Dash in the Dark 3. 5th Jan 2024.
An incredible 83 runners braved the wet and cold conditions to mark the 3rd and last race in this series.
A MASSIVE thank you to everyone that helps us run these races. OPA, NEWSAR, the CRR marshals and entry administrators , and the RO John Monty
Dash results 3 5th Jan 2024 final
Dash in the Dark 2. 1st December 2023.
A massive Thank you to our fantastic hosts yet again – One Planet Adventure.
90 runners came along to enjoy the frosty conditions and red moon
Race 2 results here.
Dash in the Dark 1. 3rd Nov 2023.
A massive Thank you to our fantastic hosts yet again – One Planet Adventure.
97 runners came along to enjoy the fantastic course laid on by the magnificent Mr Monty.
Race 1results here.
The Druid Race 2023.
Please see tonight’s results.
Results The Druid Race 5 July 2023
Dash in the Dark 3. 6 Jan 2023.
Thanks to everyone for supporting us in the last race in the series for this year.
A massive Thank you to our fantastic hosts yet again – One Planet Adventure.
84 runners came along to enjoy the fantastic course laid on by the magnificent Mr Monty.
Race 3 results here.
Dash in the Dark 06_01_01_2023
Series results were based on average time over ALL 3 races.
Ladies: 1. Susan Fourie, 2. Lisa Cambell, 3. Amanda Edwards.
Men: 1. Simon Philips, 2. Paul Lewtey, 3. Fred Aird.
Watch this space for summer race news and, following multiple requests for 4 races in the series, lets see what we can do foe the winter 2023 !
Happy Running, CRR.
Dash in the Dark 2. 2 Dec 2022.
Thanks to everyone for supporting us and our fantastic hosts One Planet Adventure.
80 runners made it out on a cool clear night that was perfect for a run in the woods.
Results Dash race 2nd Dec 2022
Hopefully see you all for race 3 on 6th Jan 2023.
Dash in the Dark 1. 4 Nov 2022.
Thanks to everyone for coming along tonight to the first dash race and a massive THANK YOU to all the helpers and OPA for hosting us.
Report to follow but results are below.
Final Results Dash in the Dark 4_11_22
The Beast 2022
So good to be back after missing 2 years. Results below, report to follow.
Thanks to everyone involved.
Dash in the Dark 2 – 14th Jan 2022.
Dash 2 Results 14th Jan 2022 Final
It’s not been the return to racing we envisaged sadly, the December race had to be cancelled after Storm Arwen brought down a large number of trees in Llandegla forest. The clean up took a long time with priority being given to opening up the mountain bike trails and so it was deemed unsafe to venture off the beaten track into the wilderness.Just as things were looking up we were hit with a limit on organised outdoor events of 50 people. It was a last minute decision to put this race on but I was pleased to secure 50 runners with less than a weeks notice.The moon shone bright and the frost formed on the ground providing slippery conditions underfoot. The mood was cheerful and everyone was keen to set off in order to keep warm. There was a battle for 1st, 2nd and 3rd in the mens race as Joel Gomes cruised home in only 23.51 with Stephen Skates hot on his tail in 24.34. Race 1 winner Jez Brown still put in a superb effort coming 3rd in 25.34. Of note the first 3 men were all M40 category. Interestingly 1st M50 was Buckley runners Simon Roberts who just managed to stay ahead of Craig Jones and Simon Edwards in the battle for 1st, 2nd and 3rd M50, with only 20 seconds between them.Andy Creber took the 1st M60 win which hopefully made his journey from the south worth while, a very respectable time of 30.15.Right behind Andy was the first lady, Christine Camillare in 30.17 followed by Kerry Jones in 32.19 (1st L40). Buckley runners Amanda Garner came 3rd with a time of 35.41. Annie Buckley was the first L50 winner in 38.33 beating a number of younger runners who followed a few minutes after.Well done to all who took part and once again a special thanks to One Planet Adventure for hosting us and staying open, a thanks to the marshals and also to NEWSAR who provided safety cover out on the course.We’re hoping to put a race on the 18th February but watch this space.
Dash in the Dark 1 – 5th Nov 2021.
Dash 1 final results 5th Nov 2021.
One Planet Adventure, Llandegla forest
“Remember, remember the fifth of November….. the return of Dash in the Dark!”
After a 12month break (which was actually more like 20 months since the last race) 80 competitors turned up on what can only be described as a fairly mild evening to pit themselves against the darkness.
With a slightly different registration format things seemed to run smoothly as people arrived, found their race number and signed in with smiles all round. It really was lovely to see faces new and old, some meeting up and chatting to others they too had not seen for ages, and others gearing themselves up for a true race.
A slight change of route this year due to tree felling meant the course was better underfoot and it used more defined paths than we would normally choose to. Nevertheless this resulted in a very fast 5.5km race with winner Jez Brown flying over the line in 23.46 taking both the first overall and first M40 place. Perhaps he was so fast because right on his tail was Denbigh Harriers Daniel Jones who finished in 23.47. In 3rd place and also 1st M50 was Buckley Runners very own Simon Roberts in 24.07. Concluding the mens results are 1st M60 Bill Crawshaw from Wrexham Tri who crossed the line in 31.45, 1st M70 was regular attendee Norman Seddon in 44.26, and who could forget the one and only Pete Norman who sets off early and tells me his time, 1st M80 with a time of 1:12.00.
13 seconds separated 1st and 2nd female place with Katy Baugh finishing in 27.48, closely followed by Christine Cammillare in 28.01. 3rd overall was Clwydian Range Runners Mandy Pefers in a time of 28.47, Mandy was also 1st L50 which I can’t believe for a minute, she doesn’t look a day over 49. 1st L40 was Kerry Jones from Eryri completing the race in 30.56 and 1st L60 was Susan Ridings in 39.52.
Special thanks to One Planet Adventure for opening up for us and putting staff on. The race wouldn’t happen without the volunteers who set up the course, marshal, time keep, enter the results. We also wouldn’t be able to put this on for £4 if it wasn’t for the Welsh Fell Running Association who insure the event. Please consider becoming a member of the WFRA as every penny goes straight back in to putting on affordable grass roots fell races.
See you at the next race on Friday 3rd December 2021.
photo courtesy of SJ Photography
Dash in the Dark 3 – 17th January 2020.
Dash in the Dark 17 Jan 2020 FINAL
January 2020, the last Dash in the Dark race, this can only mean one thing…
The Series Winner title is up for grabs.
Unlike in previous years, the snow stayed away and the temperature of 4oC made for some good running conditions, however a bit wet underfoot. 147 runners made the start line for a moonlit evening of racing.
In the men’s race, in form Warren Renkel (RunFree) finished in 22.43, equalling the course record. Louis Lermite (Run Free) was second place in 23:15 and Ben Lightowler (u/a) third with an impressive 24:15.
V40M was Simon Roberts (Buckley) 25:11, V50M John Montgomery (Clwydian Range Runners) 26.28, V60M Steven Roberts (Oswestry Olympians) 29:57, V70M John Morris (Buckley Runners) 39:54 and V80M Peter Norman (Wrexham Tri) 60:02.
First home for the ladies was Gemma Moore (Eryri) in 26:16. Second lady was Sally May-Ellis (RunFree) in 27:29 and third over the line for the ladies was Kirsty Seddon (Chester Tri).
V40L winner was Anna Bartlett (Shrewsbury AC) 31:21 and V50L Rachel Sherwen (RunFree) 32.27.
The Dash in the Dark overall series wins went to Warren Renkel from Run Free, having won two races out of three. Gemma Moore won the ladies title, having won all three races for Eryri. Well done to both!
I say this every time, but the races we put on are run by volunteers, and would not take place without these people. Special thanks to the course markers, marshals, sweepers, data entries and the prize givers!
Thanks to OPA for hosting our Dash series and NEWSAR for their continued support.
The date is set for the next series – Friday 6th Nov 2020.
Chek out our other races, The Beast 3 June, The Druid 8 July and Push up the Pincyn 25 July.
Happy Running and see you all soon.
CRR.
Dash in the Dark 2 – 6th December 2019
Dash in the Dark 6 Dec 2019 final
Thanks to everyone that come and enjoy ALL our races and also to all the people that help make them happen.
Full race report to follow. Happy Running, CRR.
Dash in the Dark 1 – 8th November 2019
Results for Dash 1.
Dash in the Dark 8 Nov 2019 final
A new course and a new record up for grabs. Recent tree felling in the forest left the old course a bit barren, so Mr M went out to change the route, and came back with a belter.
98 runners made it to the start line for the first dash for this series. Dry conditions and a little over 4 degrees made it perfect for some night running.
Karl Steinegger, Ambleside , was first over the line in 22:43 followed by Warren Renkel, Run Free Llangollen in 23:16 taking second place. Joel Gomes, Wrexham AC came in third place with a time of 24:02.
The age category winners were V40 Simon Edwards 26:08 Buckley Runners, V50 Neil Coppack CRR 26:13, V60 Chris Wilcox Buckley Runners 34:17 and V70 John Morris Buckley Runners 38.43.
