THE EVER POPULAR Ammanford Junior Fun Run returned to the Amman Valley Leisure Centre athletics track last Wednesday (Jul 5).
Postponed at the end of June due to wet weather, the rescheduled day turned out to be one of the hottest days of the year so far – and this attracted hundreds of people to the annual sporting event which keeps going from strength to strength.
With a total of five age groups and eight different races, there was something for the whole family to enjoy in the Amman Valley.
The 2017 edition was again organised by the local running club led by Cathrin Owen and Rachel Alcock along with club runners from Amman Valley Harriers. It was kindly sponsored by Healthy Life Activities, who provided the finisher’s medals and trophies to all the athletes along with race commentary.
Under new organization, the event for the second year in succession altered slightly from previous years, with a separate race for the reception where parents and friends were able to run alongside the little ones.
The first race was one lap with the remaining four categories over a distance of two laps of the track (800m) with the finish under the inflatable arch in the middle of the field.
The event was promoted afar and saw a good response as organisers welcomed a number of visitors from destinations such as Swansea and Ceredigion, including a large team of athletes from Morriston Comprehensive school.
The sponsor Noelwyn Daniel from Healthy Life Activities said: “Healthy Life Activities were delighted to be sponsoring and supporting this excellent event. We are keen to see as many youngsters as possible lead a healthy lifestyle and these events are a great way for the children to become active and enjoy themselves at the same time.”
The conditions were perfect for the runners, with the sun shining strongly throughout the evening. The crowds turned up to support the local event in Carmarthenshire which has become one of the most well attended for primary school-age children.
The interest shown by schools and others this year was clear to see, with a record number of almost 350 children turning up to enjoy the occasion and the race day atmosphere, nearly 100 more than 12 months ago.
They were all cheered on by the few hundred spectators and parents who lined the side of the track, looking on at all the smiling faces as they completed their run. All children who finished on the night received a medal and in addition those who finished in the top three of Year 1-8 were also presented with a trophy. A good crowd stayed on to cheer the athletes who had made it onto the podium.
The event press and social media officer Nathan Jones added: “Amman Valley Harriers were delighted along with HLA to put on the Ammanford Fun Run again in 2017.
“With the event being re-arranged it was great to see a new record number turn out on a weekday evening. Whatever their ability, the evening’s races was open to all ages from those running for the first time in reception to the more experienced club middle distance athletes, supported from the side-lines by friends and family.
“The feedback has been very positive from visitors and the runners themselves and it is hoped that this event will continue for years to come, with the potential for many to go on further in the future.”
As usual, volunteers played a huge part in supporting the fun run and organisers would like to thank all those who helped in any way to ensure that the midweek event was once again a huge success.
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