Jones wins Porthcawl Parkrun
ATHLETICS
FIRST-TIME competitor Ross Jones ( Ebbw Vale Running Club) last Saturday pulled off a victory in the 229th staging of the Porthcawl 5k Parkrun, writes Tony Poole.
The popular Saturday morning run from Porthcawl seafront to Rest Bay and back on this occasion attracted 376 starters.
And Jones strode to victory in a time of 18 minutes 6 seconds, finishing just six seconds in front of Matthew Hurford (Les Croupiers).
John Morris (Taff Running & Orienteering) took third place with a personal time of 18:15 with the winner from the previous week, Finley Hines (Neath Harriers), having to be content on this occasion with fourth spot in a time of 18:40.
The other top-10 places went to Jordan Groves (unattached) 18:43, Chris Jenkins (Porthcawl Run- ners) 18:51, Liam Osborne (Bridgend) 18:59, Ian Edwards (unattached) 19:15, Richard Dando (Bridgend) 19:18 and Graeme Rand (unattached) 19:25.
Sub-20 minute times also came from two firsttime runners Ceri Davies (San Domenico Running Club) 19:32 and Chris Gray (Ebbw Vale Running Club) 19:35 along with Dave Murray (Brackla Harriers) 19:51 and Robert James Evans (Ebbw Vale Running Club) firsttimer 19:58.
Top female was 21stplaced finisher Gabriella Booth (Les Croupiers) with a pb 20:32 from Deborah Goule (Porthcawl Runners) 21:03 (26th), Fleur Jones (unattached) pb 21:08 (27th) and Jazmine Briganti (Brackla Harriers) 21:40 (35th).
MAESTEG PARKRUN:
FORMER Llangynwyd Rangers football star Niki Puleio took the fifth stag- ing of Maesteg 5k Parkrun last Saturday in the Welfare Park.
The winning time from the Ogmore Phoenix Runners member was a personal best 18 minutes 30 seconds and he finished 21 seconds in front of Ceri Tapper (unattached).
Rowan Hobbs (Brackla Harriers) was third in 19:00 from first-timer Owain James (unattached) 19:31, first-timer Ian Bird (Port Talbot Harriers) 19:44, Adrian Pearce (unattached) 19:55, Gareth Thompson (unattached) 20:59, Matthew Bunce (Brackla Harriers) 22:04, Peter Walsh (Ogmore Phoenix Runners) 22:13 and Sean G Thomas (unattached) pb 22:41.
Top female was Melissa Kostic (Brackla Harriers) who clocked a pb 24:47 to finish 21st from Laurie Williams (unattached) 27:25 (30th) and Denise Bradley (Ogmore Phoenix Runners) 27:31 (30th). PORTHCAWL Runner Mike Davies was a proud man after completing his 200th Parkrun last Saturday, writes Carl Field.
It’s quite an achievement for the 59-year-old veteran, who only took up running a little over four years ago.
The Parkrun in Porthcawl was a little over two months old when Davies ran in his first one back on June 15, 2013 – clocking 32 minutes 36 seconds.
He went on to rack up six personal best times in eight races over the next two months, knocking a staggering nine minutes plus off his time.
His best came in his 61st run back on September 20, 2014, a time of 22:45 which is still his fastest time – while his average over all 200 Parkruns – all of which have been at Porthcawl – is a highly respectable 26:50.
Davies has run in 200 of the 229 stagings of the Porthcawl Parkrun since it started back on April 6, 2013.
Looking back on his very first Parkrun, he said: “I almost didn’t make it to the end. I struggled to start with and had to walk some of it as well.
But, after finishing and then 199 Parkruns later, painter and decorator Davies – affectionately known as ‘Taxi Mike’ because of his second job as a cab driver – has no plans to stop pounding the pavements any time soon.
And, as he heads towards another magic milestone in turning 60, it looks like there’s plenty of petrol left in Taxi Mike’s tank.