THE Billy Goat sporting team challenge proved a huge success over the past two weeks with nearly 80 participants raising over £700 for St David’s Hospice in Llandudno.

Originally staged as a unique charity challenge competition between the organisers, North Wales Road Running Club (NWRRC), and the GOGs Triathlon Club, the event quickly expanded to include many other individual entries, who either walked, ran, or cycled a specific distance for a great cause.

The team challenge included 39 runners, who each ran a virtual 10k course on their own, and 26 cyclists, who again all completed a solitary ride within their virtual 10-mile dash.

The main competition included 13-teams of 5 entrants, with 3 runners and 2 cyclists, and was based on an age percentage and performance basis.

This, to a certain extent reduced the normal first past the post results, and gave everyone a chance to compete in mixed teams, with all names drawn out of a hat.

The overall winners were Team One, which included runners Martin Green and Nic Brook, cyclist Rhian Roxburgh, as well as support from Rachel Morris and cyclist Tony Gibson, recording an amazing average percentage of 75.62%.

It proved to be very close contest in the end though, with Team 7 finishing 2nd and were just a fraction of a percentage behind the overall victors in 75.13%. This team included the fastest 10k runner of the entire competition in Simon Cole, and the fastest cyclist overall in Simon (Rocky) Roxburgh, together with three quality team mates, in Adrian Leonard, Richard Scamans and Steve Owen.

In 3rd place was Team 4, with another good sprinkling of quality runners and riders in Ann d’Alburquerque, Ceri Hughes, Janine Butterworth, Tony Price Jones, and Sarah Ferguson Hudson, with the team recording 71.90%. The challenge proved to be very close throughout with the lowest of the 13 teams averaging 60.14% to the highest at 75.62%.

The top percentage of the whole event deservedly went to Ann d’Alburquerque, who as an experienced veteran athlete aged 71, and running as a team captain, recorded an excellent time of 50 mins 08 secs for her 10k, and an incredible personal ranking of 93.69%, to help her team claim 3rd place overall. Ann’s 73-year old husband John also ran well to finish in 50.02.

Whilst Ann achieved the top prize, 2nd placed in the female category went to Rhian Roxburgh, who celebrated 85.85%, with Cheryl Frost close behind in 3rd spot with 81.77%.

For the men, Martin Green hit the top percentage mark recording 87.61%, with fellow star athlete Simon Cole 2nd achieving 86.59%, and cyclist Steve Jones proving his worth in 3rd place with an unexpected but equally remarkable 85.64%.

Simon Cole was the fastest runner of the 10k challenge in 32.34, with Martin Green 2nd in 33.41 and Nic Brook 3rd in 35.45. For the ladies, Gemma Brown was the fastest female finisher in 41.18, with Cheryl Frost, who both cycled and ran well in superb times, finishing 2nd in 44.38, with Janine Butterworth 3rd in 47.04.

In the cycling challenge, Simon Roxburgh had a superb ride to record the top score of 21 mins 18 secs over the 10-mile course, with Merf Jones 2nd in 23.00, and Paul Algieri very close behind in 3rd spot in 23.19.

For the ladies, it proved to be a family double with Rhian Roxburgh 1st lady home in an excellent time of 22.42, with Mared Dafydd 2nd in 24.28, and Angie Hughes 3rd in 25.51.

*Individual entries and donations were also received from: Mandy and Charlie Owen, Mike Hayton, Mia Morris, Sarah Massey, Carol Morley, Sian Humphreys and her daughter, Joyce Humphreys and her son Robert, John-Paul Humphreys and his partner.

Thanks, were expressed to the organisers, John and Kay Hatton, Don Hale, Rhian Roxburgh, and Carla Green, in addition to the sponsors John Hatton and Rachel Jordan from Tesco at Llandudno Junction, and to both NWRRC and the GOGs, and to all participants.

Charity challenge – Age percentage overall results

*The results include ages, times and percentages. The 2nd and 4th names relate to cyclists, with the other three as runners.

