British Masters Cross Country Championships 2015
Published In Cross Country
For the second time in seven days members of Prestatyn Running Club can be very proud of themselves for having hosted a highly successful event.
Following the previous week’s Borders League fixture the club staged the British Masters’ Cross-Country Championships at Ruthin School, and the meeting proved a resounding success.
The 300-plus runners came from as far afield as Devon, Kent, Northumberland, Northern Ireland and Scotland, and there were some brilliant performances.
The first race for women over 35 and upwards and men over 65 was won by Claire Martin (Telford) after a sprint finish, while winner of the second race for men aged 35-64 was Ady Whitwam (Morpeth).
The course, involving farm fields owned by Cae’r Groes, proved testing, with lots of good running but steady climbs and plenty of mud. It was well-received by the athletes who were also full of praise for the encouragement from the club’s marshals.
In the first race Gabby Waring was the club’s first finisher, in 58th place in 29.49. She was followed by Jayne Penrhyn-Jones (62nd in 30.21), Jo Lewis (68th in 31.00), Steve Hatfield (34th over 65 in 33.18) and Dave Hughes (6th over 75 in 34.41.
In the second race George Nixon was 115th overall (20th M60) in 39.26, Russ Cheetham 121st in 40.52 and Des Davies, who finished limping with a muscle injury, 136th in 40.20.
Organiser Gareth Hughes said he was delighted with the way things went and was proud of the club’s massive contribution to the success of the day.
“Everything went well, but what made the day special was the co-operation we received from Ruthin School. The facilities were superb and everything – changing-rooms, race headquarters and dining-hall – was right alongside the course,” he said.
On March 20th the club holds its annual general meeting at the Victoria Hotel, Prestatyn, starting at 7pm.
On Sunday the busy spell continues with the fifth fixture in the Borders League at Mold, being hosted by Wrecsam Tri Club