Peter Norman finished the course on a fantastic 62:00 taking the V80 win.
(Due to a technical error on the night, John Morris was not announced as the V70 winner. Apologies for this John !).
The ladies race win went to Gemma Moore, representing Eryri Harriers in 26:51. Second lady was Sally Ellis u/a in 28:29 and third placed was Kirsty Seddon from Chester Tri in 32:27.
Ladies age categories were V40 Suzanna Heppenstall from Cilcain in 32:32, V50 Jo Grandfield for Whitchurch Whippets in 34:47 and V60 Susan Ridings CRR 41:39.
A MASSIVE thanks goes out to our hosts One Planet Adventure for their hospitality and soup, NEWSAR for their support and ALL marshals, time keepers, route markers and sweepers. Without whom our races would not be able to take place.
See you all for the next round – Dash in the Dark 2 – 6th Dec 2019.
The Druid – 10th July 2019.
After a pleasant day the drizzle finally set in just in time for the start of the race. With the temperature remaining about 15 degrees it was very warm and humid evening.
With a slightly later start time of 7:30 112 runners turned up to compete and were soon out warming up the legs around the village. The Druid Inn was a hive of activity as people prepared themselves and family members got the drinks in ready to watch.
This year we decided to donate all of the takings to the Llanferres playing field and recreation association which is a registered charity and provides an award winning park in the village centre. Members of the local community had offered to marshal this year and were out on the hillside keeping the runners safe and holding open gates for them.
Rectory Lane and the first field presents a challenging start and anyone going off too fast can find themselves out of breath very quickly. The cows were soon herded away and with the field of runners spread out the battles commenced. A steady climb across fields gets the runners to the iron age hillfort of Moel Fenlli standing at 1,677ft. The route circumnavigates the remains of the defensive walls before returning to Llanferres along the same route.
First across the line in a time of 36.13 was Jon-Jo Doherty from St Helens Sutton AC with what appeared to be a comfortable lead over Helsby runner Chris Larkin who crossed the line 7 seconds later. Both fantastic times. They were shortly followed by a stalwart of the local fell races Lawrence Eccles who is often competing on behalf of Penny Lane Striders, Lawrence crossed the line in 36.52.
In 27th place overall, and the first lady across the line, Kate MacFarlane from Penny Lane striders completed the course in a superb 42.33. 2nd and 3rd places went to Alli Grundy (Tattenhall) and Susan Fourie (Chester Tri) in 44.09 and 44.42 respectively.
Age group results as follows.
Male V40 – Jez Brown 38.47 (Buckley)
Male V50 – Ian Houston 38.33 (Wrecsam Tri)
Male V60 – Paul Shannon 43.52 (Tattenhall)
Male V70 – John Morris 55.37 (Buckley)
Male V80 – Pete Norman (Wrecsam Tri)
Female V40 – Alli Grundy 2nd place overall (Tattenhall)
Female V50 – Karen Forster 53.18 (Spectrum Striders)
Female V60 – Menai Baugh 54.42 (Denbigh)
Thanks once again to everybody who took part and those who helped put the race on
The Beast – 5th June 2019.
In the days leading up to this year’s Beast race the weather did not know to do next. Sun lotion was required over the weekend before the race and then full waterproofs were needed only the day before whilst out marking the course.
This however did not deter the 116 runners who turned out to race, and neither did the wet ground conditions effect the course records ,in both the male and female categories.
First back to the pub on the night was Ben Goodfellow, Wrexham Tri, in 36.30. His time knocked 14 seconds off the course record. Second over the line was Wrexham AC Ryan Davies in 37.18 and in third place was Lowrence Eccles, Penny Lane Striders in 37.34.
Jez Brown, Buckley Runners, was V40 winner in 38.48 and also took 4th spot.
Steve Toogood , also Buckley Runners was V50 winner in a time of 44.01 with Paul Shannon, Tattenhall in 45.47. John Morris, Buckley, won V70 (following a stewards enquiry) in a time of 56.04. Peter Norman completed the course in 1hr 44, taking the V80 award.
With the men’s course record beaten, all that was left was for the first lady to finish in less than 46.39.
Buckley Runner’s Hayley Evans came over the line in an astonishing time of 44.59, smashing her own course record by 1.40 !
Second lady and also V40 winner was Susan Fourie, Chester Tri in 46.35, followed by Laura Baynham-Hughes in 49.31 for Helsby. Sharon Eaton from Tattenhall was the V50 winner in a time of 64.33 with Christina Roach, also Helsby in an impressive 53.06.
Fastest local on the night, showing that local knowledge is key, was Alys Devine in 52.53.
Clwydian Range Runners had 7 runners out racing with John Rolton 44.58, Luke Addison 45.11, Many Peffers 51.49, Andy Peffers 54.50, Greame Peacock 56.46, Eifion Matthias 56.46 and Mel Berry in 1.02.15.
The most prestigious prize of the ‘sack of spuds’ for Best Turned out Club went to Buckley Runners who had 16 runners out on the night.
A big thank you goes out to all the people that help us to host these races. The people that give up their time set out the course , the number crunchers, marshals, sweepers and all the back room staff. Many photos from Steve Jeffery (SJ Photography) are available online – thanks Steve.
Thanks to The Miners Arms for hosting us and to NEWSAR for their continued support on our local hills.
Hopefully see you all soon, CRR.
Beast Results 5 June 2019 final
Dash in the Dark 3 – 25 Jan 2019.
Fantastic turnout tonight for our postponed final dash.
Thanks to all the marshals, time keepers, course markers , NEWSAR and Badger at One Planet Adventure. Without whom the series would not take place.
Race report to follow…….watch this space.
Dash in the Dark 2 – 7th Dec 2018.
With a new course there are always new records up for grabs. 99 runners made it up to the start line on the edge of the Llandegla Forest on what turned out to be a dry night, well dry from above , but not below. With the course holding water in places ,it was going to be a wet one.
With the sniff of a course record up for grabs, Karl Steinegger Ambleside, and Tristan Evans Meirionydd, set off at the front to battle it out. Karl, the stronger of the two on the night, came over the line in 23.51, breaking the 24 minute mark by nine seconds. Tristan finished second in 24.18. Third men’s place went to Tom Hiles, U/A in an impressive 25.08.
In the ladies race there was a similar battle up front. Sally Ellis, U/A eventually got the better of Buckley’s Hayley Evans. Sally finished in 29.20 to get the ladies course record, with Hayley close behind in 29.40. The only consolation was Hayley’s prize of a Clwydian Range Runners enamel mug, which I am sure she will enjoy for years to come. Third lady home was Rhian Pierce of Denbigh Harriers, only 4 seconds behind in 29.44.
In the age categories we had V40m Darren Fishwick for Chorley in 27.21, CRR’s own Neil Dalywater V50m in 28.17, V60m Stephen Roberts Oswestry Olympians in 31.46. The V70m winner was Peter Roberts, Buckley runners, in 35.29 and Wrexham AC’s Peter Norman in 1.17.00 ,not bad for V80 !!
Ladies V40 winner was Mandy Peffers, CRR in 34.07, with V50 Jan Rogers Chester Tri in 35.29 and V60 Sue Coles U/A in 44.28.
Again our thanks goes out to all the people that make this series happen. The course markers, the marshals, the sweepers and the time keepers. A special thanks goes to Mrs C for the data input and results typing. She is the one that counts you all in safely at the end of the day.
Thanks to NEWSAR for their continued support, not only at our races, but the 365 days per year while we are out on the mountains having fun with friends and families.
Thanks to Badger at OPA and his staff for the friendly reception we receive at all our events and for the fantastic warming soup especially made for a Friday Dash!
Finally ‘Best Wishes for the Festive Season’ to all of the runners that keep coming along to support our events, smiling and enjoying something that we enjoy putting together. What better way is there to spend £4 on a dark cold wet Friday night.
See you all in January 2019 and take care.
CRR.
Dash in the Dark 1 – 9th Nov 2018.
How time flies….. it’s hard to believe a new Dash in the Dark series has begun.
With a new course for the new series the fun began again last Friday evening. With mild and wet weather forecast for the first race, the experts this time certainly got it spot on.
97 runners headed off to illuminate the dark Llandegla forest, with the heavy rain failing to dampen the spirits.
First home in the men’s race was ‘the back to form’ Karl Steineigger, Ambleside , in a time of 24.16. Second home was local lad Ifan Oldfield , Wrexham AC , 24.41 and third over the line Craig Conner in 25.33, representing Tatten Hall Runners.
In the ladies race Gemma Moore finished in an impressive 29.24 for NWRRC , second place was Liz Mahon in 30.17 for Total Transition Tri Club. Sally Ellis, u/a, came in third in a time of 30.54.
In the various ladies categories, Mel Berry , Clwydian Range Runners , finished in 37.13 for the V40 ladies prize and Jan Rogers , Chester Tri , was fastest V50 lady in 35.19.
Buckley Runners Simon Edwards claimed male V40 in a time of 27.18, Neil Ashcroft from Ambleside AC was Male v50 winner in 29.04. Dave Stephens , Clwydian Range Runners claimed fastest V60 in 35.01 and Pete Roberts, also of Buckley Runners ,was V70 winner in 35.27. The Wrexham AC athlete Peter Norman was fastest V80 in 69.25.
