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Weekend Round-Up (26-27 October 2024)
28/10/2024 00:00, In Blog /
MARATHON ERYRI – LLANBERIS, OCTOBER 26
The 40th edition of Marathon Eryri produced a bonanza of broken records in perfect conditions on Saturday morning.
Starting on the outskirts of Llanberis, runners ascended and descended through the spectacular scenery of Bwlch Llanberis and Nant Gwynant, and the arduous wall-like climb to Bwlch y Groes, before the final descent into the village.
More than 2,300 runners finished this year – the highest number in the event’s history. The race also celebrated its oldest ever finisher – 83-year-old Stephen Roper, who has now completed all 40 editions.
The men’s race was won by the popular Andy Davies (Maldwyn) in a phenomenal time of 2:28.41 – becoming the first man to dip under 2:30 on the current course which is known as one of Wales’ most challenging.
The time was narrowly outside Jeff Norman’s race record of 2:28:02 set in 1985, which is rated as one of the great marathon performances of the past four decades in the UK.
Saturday’s win is the latest in a hugely successful career for prolific marathoner Davies whose achievements include twice representing Wales at the Commonwealth Games, as well as Great Britain at the 2017 World Athletics Championships in London.
The multi-talented Newtown athlete also set a new V40 British record at the 2022 Seville Marathon and won gold at the 2018 World Mountain Running Championships.
Runner-up on Saturday was another Wales and GB international Michael Kallenberg (Swansea Harriers), who finished in 2:33.40, to emulate his second-place finish in the race back in 2015. Michael Young (West Cheshire Athletic Club) was third in 2:37.25.
This year’s race also attracted more than 1,000 female runners for the first time in its history.
The women’s race was won by Louise Flynn (Les Croupiers), who followed up her third place at the Welsh Half Marathon Championships in Cardiff recently, by crossing the line in 2:59.27.
Last year’s fourth place finisher also became only the third female to run under three hours on the current course.
This year’s runner up was Ellie Kirk, who represented Wales over 5,000m at the 2014 Commonwealth Games. The Swansea Harrier followed Flynn home in 3:04.41. Antoinette Rose (Lliswerry Runners) was third in 3:06.44.
HALLOWEEN PORTH EIRIAS 10K – COLWYN BAY, OCTOBER 26
The Halloween Porth Eirias 10K was run along the North Wales Coastal Path, set against breath-taking scenery.
The fast course started and finished at the Colwyn Bay water centre and the first runner back, well ahead of the rest of the field, was Tony Wood (Denbigh Harriers), who broke the tape in 35:10.
Jared Roberts (Colwyn Bay AC) followed him home in 38:24, Christopher Jones was third in 38:42.
The winner of the women’s race was Carla Green (North Wales Road Runners), who took the honours in 42:15. Elin Fflur was second in 43:44, while Eira Owen (Colwyn Bay AC) was third in 45:07.
VALENCIA HALF MARATHON 2024 – OCTOBER 27
Clara Evans’ remarkable year continued on Sunday morning when the Pontypridd Roadents athlete smashed the Welsh half marathon record in Spain.
The Wales and Great Britain international finished 14th in a world class field on the streets of Valencia, crossing the line in 1:09:00.
Evans’ time shaved 40 seconds off the previous Welsh half marathon record set by Charlotte Arter (Cardiff Athletics) in Barcelona, back in February of 2019.
Sunday’s time also improved Evans’ personal best of 1:10.06, which she set representing Great Britain at the European Athletics Championships in Rome earlier this year.
Fellow Pontypridd Roadent and Welsh Commonwealth Games athlete Jenny Nesbitt also claimed a new PB in Valencia, clocking 1:11.32 to better her previous best of 1:12.54 set in Reading in 2016.
While another Welsh international, Anna Bracegirdle, Salford Harriers, also claimed a new PB of 1:12.45, eclipsing the 1:13.21 she ran in 2022.
The women’s race was won by Kenya’s Agnes Ngetich whose time of 1:03.04, put her second in the world all-time rankings. The men’s race saw a new world record of 57.30 for Yomif Kejelcha, of Ethiopia.
Evans new national half marathon record is just the latest in a series of achievements chalked up by the 2022 Commonwealth Games top 10 finisher.
At the European Athletics Championships in June, Evans finished ninth individually while also helping Great Britain win team gold in the team event.
In July, the Welsh marathon record holder answered the call from the Great Britain selectors to replace the injured Charlotte Purdue at the Paris Olympics women’s marathon, which was just eight days away.
Less than a week before she was due to walk down the aisle, the Welsh record holder ran one of the races of her life on one of the toughest championship courses in history.
The Welsh marathon record holder finished as the highest placed British athlete in 46th place out of the 80 finishers who survived the course and high temperatures, clocking a time of 2:33.01 in a race won by the remarkable Sifan Hassan.
FRANKFURT MARATHON – OCTOBER 27
Former Welsh 1500m champion and Great Britain international Beth Kidger (Brighton Phoenix) ran 2:37:40 on her marathon debut in Frankfurt on Sunday.
Kidger’s time was the second fastest by a Welsh woman this year. Only Clara Evans has run faster, clocking 2:25.01 at the Paris Olympics.
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