1st Place: Team 1. Nic Brook (46) 35.45 (83.19%), Tony Gibson (62) 29.51 (69.55%), Rachel Morris (39) 60.11 (51.89%), Rhian Roxburgh (45) 22.42 (85.85%), Martin Green (45) 33.41 (87.61%). Average 75.62%.

2nd Place: Team 7. Adrian Leonard (39) 37.30 (75.20%), Simon Roxburgh (46) 21.18 (80.65%), Richard Scamans (48) 44.30 (67.89%), Steve Owen (37) 25.50 (65.34%), Simon Cole (39) 32.34 (86.59%). Average 75.13%.

3rd Place: Team 4. Ann d’Alburquerque (71) 50.08 (93.69%), Ceri Hughes (45) 26.25 (73.28%), Janine Butterworth (44) 47.04 (68.89%), Tony Price Jones (36) 27.57 (59.46%), Sarah Ferguson Hudson (41) 49.18 (64.18%). Average 71.90%.

4th Place: Team 5. Kevin Slattery (65) 47.19 (73.78%), Craig Rutter (34) 29.35 (56.18%), Gemma Brown (37) 41.18 (74.82%), Andrew Ellwood (47) 27.50 (61.60%), Cheryl Frost (*run) (54) 44.38 (81.77%). Average 69.63%.

5th Place: Team 13. David Griffith (47) 40.41 (73.67%), Geran Hughes (54) 25.16 (73.40%), Steph Conwy (32) 53.58 (56.35%), Grant Falconer (42) 23.40 (70.74%), Stuart Culverhouse (48) 42.57 (70.34%). Average 68.90%.

6th Place: Team 3. Dave Nolan (50) 44.23 (69.16%), David Kirkby (55) 28.35 (64.84%), Kevin Higgins (58) 58.06 (56.47%), Mared Dafydd (33) 24.28 (76.75%), Peter Armstrong (69) 47.48 (75.89%). Average 68.62%

7th Place: Team 11. John d’Alburquerque (73) 50.02 (76.33%), Tom Burke (39) 31.40 (52.48%), Steven Poupart (43) 45.09 (64.36%), Sarah Gallagher (38) 28.46 (65.19%), Llyr ApGeraint-Roberts (47) 38.02 (78.81%). Average 67.43%.

8th Place: Team 10. Don Hale (67) 53.01 (67.08%), Malcolm Harrison (65) 27.46 (82.72%), Hayley Price Jones (45) 61.24 (53.22%), Cheryl Frost (*bike) (54) 34.14 (54.71%), Kay Hatton (57) 49.28 (76.80%). Average 66.91%.

9th Place: Team 9. Tom Gibbs (25) 51.28 (52.17%), Merf Jones (56) 23.00 (84.34%), Sara Tuck (39) 56.07 (55.65%), Paul Algieri (57) 23.19 (84.77%), Charlotte-Rose Wilton-Jones (31) 57.05 (53.20%). Average 66.03%.

10th Place: Team 2. Vicky Taylor (45) 58.00 (54.18%), Bryn Phillips (38) 32.04 (51.82%), Julie Owens (40) 45.12 (69.52%), Steve Jones (60) 24.21 (85.64%), Hannah Griffith (47) 52.13 (64.04%). Average 65.04%.

11th Place: Team 12. Helen Hannam (44) 51.47 (62.62%), Laura Hume (40) 27.49 (67.43%), Nina Rowlands (38) 55.27 (56.00%). Angie Hughes (53) 25.51 (72.92%), Pat Finney (62) 51.23 (66.13%). Average 65.02%.

12th Place: Team 6. Rob Fryer (66) 49.45 (70.83%), Deborah Robinson (54) 38.11 (50.64%), Laurie Griffith (50) 52.50 (65.64%), Llinos Davies (60) 34.49 (56.74%), Ben Hudson (42) 45.42 (62.64%). Average 61.30%.

13th Place: Team 8. Rach Ellen (28) 52.20 (57.96%), Caitlin Owen (17) 32.29 (57.67%). Steve Bozier (42) 40.21 (71.47%), Evelyn Heffernan (43) 34.30 (55.27%), Gethin Wyn Jones (35) 47.01 (58.34%). Average 60.14%.