The most prestigious prize on the night was the ‘deep fill Fray Bentos pie’ , awarded to the first CRR runner on the night Neil Coppack. The multi Iron Man competitor Neil completed the course in a staggering 27.24.
There were some positive comments on the night regarding the new route. The changes were made in the week leading up to the race to help reduce the impact of runners on some sensitive areas of the trail. Hopefully the changes will secure the race series for the years to come.
Thanks to all the help setting up and taking down the course, the time keepers and the marshals. Thanks to One Planet Adventure for hosting us and NEWSAR for the fantastic support. See you for the next race on 7th Dec 2018.
The Druid Race – 11th July 2018.
thanks to all the runners and helpers.
Race report to follow, results below.
Druid Results 11 July 2018 FINAL
Race up the Beast – 6th June 2018
It was lovely to see so many people turn up for this year’s Beast Race with exactly 100 runners lining up on a sunny summers eve. Some had run the course before but some just looked on as the race brief described what awaited them in the woods of Maeshafan and beyond.
First male back was Lowrence Eccles from Penny Lane Stiders on 38.30, closely followed by second male Jez Brown of Buckley runners in 38.37. Third male was ERM Fitness athlete Matt Gilbert in 41.42 who managed to complete the course wearing a baseball cap.
For the ladies the first runner over the line was Hayley Evans, Buckley Runners, beating her own course record by 4 seconds in a time of 46.35. Second over the line was Ursula Moore from Pensby Runners in 46.37 and third lady was Susan Fairie in 48.51 for Chester Tri.
In the age categories, Jez Brown was MV40, Colin Bishop Heslby won MV50 in an impressive 42.29, MV60 was Nicholas Holmes in 45.57 for Tattenhall Runners and MV70 was Buckley’s local legend John Morris in 55.03.
Pete Norman from Wrexham AC completed the course in just over an hour – then announced he was having a rest for the remainder of the week as he was competing in the British Triathlon Championships on the weekend – not bad for a 80 year old !
The ladies age categories were won by Susan Fairie VF40, Janet Robinson VF50 for Helsby in 53.52 and VF60 was Debbie Read, also from Helsby in 73.54.
There were 4 Clwydian Range Runners out in the course with Neil Coppack 46.05, John Rolton 47.18, Jenny Ewels 55.06 and Victoria Knight 66.00.
The most prestigious prize on the night was the most turned out club. This went to Helsby Runners , with 14 runners, who took great delight in accepting the award of a sack of potatoes.
Thanks to all marshals, sweepers, time keepers, data in-putters, The Miners pub, NEWSAR and all runners who came to make the race great a success.
Thank you and see you on the hills soon.
Sheeptracks race – 25th Feb 2018
The inaugural Sheeptracks race took place on Sunday 25th Feb. Well done to Neil Coppack for flying the CRR flag on this new 27 Km race.
Neil finished in 3hrs and 17 mins, just 8 mins off a top 10 spot.
Dash in the Dark 3 – 19th January 2018.
Friday 19th was the third and final race of the Dash in the Dark series.
All the usual individual prizes were up for grabs as well as the coveted overall series champion.
With the the recent new moon, the conditions were ideal for a run in the woods. Clear skies with no sign of frost made the going heavy for the 108 runners that set off.
First over the line was Emlyn Owen for Eryri in 28.06, Buckley’s Simon Edwards was second in 28.36 and Peter Gray, again Buckley, third in a time of 28.48. Pete Norman won the MV70 win in a time of 1.15.00 for Wrexham Tri.
The ladies race was won by Hayley Evans, Buckley in 30.25. Megan Parry from Hebog was second in 34.15, with Kirsty Seddon , Chester Tri third over the line in 35.57.
Emlyn Owen also took the MV40 win, with Deestriders Martin Witty MV50 in 31.52 and Dave Stevens MV60 in 36.13 for Clwydian Range Runners.
Clwydian Range Runners runner Mandy Peffers took the LV40 win in a time of 35.01 and Rachel Sherwin from Run Free was LV50 winner in a time of 37.46.
The overall Prize went to the runner with the best times ove ALL 3 races.
Hayley Evans from Buckley won the ladies Best of Series award while Peter Gray, also from Buckley won the men’s Best of Series.
As always, a massive ‘Thank You’ goes out to all the people that give up their time to help with these races. They are run on a not for profit basis and are only successful due to the commitment and time given up by the route markers, marshals, time keepers, and the back room staff. Thanks also to NEWSAR and WFRA for the race support, not forgetting OPA for hosting us.
Happy running and see you all later in the year.
Dash in the Dark 2 – 1st Dec 2017.
The second race in the ‘Dash in the Dark’ series took place on Friday 1st December.
The conditions leading up to the race had been typical for this time of year, with a frost on the ground arriving just in time to make conditions that little more interesting.
103 runners set off on the night, all with a chance of winning one of the festive prizes up for grabs.
First back was Michael Corrales, NWRRC in a time of 24.16, just short of last year’s course record of 24.02. Second over the line was regular Tom Hiles, u/a in 25.15. Young superstar and local athlete Ifan Oldfield took the third spot on the podium, in a time of 26.48, beating his dad by over 11 minutes !
Emlyn Owen, Eryri, won V40 in 28.53. Martyn Witty won the V50 prize in 31.34 for Deeside, with Buckleys Chris Wilcox taking the V60 prize in 31.36. Pete Roberts won the V70 category in a time of 35.35, running for Buckley.
In the ladies race, Gemma Moore, also NWRCC, took top spot in an impressive time of 29.57. Hayley Evans for Buckley runners was second in 30.06 and Eryri’s Emma Morgan finished third in 34.24.
Dawn Urowhart, Buckley, finished fastest V40 lady in 37.08 and Linda Martin from Deestriders was fasted V50 in an impressive 38.10.
A Big thank you, as ever, goes out to all the helpers, marshals, sweepers and our hosts One Planet Adventure, who without we would not be able to run the series. Safety cover again was provided by the fantastic NEWSAR.
Merry Christmas to you all and best wishes. We will hopefully see you for the final round on 19th January 2018.
sadly Hayley and Emma had to dash off to start their Christmas shopping.
Dash in the Dark 1. 10th November 2017.
It doesn’t seem long since we finished the last ‘Dash in the Dark’ series at Coed Llandegla.
Last Friday, and ten months later, the waiting was over as we saw the return of the Dash race series and Coed Llandegla. We also saw the return of some of the familiar and happy faces we have come to know.
As the darker nights drew in and the weather worsened it was back to business for the trail hardy.
Hayley Evans from Buckley runners took the ladies win in an impressive time of 24.22. Second on the night was Lizzie Irvine , Otley AC in 30.39 and third was Kirsty Seddon , Chester Tri in 33.33.
In the men’s race, running for Prestatyn RC and chasing the course record, was Stephen Skates in a time of 24.22, just 20 seconds off the record ! Second in the men’s race was Ryan Davis, Wrexham AC in a time of 25.16 and third place taken comfortably by Tom Hiles , u/a in 25.29.
The ladies V40 went to Mandy Peffers for CRR in 34.50 and V50 winner was Jan Rogers for Chester Tri in 37.57.
The men’s V40 winner was Mathew Fortes ( 4th overall) from Eryri in 26.37, V50 was Buckley’s very own Steve Toogood in 27.47 , V60 was Geoff Pettit u/a in 39.50 and V70 went to Pete Roberts Buckley in 36.50.
Also running for Clwydian Range Runners was Neil Coppack 29.54, Dave Stephens 35.44, Jenny Ewels 35.52, Victoria Knight 38.24 and Sandra Montgomery. Neil Also won the Fray Bentos ‘Scruffiest runner’ award.
Big thanks goes out to One Plant Adventure for hosting the event and NEWSAR for providing support out in the forest.
See you all for the next round on Friday 1st December.
Please note that all helpers, marshals, time keepers, planners and route markers are volunteers. Without whom the Dash in the Dark series simply would not happen. A massive THANK YOU goes out to them. Thanks for giving up your time to contribute to a fantastic series of night time trail races. The original and STILL the best.
THE HEB – RACE ON THE EDGE 2-3 Sept 2017
Well done to Mandy and Andy Peffers for finishing a fantastic 2nd place in the mixed pairs in the Heb race, in a total time of 23:35:29
The Heb – Race on the Edge is a multi-discipline, very achievable two-day Adventure Race for Solo competitors and Pairs, consisting of Cycling, Hill Running and Kayaking.
The 2 Hill Forts Race – 8th Aug 2017
Well done to Neil, Mandy, Andy and Alice competing in the 2 Hill forts race.
Cilcain Show 2017
The Mountain Race, as it is locally known, first run in 1960 as part of the village show and every year since 1973 (except in 2001 when the show was cancelled due to the Foot & Mouth outbreak). It is a traditional village show fell race, basically one from the show ground field to the highest local peak and back.
