MEMBERS of Prestatyn Running Club have fallen into two distinct camps in the past week – those who kept to the flattest courses possible, and those who took to the hills.

And this week the hills were not just undulations or short-stiff climbs, but mountainous challenges.

A couple of members – Lee Bailey and Ben Thomas – completed what is generally regarded as one of the most high-profile trail races in the region, the Ultra Trail Snowdonia UTMB 50k race.

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Actually 55k long, it involved two ascents of Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) itself as well as Mynydd Mawr and Moel Eilio, and warm weather added to the ordeal.

Lee had a brilliant run, finishing 90th out of 1,131 starters in 8-53.21, while Ben also finished strongly in 481st place with a time of 11-34.36.

A few days earlier, Sophie Johnson and Mandy Cartwright also went up Mynydd Mawr in the latest fixture of the Joe Brown Tuesday Night series of fell races.

The 4.1-mile event includes a steep ascent and descent, with a welcome relatively flat mile to finish.

The Snowdonia Half-Marathon has been dubbed the toughest “half” in the country in the past, and this time it was even tougher, with an extra climb added.

The course above Trefriw and around Llyn Geirionnydd and Crafnant is spectacular, and three club members joined the 650-strong field.

Ann-Claire Jones, having run the Nova Parkrun the previous day, had an excellent outing, finishing as 53rd female in 2-12.03.

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Martin Gill was 334th male in 2-26.52 and Helen Alefounder 157th female in 2-33.22.

The club was represented at the North Wales track and field championships in Wrexham three of the junior girls, all competing in new age-groups this year, Freya Valerio (U13) did the long-jump, 100m and 1,500m, and Olivia Standring-Jones (U11) the long-jump, 75m and shot putt.

After coming second in the morning’s junior Parkrun in Prestatyn Tia Calland picked up bronze medals in the under-13s’ discus and javelin throws.

Members featured at six different UK parkruns on Saturday (May 13), 11 of them on home ground in Prestatyn.

They included two of the club’s youngest members, Olivia Standring-Jones and Freya Valerio, who were making their 5k debuts and who finished just ahead of the most senior member, Roger Harrison-Jones, who set a course PB.

Placings: Nova: 11 Marc Jones 22.00 (pb), 23 Dave Ellis 23.40, 50 Mike Davis 27.24, 52 Ann Claire Jones 27.38 (having missed the start), 57 Nem James 28.34 (pb), 59 Nicki Triggs 28.54, 64 Olivia Standring-Jones 29.21, 70 Freya Valerio 30.53, 73 Roger Harrison-Jones 30.59 (pb), 196 Cathy Wood 34.20, 108 Martin Cortvriend 37.56.

Conwy: 159 Emma Birchall 31.54, 209 Helen Alefounder 38.48.

Delamere: 34 Steve Weedman 22.55, 98 Ancy Clark 26.45, 156 Debbie Weedman 29.22.

Greenfield Valley: 26 Debbie Jones 29.31.

Wepre: 43 Sophie Johnson 28.21, 45 Mandy Cartwright 28.28.

Exmouth: 192 Ian Cummins 27.30.

This Wednesday (May 17), the club is hosting the final fixture of the Borders Road-Running League, the course starting and finishing near the Nova.