SMARNA GORA, SLOVENIA. Saturday 7th October 2017
All three Welsh athletes competing in the Smarna Gora, World Cup race in Slovenia on Saturday 7th October excelled themselves with excellent performances. On the challenging, mainly uphill 9.5k/650m course, Wales were led home by the experienced Rob Samuel in 14th place overall with a time of 46.26 followed by: 41st & 5th Female – Bronwen Jenkinson in 53.48 and the very inexperienced, but very talented, up and coming 17 year old Annabelle McQueen who finished 60th overall and 1st under 20 female finisher with a time of 57.41. Team Manager Paul Jenkinson also ran well to finish 94th in a time of 66:08.
The event attracted a high quality field and was won by Norway’s Johan Bugge in a time of 42.27 while the very experienced and former Marathon Olympian (London) and 6 time World Mountain Running Championships winner Andrea Mayr (Austria) was the first female finisher in 20th place overall in a time of 47.40.
A very good European elite mountain running event from which our athletes performed very well and will have gained valuable elite competition experience.
A special thank you for the fantastic welcome from the Smarna Gora Race organisers, especially Tomo Sarf who is also the General Secretary of the WMRA.
Race Results:
Calling all Eryri Harriers Cake Bakers! We need homemade cake for the Fell Relays. Delivered Saturday evening(14th Oct) or early Sunday morning (15th) to race HQ (same as in 2013). Please let Louise Emery know if you can provide cake.
An outstanding performance from Steve Jones saw him finish third overall and 1st V60 in a tough race over 16 miles and 3,500ft of ascent and descent.
The Peris Horseshoe is a month away and I’m looking for marshals. This has been an iconic race for Eryri Harriers for a number of years and this year is part of the Open Welsh & North Welsh WFRA Championships.
For those new to the Peris there are Full and Half versions. The Full takes in Elidir Fawr, Y Garn, Glyder Fawr before dropping to Pen y Pass then climbing Lliwedd, Yr Wyddfa & Moel Cynghorion to finish back in Llanberis. The half completes the first three summits and finishes at Pen y Pass.
As with every race they can only go ahead with the help of volunteers out on the hill so if you can spare some time on Saturday 9th September it would be greatly appreciated.
The major marshal locations are the 6 summits, Pen y Pass (Half finish & drinks station) and the finish of the Full in Llanberis. So there’s something for everyone!!
Please get in touch if you can help and pass on to friends, family and clubmates as everyone is welcome.
In the past couple of years we have been lucky that peopel have been generous with cakes which we have used at the Half finish/feed station of the full and at the finish of the full. If this can happen again then I’d be very grateful. It all helps to create the atmosphere of the race.
One final thing! This year registration/HQ will be in Electric Mountain rather than The Heights. The Heights have been great to us over the last few years but it’s not an ideal scenario for either them or us as race organisers. Electric Mountain will make a great race HQ.
If you can help please give me a shout. stumcd10@hotmail.co.uk
Cheers
Stuart
Organiser
Saturday 8 July 2017
The morning was warm, clear and fine, with a touch of breeze. At 2pm, 37 competitors lined up, and Spiderman sounded the hooter for the start. Off the runners went, out through the car park and on to the road through the village of Rowen, before 300m later, turning rights and the start of the ascent, first on tarmac up to the youth hostel, before levelling out a bit up along the old roman road to Cae Coch, and then after climbing the stile, up the grassy bank and then the rocks to Tal y Fan summit. The runners then benefited from the recent sunny weather, as the usually boggy bit was not too boggy, allowing for quick runs across the moors to the Penmaenmawr stone circle.
Along the North Wales coastal path for a stretch before another right turn, and an uphill section (avoided by those running with heads down, who went left past the Old Llangelynin Church and down to the scout camp) back towards Rowen youth hostel, (except for those who failed to turn left over the wall and did a detour back to Cae Coch before realising their navigational error), and it was then downhill all the way to the finish back at the Carnival. Gavin Roberts, Paul Jones, Matt Lewis and Emlyn Owen had a close run race at the front of the field, with Gavin pulling away after the bridge (CP5).
A big thanks to all our marshals and helpers, Mike Blake for sweeping up at the back and keeping the tail enders on the right track. Next year we may put up a few more arrows for the navigationally challenged.
Helen and Doug Blair
Race Organisers
The standings with one event to go.
