Cardiff Half Marathon

300-day Countdown To World Mountain Running Championships Begins

300-Day countdown begins to a celebration of mountain running 

With the 2014 season behind them the world’s top mountain runners will be setting their sights on 2015 and the World Mountain Running Championships, which are set to descend on Betws y Coed, Wales in just 300 days.

The Championships were awarded to the UK after a joint bid from British Athletics, the Welsh Government, Welsh Athletics and Conwy County Borough Council, and are set to bring economic, cultural and sporting benefits to the UK and specifically the North Wales region next September.

Councillor Graham Rees, the Cabinet Member for Tourism, Marketing and Leisure at Conwy County Borough Council, feels that the Championships will be a huge opportunity for Wales and particularly the local area, not only in a sporting capacity but also to help attract inward investment and economic impact in such areas as tourism, he comments:

“The World Mountain Running Championships will showcase across the world what Conwy County has to offer to athletes and tourists alike. The event will not only see the athletes and teams staying in the area but also their support networks including family and friends bringing a valuable boost to the local economy particularly tourism, both in the Conwy Valley and the North Wales Coast with Llandudno serving as the race HQ and the official base for the athletes and the teams.

“It is anticipated that many participants will extend their visit to enjoy the week-long celebration of mountain running and having seen and experienced all that the County has to offer will come back to visit again and again.”

Following the successful staging of the 30th running of the Championships in the stunning setting of Casette di Massa, Italy in September, responsibility for the 31st edition of this iconic mountain running festival moved to the UK and Snowdonia for the week-long festival from the 12th to the 20th of September, 2015.

Along with attracting the world’s best mountain runners, from across the globe, the racing incorporates the World Masters Mountain Running Championships on the opening weekend. The races will be hosted in Betws y Coed, with athletes being based in Llandudno.

In addition to the championship races the week will see a host of events that encapsulate the area, including open mountain races, an uphill only race to the iconic local peak of Moel Siabod, junior events, seminars and film sessions and a series of schools races to be facilitated by the Conwy County Borough Council sports development team.

In a recent photo call in Betws y Coed, Councillor Rees was joined by local junior athlete and GB international Iolo Hughes and Matt Ward, a member of the WMRC marketing team. Iolo stated:

“It’s an amazing opportunity for me to get into a GB team and run in a race that will be so close to home. The buzz and excitement will be immense come next September, and lots of my peers are already talking about the selection race and the Champs themselves.  I can’t wait and just hope I can make the team!”

Further updates on the 2015 World Mountain Running Championships will be available via the WMRC Wales website www.wmrcwales.org, Twitter and Facebook pages.

 

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Mae cyfrif y 300 diwrnod tan y bydd dathliad o redeg mynydd wedi dechrau

Gyda thymor 2014 y tu ôl iddynt, bydd rhedwyr mynydd gorau’r byd yn gosod eu bryd ar 2015 a Phencampwriaethau Rhedeg Mynydd y Byd, sy’n bwriadu dod i Fetws y Coed, Cymru mewn dim ond 300 diwrnod.

Dyfarnwyd y Pencampwriaethau i’r DU ar ôl cynnig ar y cyd gan Athletau Prydain, Llywodraeth Cymru, Athletau Cymru a Chyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Conwy, ac yn bwriadu dod â manteision economaidd, diwylliannol a chwaraeon i’r DU, ac yn benodol i ranbarth Gogledd Cymru fis Medi nesaf.

Mae’r Cynghorydd Graham Rees, Aelod Cabinet Twristiaeth, Marchnata a Hamdden Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Conwy, yn teimlo y bydd y Pencampwriaethau yn gyfle enfawr i Gymru ac yn enwedig yr ardal leol, nid yn unig mewn swyddogaeth chwaraeon ond hefyd i helpu i ddenu buddsoddiad o’r tu allan ac effaith economaidd mewn meysydd fel twristiaeth, meddai:

“Bydd Pencampwriaethau Rhedeg Mynydd y Byd yn dangos i’r byd beth sydd gan Sir Conwy i’w gynnig i athletwyr a thwristiaid fel ei gilydd. Bydd y digwyddiad nid yn unig yn gweld yr athletwyr a thimau’n aros yn yr ardal, ond hefyd eu rhwydweithiau cefnogi, gan gynnwys teulu a ffrindiau, gan ddod â hwb gwerthfawr i’r economi leol, yn enwedig twristiaeth, yn Nyffryn Conwy ac Arfordir Gogledd Cymru, gyda Llandudno’n gwasanaethu fel Pencadlys y ras a’r canolbwynt swyddogol ar gyfer yr athletwyr a’r timau.”

“Rhagwelir y bydd llawer o gyfranogwyr yn ymestyn eu hymweliad i fwynhau’r dathliad wythnos o hyd o redeg mynydd, ac ar ôl gweld a phrofi’r hyn sydd gan y Sir i’w gynnig, yn dod yn ôl dro ar ôl tro.”

Ar ôl llwyddo i gynnal y 30ain bencampwriaeth yn lleoliad trawiadol Casette di Massa, yr Eidal ym mis Medi, mae’r cyfrifoldeb am yr 31ain ŵyl rhedeg mynydd eiconig hon yn symud i’r DU ac Eryri ar gyfer yr ŵyl wythnos o hyd o’r 12 i 20 Medi, 2015.

Ynghyd â denu rhedwyr mynydd gorau’r byd, o bob cwr o’r byd, mae’r rasio’n ymgorffori Pencampwriaethau Meistri Rhedeg Mynydd y Byd ar y penwythnos agoriadol. Bydd y rasys yn cael eu cynnal ym Metws y Coed, gydag athletwyr yn cael eu lleoli yn Llandudno.

Yn ychwanegol at rasys y bencampwriaeth, bydd yr wythnos â llu o ddigwyddiadau sy’n cwmpasu’r ardal, gan gynnwys rasys mynydd agored, ras i fyny Moel Siabod, copa eiconig lleol, digwyddiadau i unigolion iau, seminarau a sesiynau ffilm a chyfres o rasys ysgolion wedi’u hwyluso gan dîm datblygu chwaraeon Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Conwy.

Mewn sesiwn tynnu lluniau diweddar ym Metws y Coed, ymunodd yr athletwr iau lleol a chystadleuydd rhyngwladol y DU, Iolo Hughes, a Matt Ward, aelod o dîm marchnata’r WMRC, gyda’r Cynghorydd Rees. Dywedodd Iolo:

“Mae’n gyfle gwych i mi fod yn nhîm y DU a rhedeg mewn ras fydd mor agos i adref. Bydd y wefr a chyffro yn anhygoel fis Medi nesaf, ac mae llawer o fy nghyfoedion eisoes yn siarad am y ras ddewis a’r Bencampwriaeth ei hun.  Alla i ddim disgwyl a dim ond gobeithio y gallaf fod yn rhan o’r tîm!”

Bydd rhagor o ddiweddariadau Pencampwriaethau Rhedeg Mynydd y Byd 2015 ar gael drwy wefan WMRC Cymru www.wmrcwales.org, Twitter, a thudalennau Facebook.

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