Road Runners on track at Tywyn ‘Race the Train’ races.

Road Runners on track at Tywyn ‘Race the Train’ races.

Report by Don Hale.

Three Road Runners competed in two different but challenging races at the Tywyn Rotary Club’s ‘Race the Train’ events held last weekend which utilised the famous Talyllyn Railway.

Run over farm tracks, open fields, and rich pastures, with options to take part in any one of four varied distances ranging from 3.5 miles to 14 miles, this was the 37th annual race series, and it attracted hundreds of competitors from across the UK.

Whatever distance selected, the runners were later distributed by coach or train to their agreed starting points at various stations along the line, and then given the arduous task of trying to beat the train back to the finish at Tywyn.

Kay Hatton and Cheryl Frost ran in the Quarry Challenge 10k and both members were pleased with their performances on a warm and windy day. Kay ran well and finished 75th out of 256 entrants, and she was the 13th female athlete and claimed 4th place in her VW55 age cat in 54.56. Cheryl who was recovering from a period of ill health, finished very close behind her club colleague in 79th place overall and 5th in the same cat, running home in 55.14.

Richard Eccles opted for the longer Rotary Challenge endurance race over 14-miles which covered much of the same course as the other three races. He was one of 436 entrants and finished in 101st place in 1 hour 58 minutes and 31 seconds to claim 5th place in his MV55 age cat. Afterwards however, Richard said he was disappointed with his effort, and said: “A bad race for me, too hot, and I struggled into a headwind on the way home, so a humbling run but enjoyable once completed.”

*The event was expected to have raised thousands of pounds for the Rotary Club’s nominated charities, Blind Veterans, and the Welsh Air Ambulance.