Ras y Cnicht

ROBERTS SNATCHES VICTORY

Matthew Roberts (Calder) had to work hard for his win in the annual Ras y Cnicht from Croesor, near  Porthmadog, finishing just 11 seconds clear of runner-up Jim Bacon. In third place was former Bro Dysynni member Alun Williams, currently back on holiday from New Zealand.

 Conditions for the race were ideal and although it was overcast the summit was clear. Welsh international Katie Beecher had a much easier time, finishing fourth overall and six minutes ahead  of Sian Williams.

Results  : 1 M Roberts ( Calder) 38.12, 2 J Bacon (Eryri) 38.23, 3 A Williams (ua) 41.15, 4 K Beecher (Mynydd Du) 44.09, 5 G Hughes (Hebog, M40) 44.26, 6 G Armstrong (ua) 46.32. M40: 2 E Owen (Eryri) 47.39, 3 G Williams (Eryri) 48.50. M50: 1 K Hagley (SWRR) 47.55, 2 E Roberts (Eryri) 49.53, 3 D James (SMOC) 55.42. M60: D Whiteside  Thomas (Eryri) 54.26. M70: E Davies (Eryri) 64.42. Ladies: 1 K Beecher, 2 S Williams (ua) 50.27, 3 M Hughes (Eryri) 52.46. L50: S Howarth (Mercia) 55.59. L60: M Oliver (Eryri) 69.45.

Peris Horseshoe

BEETLESTONE FIRST - AND LAST!

Eryri's Lou Beetlestone was the only woman in the annual Peris Horseshoe race from Llanberis, but she had a fine run, coming 15th overall.

 The race was won by John Hunt (Dark Peak), who was just 16 seconds clear of fellow veteran Mark Davies (NWRR).

 Results: 1 J Hunt (Dark Peak, M 40) 4-07.52, 2 M Davies (NWRR, M40) 4-08.08, 3 M Cliffe (Eryri, M40) 4-11.46, 4 T Bush (Pennine)  4-23.37, 5 A Jackson (Bowland) 4-24.24, 6 J O'Hara (Helsby) 4-24.52. M 50: 1 P Agnew (Denbigh) 5-15.45, 2E Roberts (Eryri) 5-34.28, 3 I Edgar (Eryri) 5-38.12. M60: 1 C Edwards (WFRA) 5-56.55. M70: 1 B Robbins (Eryri) 6-14.00, 2 A Oliver (Eryri) 6-30.53. Ladies: 1 L Beetlestone (Eryri) 4-59.14.

 Results of Half Peris: 1 C Atherton (ua) 1-58.57, 2 G Hughes (Hebog, M40) 2-02.00, 3 S Davies (Eryri) 2-06.31, 4 K Hagley (SWRR, M50) 2-06.45, 5 J McQueen (Eryri, M40)  2-02.28, 6 R Roberts (Eryri)  2-16.03. M40: 3 I Rowlands (Cybi)  2-17.51. M50: 2 K Rowlands (Eryri) 2-27.51, 3 E Jones (Cybi) 2-32.16. M60: 1 M Blake (Eryri)  2-30.59, 2 D Owen (Prestatyn) 3-12.44, 3 J Coupland (Dart moor) 3-58.18.
 Ladies: 1 S  Williams (ua) 2-26.36, 2 V Whitehead (Denbigh, L40) 2-31.53, 3 G Brown (NWRR)  2-35.46, 4 E Salisbury (Eryri, L50)  3-00.35, 5 M Oliver (Eryri, L60) 3-15.40.

Birchwood 10k

BRILLIANT RUN BY JONES

Deeside's Lee Jones had a tremendous run in the Birchwood 10k at Warrington, which attracted its usual quality field.

 The veteran finished third overall and the only  non-senior in the first 16 home, clocking 33.58. His former clubmate Ricky Challinor (Liverpool Harriers) was eighth in 35.56.

 Lower down the field Alex Ryder (Prestatyn) was first Junior Man in a pb of 40.33 and Gordon Jones (Prestatyn) was first M55 in 37.57, with his rival Jones, Wrexham's Bernie, 3rd M45 in 38.44. Another Prestatyn  winner was Dave Hughes, who won the M75 class in 59.54.

British and Irish Mountain int'national

NARROW DEFEAT FOR SPILL

Eryri's John Spill had to settle for second in the under-20s race at Betws y Coed, which was the Welsh trial for the home international mountain-running championships on the same course next month.

 The 17-year-old went into an early lead and stayed there throughout the first lap. At the end of the second tough climb up to Llyn Elsi, however, he was caught by Jacob Adkin (Moorfoot), who went on to win by six seconds.

 There was an excellent win in the under-20 ladies' race for Heidi Davies (Brecon) who beat the pre-race favourite Georgia Malir (Leeds) by just five seconds.

 The senior home international,  which also served as a trial for the World championship at Betws on September 19, was won by Robbie Simpson, winner of the Snowdon International race in 2010. After the first of three laps be went past his fellow Scot Andrew Douglas, who held on to make it a 1-2 for Scotland.

