Carla Green was 1st Lady and smashed North Wales record at Rhyl half marathon.

Carla Green was 1st Lady and smashed North Wales record at Rhyl half marathon.

Report by Don Hale. Photos by Mike Smith and Steve Jeffery.

North Wales Road Runner Carla Green was the first female finisher at the Rhyl half-marathon last Saturday morning and celebrated her return from injury by smashing her age category record over this distance.

Carla set a new NWRAC ‘all-time best’ record by completing the sun-drenched yet breezy course with a new PB in just 1 hour 28 minutes and knocked a minute and a half off an impressive record that had stood for more than ten-years!

This popular event attracted over 250 quality athletes and the ultra-flat promenade route encouraged everyone who was intent on claiming new personal best times.

The race was eventually won by local athlete James Yarwood (Abergele Harriers) in 1.13.52, with Daniel Hopwood2nd in 1.15.41, and Carl Aveyard (Shrewsbury AC) 3rd in 1.17.52.

NWRCC newcomer Steve Forsyth led a strong team of fifteen club runners who claimed seven age cat podium places, including outright victories for Carla Green and Cheryl Frost, plus several new course PBs.

Steve Forsyth ran hard and kept with the early pace setters but later had to settle for 4th place overall, and 2nd in his MV40 cat in a great time of 1.19.14. Will Williams finished 12th overall and claimed 2nd spot in his MV45 cat in 1.25.22, followed closely by Iwan Evans 13th and 4th in his M40 cat in 1.26.13.

Carla Green was the 1st Lady finisher in 15th place overall and she won her VW50 age cat in 1.28 in record time. Stuart Culverhouse was additionally in fine form and claimed 3rd place in his MV50 cat in 1.32.50 in 29th place, whilst Steve Roberts continues to impress with another good run finishing in 48th place and 3rd MV55 cat in 1.37.19.

Cheryl Frost was another age cat champion in great form, finishing 68th overall, and 1st in her VW55 cat in 1.43.48 as the 8th female athlete, and it was later confirmed that Cheryl also entered the NW all-time listing at No 5 with her time at Rhyl. And Nicola Wylie was another star on the day recording her best-ever half-marathon PB, finishing 114th overall, the 19th female runner, and 4th in her FV50 cat in 1.53.21.

Hannah Griffith maintained a high standard for the ladies in 134th place and the 26th female in 1.56.20, with Tessa Bushnell running well and coming home in 80th place overall in 2.08.56, followed closely by veteran Len Jackson who was 5th in his M65 age cat in 182nd place in 2.11.53.

Susan Smith also enjoyed a good outing over this distance in 207th place and she deservedly claimed 2nd place in her FV55 cat, as the 57th female runner in 2.20, and Samantha (Sam) Williams ran well despite limited training, and still finished in a respectable 220th in 2.24.21. Rachel Morris also had a positive run and it was her best half-marathon of the year in 221st place in 2.25.25, with Gwennan Charlton 134th in 2.26.39.