Archive for the Races Category
Rhobel Fawr - fell race - Welsh Champion!
09/11/2008 by Gerry.
Sue & Gerry headed up to mid Wales (near Dolgellau) for the last of the 2009 Welsh Fell Running championship races. Rhobel Fawr was a simple up and down race - no difficult route finding, just strength for the climb and speed and skill for the descent. For me I was certainly lacking the former and not too gifted in the skill stakes either!
Sue had a good race. She beat me to the top (1,900 ft of climb) by 5 minutes and overall by more than 6 minutes (so my descent wasn’t too bad after all).
This effort gave her the course record for her category and confirmed her place as W50 Welsh Fell Running Champion.
Useful links - Welsh FRA; Gerry’s Weblog of the event
Snowdon marathon 2008
27/10/2008 by Gags.
The Snowdon Marathon is always regarded as a little on the tough side, as you have to climb 3 separate hills, with a total climb of 2400′. This year however nature threw the worst weather of the races 26 year history at it. The rain had begun before the runners arrived at the start, a desolate patch of gravel in the middle of nowhere. There was very little natural shelter from the biting wind that blew down the Llanberis Pass. The race started with very few discarding their jackets and bin liners. The actual running gave the runners a chance to generate some internal heat after the chilling from waiting at the start. The ascent of the Pass climbs some 800′ in 4 miles. Never easy and a chore with the wind and rain in your face. Over the top and a long descent and flat run to almost halfway at Beddgelert. The Nant Gwynant valley leading to Beddgelert was also funnelling wind and rain into the runners faces. A short climb out of the village left the long, gently undulating or flat run, past Llyn Cwellyn and on to Waunfawr, a village that precedes the final and hardest climb up over the ridge and into Llanberis. Waunfawr comes at about 21 miles and the runners now ascend into strengthening winds and horizontal rain to pass thro’ a depressing abandoned slate quarry and across a short stretch of grass before the plunge into Llanberis. A cruel loop around the back of the town and the final welcome short stretch of road and into the finish. One large marquee had blown down so the runners all crammed into the Community Hall for foil blankets, tea, coffee and something to eat. A slate coaster and tee shirt for what had been a gruelling event. Many dropped out or were pulled out by first aid. None from Chepstow Harriers tho’. Our girls were truly magnificent. No thought of throwing in the towel just a grim determination to get to the finish. The final times so far are……………………..
Mark English Male M40+ 03:36:41 - 03:35:57
Paul Lidgett Male M40+ 03:41:23- 03:40:40
Andrew Blackmore Male M40+ 04:00:26 - 03:59:45
Michael Smith Male M50+ 04:16:47 - 04:14:25
Claire Gibson Female FSEN 04:48:57 - 04:46:40
Suzie Shepherd Female FSEN 04:52:31- 04:50:12.
Gill Ellis Female F45+ 05:18:13 - 05:15:53. Roberta Havers Female FSEN 05:25:42 - 05:23:24.
Beverly Meek-Welsh Female F45+ 05:34:47 - 05:32:26 (actually Tash Williams ! )
Rose Inn 2008 - race IV results
14/08/2008 by Andy.
The conditions were pretty tough on Tuesday, with a strong headwind on miles 2 and 4, so for the winner (Rob Bugden, Bristol & West) to break 20 minutes and come within a few seconds of the course record was quite an achievement. We hope to see some great battles next year if all the sub-20s turn up at the same time! Angela Tyrrell (San Domenico) was first lady.
Our usual results man is away at the moment, so I’ve been given the following results for the race on Tuesday (12th August). There are no series results here (sorry) - those will follow.
Webmaster’s away too, so the results won’t be on the main “Rose Inn” page for a few more days, but please bear with us 
Rose Inn IV 2008 results
Congratualations to everyone who took part throughout the series.
I’d like to say “thank you” to the race director Andy and his legion of helpers (registration, car parking, route marshalling, finish, water, results and BBQ) for putting on another fine series of races.
Looking through the results list, we had runners from as far afield as Sale, Cornwall, Neath, Reading, Stratford on Avon, Penarth & Dinas, Bridgend, Pontypridd, Chipping Sodbury, Bristol, Cardiff, the Wye Valley and the Forest of Dean clubs in addition to our friends from the Leisure Centre Leagues. Perhaps the fame of the race is spreading? We hope to see you all back again next year for Rose Inn 2009. Thank you to everyone for your support!
LCL Champions!!
11/08/2008 by Andy.
At Bryn Bach park on Tuedsay 5th August, Chepstow Harriers won the men’s and ladies’ team prizes for the annual Leisure Centre League road race series 2008. Both teams also won the overall (combined road and cross-country) series.
Well done to all who took part on the evening and throughout the year. It was a great team effort - who said running was an individual sport?
Congratulations also to the category prize winners:
1st L55 - Brenda Avery
1st M40 - Martin Pengilly
1st M60 - Dick Finch
2nd M55 - Bill Savage
2nd M60 - Syd Wheeler
3rd SM - Steve Caldwell
Bryn Bach results here: Bryn Bach Summer 2008
Series results here: LCL Final Results Summer 2008
Kymin Dash (or should that be Kymin Krawl?)
28/07/2008 by Andy.
While Esther and Lou were battling the heat and hills of Bath (well done to both!) a contingent of Harriers took part in the traditional “Kymin Dash” race in Monmouth.
