Push Up The Pincyn

WILLIAMS QUICKEST OFF THE GRID

Mark Williams (F1), who is based in Kuala Lumpur, had another successful foray into the woods of his native Vale of Clwyd when he chalked up his third win in the Push Up The Pincyn multi-terrain race from Clawddnewydd.

 Because of a clash with a British qualifying fell-race numbers were down on the usual but Williams, who usually has a battle with Buckley's Jez Brown, this time had to face his clubmate Andy Pritchard.

 Results: 1 M Williams (F1, M40) 47.52, A Pritchard (Buckley, M40) 50.10, 3 G Porter Jones (Eryri, M40) 50.41, 4 J Bowyer (ua, M40) 51.42, 5 N Coppack (Clwydian, M40) 52.20, 6 R Watson (Colwyn Bay) 52.42. M50: N Dalleywater (ua) 54.51. M60: K Hughes (Wrecsam Tri) 66.40. M70: P Roberts (Buckley) 65.48. Ladies: 1 C Belshaw (Denbigh) 57.55, 2 H Evans (Buckley) 63.05, 3 H Turner (Eryri) 65.26. L40: A Kenney (ua) 84.03.

North Wales Half

MISERABLE CONDITIONS AFFECT TIMES

The wet and windy conditions along the seafront and on Conwy Mountain seriously affected  the finishing times in the North Wales Half-Marathon, but the  standard of entries was also way below last year.

 The race was won by Luke Beresford (Ripley) in 80.52, a time which would have placed him only 28th last year.

 The first woman was Denbigh Harriers' evergreen L50 Emma Collins.

 The full results can be found on the TDL Events website.

British Fell Champion

HAT-TRICK GIVES SPJ THE TITLE

Since turning 60 in November Eryri's Stephen P Jones has  totally dominated his age-group and so it was no great surprise when he took the M60 title in the British fell-racing championship.

 After  victories in the Moelwyn and Dunsdeer races he clinched it with one race left by claiming his third win in the 7.2k LLingmell Dash race at Wasdale in the Lake District.

Race The Train

BENTLEY CRUISES TO ANOTHER WIN

 Four days after finishing as the first local in the Snowdon race Russ Bentley did it again,  though the gradient was much gentler this time.

 In winning the Race the Train 5k to Caernarfon he became only the second person to break 15 minutes, whilst behind him there were some fine performances from several young athletes.

 Results : 1 R Bentley (Eryri) 14.55, 2 C Evans (ua) 15.44, 3  O Roberts (Eryri) 15.48, 4 P Wathan (Eryri) 15.52, 5 R Cain (Menai, U18) 15.55, 6 R Owen (Eryri, U16) 16.10. U16: 2 I James (Colwyn Bay) 16.25, 3 S Jones (Menai) 16.38. M40: 1 J Parkinson (Eryri) 16.18, 2 D Owen (Eryri) 16.38, 3 D Charyssbes (Ealing) 16.43. M50: 1 A Roberts (ua) 18.27, 2 A Lewis (Eryri) 18.48, 3 P Cain (ua) 19.30. M60: 1 S Longman (ua) 21.54, 2 D Morris (ua) 27.12. M65: 1 G Shone (A bergele) 20.20.57, 2 G Hughes (Prestatyn) 21.08. M70: 1 B Robbins (Eryri) 21.44, 2 D Williams (Eryri) 23.55. M75: D Hughes (Prestatyn) 25.49. Ladies: 1 G Brown (NWRR) 19.09, 2 L Hughes (ua) 19.17, 3 T Llewellyn (Cybi, L35) 19.32, 4 R Kamink (Colwyn Bay, U18) 19.37, 5 C Pollock (ua, L35) 20.04, 6  H Jones (Betsi's Runaways)  20.15. U16: 1 C Vaughan (Colwyn Bay) 21.39, 2 E Hampton (Ysgol Brynrefail) 25.40, 3 C Matthew (Ysgol Cybi) 26.47. L18: 2 L Cain (Ysgol Syr Huw Owen) 23.12, 3 L35: 3 M Duggan (ua) 20.57. L45: 1 H McArthur (Colwyn Bay) 20.24, 2 A Mynott (ua) 20.57, 3 E Wood (Eryri) 22.13. L55: 1 D Holmes (ua) 24.53, 2 S Thomas (ua) 28.08, 3 R Williams (ua) 32.05. L60: S Longman (ua) 32.13.

Gold for Malone

EUROPEAN GOLD

Deeside's in-form sprinter Shannon Malone  played a key part in the success of the GB and Northern Ireland team at the European championships in Sweden.

 The U20 4 x 100 metres quartet won their heat and qualified for the final by coming third, but then everything clocked for them.

 Malone had a cracking opening leg and with all the handovers working like clockwork the quartet came home first in 44.18, the fourth fastest time ever recorded by a GB junior team.

Hughes PB

PB FOR IOLO - AND SILVER FOR SISTER CARI

Menai's Iolo Hughes travelled to Birmingham at the weekend for the BMC Grand Prix meeting and came away with a new pb of 4-18.77 for the mile, finishing 11th overall.

 Meanwhile his sister Cari took silver for Wales in the U17 1,500 metres at the British Schools' international in Grangemouth, with a time of 4-32.38.

 At the same meeting Lauren Williams (Maldwyn) also came second in the  300m hurdles in a pb of 44.10.

Snowdon Race

MANY HAPPY RETURNS FOR EMANUELE

Emanuele Manzi, a six-time winner of the Italian mountain-running championship, had waited a long time for his victory in the International Snowdon  Race.

 The 37-year-old, whose uncle Fabio Ciaponi won the race in 1994, was second in both 2001 and 2003, but he came back to win in style.

 He and two fellow Italians led from the start and touched the turnaround point at the summit  almost together before Manzi pulled away to win. His time of 70.18 was the slowest in the race's 40-year history, possibly due to the strong wind which buffeted runners on the ascent.

 First local finisher, in eighth place overall, was Beddgelert-based Russell Bentley in 74.47, with his Eryri Harrier clubmate Richard Roberts the first member of the Wales team  five places behind in 75.59.

 The women's race was won by Sarah McCormack (Republic of Ireland), who was also first in 2014 when bad weather led to the course being shortened.

 First welsh woman  home was Katie Beecher (Les Croupiers), with Andrew Rowland (Eryri) from Mochdre, the first North Walian.

 The Snowdon Super Cup, held earlier in the day and involving an uphill run to the summit, was won by young English runner Max Nicholls, with Emmie Collinge (Vegetarian Cycling AC), finishing sixth overall and setting a new ladies' record for the climb.

 In 11th place overall was prolific racer Rob Grantham (Pensby), who, three hours later, ran in the main race, clocking a highly creditable 1-27.25.

 The full results are on the TDL Events website.