NORTH Wales Road Runners Club (NWRRC)’s Steve Gardner won both a gold and a silver medal during the Welsh Masters Athletics championships on Saturday (August 12).

Steve was delighted by his results in the 1,500m and the 800m races, which also included two new personal best times and two excellent podium places for a gold and a silver medal.

It was his first major venture onto the track for several decades.

Steve won the 1500m final A-race with a gold medal performance and a PB of five minutes and 13.38 seconds in a mixed age final event.

He was more than seven seconds faster than the next-placed athlete.

And in the 800m final B-race, he finished fifth in another mixed age race but he came second in his MV60 age cat in two minutes 27.48 seconds to claim a deserved silver medal.

Steve said: “I was very pleased with the results. I thought about aiming for the champs a couple of months ago after some pleasing parkruns and road races.

“Unfortunately, I hadn't been able to get any track training sessions in, so I have been doing them on the road instead, but it doesn't seem to have been detrimental to my performances on the day.”

Full marks to two top students at Conwy parkrun dash

A couple talented students competed for honours at Conwy parkrun last Saturday (August 12).

Bryn Woodall (Colwyn Bay AC) eventually outsprinted rival Harri Jackson (Manchester Metro University AC) to claim the first place with an incredible time of just 15 minutes and 54 seconds.

NWRRC entered 10 members and recorded a wide comparison of inter-club age cat wins with Kay Hatton winning her FV60 age cat in 23.11, whilst junior athlete Joe Culverhouse won his JM11-14 cat, and he finished just seven seconds adrift of Kay in 23.38.

Joe’s father, Stuart Culverhouse, was the first NWRRC finisher in 16th place in 20.44, with Steve Bozier back after several weeks to finish 17th overall, and second in his MV45 cat in 21.02, and Karl Morris ran well in 23.04 in 44th place.

Meanwhile, Carla Green continued her return to fitness with another promising performance as the sixth female finisher and she was second in her VW50 age cat in 23.11.

Kay Hatton was 52nd in 23.31 and she claimed first place in her FV60 cat, with Joe Culverhouse 53rd, and first in his JM11-14 cat in 23.38.

Veteran John O’Shea finished third in his MV65 cat in 132nd place overall in 29.02, and fellow vet Rob Fryer was 147th in 30.08, with Helen Hannam 159th in 30.42, and Rachel Morris 184th in 33.40.

Other results

*Ruthin: Two NWRRC members ran in the Ruthin Memorial Playing Fields parkrun last Saturday and both athletes performed well with Will Williams being the first man home overall with a new PB of 18.04, and he also won his MV50 age cat, whilst colleague Jamie Tharme finished fifth with another PB in 20.09, and he also won his MV45 age cat.

*Warrington: Steve Mason finished ninth at the Warrington parkrun on Saturday, and he was second in his MV45 age cat in 19.44.

*Llangollen: Master veteran Mike Hayton made his debut at the Old Railway Trail parkrun at Llangollen last Saturday and finished 59th overall in 28.15, and he finished second in his MV70 cat, but just missed out on winning his age cat by 22 seconds.