Don Hale Blog

*Jonathan Kettle (*above) set a hot pace around the freezing 16-mile race circuit at Oulton Park, Cheshire, last Sunday morning. Report by Don Hale.   Jonathan Kettle set an incredibly hot pace around the freezing cold Oulton Park racing circuit on Sunday morning to easily win his 16-mile endurance race which formed part of the final events schedule for the 2021 Running Grand Prix promotions. The event held at Little Budworth, Tarporley, included a variety of six different distance races ranging from a 5k to a full marathon, but the talented North Wales Road Runner soon hit top gear in his preferred distance race and adopted cruise control around each of the gruelling six-laps of this famous and undulating course before dipping under the chequered flag. Jonathan deservedly claimed 1st place overall, despite the bitterly cold and windy conditions, and he also claimed another podium placing after winning his MV45 age cat in 1 hour 36 minutes and 36 seconds.  And quite remarkably, Jonatha

*Carla and Martin Green both won their age categories at Conwy Records smashed despite cool and blustery conditions at Conwy half-marathon. Report by Don Hale. Photo’s courtesy of Mick Hall and NWRRC members. Records were smashed and many North Wales athletes celebrated prestigious age category wins at the re-scheduled Conwy half-marathon last Sunday despite cool and very blustery conditions. And it was a particularly close-run contest amongst the elite athletes with many of the top six positions constantly changing places as they battled their way from Conwy Castle and back via the Great Orme, with 17-runners dipping under 80 minutes over a very challenging course. Gary Priestley  (Salford Harriers) eventually claimed an overall victory with a tremendous display to win the race in 1 hour 10 minutes 28 seconds, and he was more than a minute clear of second-placed  Michael Young  (West Cheshire AC) in 1.12.12, with  Tom Roberts  (Meirionnydd RC) just 20-seconds adrift in third spot in 1

Troy Kettle performed well on his debut for North Wales team. Report by Don Hale.   Promising young Road Runner Troy Kettle (*pictured above top) made his debut for North Wales last Saturday in the tough Inter-Counties challenge race staged within the Meerbrook 15k in Staffordshire. Student Troy made a very impressive start to his representative career and helped the county team to claim the runners-up spot against some quality opposition. The NWRRC athlete finished 27th overall in 69 minutes 49 seconds. Troy’s talented father, and a highly respected top athletics coach, Jonathan Kettle remarked: ‘ Well Done to Troy  o n his debut race for the North Wales team in the toughest race I know. Fantastic running!’ *Road Runner Troy Kettle made his debut for  the  North Wales County team in the Meerbrook 15k last weekend. He is shown (*back row - top right). Photo Paul Brooks. *The overall competition winners for the Men were Shropshire with 20 pts, with North Wales 2nd with 29 points, Staffo

*Karl Morris (*above) performed well in the Pen Llyn Ultra run over 37.5 miles. Tough running at Pen Llyn Winter Ultra event. Report by Don Hale.   Three NWRRC endurance athletes competed in the gruelling Pen Llyn Winter Ultra trail race last Saturday.  Run over a challenging and undulating 37.5-mile course out and back from Pwllheli golf club, with over 5,000 ft of elevation, the event attracted 218 intrepid starters and 129 hardy finishers. Local runners included  Marc Davies  finished 14th overall and he was the 12th U50 cat in 6 hours 35 minutes 37 seconds, and  Karl Morris  was 33rd and the 26th U50 runner in 7.08.56, with  Jon Dalzell  67th overall and the 40th U50 cat in 7.55.18. After the race, Karl Morris confirmed ‘A great route with a fair-few climbs. I ran a strong race – all 37-miles of it! Thanks to Huw Williams and all the team for putting on a great race.’ And his colleague Jon Dalzell described the event as ‘brutal.’ *The race winner was Jon Shield in 5.25.19, with 2nd

Three age category wins at Conwy parkrun, plus two other event wins as tourists. Report by Don Hale. Photographs by Steve Jeffery.   North Wales Road Runners claimed a hat-trick of impressive age category wins at the Conwy parkrun last Saturday despite a depleted team due to other commitments and preparation for a major race the following day, with two additional event wins at other parkruns. Despite this shortfall at Conwy, eleven members still competed in dry, but cool and breezy conditions at the event, which included about fifty visitors using the parkrun as a warm-up for the Conwy half-marathon, with numerous UK clubs again represented. The event attracted 295 runners, and it was won quite easily by the remarkable Steve Forsyth (Prestatyn), who was also 1st MV40-44 cat winner in 17.22, with James Yarwood 2nd, and 1st in his SM30-34 cat in 17.53, and Alex Bedingham (York Knavesmire Harriers) finished in 3rd place, and was 1st M35-39. *Another impressive run from Richard Eccles at t

*Some of the triumphant NWRRC team at the Abergele 5k championships. Report by Don Hale. Photographs by Steve Jeffery. North Wales Road Runners dominated the Abergele 5k and North Wales championships last weekend by recording a host of PBs, age category wins, and other podium placings, in addition to claiming both the male and female team prizes. It was soon raining gold on the windswept promenade at Pensarn on Sunday as NWRRC members smashed numerous records and collected seven age category gold medals and trophies, in addition to two runners-up awards and silver medals, plus a further two bronze medals, and two prestigious team prizes.  In a very fast and highly competitive race,  Scott Nixon  (Cardiff AC) was the first runner home in 15 minutes 47 seconds, with  Jon Bowie  (Shrewsbury AC) 2nd in 15.52, and  Steve Forsyth  (Prestatyn) in 15.57.  Martin Green  (*pictured above) from NWRRC led a strong team of twenty club members back along the cycle track to finish 4th overall and 1st