This race of “around 7 miles” (my GPS measured 6.5) starts with a loop of the town before a three mile climb to the top of the Kymin (around 850 feet above sea level) on lanes, forest tracks and fields. Apparently some people managed to run the whole way up, but I gave in to lack of fitness early on and walked (which was hard enough in that heat)!
Having finally reached the top (after several false summits) it was back onto the road for the thrilling descent. Apparently the road used to be quite tricky due to pot holes, but it has been re-surfaced and was very fast - I clocked a PB in the first downhill mile, slowing only for the hair-pin bends as I attempted to make up time following my capitulation on the climb.
Back down the hill to town, a quick loop round and there was the finish, ably manned by, amongst others, Chepstow’s own Syd Wheeler and Sue Browne.
Results are not up on the site (www.kymindash.co.uk) yet, but first Chepstow runner home (and third overall) was Ivan, followed by Matt Stott, myself, Gerry, Sue, Roberta and Eric. In the team event, we tied for second place with Parc Bryn Bach (first 3 home out of 4).
It was a tough run (though a rewarding second half!) and the heat was terrible - but the sun was out, the support was great and there were some beautiful views. It’s a little pricey at £10 on-the-day, but I think I might be back one day (after all, I’m sure I could run up that hill if I was a little bit fitter…).
Well worth considering for next year!
Tintern Trot 2008 Results
25/07/2008 by Andy.
It was a hot and humid evening, making life difficult - and I was only a marshal!
Well done to all of the 130 competitors in this year’s race - we hope you enjoyed it and will be back next year for more of those hills.
Thanks to all organisers and helpers, we couldn’t do it without you!
First home was Chepstow Harrier Paul Murrin. Paul was second last year and sixth in 2006 showing good, gradual progression - made even more impressive given the nasty back injury suffered earlier this year. Well done Paul - we will, of course, not believe you next time you claim you’re injured and “not fit yet”!
Another Harrier, Matt Stott (6th in 2007), was second with Bridgend’s Bryn Griffiths (13th in 2007) close behind in third position.
In the women’s race, Angela Tyrrell from San Domenico was first to cross the line, breaking second placed Helen Fines’ winning streak. The Bristol & West athlete won the race in 2006 and 2007, so was going for a hat-trick of wins - guess you’ll have to start again next year Helen!
The third placed lady was Amanda Richardson from the Hogweed Trotters club; first Chepstow Harrier was Jan Morris.
Full results are here: tintern-trot-250708.pdf
East Wales Championship - 10km
23/07/2008 by Andy.
Results are now available on the website for the competitors in the East Wales 10km Championship, which was incorporated into the Magor Marsh race.
Congratulations to all who took part and to all category winners.
See this link for the results and winners.
Magor Marsh 10K - a race well run!
20/07/2008 by Andy.
The day dawned bright and sunny, but not too warm - pretty good conditions for a jaunt along the quiet lanes of Monmouthshire.
207 runners (plus one wheelchair) completed the 10 kilometre course, where course records were set (pretty inevitable that, for the first running of the event) by first man home Andrew Hussey (33:31) and Amy Chalk (34:27) who was first lady and fourth overall. Andrew Palmer, a T44 category athlete recorded one of the fastest times in the world this year (38:55) - so it truly is a fast course.
Well done to all!
Results and photos are now available from the main site.
Tintern Trot News - Road Closure
13/07/2008 by Andy.
Rather unhelpfully (for the race, if not for the residents of Tintern) the Wye Valley Road (A466) will be closed by the landslip in Tintern between 6pm and 10pm on July 24th.
This will impact access to Tintern Abbey from the Monmouth direction.
Please make allowance for this in your timings when attending the Tintern Trot. It may be possible to park on the Monmouth side of the closure and jog/walk to the start (I estimate it’s less than half a mile, but I’m not promising anything!).
Rose Inn series - race III results
11/07/2008 by Andy.
Another good turn out saw an exciting third event in the 2008 Rose Inn race series on Tuesday 8th July, with Peter Coles (MV45) of Pontypridd Roadents leading the field home in a time of 21:25. First lady was Angela Tyrrell (SL) of San Domenico, finishing in 23:36.
The first Chepstow runner, in sixth place, was Mark Harvey with a personal best performance of 23:05. At the current rate of improvement, we should see Mark breaking 23 minutes for the first time in August!
Other notable performances by men were those by Ian Withers, first Junior man and second in the race, finishing in 21:47; Justin Rowley (1st Senior man, in 21:52); Rogers Chamberlain (MV35, 23:42); Paul Harris (MV40, 23:15); Dougal Wilson-Croombe (MV50, 25:15); Mick Tabor (MV55, 23:50); John Turner (MV60, 26:05) and Roger Wilson (MV65+, 25:43).
For the ladies, Abbie Price was first Junior in a time of 40:10; Joanne Davis (LV35, 30:15); Kate Rees (LV40, 28:20); Julie Scholey (LV45, 27:51); Gill Murphy (LV50, 35:19); Brenda Avery (LV55+, 29:53).
Well done to all competitors and we hope to see you for the final race in the series, on Tuesday 12th August.
The results can be found here: Rose Inn 2008 - race III results.
There are also updated results for race II, following a correction reported on the night: Rose Inn 2008 - updated race II results
