Shrewsbury Athletic Club's Ultramarathon runner, Michael Betts, has been flying the flag for the Club on the international stage, travelling to La Palma Island in the Canaries to compete in the Transvulcania Ultramarathon, an arduous but scenic course of 46 miles and 14000 feet of ascent around the island's mountains, finishing the course in 11 hours 37 minutes and 14 seconds. His performance at this event, together with his performances over the last twelve months at the St Oswald's 100 Mile race in Northumberland, the 80Km North Face Lavaredo Ultra Trail race in Italy and the 3 x 3000 80Km Ultra Trail Race in the Lake District, has resulted in his selection to participate in the 2017 Ultra Trail Mont Blanc Race in the autumn at Chamonix, where he will be competing against 2300 of the elite of the trail running world. Regarded by many as the most prestigious and one of the toughest of the ultra distance mountain races, the course traverses the Alps around Mont Blanc through France, Italy and Switzerland., a total distance of 171Km and over 10000 metres of ascent.

Back down to earth, the Telford Sexarathon Series and the Shropshire Summer Fell Race Series have continued with the staging of the Phoenix Flyer 5K Race and the Batch Bash Race. The Club's new road and cross country star, Paul Jones stormed to 3^rd place in the Phoenix race in his first Sexarathon race for the Club and was 1^st Veteran Over 45. Next, Kevin Francis finished 36^th and 1^st Veteran Over 50, with Luke Butler, throttling back to save himself for the Christleton 5K race two days later, 45^th. This paid dividends for Club Captain Butler, who then produced a personal best time in the Chester race, finishing 61^st in 16/48, with Carl Aveyard 79^th in 17/04.

Another personal best time was recorded by Keith Austen, in the Chester Half Marathon, finishing 226^th in 1/31/26 in a field of 1500 runners.

Phoenix Flyer Results:

3 Paul Jones 16/03(1^st Veteran Over 45), 36 Kevin Francis 18/05(1^st Veteran Over 50), 45 Luke Butler 18/22, 49 Stewart Farley 18/41, 68 Pete Savill 19/42(2^nd Veteran Over 60), 83 Chris Wakeman 20/12(5^th Veteran Over 55), 94 Haydn Jones 20/33(6^th Veteran Over 55), 146 Jacqueline Macey 22/05(3^rd Lady Veteran Over 40), 161 Pete Butler 22/39(6^th Veteran Over 60).

Photo – Michael Betts