Regional 5km Championships Within the Llanrug 5km 5th June 2024

Regional 5km Championships
Within the Llanrug 5km 5th June 2024

For the fourth successive year, the 5km North Wales road running championships were held in Llanrug, near Caernarfon, starting at 19.30 p.m. Despite it being in early June, the sky had clouded over and while still dry, many spectators had put their coats back on as the temperature dropped. The race itself is one of those now-rare events, a small village affair, this one organised by the local junior school and well supported with 205 entries.

Men’s Race

The men’s race became a three-man battle between Tomos Roberts (Meirionnydd), Dion Griffith (Cardiff) and Connor Rogers (Wrexham). Tomos, who came into the event on the back of two second placings at Great Birmingham 10km (31:46) and the Great Manchester half marathon (68:42), both in May, went into a lead after overtaking Dion and pulled further ahead, winning in a fine 15:21. He took the title, gold M35 and set a new Regional 5km championship best, taking 4 seconds off David Mountford’s 15:25, from Rhyl in 2010. Dion, who is the 2024 Regional 10km championships after victory at the Twin Piers race in Colwyn Bay and who had won this event at the same venue in 2023, finished in 15:42 to take gold under-20. Connor, who had set a p.b. of 15:09 as part of the N. Wales team at the Cardiff 5km in May, finished in 15:45, taking gold senior male.

Women’s race

The women’s race developed into a battle between last year’s third placer Samia Jones (Liverpool Harriers) and Abergele’s Rachel Shipley. Samia, who hails from nearby Caernarfon, has a background in cross country and track and field as well as road running, and set a new p.b. with her win in 18:46. Samia also took gold under-20 female. Rachel, the current Regional half marathon champion after her win in Caernarfon last year (86:15), took first senior female in 19:00. Elliw Haf-Roberts (Eryri) maintained her recent form following an 88:06 at the Great Manchester half marathon in May and a 38:23 at the Trafford 10km in March, with a third place and first F35 in 19:46.

Other results: U/17 Men: All Eryri: 1. Jai Chauhan 18:25; 2. Ynys Ap Rhys 21:24; 3. Gruff Anderson 21:47. U/20 Men: 1. Dion Griffith (Cardiff) 15:42. Senior Men: 1. Connor Rogers (Wrexham) 15:45: 2. Lloyd Williams (Cybi) 16:53; 3. Ifan Jones (Cybi) 17:16. M35: 1. Tomos Roberts (Meirionnydd) 15:21; 2. Ian Edwards (Eryri) 16:57; 3. Aled Hughes (Gog Tri) 17:46. M40: 1. Jonathan Tyler (Betsi) 17:25; 2. Daniel Williams (Abergele) 18:17; 3. Chris Thomas (Cybi) 19:10 . M45: 1. Martin Green (NWRRC) 16:41; 2. Jonathan Kettle (NWRRC) 17:29; 3. Stephen Stocker (Prestatyn) 18:57. M50: 1. Nic Brook (Eryri) 17:37; 2. Stuart Culverhouse (NWRRC) 20:03; 3. Mark Owen (Cybi) 21:53. M55: Nick Houghton (Cybi) 19:15; 2. Steven Roberts (NWRRC) 21:32; 3. Ian Mulligan (Cybi). M60: 1. Steven Gardner (NWRRC) 19:14; 2. Paul Garstang (Gog Tri) 20:07; 3. Marc Jones (Prestatyn) 20:44. M65: All Eryri 1. Dylan Huws 19:27; 2. John Jones 21:33; 3. Arwel Lewis 21:35. M70: 1. Eurwyn Edwards (Eryri) 22:54; 2. Robert Fryer (NWRRC) 26:30; 3. Malcolm Jones (Eryri) 27:31. M80: Emyr Davies (Hebog) 24:36. U/17 Women: All Eryri) 1. Catrin Evans 21:05;2. Amber Chauhan 23:01; 3. Ania Edwards 24:31. U/20F: Samia Jones (Liverpool Harriers) 18:46.

SF: 1. Rachel Shipley (Abergele) 19:00; 2. Emma Alofs (Cybi) 19:52; 3. Zoe Jones (Cybi) 2:19. F35: 1. Elliw Haf-Roberts (Eryri) 19:46; 2. Sonia Williams (Cybi) 21:33; 3. Nia Meleri Edwards (Eryri) 25:13. F40: Helen Morgan (Eryri) 23:03; 2. Donna Jones (Cybi) 23:53; 3. Elin Lewis-Griffi 21:49. F45: 1. Megan Hughes (Eryri) 21:47; Laura McKenzie (Betsi) 22:43; 3. Yvette Adamson (Betsi) 24:42. F50: 1. Carla Green (NWRRC) 20:33; 2. Hannah Griffith (NWRRC) 25:00. F55: 1. Sian Evans (Hebog) 23:24; 2. Cheryl Frost (NWRRC) 23:46; 3. Rachel Threadkell (Cybi) 25:24. F60: 1. Emma Collins (Denbigh) 21:49; 2. Margaret Ludden (Buckley) 22:54; 3. Kay Hatton (NWRRC) 24:01. F65: 1. Karen Butler (NWRRC) 24:50; 2. Menai Baugh (Denbigh) 28:33; 3. Vivienne Edwards (Eryri) 29:49.

Photos above are courtesy of SportpicturesCymru: Top left: Samia Jones (1st); Top right: Rachel Shipley (2nd); Bottom: Elliw Haf-Roberts (3rd).

Report By Paul Brooks