One week later and the winds had cooled, the skies had dulled and the weather was, to be put simply, perfect for running. One week later, April 29th, also dawned the inaugural ABP Newport Wales Marathon and with 5 Sarn Helen on the start line it was a pleasant day of excitement and apprehension. A storming performance from Caryl Wyn Davies came as no surprise seeing that 2018 so far has been full of PB’s and promise. This was the young athletes 8th marathon to date and her experience along with her dedication made for a very special day. Her outstanding time of 3:13:15 was the fastest pace a female Sarn runner has achieved for some time and placed her 6th lady overall, 4th in the Open Lady class.
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Club News
April 22nd, Virgin London Marathon time has been and gone but for those who ran, the recovery road is long and usually painful. Immense heat made running tough for all competitors and the difficult conditions were reflected in people’s times and for some, unfortunately, their enjoyment.
Two off road events held on the same day (April 7th) meant a parting of company for some teammates albeit temporarily. The Rivers family, Simon Hall and mud lover Dan Hooper travelled south to take part in the rescheduled Ras Dewi Sant Half Marathon organised by Man-Up Uk while Dee Jolly, Mitchell Readwin and CarwynDavies travelled east to race along Sugar Loaf Mountain in Mynydd Du’s 7 mile fell race.
Four Sarn Helen men travelled some distances to take part in four different half marathon events through the month of March, with all posting some great times around some beautiful cities. Severe weather has resulted in the cancellation and down scaling of many events this month but despite this ‘The Big Half’, a brand-new event in the centre of England’s Capital, prevailed and drew some enormous crowds on March 4th. Our firefighting senior male, Terry Wyn Jones made it to the start line and was pleased to finish the 13.1-mile run (and warm up!) in a time of 1:54:40.
Sarn Helen has ended the usually dreary month of Feb on a particular high with some outstanding results in the cross country, on the roads and along the trails. A mentionable feat was the launch on of the new Llanerchaeron Parkrun on Feb 10th, a free weekly 5k timed event that is safe and suitable for the while family and was supported by Clwb Rhedeg Sarn Helen and runs in conjunction with the National Trust. A dedicated group of volunteers, many of whom are active members of Sarn Helen, are responsible for getting the event up and running and after only 3 weeks has seen near 200 walkers, joggers and runners take to the trails. For more information on how you could take part or volunteer please see the Llanerchaeron Parkrun website.
A day to cover all eventualities with fierce hail, subtle snow showers and a surprise visit from the sun could only mean one thing, that morning had dawned for the annual Ras Cors Caron Half Marathon! Held on Sunday February 11th from the old market town of Tregaron the event drew a great turn out of 131 runners ready to brave the elements; this said, special mention must go to those involved with the local rubgy club whom not only provide heart warming cowl but brave the icy cold for hours to marshell the event, and superbly i might add!
The cold and dark winter months can make training hard for even the most dedicated athletes but there seems to be no stopping the Sarn Helen Running team as they have trained hard, raced well and as a result have clocked some brilliant positions and times.
There is no bigger honour than representing you country and for our two legendary veterans, Dawn Kenwright and Richard Marks that accolade is one they have repeated time and again. This years’ British Cross Country Championships took place is the beautiful surroundings of Derry in Ireland on Saturday 18th Nov.
A proud and significant 25th Birthday for this years’ Ras Y Mast was held on Novemeber 26th with great thanks and much appreciation going to Bleanwern Holiday Centre, currently run by Mark Lamport and family. The centre willingly hosts and supports the event, year after year, despite the mud and inconvenience the event must cause; Over the past quarter century Sarn Helen has raised over £3500 for the centre which is used for respite and holidays for organisations and charities nationwide.
A large crowd of over 250 runners took to the scenic and sloping grounds of the National Botanic Gardens on October the 15th at a new event, The Royal Welsh Run. On the day there were two main events, a 5k and 10k, as well as numerous fun runs and children’s activities, raising money and awareness for the famous Builth Wells summer show. A spectacular performance and time, 20:23, from one of our juniors, Dafydd Lloyd, saw him place 6th overall in the 5km run and a massive 3 minutes in front of his father, long standing Sarn member Haydn Lloyd, who finished in 23:55.