We had 6 runners on the hill, James Harris, Dan Hurst, Alice Williams, Tom Worthington, Dave Stephens and Nikita Berry.
Push up the Pincyn Sat 29th July 2017
The North Wales Fell Running Series graced Clawddnewydd on Saturday 29th July For the annual 10km Push Up The Pincyn race. 46 of the region’s finest fell runners set off in good cool running weather. There was a faller within the first mile from the start when Neil Dalleywater (Clwydian Range Runners) had negotiated the big bale but within yards badly twisted his ankle. 14 hours of waiting in A&E later it’s confirmed he’s broken his ankle. Get well Neil.
The remainder of the pack negotiated some really boggy sections after torrential rain the previous night. This didn’t deter many from giving some truly brilliant performances especially on the now very slippy climb to the Pincyn summit in the heart of Clocaenog forest.
But there was no catching eventual winner Matthew Roberts (CVFR) who managed to maintained a 2 minute lead over ever fresh Colin Donnelly (Cambuslang). Close on their heels was 18 y.o. Billy Swift (Mercia) for a well deserved 3rd.
4th in and therefore 1st lady was Miranda Grant (Eryri) who tussled to the wire with club mate Emlyn Owen, but he did get 1st vet 40 for his efforts.
More great efforts included Menai Baugh (Denbigh Harriers) who looked suitably surprised to get 1st O50. Dick Evans had a worthwhile journey up from Cardiff AAC to take V70 from regular winner John Morris (Buckley). Coming in behind tho’ was 1st local lad Oliver Bean, taking 2 minutes off last year’s effort. But best result was for the very last runner Celia Free (U/A) who still managed to secure 3rd F40!
Green Green Grass of Home Wed July 26th 2017
A field of 89 runners set off on a dry summer’s evening for this 5 mile fell race overlooking the Vale of Clwyd. The runners wound their up and down the Clwydian Hills following some rarely trodden sheep tracks and across open hill. The bracken was, in places taller, than some of the competitors but everyone emerged to make the final steep descent and dash to the finish.
Jez Brown(Buckley) brought the field home in 40.37 with Stephen Corbishley not far behind in 41.06. Third home was Tony Wood (Denbigh Harriers) in 42.54. Laura Riches (Buckley) set a new women’s record for the route in 47.37 with Mary Gillie (Clwydian Range Runners) 48.00 and Gemma Moore (NWRRC) 48.27 in close pursuit.
Many thanks to the race marshals who ensured the runners found their way around the course, to Colin and Helen at the Golden Lion for accommodating the race HQ and to all the runners who took part in this very enjoyable summer race.
Druid Race – Wednesday 11th July 2017.
On Wednesday night an impressive 115 runners turned up to battle it out on the hills behind Llanferres at the Druid race. The route saw them climb out of the village behind the Druid pub before enjoying a leisurely trek across fields to Foel Fenlli. This steep sided iron age hill fort now provides runners and walkers with the opportunity to take in the fantastic views the Clwydian Range has to offer without the hustle and bustle sometimes found on its neighbour Moel Famau.
The weather couldn’t have been better for running and we were blessed with sunshine all evening.
First back in a superb time of 34.43 was Stephen Corbishley from Rossendale Harriers, well done Stephen. Second place, and 1st V40, went to Adan Gordon from Helsby in a time of 36.05. Not far behind in third place was Tony Wood in 36.30.
Male V50 was won by Ed Gamble from Cheshire Hill racers in 37.11. V60 went to Neil Hindle from WFRA in a time of 46.16, & 1st V70 went to John Morris from Buckley runners in 50.46.
There were some equally impressive times from the ladies with Buckley runners Hayley Evans crossing the finish line first in a time of 40.57. Hayley was followed by Laura Hughes from Helsby running club in 43.15, Laura was also the first V40 so well done. Third place went to Ceri Belshaw from Denbigh Harriers who was less than 30s behind Laura in 43.44.
There was only one other age group winner for the ladies with Karen Forster being the first V50 across the line in 44.03.
Thanks go to Sam and the team at the Druid Inn Pub for allowing us to use their facilities and provide us with liquid refreshments. The race couldn’t have taken place without the marshals who turn out to all of our races. We didn’t expect this turnout and so a large chunk of the proceeds will soon go to a local good cause.
We look forward to seeing you on the hills again soon. Gareth
The Beast – Wednesday 21st June 2017
Wednesday’s conditions were not the best for a fell race, with temperatures reaching 27.5oC on the car thermometer on the way to the race HQ. The forecast for the evening was hot with a chance of showers, and that wasn’t wrong. The thunder rumbled across the Bryn Alyn peaks during registration, eventually finishing with a heavy downpour 15 mins before the start.
The hot and humid conditions however did not put the 79 runners off this year’s challenge of ‘the Beast’, with the hot conditions resuming just before the start horn.
First back for the men’s race was Lowrence Eccles from Penny Lane Striders in an impressive time of 38.40. Second placed was Jez Brown in 39.06, also taking the V40 win, in a time of 39.06. Third male on the night was Rossendale Harriers runner Steven Corbishley in 39.22.
The male V50 price went to Paul Shannon from Tattenhall runners in 48.36 , V60 was Robert Wood from Liverpool Penbrook in 50.44and Buckley’s very own John Morris took the V70 win in a time of 55.26.
In the ladies race Laura B Hughes from Helsby finished in first place, also taking V40 win, in a time of 50.30. Then, only 6 seconds later, Susan Fairie from Chester Tri finished in a time of 50.56. Third place was taken by Karon Forster of Spectrum Striders in 51.20,with Karon also taking top spot in V50.
Buckley runners maintained their position for most turned out club, taking the prestigious prize of a sack of potatoes.
Thanks to the Miners Arms, all the helpers and marshals that without races like this would not be able to take place, and the continued support from NEWSAR and WFRA.
I hope to see you all soon out on the fells, happy running, Dan.
Beast Results 21 June 17 final edit
Dash 3 – 13th January 2017.
This Friday was the last in this series for the ‘Dash in the Dark’ held at Coed Llandegla.
We had a full moon, it was Friday 13th and the trails were full of snow. What could go wrong !!
Thanks to Ian and the staff at OPA the roads were cleared and the car park prepared for the 110 runners to test their new Christmas gear out in the Llandegla forest. The moon shone across the lake as the snow in the trails made the whole evening more interesting.
As it was the last in the series the prestigious title of ‘ fastest overall male ’ and ‘ fastest overall female’ was up for grabs. Due to the snow on the car park the start line was moved over to the forest entrance for a change, so no course records were up for grabs
First over the line and representing Ambleside AC was Karl Steinegger in a time of 24.02. 2nd on the night was Greg King u/a in 25.07. 3rd over the line and also m40 was Jez Brown from Buckley runners in 25.14.
The ladies race was won by Mysteruns Lzzie Irvine in 29.36 followed by Sally Ellis, u/a, in 30.38. third lady in the night was Hayley Evans from Buckley in 31.11.
In the ladies categories Jessica Brearey l40 was home in 31.55 followed by Jo Grandfield from Whitchurch Whippits in 37.52.
The over all prize for the series went to Karl Steinegger from Ambleside AC who won all 3 races in the series and Kirsty Seddon from Cheater Tri who had completed all 3 races with the best overall result.
A massive thank you goes out to ALL the CRR members that help out for the race series. The route markers, all the marshals and the sweepers. The time keepers and the button counters that without whom the series would not be able to go ahead.
Thanks to One Planet Adventure for hosting the event and for NEWSAR for their continued support.
I hope you have a fantastic year and see you all in the winter of 2017 for the next Dash in the Dark encounters.
Take care,
CRR.
Dash 3 Results 13 Jan 2017 final
Dash in the Dark 9th Dec 2016
Results Dash in the Dark 9 Dec 2016_final_v2
Dash 2 had 95 runners brave the conditions in the Coed Llandegla forest.
Sadly the moon did not make it through the clods leaving the runners to depend on their head torches.
First over the line, in a time of 24.08, and new course record was Karl Stienegger for Ambleside AC. 2nd male was Elliot Cox running for Buckley in 26.05 followed by Greg King u/a in third, 27.05.
In the ladies race Clwydian Range Runner Mary Gillie finished 1st in a time of 30.47, holding off Sally Ellis u/a at 32.39 and Hayley evans from Buckley runners in 32.43.
In the overall categories Simon Edwards M40 finished in 27.48, Steve Toogood M50 in 28.30, Norman Steddon M60 in 79.03 and Peter Roberts M70 in 35.59.
The ladies categories Ellie Robinson L40 was 35.40 for West Cheshire AC and running for Eryri was Ellie Sailsbury L50 in 38.37.
Thank you all for your continued support. Hope you all have a good Christmas and hopefully see you all in the New Year.
Dash in the Dark 2016/17
Last Friday we saw the return of the Dash in the Dark series at Coed Llandegla.
The wet and windy weather during the week before the first race did result in some heavy going in places along the route.
The rain eventually eased giving the growing ‘super moon’ chance to show itself through the clouds and light the way for the strong field of 92 runners that set off for the trails.
