In the first event of the Mountain & Ultra Distance Commonwealth Games at Keswick, in the Lake District, Wales’s John Pares (Buckley RC) put in an outstanding controlled performance to take the bronze medal in the 24 hour race.

Always trailing the Australian duo of Martin Fryer and Jo Blake, John fought off a late surge in the final hours from Scotland’s Steve Mason in an event that included all the top athletes from the Commonwealth within the 44 starters.

John rallied to finish in a massive personal best distance for the event of 151.85 miles, whilst Fryer went on set a Commonwealth Record of 159.63 miles.

The event was held on a 1 kilometre lap of Fitz Park, which provided the idyllic backdrop of Skiddaw Fell. The Championship will see the 4 day festival move on to the Uphill only Mountain race, followed by the 100km race and then the up and down Mountain Races on Sunday.

The event has proved the highlight of John’s career, and its “most amazing experience."

"I went through a difficult patch, both mentally and physically, between 12 midnight and 5am through the cold," John said after the race, "but the superb support I received from Dic Evans (Aberystwyth & Cardiff AAC) rallied me then and throughout the event. Everything went to plan both in my training leading up and during the race, where I got my eating strategy just about right with a large range of foods on offer.”

For more information and full results see :-

http://www.cumbriacommonwealthchampionships.org/index.htm