A WEEK before turning out for Wales, three of Prestatyn Running Club’s veterans produced confidence-boosting performances at the weekend.

Following his win in the tough Clwydian Hills fell race the previous week, Steve Skates claimed another victory in the “Dash in the Dark” race in Llandegla Forest.

In the Clwydian race, he had a real battle with Penny Lane’s Lawrence Eccles, but Steve, who last won the race in 2017, held on to win by just nine seconds in 1:22.42.

In the same event, new club recruit Jack Strong finished a creditable 58th in 2-20.57.

Steve won the Friday night race in 21.97, and was followed by club members Sophie Johnson (12th in 34.05), Steve Brown (16th in 34.43) and Mandy Cartwright (24th in 36.00).

Meanwhile, Gordon Jones, who runs in the M60 class in the Masters’ cross-country international in Dublin next Saturday (November 12), won his category in Saturday’s Conwy parkrun.

His time of 19.16 was just outside his PB for the course, despite a strong headwind on the way back along the estuary.

He was placed seventh overall, and in the same event, Ian Cummins came 111th in 29.03.

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The third club member in good form before the Dublin international is supervet Martin Cortvriend, who set a new M70 course record of 21.43 in the Morecambe parkrun.

Andrew Scott was one of seven club members who took part in the Nova parkrun, but used it as a training run for next week’s Conwy half marathon, running 9k before the parkrun itself and another 1k afterwards.

Placings: 8 Luke Bodman 20.47 (pb), 26 Martin Gill 24.53, 44 Andrew Scott 28.15, 53 Nicki Triggs 29.13 (pb), 56 Nem James 30.25, 64 Eva Brewer 32.06, 71 Cathy Wood 33.58.

Greenfield Valley parkrun: 9 Helen Ashworth 24.51 (pb) 1st lady, 14 Steve Brown 26.07, 15 Sophie Johnson 26.11, 21 Mandy Cartwright 27.42, 23 Helen Alefounder 28.41, 26 Debbie Jones 30.07, 35 Steve Hatfield 33.03.

Ruthin Memorial Playing Fields: 34 Roger Harrison-Jones 30.05, 35 Julie Evans 30.22.

Next Sunday (November 13), Chester Tri Club hosts the second fixture of the Borders Road-Running League at Tattenhall.

At 6.1 miles, it is the longest race in the series.