In the men’s race, first over the line with a super finish was Karl Steiniegger, Ambleside AC, in a time of 25.14. Second place went to Stephen Skates, Prestatyn, in a time of 26.28. Third spot on the night went to Wallasy runner Matthew Goodwin in a time of 27.34. The men’s record was rocked, but still stands at 25.08
The ladies race winner was Lizzy Irvine, representing Mysteruns, in an impressive time and new course record of 30.47. Second lady was Clwydian Range Runner Mary Gilly in 31.21, also beating the old course record ! Third lady and last year’s series winner Kirsty Seddon finished in 31.50.
In the age categories, lady v40 went to Lisa Grantham from Pensby Runners in 33.07 and lady v50 was won by Hazel Berret competing for Buckley Runners in a time of 35.00.
The male V40 title went to Karl Williams, also of Buckley Runners, in 29.4, with Buckley’s Steve Toogood taking the male V50 in 28.26. Mersey Tri runner Norman Seddon took the V60 win with a time of 47.30 and Wrexham ACs Peter Norman crossing the line for the V70 win.
Clwydian Range Runners had 8 runners out on the night.
A massive thanks goes to all the helpers, the marshals and time keepers, the route markers and to One Planet Adventure for the fantastic soup and hospitality.
See you all on the next Dash in the Dark race on 9th December.
Results Dash in the Dark 11 Nov 2016 PRINT
Race up The Beast – 8th June 2016.
Wednesday evening saw the return of one of the favourite summer series, ‘Race up The Beast’ at Maeshafan.
With new host club Clwydian Range Runners marking out the route and organising the event for 2016, all the runners on the start line gave a round of applause to John Morris of Buckley Runners, who had organised the race for the last 7 years – Thank you John.
As the temperature dipped below 20⁰c for the first time all day, a gentle breeze picked up just enough to cool the runners down as they lined up for the start. Just over 90 runners turned up to tackle The Beast, taking on a slightly modified route from previous years, that saw the 7.5Km race route finish right outside the pub door.
In the men’s race, first over the line with a sprint finish was Karl Steiniegger, Ambleside AC, in a mind blowing time of 36.44. Second place went to Michael Corrales, NWRCC, in a photo finish time of 36.44.5. Third spot on the night went to Buckley Runner Jez Brown in a time of 37.11. Jez also won the male v40 race.
The ladies race winner was Hayley Evans, representing Buckley Runners, in an impressive time of 46.39. Second lady was Laura Baynham-Hughes from Helsby Runners, in 49.20 and third lady Karen Forster finished in 51.35, also taking the F50 win for Calder Valley.
In the age categories, lady v40 went to Ciara Murphy from Chester Tri in 54.07 and Male v50 was won by Dave Shepard, competing for VRAC in a time of 44.11. The male V60 title went to Vince Edwards of Deestriders, in 48.62 and the male V70 went to none other than Buckley’s very own John Morris.
John also took the ‘most team members’ prize, a sack of potatoes, on behalf of Buckley runners who promptly shared the 12.5kg of Maris Pipers between the 20 runners that had turned up to run.
Clwydian Range Runners had 9 runners out on the hills. For the ladies Laura Cosgrove came over the line in an impressive time of 53.08 and Mandy Peffers finished 3rd L40 in 55.24. Melanie Berry crossed the line in 59.24 and Nikita Berry 1.03.9.
Owen Arman 46.32, Greame Peacock 48.57, Jason Davies 50.18 and Stephen Jones 51.55 were out representing the clubs men.
Paul Stinton, CRR, finished in 1.07.24 having took a wrong turn, then double backed to finish the course properly – even having ran to the start line from home !
A massive thanks goes to all the helpers, to the Miners Arms pub, the marshals and time keepers.
A very special thanks goes to the Trinity Fammau Scout Group from Gwenaffield for volunteering to marshal our race.
Thanks to all of you that came along and for all the positive feedback that we received.
Happy running and see you all next year.
CRR.
Dash in the Daylight Results. 20th February 2016.
Dash in the Daylight 20 Feb 2016
Last Saturday saw the official opening race for the new 10Km trail at Coed Llandegla.
It was business as usual for a Saturday morning at the One Planet Adventure visitors centre / cafe with mountain bikers and runners alike preparing for the trails with lovely fresh coffee and bacon butties.
The weather turned out to be drizzle rather than the heavy rain and strong winds as was forecast.
55 runners lined up as a few thanks yous took place and finally the ribbon was cut to mark the opening of the fantastic permanent course at Llandegla forest.
First home from Buckley runners was Jez Brown in a time of 42.42, also taking first V40 spot.
Second over the line was Dash in the Dark series winner Karl Steinegger in 43.00 for Ambleside AC with third place going to Jeff McQueen for WCAL in 46.07.
In the ladies race, a blistering performance from Eryri Harries runner Lizzie Irvine gave her the first spot in 49.35. followed by Kirsty Seddon , 54.39, for Chester Tri. V50 winner and third lady was Emma Collins for Denbigh Harriers in 57.14.
Jayne Rayner took the V40 prize in 1.01.50 , u/a.
Male V50 was Neil Salt, also u/a ,in a time of 53.24 ,with first male V60 Chris Wilcox , Clwydian Range Runners, 53.12. John Morris took the V70 win for Buckley Runners in 1.05.41.
A big thank you to all the helpers, time keepers and sweepers on the day. Thanks to OPA for hosting us and all the runners for their continued support.
Dash in the Dark – 3 22nd January 2016
Its hard to believe that only one week ago we had to postpose the third race due to the ice, show and freezing conditions over at Llandegla. With the thermometer almost reaching 10oC and the moonlight lighting up the trails, 56 runners set off into the forest at Coed Llandegla, for the third and last in the series of Dash in the Dark races.
First home for the ladies and setting a new female course record was Kirsty Seddon , Chester Tri in a blistering time of 31.37. Second over the line was Rebecca Robberts, Clwydian in 35.13 and in third place Kate Murphy, Outward Bound in 36.14.
As the field lined up for the start, the men’s race favourite and course record holder, Karl Steinegger looked set to take his third race and overall title for Ambleside AC. Indeed, in true form, taking the win was Karl in 25.35, only challenged on the night by Simon Edwards from Buckley Runners in 27.36. Simon also took the V40 win. Third overall for the men was Joe Dogherty from Outward Bound in 28.54.
The rest of the prizes on the night went to ladies Jan Rodgers (V50), Chester Tri 36.18 and Ellie Robinson (V40), West Cheshire AC 37.04. The men’s category winners were Steve Toogood (V50) Buckley 29.11, Chris Wilcox (V60) Clwydian 32.03 and John Morris (V70) Buckley 45.45.
The series overall winners this year, with 3 out of 3 were Kirsty Seddon and Karl Steinegger.
Again thanks goes to One Planet Adventure for hosting the series, NEWSAR for the safety support and all the volunteers and helpers, without who the series would not be able to run. Thanks to Base Feet for some lovely prizes.
Thanks also to all the competitors that come along and enjoy our Dash in the Dark series.
We hope to see you all at the 10k permanent trail opening race at Llandegla on 20th Feb 2016.
Dash in the Dark Results – 22 Jan 2016
Dash in the Dark – 2 11th December 2015
Friday night saw the 2nd round of the Dash in the Dark series on the forest trails of Coed Llandegla. The field of 46 runners warmed up on what turned out to be one of the most pleasant evenings we have seen this December. In the days leading up to the race, Coed Llandegla had its fair share of rain, making the going a little wet underfoot.
First home in the ladies field was Kirsty Seddon of Chester Tri in a time of 32.12, just 5 secs short of her course record ! Lisa Morley from Wrexham Tri came home in second ladies place with 33.20 , also winning the L40 class. Eryri Harriers runner Hayley Turner came in third with a time of 33.58.
In the mens category, the on form, Karl Steinegger from Ambleside AC, came in 25.08, marking a new course record. Second place was taken by Tom Hiles , unattached, in 26.05, followed by Neil Ashcroft from Ambleside AC,in 28.00 and the taking M40 title.
In the other categories Ceri Baker , Pensby , was first L50 in a time of 42.23. The mens M60 winner
Chris Wilcox of host club Clwydian Range Runners finished in 32.13, narrowly beating the M50 winner Andrew Corbett from Whitchurch Whippets in 32.58. Pete Norman took the well-deserved M70 win for Wrexham Tri.
Many thanks goes to all the race marshals and helpers for their help and support, without whom the race series to be able to take place. A massive thanks goes to One Planet Adventure for hosting the series.
Best wishes to all from the Clwydian Range Runners for the festive period and we hope to see you all in the New Year. Don’t forget there will be a 10km race in February to mark the opening of the new 10km trail running route at Coed Llandegla.
Dash in the Dark 11 Dec 2015 final results.
Dash in the Dark – 1 27th November 2015
Last Friday saw the return of the Dash in the Dark series in Coed Llandegla. The 6km route was marked out before nightfall and was, as usual, wet and muddy. Icy showers and strong winds did not deter the 88 runners that lined up for the first of the three races.
