WITH racing having come to a virtual halt due to the Welsh Government’s COVID-19 restrictions, members of Prestatyn Running Club (PRC) looking for competitions have had to venture across the border.

On Saturday (January 8), Martin Cortvriend was on his travels once again, this time heading for Didsbury and the Fletcher Moss parkrun.

He maintained his remarkably consistent form, coming 23rd and setting a new M65 course record of 21 minutes and 38 seconds.

In Crewe, Kat Prestwich clocked 27.44, exactly 100 seconds faster than on the same course the previous week, when she was joined by clubmates Suzanne Evans (188th in 40.06) and Julie Evans (189th in 40.11).

That same day, Steve and Debbie Weedman hit the trail in the Delamere Forest parkrun, coming 46th and 188th respectively with times of 24.04 and 32.03.

Dave Ellis was the club’s sole representative in the Chester run, finishing 43rd in 23.05, and he followed that up by coming 17th in the Blackpool Parkrun, with a time of 22.08.

Also on her travels was Linda Friar, who, on a visit to the Lake District, ran in the Fell Foot parkrun near Windermere. She was placed 61st overall in 32.34.

The only PRC member to find a race closer to home in the past couple of weeks was off-road specialist John Simpson, who, on New Year’s Day, joined a group of hardy runners in the Tour de Llydaw race at the foot of Snowdon, a five-mile event involving 594 feet of elevation.

He was placed seventh overall and second M50, in a time of 54.43.

Due to restrictions, it is still not known whether the North Wales Cross-Country League fixture scheduled for Colwyn Bay on Saturday, January 22 will be going ahead.