61 lightly clad runners set off for the third running of the Blast in what is now the traditionally warm and sunny weather that this race has become blessed with. Fairwater Runner Grant Lewis stuck to the carefully flagged route and recorded his first ever race win. “I was in sixth place coming to the foot of the final steep climb” he said afterwards “but I could see the lads ahead were cutting straight up instead of following the marked route. I‘m glad I resisted the temptation to follow.” The Blast was Race 6 of the South Wales Winter Series, and the Women’s competition saw Sally Wilder move ahead in her tussle with Emma Hitchens by leading Emma Bayliss and Vanessa Lawson across the finish line. With John Sweeting having to call off the Crychan race, the final race of the series will now be Emma Bayliss’ Sugar Loaf on 14 April.
Expect this to be very keenly contested, with the destination of many trophies thereupon hanging.     Dick Finch