There was plenty of mud to make our 2022 Welsh Cross Duathlon Championship race interesting.

Tough Runner delivered a great weekend of racing with the Escape to Afan Sprint and Standard races on Saturday and the Extreme race on Sunday. The Sprint distance played host to our Welsh National Championship.

The field was strong with last year’s winner Adam Brown, and runner-up Tom Foster, facing each other again, along with a number of 2021’s age group podium athletes returning to face the course.

Tom and Adam led from the start, coming into the first transition in first and second place with only 5 seconds separating them. Adam had a fantastic bike leg and took the lead, heading into the final transition over two minutes ahead of Tom. Tom ran the fastest final leg but couldn’t catch Adam who eventually finished in a time of 1:00:44, just over a minute ahead of Tom.

Elsewhere across the field, there was a battle in the Veteran Male category with John Fitzpatrick taking the title, while only 45 seconds separated Gethin Parham in second and Rhys Harries in third. In the Vintage Veteran Male category, Jon Heissig hung on to win the title, less than a minute ahead of Mike Tate in second place.

In the women’s field, Claire Walters from Port Talbot Harriers stormed into an early lead that she didn’t relinquish, winning the Welsh Senior Female title in a fantastic time of 1:11:57. The battle for second and third was closer with Dale Lyons edging out Natasha Barton by just over a minute.

In the Female Vintage Veteran category, Renske Bouwens had an impressive race, winning that Welsh age group title in 1:26:22. Vicky Hinstridge celebrated a long journey from North Wales with second place in a time of 1:40:23 and Dawn Haynes-Sewell completed the podium in third.

A special mention has to go to Paul Belcher, our oldest athlete on the day, who won the Super Vintage Veteran Male title in an impressive time of 1:37:13

Race Results:

Senior Male

1^st        Adam Brown                         1:00:43

2^nd      Tom Foster                            1:01:51

3^rd       Alex Bath                               1:03:46

Veteran Male

1^st        John Fitzpatrick                    1:06:25

2^nd      Gethin Parham                     1:11:01

3^rd       Rhys Harries                         1:11:46

Vintage Veteran Male

1^st        Jon Heissig                           1:11:16

2^nd      Mike Tate                               1:12:06

Super Veteran Male

1^st        Andy Bostock                        1:16:55

Super Vintage Veteran Male

1^st        Paul Belcher                         1:37:13

Senior Female

1^st        Claire Walters                       1:11:52

2^nd      Dale Lyons                            1:29:32

3^rd       Natasha Barton                    1:30:48

Veteran Female

1^st        Claire Godfrey                      1:37:25

Vintage Veteran Female

1^st        Renske Bouwens                1:26:22

2^nd      Vicky Hinstridge                   1:40:23

3^rd       Dawn Haynes Sewell          1:54:25

Super Veteran Female

1^st        Kate Hovers                          1:48:05