Regional 5 Miles Championships and showing Within the Breakwater Race, Anglesey 30 July 2023

Regional 5 Miles Championships and showing Within the Breakwater Race, Anglesey 30 July 2023

For the second successive year, the Regional 5 miles championship were held on the prom at Holyhead, with a course that included a section with a run along the breakwater, around the lighthouse and back. The weather was mild and with a strong breeze, almost ideal for racing for the 136 starters.

At the start, Simon Cole (Gog Tri) led a small group with eventual open race winner John Higgs (who was ineligible for the champs) at his heels, and it was these two that set the pace, the latter then opening up an almost 30 seconds gap to record 26:57 with Cole taking the title in 27:24.

The women’s race saw Eryri’s Gemma Moore ease her way into a lead of almost a minute as she retained her title, just weeks after moving into the F40 category; she finished in 31:25.

Full results, Men: SM: 1. Lloyd Williams (Cybi) 28.03; 2. Tony Wood (Denbigh) 29.35; 3. Ifan Jones (Cybi) 30.52. M35: 1. Gavin Stuart (Cybi) 27.28; 2. James Yarwood (Wrexham) 28.14; 3. Ian Edwards (Eryri) 29.04. M40: 1. Cole; 2. Jonathan Tyler (Betsi) 29.17; 3. Chris Thomas (Cybi) 31.10. M45: 1. Joseph Matthews (Betsi) 30.43; 2. Iwan Evans (NWRRC) 32.52; 3. Jamie Thame (NWRRC) 35.07. M50: 1. Darren Blazier (Abergele) 30.5; 2. Michael Coyne (Eryri) 31.24; 3. Jason Thomas (Cybi) 31.46. M55: 1. Nick Houghton (Cybi) 33.18; 2. Ian Mulligan (Cybi) 34.38; 3. Gwyn Roberts (Wrexham) 34.56. M60: 1. Steven Gardner (NWRRC) 32.46; 2. Dylan Huws (Eryri) 33.07; 3. Andy Thomas (Sandbach) 34.30. M65: 1. Gordon Jones (Prestatyn) 31.08; 2. Simon Nixon (Denbigh) 36.47; 3. Robert Fryer (NWRRC) 43.57. M70: 1. Mark Mason (NWRRC) 45.06. M75: 1. Michael Davis (Prestatyn) 45.00. M80: 1. Emyr Davies (Hebog) 39.14.

Women: SW: 1. Rachel Shipley (Abergele) 32.21; 2. Emma Alofs (Cybi) 33.27; F35: 1. Kelly Alford (NWRRC) 40.32; F40: 1. Moore; 2. Helen Morgan (Eryri) 37.03; 3. Ruth Williams (Eryri) 37.29. F45: 1. Sarah Hudson (NWRRC) 36.18; 2. Nia Wright-Morgan (Cybi) 36.55; 3. Sarah Osborne (Cybi) 42.37. F50: 1. Gilly Glass (Eryri) 42.10; 2. Rhian Harper-Owen (Cybi) 42.11; 3. Anna Moccia (Wrexham) 43.01. F55: 1. Cheryl Frost (NWRRC) 38.23; 2. Ilona Kurta (Betsi) 53.24. F60: 1. Emma Collins (Denbigh) 35.16; 2. Kay Hatton (NWRRC) 39.22. F65: 1. Menai Baugh (Denbigh) 45.30; 2. Irene Blount (Buckley) 49.52; 3. Vivienne Edwards (Eryri) 53.38. F75: 1. Margaret Oliver (Eryri) 55:21.