 First of the Welsh team home, in 19th place, was Michael Kallenberg (Cardiff).

 In the senior ladies former English international Sarah Tunstall (Kendal) provided a surprise victory after coming back from injury, and she thus emulated her success in last year's Trail championship in Betws.

 Results. Men under 17: 1 J Steele (Dallam) 18.34, 2 R Cain (Menai) 19.10, 3 S Jones (Menai) 19.41.
 Men under 20: 1 J Adkin (Moorfoot) 35.02, 2 J Spill (Eryri) 35.08, 3 J Boyle (Clayton-le-Moor) 35.38.
 Senior men and U23: 1 R Simpson (Sco) 48.37, 2 A Douglas (Sco) 49.39, 3 C Smith (Eng) 50.09, 4 T Addison (Helm Hill) 51.08, 5 T Adams (Eng) 51.16, 6 B Mounsey (Eng) 51.46. Others: 19 M Kallenberg (Wales) 54.09, 22 H Jones (Wales) 54.48, 26 R Samuel (Wales) 55.21, 36 A Lanz (Wales U23) 58.07, 37 P Ryder (Wales) 58.13.

 Women under 17 : 1 A McQueen (Eryri) 23.01, 2 E Kiff (Carmarthen) 23.17, 3 H Roberts (Colwyn Bay) 24.22.
 Women under 20: 1 H Davies (Brecon) 19.45, 2 G Mahir (Leeds) 19.50, 3 S Dale (Lancaster and Morecambe) 20.03. 17 Bronwen Jenkinson (Eryri) 22.34.
 S enior women and U23: 1 S Tunstall Kendal) 36.33, 2  E Colinge (Eng) 37.12, 3 E Clayton (Eng) 37.55, 4 H Archer (Hallamshire) 38.14, 5 S McCormack (Ambleside) 38.14, 6 V Wilkinson (Eng) 38.50. Others: 13 K Beecher (Wales) 41.07, 19 H Jarvis (Wales) 42.13, 21 A Rowlands (Wales) 43.48, 22 L Sharpe (Eryri, U23) 43.59.

Two in 2 for Wathan

CONTRASTING WINS FOR WATHAN

Doubling up over a weekend is nothing new for Eryri's Paul Wathan but he completed a pretty unusual "double" in London.

 On Saturday he and his partner Gemma Morgans, both regular winners in the two North Wales Parkruns, ran the 200th Park run in Highbury Fields. Paul won in 17.24 and Gemma was second lady in 20.33.

 The following day Paul took part in the self-navigation Richmond Ultra 48k event in which there was a convoluted route through London, ending at the Th  ames Barrier.

 The Eryri athlete led from the start and was on schedule to smash the record when he first went astray. He then got lost several times and just before Tower Bridge caught up with the new leader Darryl Carter (9Bar), who had also w  andered off-course a few times.

 They ran the remaining 15k together and finished in 4 hours 13 minutes, having covered 52k in total.

 It was Paul's last race before flying out to Chamonix next week to compete in the Ultra Trail Du Mont Blanc event, over 107 miles with 10,000 metres of ascent.

2 Hillforts

ARTHUR ASCENT WINS IT FOR SKATES

An impressive ascent of Moel Arthur earned Steve Skates victory in the 2 Hillforts race in the Clwydians.

 The Prestatyn  runner, along with Damian Nicholls (Wilmslow) were together on the first climb from Llandyrnog to Penycloddiau but  Skates made ths steep climb up Moel Arthur look easy as he pulled away, and he went on  to slash three minutes off the course record.

 Results: 1 S Skates (Prestatyn) 62.43, 2 D Nicholls (Wilmslow) 64.11, 3 J Brown (Buckley, M40) 65.05, 4 J Hunt (Dark Peak, M40) 65.23, 5 L Eccles (Penny Lane) 68.09, 6 S Edwards (Buckley, M40) 68.12. M50: 1 V Belshaw (Denbigh) 72.58, 2 D Baugh (Denbigh) 77.47, 3 S Emery (ua) 80.48. M60: 1 T Hulme (Wilmslow) 83.47, 2 C Baldwin (Denbigh) 93.22, 3 D Owen (Prestatyn) 1-41.53.
 Ladies: 1 A-M Jones (Altrincham, L60) 82.42, 2 C Belshaw (Denbigh) 83.24, 3 C Puccini (Penny Lane, L40) 87.03, 4 H Ashworth (Prestatyn) 88.56, 5 J Shelmerdine (ua) 95.03, 6 G Darby (Penny Lane, L50) 1-40.43.

World Masters

GREEN IN ACTION IN LYONS

Martin Green (North Wales RR) was among a small group of Welsh athletes who travelled to Lyons for the  World Masters' marathon and half-marathon championships and over the shorter distance he clocked 82.28.

 In the marathon Stephen Davies (Mansfield, M55), who has represented North Wales several times in the past, finished in 3-08.50.