Mountain and trail runners head to Wales in search of Commonwealth glory...
As the 2nd Commonwealth Mountain and Ultra Distance Championships got underway today in Llandudno with a colourful opening ceremony and tomorrow sees Llanberis – the home of many a mountain race battle over the years – welcome the Commonwealth’s top fell and mountain runners…
The Championships are spread over three days being hosted in three spectacular north-west Wales locations – Llandudno, Llanberis (Snowdon) and Newborough Forest, Anglesey. Friday sees the 24 hour Championship race, with England’s ultra-star Lizzy Hawker embarking on unknown territory as she takes to the start line.
Mountain Races (full preview by Bashir Hussain on the WMRA
The men’s race looks open although African runners have a tendency to enjoy uphill running and Geoffery Tum is the only male runner from Kenya. He will be given due respect when he toes the line on Saturday afternoon as it was fellow Kenyan Wilson Chemweno who took the Top Mountain Running title ahead of Jonathan Wyatt and Adam Grice 2 years ago.
Winner of the trial race as far as the English are concerned was James McMullan, and after a strong run out in Albania he, and Tom Cornthwaite, will be leading the charge for a strong English team which also includes Billy Burns. The Scottish team has young gun Robbie Simpson as a leading light and as long as the Deeside youngster can handle the fast start and tarmac run in, and remain in contention, he could go well on the mountain and figure in the first half dozen.
James McMullan
Lloyd Taggart, has had one of his best seasons, having finished runner up in the English and British Fell Champs this year. Running for the Isle of Man Lloyd is also a man for the tough part of the course and on the technical descent will certain be in the picture.
On home soil the Welsh will hope that the home support will add that little extra % to the performances of what will be a strong team. Rob Samuel finished a strong 7th and first Welsh runner at the trials in Wooten Park in August. He will be carrying the home nation hopes along with 27minute Olympic 10km runner Andres Jones and the former British Champion Tim Davies.
Bash continues on the women’s events:
Individual Silver medalist from 2009 Sarah Tunstall (England) returns to international competition with recent wins in both Telfes and the Swiss Matterhorn race, and with 5th placed Lizzie Adams (England) from the recent World Championships on the start line England will be expected to defend the team title they won in 2009.
Victoria and Mary Wilkinson, along with Olivia Walwyn, make up what is one of the strongest team in any of the events this weekend.
Victoria Wilkinson
Again Kenya and Australasian will be expected to sustain strong challenges to the English team along with Scotland who have often topped the podium at the Snowdon International Mountain race.
The Mountain Running events will look to crown new individual champions, as none of the defending champions are listed in the 2011entries.
Trail Races
Sunday sees a 53km trail race over on Anglesey. The 5 lap course promises to be an energy sapping affair, with a deceptive course which will see the athletes from 14 nations racing through Newborough Forest which has a mixture of sand, forest fire roads and rolling singletrack underfoot.
The men’s race should see an intriguing battle. England’s Huw Lobb is in strong form after a second place finish in the recent Davos Marathon, but will come against tough opposition from the likes of current silver medalist from the World Trail Championships, Jason Loutitt (CAN), Paul Fernandez and Allen Smalls also from England, Brendan Davies (AUS), Richie Gardiner, Paul Halford and Andy Davies are all strong home nation entries and will try and land team and individual medals.
Huw Lobb
In the women’s event, bronze medalist from Connemara, Lucy Colquhoun (SCO) will toe the start line. She will face 50km world Trophy Final winner, Emma Gooderham (ENG) and former World Trail championship second place finisher Angela Mudge (SCO). Mudge comes tho this race fresh from a win at the Ben Nevis race and geting stronger Helen Taranowski (ENG) has also been in great form this summer and reading her blog she could well be in the mix for the medals come Sunday afternoon.
Make sure you follow MST via our Twitter feed for all of the trail and mountain winners…