Karl Steinegger, Ambleside AC, was the first over the line in a time of 25:25, narrowly missing out on the (his) course record of 25:15. In second place was Thomas Hiles, u/a, 26:05 and third Simon Roberts, Buckley Runners, 28:23.
The ladies race was a closer affair with Kirsty Seddon of Chester Tri crossing the line in 32:07 closely followed by Hayley Evans, Buckley Runners in 32:31. Third place was taken confidently by Rebecca Roberts, Clwydian Range Runners, 35:40.
First vets M50 was Steve Toogood , Buckley Runners, in 31:25 and M60 winner Chris Wilcox, Clwydian RR, finished in 33.12.
In the ladies vets category, Lisa Momey , Wrexham A/C took fastest L40 with 36:18 and Claire Ballamy , Wrexham Tri finished fastest L50 in 44:35.
A massive thanks goes to all the marshals and helpers, NEWSAR for medical/safety cover and One Planet Adventure for hosting the event.
The next race and 2nd in the series is on Friday December 11th , and the 3rd in the series Friday 15th January 2016.
An extra date has been organised for Saturday 20th February 2016 , with the race marking the official opening of the new permanent 10Km off road running route at Coed Llandegla.
‘Dash in the Daylight’ – 10Km , details to follow.
Penmaenmawr race – Sat 21st November 2015.
Chris Wilcox , 1:32:15 and Owen Arman , 1:37:39 reperesented the club in the annual Penmaenmawr race.
Clwydian Hills Fell Race 2015 1st November 2015.
Variety was certainly the order of the day as 159 runners from more than 30 clubs set off on a perfect autumn day. Clear, bright and warm conditions meant the navigation should not have been a problem on the revamped mid-section of the course but a few runners still managed some interesting variations between checkpoints.
First Lady home (23-40) was Clwydians Marie Gillie in a time of 1:43:07. Stephen Jones (2:19:50), Paul Oldfield (2.22.46) and Sabine Hoekema (2:49:12) also ran for Clwydian range runners. Well done all.
Black Mountains – 26th September 205
Sam Clough was out representing the CRR in the Black mountains 17 mile fell race. Sam finished in a great time of 3hr 45 mins.
King Johns Castle – 19th August 2015
29 runners had the privilege of running on a beautiful morning in some of the finest hills in the Clwyds.
Ian Houson was fastest male 39.25 and Hayley Evans fastest female 50.33.
a marshals view.
Moel Famau Mountain Race – Cilcain Show 31st August 2015
As apart of the Cilcain show 151 runners took part in the 7.5kn fell race. The winner was Clive Fitzpatric in a time of 32.51.
Five Clwydian range runners took part with Dan Hurst 43.31, Mark Wright 45.05, Gareth Jaggard 45.50, Melanie Berry 52.57 and Tammy Lleweyln 53.06.
An aerial video of the race can be seen here.
2 HILLFORTS FELL RACE 2015 16th August 2015
A great day for running in the hills, and 46 runners took on the 2 HILLFORTS of Penycloddiau and Moel Arthur in the Clwydian Range.
As always, it was a fast start across the fields and it was very competitive up front. 5 runners had opened up a gap on the chasing group by the start of the ascent up to Penycloddiau.
Two CRR runners were out with Gareth Jaggard finishing in a time of 88.42 and Paul Oldfield 95.39.
Push up the Pincyn – Sat 25th July.
The annual Clawddnewydd Show hosted the 10km Push up the Pincyn fell race.
Neil Coppack represented the Clwydian Range Runners with a 5th place finish time of 52.20.
Push the Pyncin 25th July 2015
Green Green Grass of Home – Wed 22 July 2015.
A lovely clear evening in a picturesque setting range saw 78 runners set off on a changed route for this, the third race in the Clwydian Hills Summer Trots series. A close “to and fro” contest developed between the leading two runners, Stephen Kates and Jez Brown.
Paul Stinton of CRR finished in a time of 47.21 and Dave Stephens finishing in 56.41.
The 40th International Snowdon Race. Sat 18th July.
One of Europe’s toughest endurance challenges, the 10-mile race involves running from the edge of Lake Padarn in the village of Llanberis to the highest summit in Wales and England and back down.
This years race marked the 40th aniversery and the started with a parade through the town to the original start line in the town centre.
Paul Stinton 1.37.17, James Harris 1.39.26 and Dan Hurst 1.45.07 represented the Clwydian Range Runners in a strong field of over 600 runners.
The Druid Race Wed 15th July.
68 runners took part in the 2nd in the series of the Clwydian Hills summer trots. Thanks to CRRs John Linley for organising the 8km race.
James Harris finished in a time of 41.18, with Greame Peacock finishing in 43.09. Clwydians ladies were represented by Charlotte Jaggard and Pippa Whitby in 51.13 & 51.14 respectively.
Hotfoot Up Famau Wed 17th June.
A record field of 117 runners from both sides of the border turned out for this year’s Hotfoot up Famau, no doubt lured by the good conditions and the promise of a facilities-free race HQ at Bwlch Penbarras. A lot cooler than last year, not too much bracken on the course and a hint of rain in the air.
First back for Clwydian Range Runners was Paul Stinton 41.09, followed by Dan Hurst 44.13 , Graeme Peacock 44.14 and Paul Oldfield 55.05. Melanie Berry represented CRR ladies with a time of 54.32.
Trail Race up the Beast – Wed 10th June
Up the Beast as more fortunate this year as the weather was superb, different to last year when it was thunder and lightning.
A very good turn out with 96 runners who all set off and all came back. This being the first time in the history of the race. Runners have always been impressed with the variation of prizes ranging from bottles of wine , bags of potatoes down to a jar of Vaseline and lots more in between.
Dan Hurst was first back for CRR in a time of 43.34, followed by Graeme Peacock 45.55 , Paul Oldfield 54.16 and Melanie Berry 55.06
Welsh 1000 Meters – Sat 6th June
The Welsh 1000m Peaks Race, the Snowdonia Summits Marathon, takes place each year usually on the first Saturday in June.
Chris Wilcox represented Clwydian with a blistering time of 5.42 and a M60 first ! well done Chris.
The race starts at Abergwyngregyn, near the foreshore of Conwy Bay, and finishes on the summit of Snowdon (1085m) and includes the ascent of the five 1000 metre peaks of Snowdonia. From the windswept wilderness of the Carneddau, over the rugged, rocky landscape of the Glyderau and finishing on the tourist paths of Yr Wyddfa steeped in its mining history, the long course covers a distance of about 32 km with 2500 metres of ascent.
Excalibur – 30th May 2015.
The fourth Excalibur off-road Marathon and Half Marathon event, organised by Claire House Children’s Hospice, took place on Saturday 30 May 2015.
Clwydian Range Runners had five runners out on the day, with three running the full Marathon course and two on the Half Marathon course.
Willem V Prooijen was third in his class with an impressive time of 06:40:42 for the 26.2 mile course and Sabine Hoekema completed the course in 07:08:54. James Harris represented CRR in the full course.
Dan Hurst completed the 13.1 mile course in 02:10:21 and Paul Oldfield came home in 02:27:57.
Many thanks to all the marshals on the day and to the ladies serving hot beef stew at the finish line !
The event was conceived as a unique and demanding off-road race that would offer participants a tough and extreme challenge, while experiencing the beauty and spectacular views of the Clwydian Range of North wales.
Excalibur 2015 is the tough off-road event that traverses the spectacular Clwydian Range AONB in North East Wales. With over 5,500 feet of ascent and two routes to choose from ? 26.2 miles or 13.1 miles Photos from Sports Sunday Photographs.
Ras Moel Eilio Sat 23rd May 2015
Chris Wilcox was out running for Clwydian Range Runners for the Ras Moel Eilio. There was a good turnout as the race was a counter in the Cotswold Outdoor North Wales Series. The weather was mild, dry and overcast. There were light winds and the summits were clear. Chris was an impressive 2nd in class with a time of 1:28:13.
Llangynhafal Loop 2nd May 2015
This years Llangynhafal loop took place on a wet and windy may bank holiday. CRR had two Pauls out running, Paul Stinton came in 8th V40 with a time of 52.42 and Paul Oldfield came in at 75.11. Well done to both runners .
Due to the weather conditions it took a bit longer than usual to get the results ready so thank you to all those who could stay. First home was – John Hunt in 44.46 and 1st female home was Andrea Rowlands in 47.44
Proceeds from race will be donated to charity.
The 53rd Fellsman race – Sat 25th April
Well done to CRRs Mary Gillie for completing the 53rd Fellsman in a staggering time of 13 hrs and 2 mins.
Mary and 374 brave souls turned up bright and early on a wet Saturday to take on the 61 miles and 11,000 feet of Yorkshire moors and peat bogs. Despite the sudden reemergence of winter on Saturday with wind, rain, sleet and full-on blizzard conditions, 279 runners managed to make it round.
Ras Y Moelwyn – Sat 18th April.
There was a record turnout this year as the race was a counter in the British Championships, inov-8/WFRA Open Welsh Championships and Cotswold Outdoor North Wales Series. The race took place under cloudless skies with a stiff cool breeze on the summits.
