A TEAM of Aberystwyth Athletic Club runners headed to Maenclochog in North Pembrokeshire to take on the various Preseli Beast races on Saturday, 10 May.

The shorter 11 mile Beast Bach is a fully waymarked route with 1,700 feet of ascent. Chelsey Morris completed the course in 2:24:53 and Adam Cowdrey in 2:45:51.

The Preseli Beast is a tough 24-mile off road race with 4, 600 feet of ascent through on trail, fell, wooded paths and bogs.

Roger Matthews completed the course in 5:35:11 and Ivan Courtier finished in 5:45:1.

If running 24 hilly miles wasn’t enough two Aber AC members took on the Preseli Beast Ultra – 32 miles and approximately 6,000 feet of ascent. Both Aber AC runners also took home age category wins with Balazs Pinter finishing in the top ten and winning Male Veteran 50 in 6:26:53 and Louise Barker taking the Female Veteran 50 in 7:16:08.

This was Louise’s first win in a new age category: “It’s a great event with some tough climbs and I was pleased to have finished and to come away with my first new age category win was an added bonus.”

Sunday, 11th May saw two Aberystwyth AC members, Ed Land and Paul Williams, head to Caerphilly to represent the West Wales region in the Caerphilly 10K Welsh Athletics regional match.

A very hot and quite windy day on a challenging course made for a tough day in the office.

Paul won his age category in 38:45 and Ed finished 8th in his age category in 37:10.

There have been a few midweek races recently and last week was no exception.

Two members of the club headed to Rhayader to take part in Rhayader Running Club’s 5K race in the Elan Valley and it was a successful evening as they both took age category wins.

Shelley Childs finished in 6th place overall and first Male Veteran 45 in 18:47 and Paul Williams also finished in the top ten and first in Male Veteran 55 in 19:13.

They said: “It’s a great little event, well organised and well worth the journey over the Cambrian Mountains.”

With only 24 hours between races Shelley, joined by other members of the Aber AC headed south to Emlyn Runners’ Abercych 10k race on Thursday, 15 May which starts and finishes at the Nag’s Head Inn.

Impressive running by all the Aber AC runners saw Gary Wyn Davies lead the club home in 4th overall in a time of 35:57.

Next home for the club was Shelley Childs winning the Male 50 category in 37:55 and just a second later was Ian Evans, winning the Male 40 age category in 37:56.

First Aber AC female home and winning the female 35 category was Caryl Wyn Davies in 44:26 and shortly after coming second his age category of Male 60 was Damien Sidnell in 46:00 and completing the Aber AC representation was Theresa Sharland in 57:37.

For Shelley this was a back to back race after the previous night’s 5k.

He said: “It’s a lovely route, well organised and an extra incentive is the finish at the Nag’s Head, a really successful night for the blue army.”