Les Croupiers Running Club Forum

Gordon McIlroy

Mac was one of several Les Croupiers employees who ran for the club
in the early years. Liam Latchford, who was the general manager, and
Stan Gristi were regulars on the road scene at the time. Steve Todd was
a 53 minute 10 miler, who ran occasionally for the club and there were
some others, like Ubaldi (I forget his christian name).

I overheard the landlord of the Canton Hotel, himself a marathon runner,
talking about Mac years ago and saying he was on Swansea Town's books,
as a youth. So, a talented sportsman.

I remember being told off twice by Mac. Firstly after resigning from
the club committee - he said I was letting the club down. Secondly after
the end of the Newport - Tredegar 22 mile race. I'd blown up at 15 miles,
after trying to drop Les Williams and cost Les Croups the team title. You
had to declare your 3 runners before the start. Howie Brown skipped
past me at 20 miles, trying not to laugh, but he was entered in the B team.

Again, he said I had let the club down, even though I had run till I nearly
dropped.

A man who tells it as it is! But a great character and club member.

I seem to remember he ran one marathon barefoot, after forgetting his
running shoes. He was friendly with a couple of famous musicians -
John Lee Hooker and Van Morrison. He stayed with John Lee Hooker when
he went to the US for one marathon (presumably the New Orleans
marathon). He arranged for Van Morrison to play a couple of low key gigs
at the King's Hotel in Newport before small audiences.

Jeff Aston and Friends
Congratulations to Jeff on finishing yet another London Marathon (virtual).
I went for a long walk (legs won't work well enough for a long run!) on
the day and saw him at 3 different points.

I remember Jeff when he joined Les Croups in the early 80s. He'd been
a competitive squash player but had to stop when the National Sports
Centre was flooded, so took up running.

It was great to see the photo of Jeff with Maurice Pendergast and
Sean Tresillian.

Maurice used to organise the Ffordd-y-Brynia hill race (aka Mad Maurice's
Mountain Race). That was a great day out.

The race was unmarked, so you chose your own route. One year, Paul Wheeler and
Richard Bullen had been shown the best route so finished 1st and 2nd.
I sat on Les Williams and Huw Parry's shoulders (2 Welsh international
fell runners) so got around pretty quickly, finishing side by side
in 3rd,4th and 5th positions.

Sean was a great Alberto Salazar fan and great club character. He and his
friend, Paul "Tarquin" McDonald were great fun to be with.

Paul was an A and E staff nurse who became a psychologist. The last
time I was with Paul, we ended up grappling on the floor on
Whitchurch Road at 2am after leaving a party! Good times.

Edited by user 02 January 2021 12:07:35(UTC)  | Reason: Can't spell

I don't know anything about the Harlequins race, but there have been summer
and winter races on the Graig. Mynydd Du organised the Craig Yr Allt Summer
Fell Race until recently and I went to watch one of them.

https://www.mynydd-du.or...391miles705ft-2018-05-08

There are several routes down the Graig, going towards Taffs Well. I went down
the steepest way just before the pandemic started, and it was frightening. Half
way down the track stops and you have to go over a very steep angled rock
outcrop covered in very slippery green slime. I had to hang on to the branches
of a bramble bush to stop sliding down.

Glad you recovered from your accident! I once slipped at the top of Pen-y-Fan
in the snow, in the Pen-y-Fan fell race and hurtled down the mountain
on my backside, heading towards cliff edge. I just managed to stop in time,
with buttocks numb and dripping with blood! Not a pretty sight but no scars.

There used to be groups of Croups runners recceing ( recceing - present
participle of recce !) the course months before the actual Ffordd y Bryniau
race. Jeff Wood got lost in the woods at the bottom of the Graig and was
screaming out for help - but we pretended not to hear him!