Match Report: Inter County Match

MATCH REPORT
INTER-COUNTY MATCH LLANDUDNO JULY 2021

After a gap of more than 18 months, our Inter-County series final returned with North Wales hosting the first match within the Nick Beer 10km on Llandudno promenade. Our opposition consisted of both men’s and women’s teams representing Cheshire, Staffordshire and Shropshire, with the race held in temperatures in the 20’sC. One of the best performances of the day came from debutant Scott Nixon; a regular training partner of Ted Flynn’s, he went past him along the prom to rec-ord a fine 33:47 for sec-ond. Ted, who had won last month’s Southport 10km, wore the captain’s armband and finished 3rd on “Bambi legs” in 34:04, while fit-again Ricky Challinor was 6 seconds behind for 4th. Martin Green, the most senior member of the team came 5th in 34:11—and also picked up 1st M45 in the open race. Next in was another debutant, teenager Bryn Woodall, who had won a recent 5km in Rhyl in 14:51. He set a new p.b. with his 34:19 for 6th. Our final runner was another debutant, 16 years old Louis Lermite, who had won the Welsh Athletics Spring virtual 10km in 33:26 last March; this was his first “real” 10km and he finished in 13th with 36:15. So with four in the first 5 to finish, N. Wales were comfortable winners on 14 points. Shropshire 2nd on 30, Staffs 3rd on 47 and Cheshire 4th on 67. Matt Clowes (Cardiff) won the open race in 31:22, while the first man in the I.C. match was Matthew Costello (Shrewsbury) representing Shropshire, in 33:31; this earned him the “Outstanding Performance (Male)” Award.

The women’s race was much more evenly contested, with the first seven finishers all breaking 41 minutes and another Shrewsbury/Shropshire athlete, Lauren Cooper, was first in the open race and the I.C. match with a superb 37:22, which earned her the “Outstanding Performance (Female) Award”. Our first finisher was captain Amie Bagnall, 5th in 40:23. Debutant Tracy Rogers was 8th in 41:19, with team regular Ra-chel Shipley 6th in 42:12. Carla Green—the other half of the Green team—13th in 42:54, which also earned her 1st F45 in the open race. Jen Adams was 18th in 45:36 and our final debutant Claire Wyn-Jones, who is struggling with a hip injury, placed 20th having got round on sheer determina-tion, recorded 48:40. Both these last two ladies, once fully fit, will bring their times down dramatically. Cheshire won the event on 25 points, N. Wales second with 35 points, Staffs 3rd with 36 and Shrops 4th with 48.
All photos on this page courtesy John Earlston, except Carla and Martin Green courtesy SJ Photography. Top row: Scott Nixon; Louis Lermite; Martin Green; Amie Bagnall and Tracy Rogers. Bottom row: Rachel Shipley; Carla and Martin Green.

Our grateful thanks to Kay and John Hatton and the NWRRC crew, who organised a su-perb event, to the team managers and athletes from Cheshire, Shrops and Staffs and to our athletes who all ran with such determination in one of the hottest days of the year.