A PAIR of members of Prestatyn Running Club’s squad in Sunday’s Borders League race at Mold would have been justified in mocking any complaints about the hilly course.

Less than 24 hours earlier, they were among six of the club’s women who took part in the world’s steepest road race, up the notorious Ffordd Pen Llech in Harlech, and two of them then also turned out in Mold.

New Zealand can once again lay claim to having the most severe gradient but as there is no race up it, the Harlech event rightly claims to be the steepest street race.

The inaugural 6k race started at sea level and at its steepest, had a 37.5 per cent gradient up past the castle.

Ann Claire Jones was the first finisher of the five, and even more remarkably, she did it after recording a good time in the Nova Parkrun that same morning.

The placings were: 69. Ann Claire Jones 35.15 (hill time 4.04) 2nd L50, 89. Cara Jones 38.11 (4.24), 93. Helen Alefounder 38.36 (4.25), 91. Julia Evans 39.53 (4.36), 134. Julie Evans 50.35 (5.50), 138. Suzanne Evans 52.58 (5.43).

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Another who doubled up at the weekend was supervet Martin Cortvriend, who ran the Trelai Parkrun in Cardiff on Saturday in 24.40 and the following day was first M70 in the massive Cardiff half-marathon.

His time of 1-40 placed him 1,265th overall and first out of 33 in his category.

Just 20 seconds and six places ahead of him was Dan Liddle, who was a member of the club’s junior section more than 30 years ago, and who ran a perfectly judged even-paced race to clock 1-39.41.

Other Parkrun results: Conwy: 6 Chris Yorke 18.53, 162 Andrew Scott 33.23.

Nova: 15 Martin Gill 24.00 (pb), 23 Ann Claire Jones 25.19, 55 Roger Harrison-Jones 31.27, 87 Helen Parry 43.09.

Greenfield Valley: 11 Steve Brown 26.45. Nant-y-Pandy (Llangefni): 12 Steve Weedman 23.54, 25 Sophie Johnson 28.24, 30 Mandy Cartwright 28.50, 37 Debbie Weedman 31.51, 38 Nem James 32.17, 40 Emma Birchall 33.29.

There was a better turnout than of late from the club in Sunday’s five-mile Borders League race at Mold even though there were several absentees.

There were some excellent performances, notably from the club’s first three finishers Andy Bromley, Ben Williams and Canyon Wilson, and it was good to welcome back Jenna Bagnall and newly-elected captain Matty Smith.

The placings were: 14 Andy Bromley, 22 Ben Williams, 30 Canyon Wilson, 53 John Simpson,111 Steve Haimes, 132 James Rogers, 146 George Nixon, 157 Arwel Jones, 163 Ann Claire Jones, 168 Andrew Scott, 169 Sophie Johnson, 174 Steve Brown, 178 Ally Reid, 179 Gareth Hughes, 180 Jenna Bagnall, 189 Cara Jones, 196 Liz Martin, 206 Matty Smith, 210 Debbie Jones.