Match Report: Inter County 15 km Road Race

MATCH REPORT
INTER-COUNTY 15km Road Race, Meerbrook, Staffs 20 November 2021

North Wales athletes made the 120 miles round trip across the border to face teams from Shropshire, Cheshire, Derbyshire and Staffordshire, on what is generally recognised as one of the toughest road races in England. After a very crowded start, the runners are faced by a huge hill at around the two miles mark and a lesser rise further into the event; with much of the last mile being downhill, it made for a fast finish as the runners stretched their legs as they saw the end literally in sight.

Ryan Davis (Wrexham) and Scott Nixon (Cardiff) had stayed with eventual winner Daniel Connolly (Shropshire) for much of the race, but as Connolly pulled away, it became a battle between Ryan and Scott for runner-up spot, with the former winning a last 100m sprint in 52:45 for 2^nd and Scott in 52:49 for 3^rd. Both these athletes have been in good form of late, Ryan finishing in the top 10 of all 4 rounds of the N. Staffs cross country league and Scott winning the Regional 5km title at Abergele. Davis Club-mate Joel Gomes, like Ryan, was having his first run in the Regional road team and has a 2:40:13 London marathon to his name from London this year. He finished a strong 8^th in 54:29.

Buckley Runners Phil Pumford has a 2:39:22 marathon on his c.v. from this years Chester race and he was our final scorer for 16^th in 57:36, only one second slower than his time from 2019. Captain for the day Jez Brown (Buckley Runners), had been injured in a fell race the previous week and it had been touch and go as to him making the start line. He finished in 33^rd position with 62:04.

Our final finisher was seventeen years old Troy Kettle (N.W.R.R.C.), another wearing the vest for the first time. Troy, the son of Jonathan  second in the Chester metric marathon this year- is a first year student at Keel University and finished the Cybi coastal race, 35+ Miles, in 4:01 hours last September. He finished in 64^th position in 69:49. Results: 1. Shrops 20 pts; 2. N. Wales 29; 3. Staffs 36; 4. Cheshire 74; 5. Derbys 84.

Womens race

Captain for the day Rachel Shipley (Abergele) has made great progress his year, including winning the recent Flintshire 10km in Mold, p.b.s at both 5km (18:36) and 10km (38:39, and was our first finisher in 11^th with 65:46, over 8 minutes faster than her run here in 2019. Next in was debutant, Lucinda (Lucie) Pruett (Buckley Runners), who was married less than 2 months ago. Another in fine form, she won the Regional championships in the Abergele 5km this month and reduced her 10km best from 41:35 to 38:21 in Northwich last month. She finished in 66:19 for 13^th. Jen Adams (Buckley) is an athlete that prefers the hills and tough terrain and has a 3:32:21 London marathon to her name this year. Jen finished 21^st in 71:09. Jane Doughton, the third of the Buckley Runners in the team, has set p.b.s at both 5km (20:14) and 5 miles (34:30) this year and was the last of our scorers in 72:43 for 22^nd. Our fifth and final runner was Claire Wyn-Jones (Deeside) who is still coming back from injury and placed 24^th in 73:56.