ALMOST two-hundred-and fifty starters took part in the Conwy parkrun last Saturday which celebrated the 75th anniversary of the NHS and was well supported by a large team of volunteers from Porth Eirias Runners, who also provided some special birthday cake!

This event proved to be another hot and humid affair with visiting runners travelling from many parts of the UK, and even from as far away as Australia, to enjoy the splendours of this scenic course.

Samuel Gebreselassie.

Samuel Gebreselassie.

And one such experienced traveller was the top international track star Samuel Gebreselassie (Belgrave Harriers), who is a very talented young athlete with an excellent pedigree, and not too surprisingly, he was the first runner back home over this challenging 5k route on his debut at Conwy. He recorded a fast time of just 16 minutes and 40 seconds, and he also won his SM25 age cat.

Samuel is a highly respected 1500m, 3000m, and 5000m track champion with his credentials confirmed on the Power of 10 athletics (PO10) website. In April 2022, he won the prestigious Comeback 5k track challenge in Battersea Park, London, for the Highgate Harriers – Night of the Champions race – finishing in 14.32.84.

And in June this year, he won the 1500m National Athletics League Championship race at Bedford in 3-59.01. He followed this great result with 3rd place in the Dave Clarke – One Mile Night and 1500m split event – at Wimbledon, recording 4.11.69 for the mile, and on July 1st, Samuel was 3rd again in the BMC Grand Prix – World Athletics Challengers’ 3000m race at Watford – following another good time of 8.17.27.

Samuel’s best parkrun time is 15 minutes and 58 seconds, which was achieved when he finished 1st at the Amsterdamse Bos parkrun in Holland in March, compared to his track 5k time of just 15.03, so this week’s dash at Conwy of 16.40, was probably only completed at his training pace.

Samuel however was closely followed this week by the popular MV45 cat winner Jonathan Kettle (NWRRC) in 17.31. Jonathan gave him a good chase and finished less than a minute behind him in 17.31, with Lloyd Williams 3rd, and he was only five-seconds adrift of Jonathan in 17.36.

Emily Hanlon and Harriet Ridley.

Emily Hanlon and Harriet Ridley.

Anna Drinkwater (Eryri Harriers) was the 1st female finisher in 19.40, and she won her SW25 age cat in 7th place overall, with Emily Hanlon 2nd in 20.36, and she was the 1st SW20 athlete in 12th place, with Harriet Ridley 3rd, despite a new PB of 21.00, and she won her VW35 cat in 14th place overall.

Jonathan Kettle.

Jonathan Kettle.

Jonathan Kettle additionally led home this week’s team of nine North Wales Road Runners, who collected two first-place age category victories, in addition to one second, and one third place.

Jamie Tharme was back to his best following a battle with injury and he finished 17th in 21.33, with Steve Forsyth 40th in 23.27, and Richard Scamans 47th in 24.16.

Nicola Wylie.

Nicola Wylie.

Nicola Wylie continued her remarkable form to finish 59th in 25.08, and she also won her FW55 age cat, whilst Rob Fryer recovered from a brief period of ill-health to claim the 3rd spot in his MV65 age cat in 71st place in 26.06.

Master veteran Don Hale finished in 101st place in 27.24 during his 170th parkrun, and he was 2nd in his MV70 cat, whilst Adam Lemalle ran with his eight-year-old son Ethan on the youngster’s parkrun debut, and subsequently finished in 121st in 29.14, with Ceri Jones running home in 168th place in 31.51.

Plaudits were later given to the usual Conwy crew of volunteers, run director Bethan Wyn Roberts, and to the Porth Eirias team of runners for their hard work, and especially for the provision of a plentiful supply of birthday cake.