WITH perfect weather and good underfoot conditions the third Rhug Organics North Wales Cross-Country Championships at Corwen proved to be another outstanding success.
The testing course is without doubt one of the most popular in North Wales, and the feedback from competitors, officials and spectators was extremely positive.
Among those watching the races on Saturday was Steve Brace, Welsh Athletics’ head of athletics development, who was so impressed with the venue and course that he declared that it could well host a major championship in the next couple of years.
The meeting saw two new senior champions in James Mills (Cardiff, ex-Wrexham) and Katie Parry (Leeds, ex-Prestatyn), who both led from the gun and never looked likely to surrender their lead.
In the junior races there were several eyecatching performances, notably by Welsh champion Cari Hughes (Menai) who, in winning the U-13 girls’ race, also beat the U-11 boys by a huge margin.
It was a nostalgic event for Prestatyn RC's Roger Harrison-Jones, for although he again had to concede victory to brother Ron in the M70 class, it is 50 years since he won the North Wales senior men’s title for the first time.
In addition to the two brothers the club’s individual award winners were Amie Bagnall (2nd U20) and Gay Waring (3rd L50).
Though both the senior men and masters were initially awarded third place in the team competitions both were later found to have been incorrect.
Denbigh Harriers' senior men's team won the bronze on the day.
A great club turnout included Paul Jones, Alun Humphreys, Tony Benton, Will Price, Peter Agnew (3rd O-45), Peter Barraclough, Martin Cortvriend and Vic Belshaw.
Vic also won bronze in the male O-50 category and Martin Cortvriend, well in front at the time in the O-60s race, was wrongly directed by a marshal but was nevertheless awarded a veteran's trophy at the presentation by David Alan Williams, the North Wales cross country secretary.
Injury and illness took their toll for the Harriers' ladies and they didn't achieve the impressive haul of medals of previous years.
Nevertheless, fine performances came from Tracey Williams, Lyndall Lohman, Victoria Whitehead, Anwen Davies, Sarah Bayliss, Menai Baugh and Vicky Cortvriend (who gained a well deserved award for second O-55).
In addition, the Denbigh veterans' team won the Masters bronze medals.