NOMINATIONS for the Brecon & Radnor Express Sportsperson of the Year awards have closed and excitement must surely be mounting with the voting set to begin in our December 28 paper.

In next week’s issue we will be printing the first of two voting forms. The second will be printed on Thursday, January 4.

The form will also include a voucher which readers can use to enter a draw to win a fabulous prize of a dinner for two and one night’s bed and breakfast at the Metropole Hotel in Llandrindod Wells.

The Metropole Hotel recently celebrated 120 years of ownership by the same family by laying on a three-course lunch for more than 100 people.

Justin Baird-Murray, and his sister, Sarah Hill, are the fifth generation of their family to run the four-star hotel and spa, as managing director and finance director respectively.

Their great, great grandmother, Elizabeth Miles, founded the hotel in 1897, when way ahead of her time as a female entrepreneur, she saw the potential in opening a smart hotel in the spa town, just as Victorians began “taking the waters”. At the time The Metropole was the largest hotel in Wales, sporting 240 rooms.

Guests at the lunch included The Hon Dame Shan Legge-Bourke, Lord Lieutenant of Powys; the county’s high sheriff; the mayor of Llandrindod Wells; as well as staff members past and present, family, friends, local businesspeople and suppliers to the hotel.

Mr Baird-Murray and his wife Judy have themselves recently developed into sportspeople in their own right.

Justin and Judy both recently ran the Chicago Marathon, getting the chance to meet two massive sporting heroes in Welsh marathon legend Steve Jones and women’s marathon world record holder Paula Radcliffe.

Justin’s time in Chicago of three hours 25 minutes was so good for his age group it gives him automatic entry to next year’s Boston Marathon. When he runs that race it will mean he has collected all six medals from the Marathon Majors series. The Marathon Majors – are Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago and New York City. Judy has also run four of them, but will have to wait a year for her entry to Boston through a public ballot or a good for age entry.

The Metropole Hotel and Rock Spa also has a close connection to the mountain runner Heidi Davies, who is a leading candidate for for both the B&R’s Sportswoman of the Year award and Young Sports Star (male or female) award.

Heidi, who is currently recovering from injury, is one of Europe’s leading mountain runners as well as one of the UK’s leading cross country runners. In the past she has found employment working at Metropole Hotel’s rock spa and remains a friend and running confidant of the Baird-Murrays.

Other categories in our Sportsperson of the Year awards are: Sportsman of the Year, Sports Team of the Year, Veteran Sports Star (male or female), Disabled Sports Star (male or female) and Sports Volunteer of the Year.

The winner of our fantastic prize will be chosen in a draw that will be held at the Brecon & Radnor Express’s offices after the vote for the awards closes on Friday, January 12.

The winner will receive information about how to book their stay at the Metropole by the end of January. They will then have six months in which to arrange their visit.

To be entered into the draw, those voting in the Sportsperson of the Year awards must tick the box on the voting form to say that that they wish to be entered. Draw entrants do not have to vote for a nominee in the awards but they must submit an original voting form for their entry to be considered valid. No photocopies will be accepted.

All voting forms must be posted to or handed into the Brecon & Radnor Express, 11 The Bulwark, Brecon LD3 7AE by the closing date of Friday, January 12. No votes will be accepted by email. Please make sure you include your name and address/phone number on the form to be considered for the prize draw of a dinner and night’s B&B at the Metropole Hotel and Rock Spa in Llandrindod Wells.

You can only vote for one person in each category and that person must be one of the candidates nominated by the B&R’s readers.

If you do not wish to vote for a person/team in a category simply leave it blank.

If you do not wish to be considered for the draw for a dinner and night’s B&B at the Metropole Hotel simply tick the box that indicates you do not wish to participate. For your name to go forward to the draw you must vote for at least one person/team in the Sportsperson of the Year awards.

Normal Brecon and Radnor Express competition rules apply.

The editor’s decision on whether to accept a vote for the sports awards or entry for the draw is final.

The winners of the sports awards will be announced at an event yet to be finalised early in the new year - details to follow in the Brecon & Radnor Express.

Happy voting and good luck in the draw!