wrexham 1,781. Division 2: Bangor University 485, Buckley 889, Colwyn Bay 1,029, Denbigh 1,326, Prestatyn 1,386, Wrecsam Tri 1,888, Abergele 1,902, West Cheshire 1,945, Cybi 1,964, North Wales RR 2,168, Menai 2,177, Deestriders 2,211, Whitchurch 2,275, Aberystwyth 2,707, Clwydian 2,716, Bridgnorth 2,726, Vale Royal 2,732, Maldwyn 2,766.

 Masters: Buckley 99. Shrewsbury 133, Eryri 172, Telford 241, Prestatyn 241, Colwyn Bay 286, Tattenhall 293, Denbigh 309, Wrexham 424.

Ladies, Division 1: Colwyn Bay 165, Eryri 198, Oswestry 243, Wrexham 244, Telford 273, Buckley 569, Denbigh 596. Division 2: Menai 182, Prestatyn 331,  Bangor University 338, Tattenhall 366, Abergele 478, Bro Dysynni 540, Cybi 553, Deeside 574, Wrecsam Tri 627, Shrewsbury 774, Vale Royal 819.

 Masters. Wrexham 59, Eryri 74, Oswestry 121, Colwyn Bay 148, Prestatyn 214, Denbigh 262.

Conwy Half

COURSE RECORD IS SMASHED IN CONWY

The Conwy Half-Marathon hit new heights with best-quality field yet amassed.

 The first six men home all finished inside the old course record of 69.59, with victory going to Kenyan Benson Oloisung (Team Run Fast). With a 61.11 half behind him he covered the course around the Great Orme and back in a superb 65.57.

 In second place and just 45 seconds behind was six-times Snowdon race winner Andi Jones, while Eryri's Rob Samuel, the Snowdonia Marathon champion, was fourth.

 First lady was Oswestry's Alison Lavender, less than 24 hours after finishing second in Saturday's cross-country, and she was followed by Megan Crawford (Fife).

 Results (chip times). Men: 1 B Oloisung (Team Run Fast) 65.56, 2 A Jones (Stockport, M35) 66.41, 3 C Leak (Team Run Fast) 67.31, 4 R Samuel (Eryri) 67.33, 5 B Gamble (Tipton) 67.53, 6 T Payne (Team Run Fast) 69.53. MU25: 1 M35: 2 D Bulmer (Wharfedale) 83.07, 2 O Harrison-Jones (ua) 85.14, 3 M Gawne (ua) 85.30. M35: 2 B Rothery (Eryri) 73.30, 3 S Newton (Barnsley) 73.59. M40: 1 F Sohlberg (Vallentune) 76.48, 2 A A Whittingham (Wilmslow) 79.18, 3 P Pendrill (Wilm) 79.48. M45: 1 R Downs (Wilms) 74.43, 2 R Webster (Wallasey) 81.26, 3 M Traynor (ua) 82.44. M50: 1 H Dixon (ua) 85.54, 2 P Garnett (Wilm) 87.41, 3 N Lee (ua) 87.01. M55: 1 T McGaff (Wilm) 81.18, 2 A Lewis (Eryri) 84.47, 3 B Freeman (West Chesh) 87.24. M60: 1 A Watts (Wilm) 89.53, 2 D Nalder (Ell Port) 91.32, 3 L Maloney (ua) 91.22. M65: 1 M Fairs (Wilm) 98.29, 2 J Smith (Wilm) 1-42.06, 3 M Noble (Stockport) 1-47.16. M70: 1 R Bacon (Winston) 1-43.35, 2 D Garner (NWRR) 1-43.34, 3 A Pollock (Denby Dale) 2-06.07. M80: A Smith (3MM Gorseinon) 2-14.46. M85: E Naisby (Prestatyn) 2-19.24.

 Ladies: 1 A Lavender (Osw) 78.39, 2 M Crawford (Fife, U25) 79.34, 3 D McCormick (Wilm) 80.124, 3 B Lewis (ua) 83.19, 5 S Caskey (Bangor Uni, U25) 85.52, 6 M Jones (Valley) 86.49. U25: 3 B Taylor (Bangor Uni) 92.34. L35: 2 S Vermau (Formula 1 Crew Team) 95.11, 2 D Bygrave (Wilm) 95.19. L40: 1 J Ellis (Wilm) 91.09, 2 L Morley (Wrex) 92.25, 3 K White (Royton) 95.25. L45: 1 H McArthur (Colwyn Bay) 93.24, 2 J Hanmer (Harborough) 94.36, 3 D Comntracelli (ua) 98.43. L50: 1 C Rogers (Spectrum) 1-41.13, 2 B Tiedtke (Prestatyn) 1-41.43, 3 J Penrhyn-Jones (Prestatyn) 1-43.21. L55: 1 L Collison (Sh Shufflers) 97.19, 2 N Mould (Wilm) 99.21, 3 D Kenwright (Sarn Helen) 1-42.58. L60: 1 A Dinsen (Stockport) 1-54.47, 2 P Newton (Market Drayton) 1-56.06, 3 A Ramsay (ua) 2-12.54. L65: 1 S Gittins (Lytham St Anne's) 2-10.19, 2 A Jones (ua) 2-13.19, 3 M-A Burke (ua) 2-18.14. L70: P Bolton (Bedford) 2-45.43.