ABOUT 60 people attended a special tribute and social 5k run/walk on Llandudno Promenade last Wednesday (September 27) in memory of a popular member of North Wales Road Runners Club (NWRRC).

John Dalzell, who lost his life aged 48 on August 17, was an ultra-distance athlete and a regular at Conwy parkrun.

This special commemorative 5k was arranged by club colleagues and close friends and associates of John, with Jonathan Kettle and Tony Price Jones.

It attracted plenty of supporters from numerous clubs and organisations that he was previously associated with, including a series of sprint sessions on the prom each Wednesday night, organised by this coaching duo.

Jonathan Kettle said: “Thank you so much to all that attended John’s memorial 5km this evening.

“If we can take just one thing away to remember, it has to be it’s OK not to be OK, and please talk if you need to. We also raised £250 for MATES support group. Gone but never forgotten.”

Club colleague Rachel Morris added: “Thanks to Jonathan and Tony for organising such a great event.

“It was great to see so many people from different clubs come together in remembering John tonight at Dalzell Runners.

“Jonathan and Tony organised the social 5k run in memory of ‘Jon Doe’. What an amazing turnout, and it was great to see so many runners from different running clubs in the area come together to run and remember John.”

A further tribute was paid to John at his Conwy parkrun last Saturday, by NWRRC member and parkrun MC John Hatton.

He said that this week’s event was to be run in memory of John, with the news commemorated by spontaneous applause.

Elsewhere this week for NWRRC, Gwennan Charlton took part in the triathlon on Llandudno Promenade and around the Great Orme on Sunday but she seemed slightly disappointed with her swim result after a slight mishap.

Her results looked quite promising, though, including a 750m swim in 25 minutes and 37 seconds, T1 2.51, 16.95K bike ride 60.00, T2 0.58, 5k run in 30 minutes 52 seconds.

Kelly Marie Alford and Cai Roberts competed in the packed Cardiff half-marathon last Sunday (October 1); the pair ran well together and finished in 2.03.31.

A trio of NWRRC members ran in the Penrhyn Castle parkrun on Saturday, and celebrated a unique hat-trick of wins in each of their respective age categories.

Will Evans made his debut on this picturesque course and finished seventh overall in 19.59, and he won his MV40 age cat.

Stuart Culverhouse and his son Joe Culverhouse also enjoyed equal success, with Stuart finishing ninth with a new PB of 20.17, and he who his MV50 cat, whilst Joe additionally won his JM11-14 age cat, in 36th place, in 23.51.

Jonathan takes the plaudits after close finish at Conwy parkrun

NWRRC’s Jonathan Kettle was the first runner home at Conwy parkrun last Saturday, but he was made to battle all the way around this challenging 5k course by rival Matthew Baker, who finished just nine seconds behind Jonathan.

The NWRRC athlete recorded a good time of 17 minutes and 36 seconds to win his MV45 cat.

After the event, Jonathan said: “It was a close run until the bridge when I thought I would push the effort a bit, and he couldn’t hang on, so I just cruised home off the bridge.

“All good fun when it’s a bit of a battle!”

Jonathan led a team of 16 club members, and they celebrated by claiming three age cat victories, three second, and two third places.

Steve Mason ran well in fifth place, and he finished second in his MV45 cat in 19.26, with Karl Morris 19th in 21.55, and he was third in his MV40 cat.

David Jones enjoyed a good run in 24th place, and he was third in his MV50 cat in 22.31, with Adam Lemalle back to form again, and he finished 28th in 22.46.

Meanwhile, Kay Hatton maintained her top form to win her VW60 age cat in 23.45 in 41st place overall, and the fourth female athlete.

Newcomer Daniel Hennell recorded a promising course PB on his club debut finishing in 47th place in 24.13, and master veteran Don Hale improved on last week’s season’s best time to again win his MV70 age cat in 81st place in 26.16.

Lesley Goodson made a welcome return to parkrun, finishing 83rd, and she was second in her VW55 cat in 26.41.

Master veteran Mark Mason was another returnee after injury, and he finished 85th in 26.44 and he was second in his MV70 cat, whilst veteran John O’Shea collected a new PB in 99th place in 27.18, and another promising newcomer Carol Moss made her club debut in 112th place in 28.20.

Gethin Wyn Jones ran home in 115th place in 28.30, and well done to Rachel Morris, who ran her best parkrun time this year finishing in 146th place in 30.26, and veteran Mike Smith continued his comeback journey with an improved time from last week in 32.53 in 168th place, whilst fellow vet Rob Fryer struggled back in 178th place in 33.56.

A delighted Rachel Morris later said: “My best parkrun time this year, and I keep chipping away and getting closer to that new PB.”