CRR members Chris Wilcox (1.49.29) and Willem V.Prooijen (2.29.28) both represented the club with over 360 runners competing.
Llantysilio Fell Race, March28th 2015
Paul Stinton had a blistering run with a 14th place overall and a time of 69.02.
The Llantysilio Mountain Race, hosted by Tattenhall Runners, took place near Llangollen on Saturday March 28th and saw 50 people brave the poor early morning weather to tackle this tough 6.2 mile course. This year’s race introduced a new descent of Moel y Gamelin, eliminating a recently cobbled section. Several people commented on the quality of this new route, involving a high degree of technical fell terrain.
Pipe Dream Sat 28th February
This was the second fixture of the WFRA North Wales Champs, and the first of the Open Welsh Champs.
Clwydian’s Chris Wilcox ran a great v60 race in 43.41 finishing first V60 and 33rd overall.
Dash in the Dark 23rd Jan 2015.
Friday night saw the final round of the Dash in the Dark series return to the forest trails of Coed Llandegla. The biggest field so far in the series warmed up for what turned out to be the most tricky and coldest of conditions in the series, with the majority of the forest trails covered in snow. In the days leading up to the race, Coed Llandegla had its fair share of fresh snow, but with the final inspection of the route late Friday morning, the go ahead was given for the surprise massive field of 191 runners to set off into the dark forest. The runners did set of slightly later than planned, delayed due to some late course alterations to ensure all runners safety.
First home in the ladies field was Kirsty Steddon of Chester Tri in a time of 33:13, Helen Davies from Wrexham Tri came home in second ladies place with 33.20 and Sarah Rhyder from Wrexham Tri with a time of 33.58. Sarah also defended her overall lead in the series and won the best female overall.
In the mens category and for his first time competing in the series, Stephen Skates, u/a,came over the line with a blistering time of 25.30. The course record holder, Karl Steinegger from Ambleside AC, came in for second place with 25.44, closely followed by Thomas Hiles, u/a, coming in third with 26.39 on the clock. Karl’s efforts in all of the 3 races in the series saw him take both best male overall and also set the 6.Km off road course record at 25.15.
Many thanks goes to all the race marshals and helpers for their help and support over the race series and to those runners that gave up their race and marshalled due to the high numbers that arrived on Friday night.
A massive thanks goes to One Planet Adventure for hosting the series.
Dash in the Dark 23 Jan 2015v2
Dash in the Dark 5th Dec 2014.
In the run up to the second race of the Dash in the Dark series the weather could not have been any worse. Icy winds and heavy rain failed to put off the 84 runners that arrived ready to tackle the 6 Km off road route at Coed Llandega.
Eventually the rain gave way to a slippy start in the forest as the full moon guided runners off onto the night time trails.
Defending his lead in the series and first back was Karl Steinegger, Ambleside AC on (25:26), with Thomas Hiles only 28 seconds behind him at (25:54) and Jason Large , from Picked Riders, in third place (28:04).
First of the ladies back was Sarah Ryder , Wrexham Tri, for her second win in the series and one second slower than her last time (33:17), then Sandra Rowlands, Eryri Harriers in second (34:43) and Hayley Evans from Buckley Runners in third (34:50).
Thanks goes to all the marshals / helpers on the day and a big thank you goes to the hosts at One Planet Adventure for the facilities and lovely hot soup.
Best wishes to all for the festive break and hopefully see you back in the New Year with the 3rd race in the series planned for Friday 23rd January 2015.
Dash in the Dark 5 dec 2014 v2
Dash in the Dark 7th Nov 2014.
Friday saw the return of the Dash in the Dark series held at Coed Llandega.
A large turnout with a total of 61 runners set off into the dark forest for 6km of unknown !
The weather had been wet in the days leading up to the first race in the series, but on the night the clouds cleared to reveal the full moon.
First back in a blistering time was Karl Steinegger, Ambleside AC on (25:15), closely followed by Thomas Hiles, (25:41) and Dean Yarwood (29:32).
First of the ladies back was Sarah Ryder , Wrexham Tri (33:16), then Sandra Rowlands, Eryri (33:25) and Claire Sutcliffe, Chester Tri (33:45).
A big thank you goes to the hosts at One Planet Adventure, for the facilities and lovely hot soup. Thanks also to all the marshals / helpers on the day.
Dash in the Dark 1 – 7th Nov 2014
Clwydian Hills Race – 2nd Nov 2014.
The 2014 NEWSAR Fell Race took place on Sunday 2nd November. A field of 140 runners took part on what was a mostly sunny and breezy day, although some rain arrived later.
Seven Clwydian Range runners took on the 15km route with Dan Hurst (91.26), Chris Wilcox (91.51), Stephen Jones (102.58), Gareth Jaggard (104.52), Eifion Matthias (119.33), James Pugh (119.47) and Susan Ridings (137.48).
The event raised a fabulous £781.93 from entry fees, cake sales and other donations on the day. The whole team is grateful to all the runners who took part.
Hell runner – Delamere forest – 1st Nov 2014.
CRR runner Neil Coppack took part in the grueling challenge that’s known as the Hell Runner. Neil managed an impressive time and an 11th position overall. Perhaps with a little less cake Neil could have made the top 10
British Fell & Hill Relays, Middleton.19th October 2014.
CRR fielded a V40 team for this years British Fell and Hill Relays, held in Middleton, Cumbria. The event was hosted by Dallam running club and Howgill Harriers in a relatively unknown part of Cumbria.
The team met up for an early start with a 2 hr drive over to the South Lakes. Registration was a straight forward affair followed by some hot tea, bacon butties and a little banter with some of our local neighbours, Eryri Harriers, Denbigh Harriers and our arch rivals Buckley Runners.
Out first for CRR was Dan Hurst on leg 1, coming in 15th in the V40 cat. A quick handover in the pen and it was over to team leader Jim Davis and Greame Peacock to take up the race for CRR. The lads returned just under the 2 hr mark with a brilliant time of 1:57:18.
Next was the navigation leg with Chris Wilcox and Steve Jones setting of into the unknown. Returning safely in 1:29:10 it was over to John Montgomery for the final leg.
Overall the team came in an overall position of 20th in V40, with over 200 teams competing in all categories.
Leg 1 was 5.4 miles with 1,648 feet of ascent
Leg 2 was 9 miles, with 2,559 feet of ascent
Leg 3 was 7.7 miles, with 1,659 feet of ascent
Leg 4 was 5.6 miles, with 1,722 feet of ascent
Brocken marathon in Harz mts, Germany. 11th October 2014.
CRR was represented for the first time in the 37th running of the Brocken marathon in Harz mts, Germany by Paul Oldfield. ‘ Okay, so it was just me but there was a bit of recognition of our club when the welsh bit on the running vest was spotted by a Danish runner as she zipped past, which was nice’. The Brocken is 1145m high, the sam-ish as Snowdon, and I was made to feel very much at home due to the very familiar levels of low cloud, mist and clagg as often found around our parts, although the Harz has, allegedly, more trees.
Cheers
Paul
Lakes in a Day Ultra Run. 10th October 2014.
Tim Higginbottom had a great result in the first ‘lakes in a day’ race on Saturday, winning in 10.5 hours by only 4 minutes! The route was 50 miles and 4100 metres climb, a journey on foot from the very top of the Lake District at Caldbeck to the very bottom, at Cartmel, via the stunning Helvellyn Ridge and the western shoreline of Lake Windermere. With over 200 people racing it was no mean feat. The longest time taken was just under 24 hours.
Long mynd Hike – 4-5th October.
Clwydian Range Runners have been out again A very well done to Gareth Jaggard and his team who competed in the Longmynd Hike over the weekend 4th-5th October. The distance of 50 miles / 9800ft was covered in an impressive time of 14 hours and 18 mins, finishing 57th out of 372 teams.
Gladstone 9 – 28th September 2014.
Perfect weather conditions & good visibility prevailed for this year’s Gladstone 9 race, which had CRR runner Stephen Jones finish in a time of 1:44:58
Exposure Lights Big Night Out – 13th Sept.
As well as running, several CRR members are also keen cyclists. Many CRR members turned out to help marshal the event, all across the Clwydian Hills, including the Sunday SCOTT MTB marathon.
Dan Hurst competed in the Exposure Lights night mountain bike marathon in Ruthin, finishing 16th overall.
Club Timed Run. 6th September 2014
This months club timed run saw some good times despite the rain with Alex Cook setting the new female record in 29min01, closely followed by John Montgomery in 29min34. The next one will be on Sunday 28th September 9.30am from the bottom car park with the same route to the top of Moel Famau and back via the top car park. Please come along and see if you can beat your previous time, to enjoy a run with other club members or to have a practice if you are new to fell racing.
Itera Adventure Race – 9th-16th Aug .
Many of you will be aware that Tim Higgingbottom recently took part in a 5 day adventure ultra race as part of a team of 4. His team came 2nd of 6 teams doing the full course with a total time of 100hrs48mins. Well done Tim.
Ponderosa Race – Wed 16th Aug.
