NORTH Wales Road Runners Club (NWRRC) celebrated with six podium places, including four first place age category wins, at Conwy parkrun last Saturday (January 28) in near-perfect conditions.

Following the return to action after last week’s postponement due to heavy frost on the course, the Road Runners entered nine senior members and one junior among the 218 finishers, with the usual mix of quality club and social runners.

It proved to be a fast encounter, and at the time of writing the first-place finisher remained unknown as they probably forgot their essential barcode.

The credit went to Andrew Bromley (Prestatyn RC) in second place with a great course PB of 17 minutes and 28 seconds, with club colleague Alex Ryder third with another well-deserved PB in 17.45.

The first female runner was Alison Campbell (Sheffield University) in 18.32, with Anna Drinkwater (Eryri Harriers) second in 18.51, and clubmate Gemma Moore third, despite a great new PB in 19.28.

Stuart Culverhouse led the NWRRC team home in 14th place overall and he finished second in his MV50 age cat in 19.59, whilst Martin Green continued his marathon training with a jog around in 27th place, and he too was second in his MV45 cat in 21.22.

Jamie Tharme finished 35th in 22.10, and Tony Price Jones made a rare parkrun appearance in 40th place in 22.44, and veteran Rob Fryer continued his superb form of late to win his MV65 age cat, finishing in 57th place in 24.20.

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Rob’s fine performance also inspired three other club runners to additionally win their respective age cats, including Karen Butler in 73rd place overall, and the winner of her VW60 cat in 25.49, and master veteran Mark Mason, who claimed the top spot in his MV70 cat in 27.21.

Dave Spofforth ran with his young son Ben again, and the youngster kept up the momentum of popular age cat wins on the day with a superb run in 104th place in 27.56 to finish first in his JM10 cat, and Rachel Morris was another runner preparing hard for a future marathon, and she ran well despite her heavy training schedule to finish 145th in 30.52.

Praise was later given to the race director, and to all the volunteers and marshals, who made this event such a success.

Elsewhere for NWRRC members, Steve Mason hit top form at the Newborough parkrun on Yns Mon last Saturday to finish as the first runner back, and the winner of his MV45 age cat with a great new course PB in 19.09.

Sarah Hudson claimed a new course PB at the Fountains Abbey parkrun with a tremendous performance to finish in 62nd place and the seventh female athlete in 22.00.

John Dalzell finished second in the Lake District fell-foot race last Saturday despite several navigational problems.

He said: “I was up and down, and off-road, with four about turns. I went the wrong way on the first lap when in the lead but please with second place.”

Newcomer Mal Preece had mixed feelings about his trip to Lytham for the 10-miler on Sunday and ran well for the first five until a strong headwind quickly upset his plans.

Afterwards he said: “I was 41st overall and second in my age cat. I was on for a massive PB at five miles, just 33 mins, but the wind on the final five back soon put paid to that.

“My finishing time was 72.34. A great flat course and I would’ve been looking at 66 mins and a four-minute PB.”