ATHLETICS
PORTHCAWL was the venue last Sunday of the Tuska Sprint Triathlon which formed part of the Welsh National Championships for 2017, writes Tony Poole.
The event was organised by Pencoed Tri Club, and it attracted just short of 250 competitors – some were top Elite Age-Group athletes.
It formed the final round of this year’s National Series which is a competition run over the Welsh Championship events for Aquathlon and Sprint, Standard and Middle Distance Triathlon.
And teenager Tomos Nesham (Pencoed Tri Club) not only took the 17-18 age group category, but also finished fourth overall.
He completed the 750m swim in 12 minutes 19 seconds; clocked 35:15 in the 22k bike ride and 18:31 for a 5k run.
With change times of 52 seconds to add on, it gave him a completed time of one hour, six minutes and 57 seconds with winner Sam Wade (Sense Core Race Team) clocking 1:02:05.
Other fine times by local competitors came from Gemma RocheClarke F30-34 section (Bridgend) 1:18:35 (35th), Chris Goodwin M40-44 section (Ogmore Valley Wheelers) 1:25:07 (63rd), Jeffrey Thomas M50-54 section (Bridgend) 1:26:41 (74th), David Howland M30-34 section 1:27:27 and Ceri Thomas F50-54 section (both Pencoed Tri Club) 1:29:21 (90th).
PORTHCAWL 5K PARKRUN
ALUN Hanford (Hedge End Running Club) turned up for a first time last Saturday, and ran away with the 227th staging of the Porthcawl 5k Parkrun, writes Tony Poole.
His winning time was 18 minutes 2 seconds, and he had a sweet 16 seconds in hand over another firsttime competitor – Jonny Morris (Taff Running & Orienteering) who last month came third in the inaugural Maesteg 5k Parkrun.
Bridgend runner Richard Dando got third place on the back of 18:46 with the other top-10 placings going to Dave Bennett (Porthcawl Runners) 18:51, Andy Charles 19:01, Luke Wyatt (both unattached) 19:29, Dave Murray (Bridgend) 19:42, Ryan Jones (unattached) first-timer 19:46, Alun Williams (Porthcawl Runners) personal best (pb) 19:48 and Dafydd Jones (unattached) 20:00.
Top female was 28thplaced Deborah Goule (Porthcawl Runners) 21:25 from Fleur Jones pb 21:32 (30th), Olivia Norris 22: 14 (36th), Jo Walmsley pb 22:26 (40th) and Evie Stocker (all unattached) pb 23:04.
MAESTEG 5K PARKRUN
NEIL Jones (Pontyclun Road Runners) last Saturday took the third staging of the Maesteg 5k Parkrun around the Welfare Park.
This time around 101 competitors faced the starter in the Llynfi Valley with Jones clocking 18 minutes 8 seconds to finish 27 seconds in front of Anthony Powell (unattached).
Christopher Jeynes (Brackla Harries) completed the course in 18:48 from Niki Puleio (Ogmore Phoenix Runners) 18:52.
The other top-10 places were occupied by Paul Speyer 19:08 from his Brackla Harriers teammate Rowan Hobbs 19:36, Daryn David 19:59, James McLoughlin (both unattached) 20:06, Jamie Vanstone (Ogmore Phoenix Runners) 20:19 and top female finisher Ffion Lewis (Run4AllNeath) 20:29.
Second female home was Laura Gush (Bearbrook Running Club) 22:39 (20th) from Lisa Cleary (Penarth & Dinas Powys Runners) 23:45 (24th).
And cancer fund-raising group 23 in 23 were among the 101 runners.
This marked a 24th run in Wales from an inspiring group who have already raised thousands of pounds for the charity.
BRIDGEND JUNIOR 2K PARKRUN
DEVIN Coombes last Sunday smashed his Bridgend Junior 2k Parkrun record during the 99th staging of the event in Newbridge Fields.
The young Bridgend runner completed the course in 6 minutes 35 seconds to clip six seconds off the record that he previously set last month.
It was also his ninth successive victory in Bridgend Junior Parkrun, and his personal best time led to him finishing well in front of Bridgend colleague Joseph Fowler, who recorded 8:16.
Ioan Phillips was third in 8:20 with top female Eve Ruby Hickman (Bridgend) registering 8:35.
The other top-10 places were filled by Leroy Griffiths (Rhondda) 8:50, Will Griffiths-Cole pb 9:02, Cerys Griffiths-Cole pb 9:04, Abigail Morgan 9:07, Rory Griffiths 9:16 and Aneira Phillips 9:17.
Other sub-10 minute times came from first-timer Matthew Clatworthy 9:23, Alfie Osborne 9:27, Ethan Wyatt 9:28, Maya Bilal 9:29, first-timer Megan Banks 9:31, Euan Jenkins 9:38, Nia Lewis 9:40, Grace Taylor (Bridgend) pb 9:42, Jude Jenkins 9:43, Finlay Griffiths 9:45, Vincent Borg 9:46, Imogen John pb 9:52 and Katie Blower 9:56.
There were 19 other personal best times and they came from: Charlie Jones, Jac Thomas, Atharva Kotwal, Mia Jones, Osian Phillips, Olivia Butler, Harris Jones, Ava HydeJones, Andre Borg, Daisy Cowan-Bayliss (Ogmore Phoenix Runners), Caden Wilson, Maisie Fowler, Daniel Evans, Rhys Evans, Lloyd Dando, Anshita Kotwal, Eira Darling, Eleri Roberts and William Bonell.
This Sunday, the Bridgend Junior Parkrun, which was introduced on August 23, 2015, will become a centurion.