The Ponderosa race saw Jenny Ewels come 2nd in her age group at 39min39 and Willem van Prooijen come 3rd in his age group at 41min42. Willem also took part in the Two Hillforts Race on his stay over here with a time of 101min08.
Arenig Fawr – 3 Aug 2014.
Mary Gillie did very well at the Arenig Fawr race coming 2nd in her age group and 3rd female in 1hr 56min 43. Also at the Arenig Fawr race Tim Kilphuis came 5th in his age group at 2hr03min43 followed by Stephen Jones at 2hr16min46 and Willem van Prooijen at 3hr9min58.
Push up the Pincyn – Sat 26th July.
The Push up the Pincyn race was a hot one on Saturday with Neil Coppack providing the route and entertainment / prize giving. Neil came in 9th (52.02) , Dan Hurst 16th (59.42) and Stephen Jones 28th (67.13) all representing CRR. It’s a nice little race going from the Clwddnewydd village show field so there is plenty to see and do for none running family members and kids.
I hope to see more Rage Runners there next year for what is a good local race and some!
Regards in running,
Neil Coppack, Race organizer.
Green Green Grass of Home Wed 23rd July 2014
A blazing hot evening saw a field of 90 runners set off over a challenging course that criss-crossed the Clwydians as it made its way up, and back down, Moel Famau before branching off into through some well grown heather and bracken for one last climb before descending to a fast finish
A brilliant performance from Mary Gillie, ( Clwydian Range Runners) gave her first lady home with a time of 53:31 and 15th overall. Well done Mary !
The Druid– Wed 16th July.
Last Wednesday saw the 2nd race in the ‘Clwydian Hills Summer Trots’ series with The Druid race, starting and finishing at The Druid pub, Llanferres. Recent wet weather did not dampen the spirits as 90 runners lined up to tackle the 8Km – 366m course. There were 6 Clwydian runners out with ‘in form’ Sam Clough coming home at 38.39 (12th) , Neil Coppack 39.24 (14th) , Dan Hurst 39.38 (15th), James Harris 40.03(17th), Paul Oldfield 49.30 (76th) and Susan Ridings, 2nd in her class with 53.58 (86th). A great turnout and some great prizes to be had with four CRR members in the top 20 ! A big thanks to John Linley for organizing the race and all the marshals / helpers on the night.
Hotfoot up Famau – Wed 18th July.
Well done to everyone who took part in the Hotfoot Up Famau Race on 18th July. There was a good club turnout. Sam Clough was the first in from the club in 43.04 mins (8th), followed by Neil Coppack in 44.49 mins (15th), Graeme Peacock in 46.20 mins (23rd), James Harris in 47.22 mins (28th), Dan Hurst in 47.35 mins (30th), Gareth Jaggard in 57.52 (77th) and Mel Berry in 63.54 (85th).
Moel Siabod Sat 5th July 2014.
This Saturday was the Moel Siabod race which saw a few Clwydian Range Runners take part.Well done to Chris Wilcox who came 2nd in his age group in 67.55mins, Stephen Jones who came in at 72.50mins and to Jenny Ewels who came 4th in her age group at 76.37. From the photos it looks like it was a sunny day.
Clwydian Timed Run – Sat 5th July 2014.
Thanks to everyone who came to the timed run up and down Moel Famau on Sat 5th July. It was good weather for running and good to see a few new faces joining the club as a second claim club. We hope to see you on some training runs too if you fancy any hills! Tim Higginbottom came in at 27.36mins, followed by Duncan Jones at 35.01mins and then Helen Ashworth and Jayne Penrhyn Jones crossed the line together at 37.41mins. We plan to hold the next one on the 3rd August so put it in your diaries if you want to see if you can beat your previous time or to have a practice if you are new to fell racing.
Hotfoot Up Famau Race – 18th June 2014.
Well done to everyone who took part in the Hotfoot Up Famau Race on 18th July. There was a good club turnout. Sam Clough was the first in from the club in 43.04 mins (8th), followed by Neil Coppack in 44.49 mins (15th), Graeme Peacock in 46.20 mins (23rd), James Harris in 47.22 mins (28th), Dan Hurst in 47.35 mins (30th), Gareth Jaggard in 57.52 (77th) and Mel Berry in 63.54 (85th).
Moel-y-Gamelin Sun 15th Jun 2014
Well done to everyone who took part in the Moel Y Gamelin race – Stephen Jones 107.57 (22/41) and Duncan Jones who has just joined us 111.55 (27/41).
Llangynhafal Loop Sat 3rd May 2014
Well done to Clwydian Range Runners Jeremy Randell who completed in 48:50 and a 19th position overall and Jenny Ewels in at 60:08 to finish 52nd overall.
The organiser would like to thank the Golden Lion and the marshals as without their help the race would not take place. Weather conditions were ideal for me as organiser but may be the runners would have liked it a bit cooler in the gully.
Mercia Hill Trial – 19 January 2014
Another Clwydian was out on the same sunny Sunday as the 4 villages half – this time for the Mercia Hill Trial on the Long Mynd. Chris Wilcox reports that it was sunny on the ridges but very cold and frosty in the shady valley bottoms.
Chris came 17th overall and 10th in his category in a time of 2:19:50.
Full results are available on the Mercia website here:
Essar Four Villages Half-marathon 2013
The race was cancelled last year due to the snow and ice in the lanes. This year the weather could not have been different; it was cool and the sun was shining!
The Clwydians put on an excellent show:
Corndon 3 Peaks Christmas Classic – Dec 2013
This was the fourth running of the re-instated Corndon Classic. This year the Classic was run on Saturday 21st, starting at 12:00 noon starting outside the Miner’s Arms public house in Priest Weston. After some rain early on the weather was almost perfect for the trot around the local hills; although it was a little blowy on the top!
The only Clwydian came in at respectable 21/73.
#21 Jeremy RANDELL V50 (4th) 00:53:16
CRR Christmas Run – Dec 2013
A group run up Moel Famau from the top car park was followed by mince pies and tea at the top car park – yum!
Cardington Cracker – 1 December 2013
As the Telford Athletic Club website says:
The Cardington Cracker. It’s an institution. Over 200 turn out on a cold December day to pay homage to this annual fell race as part of the traditional runners build up to Christmas. It’s 9 miles and 2,600 feet of hell but well worth it!
#64/246 Jeremy Randell MV50 1:35:43
WFRA North Wales series – Nov 2013
The last race in the series was the Clwydian Hills. The prize giving took place after the race, unfortunately there were no prizes for the Clwydians this year!
Jeremy seems to have managed to sneak in to two categories!
Here are the results:
| # | Name | Total |
| F40 | ||
| 3 | Sandra Rowlands | 187.7 |
| 12 | Jenny Ewels | 97.4 |
| M40 | ||
| 5 | Jeremy Randell | 478.6 |
| 37 | Peter Agnew | 149.9 |
| 43 | Graeme Peacock | 125.6 |
| 45 | Stephen Jones | 110.9 |
| 56 | Tim Higginbottom | 92.7 |
| 71 | Paul Stinton | 77.0 |
| 109 | Stephen Jones | 47.7 |
| M50 | ||
| 7 | Kean Rowlands | 336.3 |
| 12 | Jeremy Randell | 244.1 |
| 29 | Paul Oldfield | 88.7 |
| M60 | ||
| 27 | Martin Potter | 44.6 |
| 29 | Willem van Prooijen | 22.5 |
Clwydian Hills Race – 3rd November 2013
There was a large turnout for the Clwydian Hills as the race was the last counter in the North Wales series.
After an initial shower the weather cleared up and the race was run under sunny skies – almost!
The Clwydian results are:
| # | Name | Class | Time |
| 25 | Jeremy Randell | M50 | 87:59:00 |
| 46 | Paul Stinton | M40 | 94:50:00 |
| 62 | Graeme Peacock | M40 | 101:01:00 |
| 83 | Stephen Jones | M40 | 108:46:00 |
OMM 2013, Sunday 27th October
From the OMM website:
Another incredible event completed. The OMM 2013 had it all. Massive highs, crashing lows, wind, rain and even a little bit of sun! The competition was tight all the way up to the finish with some exceptional performances by those teams in the running for a prize. The feeling at the event HQ at the end was exceptional. A lot of people were tired, wet and cold but all were wearing huge smiles.
Results of the Clwydians and Friends:
Elite
5 9:48:35 Tim Higginbottom / Chris Near
Class B
53 11:30:51 Graeme Peacock / Stuart Duckworth
Class D
3 9:18:07 Kean Rowlands / Mark Wright
4 9:36:33 Dan Hurst / Ben Creed
Medium
57 10:19:48 Chris Wilcox / Nigel Beasant (Deeside)
Chris Wilcox says..It is with some embarrassment that I have to add our names to the OMM results. Medium Score 56= our worst result in 25+ MMs as a pair – we got our control strategy badly wrong on day 1 and over ran by 20 mins losing 40 points – didn’t learn our lesson on day 2 and had to miss controls on the run in to get back 9 secs over time and loose a further point. We did much better in the RAB MM in NW Lakes 28-29/09 – 14/213 overall & 2nd MSVs (Short Score Class)