Don Hale Blog

*The NWRRC team on tour at Newborough Forest, Anglesey, (*pictured l-r), Harry Driscoll, John Hatton, Mike Hayton, Carla  Green  and Liz Driscoll. North Wales athletes on the run as tourists. Report by Don Hale. Most photographs by Steve Jeffery.   The start of the half-term break saw many North Wales athletes travelling far afield this week to sample a variety of races at Liverpool, Leeds, Bangor, Newborough, and Newent Park in the Forest of Dean. Five NWRRC members ran in the Newborough Forest parkrun on Anglesey last Saturday, and a further twenty tackled the muddy and windswept Conwy parkrun, with two more at Newent Park. Carla Green  celebrated her performance along the challenging trails at Newborough by claiming the 1st lady spot, an age category victory, and a parkrun PB, finishing 11th overall from 141 entrants in 20 minutes 24 seconds. *Carla Green (*above) was the 1st Lady at Newborough and claimed a new PB, and (*below) Harry Driscoll continues to improve with a positive pe

*Helen Hannam and her family celebrated an extraordinary race day.   Helen Hannam and two of her brothers won podium positions in the Middlesbrough Race for Life 5k and 10k events last Sunday.   The popular NWRRC athlete finished 2nd overall and she was the 1st female in the 5k race with a time of 24 minutes 31 seconds, but her brother  Thomas Rapson  won this event in 22.40.  And on a remarkable, if not extraordinary day, Helen’s other brother   David   also finished 1st in the 10k race, running home in 45 minutes 1 second, whilst her sister, mother, and nieces walked the 5k course and finished in 45-minutes. She was obviously thrilled by their efforts and said: ‘It was a proper winning family day at Race for Life at Albert Park in Middlesbrough, with my brother Thomas and me finishing first and second in the 5k Race for Life, and my other brother David won the 10k event, and my sister, mum and nieces walked the 5k.’ *Pictured (above)  Helen  Hannam and her brother Thomas Rapson, who

* Kevin Slattery (*above) and Gethin Wyn Jones (*below) struck gold at Mold during last weekend's Welsh championships at the Flintshire 10k race. Report by Don Hale. Photos by Steve Jeffery.   NWRRC club chairman and veteran athlete Kevin Slattery together with fast improving Gethin Wyn Jones both struck gold at Mold last Sunday as the North Wales champions, with Kevin also winning his MV65-69 age category during the Flintshire 10k race. Kevin put in a tremendous performance to tackle the hard and hilly course, which included two tough laps along a twisty route and around the windy streets of Mold.  He quickly showed his rivals a clean pair of heels and was 35th overall out of 235 finishers and claimed his double success in a fast time of 44 minutes 49 seconds. Four club runners including Kevin entered the race and additionally ran in the North Wales 10k championships. *Another great gold-gong for Gethin Wyn Jones at Mold. Gethin Wyn Jones  was another runner in good form after sha

Jonathan Kettle set a hot pace from the start at Conwy parkrun last Saturday. Report by Don Hale. Photos by Steve Jeffery.    It was a cool, crisp, autumn morning for 259 finishers at the Conwy Parkrun where Jonathan Kettle from North Wales Road Runners was the first man home in just 17 minutes and 27 seconds. Jonathan easily won his VM45-49 age category and set a hot pace for his rivals, with club colleague  Mark Jessett  finishing 3rd overall in 18.21, and he also won his VM35-39 age cat. NWRRC entered fifteen athletes and collected four age category wins and two personal best times, but many members were either recovering from major marathons and recent races or were preparing for other events over the weekend. Martin and Carla Green  used the parkrun as a recovery exercise following last week’s dual success at the Manchester Marathon, and both ran well together again with Martin finishing in 19th place in 21.23, and Carla (*pictured left) winning her VW45-49 age cat in 21.28.  Sea

*Top North Wales husband and wife athletes Martin and Carla Green. Dynamic Duo Martin and Carla Green starred at the Manchester Marathon last Sunday. Report by Don Hale.   North Wales athletes Martin and Carla Green both celebrated excellent performances in the Manchester Marathon last Sunday with Martin finishing 13th in the elite men’s race, and won his age category, whilst Carla claimed a great new PB over this distance and was 3rd place in her age category. The dynamic husband and wife duo had been training hard for this event and obviously it all paid off with two outstanding runs in this challenging race on an undulating course. Martin (*pictured above)  was one of thirty-five elite athletes who were followed by a mass entry, and he certainly proved his pedigree once again, competing well throughout the event to finally finish in 13th place overall, but he won his MV45 age cat with a superb chip time of just 2 hours 30 minutes and 43 seconds. The elite race was eventually won by 

*Family members and recipients of the Hall of Fame awards are pictured (back row l-r): Paul Brooks, the secretary of the NWRAC, Bernard Harris, Gareth Hughes, Mark Dunn, Kerry Woolrich and Rob Ross; and (front row l-r), Llinos Williams, Denise Harris and Debbie Ross. North Wales athletics’ officials honoured at special “Hall of Fame” Induction ceremony. Report by Don Hale. Photographs by Don Hale and *Paul Brooks.   Many long serving and distinguished officials, both past and present, from the world of North Wales athletics were awarded prestigious “Hall of Fame” trophies last week in recognition of their many years of dedicated service to the sport. In a special Induction ceremony staged last Friday evening at the Eirias Park Sports Stadium in Colwyn Bay and organised by the North Wales Regional Athletics Council (NWRAC), eight nominees and/or their family members were presented with awards to acknowledge their generous voluntary support. Paul Brooks, the secretary of the NWRAC, who w

Humid conditions attracted super-fast athletes to Conwy parkrun. Report by Don Hale. Most photos by Steve Jeffery.   This week’s Conwy parkrun was staged in complete contrast to the previous Saturday, and instead of wet and windy conditions, the course remained dry, with the weather warm and humid. Perhaps it was these unusual conditions that attracted many of the best local runners who created an extraordinary and feisty competition, with the first nine runners all dipping under twenty-minutes, and three of the top four runners claimed personal best times, with a mere eleven-seconds separating the leading pack. Rhodri Owen  was the first finisher, winning his SM30-34 age cat in 16 minutes and 7 seconds, with  Matthew Roberts  just three-seconds behind, and the winner of his VM40-44 cat in 16.20.  Simon Cole  was a further five-seconds adrift in 16.25, and in addition,  Steve Forsyth , who finished 4th was only three-seconds down on Simon in 16.28. Rhodri, Simon, and Steve also ran in