Podium finish for Kay Hatton at challenging Abersoch 10k.

By Don Hale


*Harry Driscoll and Kay Hatton at the Abersoch 10k.

Podium finish for Kay Hatton at challenging Abersoch 10k.

Report by Don Hale. Photos by John Hatton.

 

Harry Driscoll and Kay Hatton represented NWRRC at the challenging Abersoch HR Anchor 10k last Saturday, with both enjoying superb performances despite the atrocious weather and difficult course.



*A great performance from Harry Driscoll at the Abersoch 10k.

Harry had a remarkable run finishing 14th overall out of 341 finishers and recorded a chip time of 42 minutes 2 seconds, with Kay Hatton 114th overall, and the 23rd female runner in 52.31. Kay also won a prestigious podium place after claiming 2nd spot in her F50 age category.

Kay's husband John, who watched the event and took several photographs at the race, confirmed. ‘It was very wet, windy, and hilly at Abersoch. The course was, road, track, grass, with sandy beach to finish hurdling the groynes.’



*Kay Hatton had to dig deep to claim silver in her age category at Abersoch.

Don Hale is a former award winning investigative journalist and now a best-selling author who has created a very popular blog post linked to numerous social media sites. donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025.

Comments

Post a Comment

Your comments are welcomed

Most recent posts

Promenade packed for a bumper bonanza at Rhos parkrun.

By Don Hale
Image
*Pictured above - popular sports coach, veteran athlete, and charity fundraiser John Hatton is presented with a special cake at Rhos parkrun by NWRRC club colleague Elizabeth Driscoll for his 400th stint as a volunteer at various venues. Promenade packed for a bumper bonanza at Rhos parkrun. Report by Don Hale. Photos courtesy  of Michael (Pat) Finnie. donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2026 coastandcountry.blog *Above - the start of the Llandrillo yn Rhos parkrun last Saturday. The warmer weather and the Bank Holiday weekend attracted another bumper attendance of over five-hundred runners and walkers to the Llandrillo yn Rhos parkrun last Saturday morning. The event also recorded plenty of personal best times, and visitors from across the UK, who enjoyed this exciting flat, and picturesque promenade route, with the first three finishing places all going to first-timers. Jonathan Shaw  (Steel City Striders) was the first finisher overall and he was delighted with an excellent debut time...
Read more

URGENT APPEAL FOR VOLUNTEERS AT SCHOOLS CROSS-COUNTRY EVENT AT COLWYN BAY

By Don Hale
Image
URGENT APPEAL FOR VOLUNTEERS AT SCHOOLS CROSS-COUNTRY EVENT. Darren Dentith, one of the XC event organisers is urgently appealing for some voluntary support for an important Cross-Country championship in Colwyn Bay this week. He said: "I will be holding the Colwyn Bay and Abergele schools cross-country event in Eirias Park. Last year over 200 runners participated and it's looking similar for 2026. * Please message me directly via Facebook/Messenger if you are able to help set up, marshal etc, or just turn-up on the day. Thursday 21st May at Eirias Park. Set up from 2.30pm, first race of 4 at 4pm, we should be finished by 5pm. Diolch, Darren If you, or anyone you know can help in any way, please let me know!
Read more

Local runners in top form at the Chester half-marathon.

By Don Hale
Image
*Pictured above - Jon Evans from NWRRC who was a two-hour pacer. Local runners in top form at the Chester half-marathon. Report by Don Hale. donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2026 coastandcountry.blog   There was a massive entry of over 700 elite, club, and mixed ability athletes at the Essa Chester half marathon last Sunday with several North Wales runners celebrating some superb finishing times and placings. Tomos Roberts  and  Martin Green  were two top members representing  Meirionnydd RC , with Tomos 8th in 1.08.54, and he won his MV35 age cat, with colleague Martin also winning his MV50 cat in 23rd place in 1.15.15.  And full credit to another  North Wales  star in  Steffan Sayer  (Menai T&F) who was 20th in 1.14.42, and fellow Welshman  Matthew Collins  (Oswestry Olympians) in 1.07.58. The overall race was won by  Jack White  (City of Norwich) in 1.05.56, followed by  Luke Burgess  (Bristol & West) in ...
Read more

Last few entries for the Deganwy 5 mile Dash - see full details - 29th May 2026.

By Don Hale
Image
Time to enter the famous Deganwy 5-mile Dash - limited to just 50 places left for this unique charity race. Report by Don Hale. donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2026 Entries for the famous Deganwy 5-mile Dash are now open, and runners are advised to enter early as numbers are limited with only about 50 places left due to the popularity of this essential fundraising event for Children’s Cancer charities. *This is the important link for Deganwy Dash entries:   https://in.tdlentries.co.uk/2026-deganwy-dash The event on Friday 29th May 2026 starts and finishes on Deganwy Promenade close to the revamped shelter and follows a picturesque course along the river estuary and around Conwy Cob to the RSPB Nature Reserve, where it turns and returns back along the same route to the finish. Run director John Hatton confirmed this week: “The Deganwy Dash is now live now for entries. The aim of the race is to still raise money for Cancer in Children. Joshua Tree is our main recipient for money plus as be...
Read more

Tristan Owen's Manchester Marathon plans for the Rotary Club's Community Chest Appeal.

By Don Hale
Image
*Pictured above - Llandudno undertaker and keen runner Tristan Owen will be competing in the Manchester Marathon for the Rotary Club'a charity appeal. Tristan Owen will be running in the Manchester Marathon and he is fundraising for the Rotary Club’s Community Chest Fun Appeal.   This is another special community-based story within a new series of unique features looking at the life, careers, hopes and ambitions, of many talented and dedicated athletes, sports people, and fundraisers within North Wales. *Tristan is shown (*above), second  from the left with his team mates.   Special sporting feature: Introduction by Don Hale. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com   This latest feature highlights the determination of a well-known local undertaker, businessman, and charity fundraiser  Tristan Owen , who first began his running journey about 18 months ago, after taking part in the  Conwy parkrun . Since then, the under-taker has fast become an over-taker, recording...
Read more

Visitors set a hot pace on a cold, frosty morning at the Rhos parkrun – plus other results and reports from the region.

By Don Hale
Image
*Runners listen to the briefing at the start of the Llandrillo yn Rhos parkrun. Visitors set a hot pace on a cold, frosty morning at the Rhos parkrun – plus other results and reports from the region... Report by Don Hale. Photos courtesy of Michael Finnie. donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025 Pictured above and below - the mass start of the Rhos parkrun. It was another jam-packed and fun-filled occasion on Saturday morning at the new Llandrillo yn Rhos (Y Promenade) parkrun last Saturday following a record-breaking attendance on Christmas Day. Despite the freezing temperatures and a generous covering of heavy frost around the region, with the icy conditions causing the cancellation of rival events at  Conwy  and at  Nova , the Rhos parkrun, possibly aided by a light layer of sand at key points, was given the green light, much to the delight of 576 eager entrants. And many runners later expressed their gratitude to the run director  Dougie Graham  and his RD colleagues,...
Read more

Road Runner Llyr goes ‘Down Under’ to represent Wales in the World Sprint Duathlon.

By Don Hale
Image
*Pictured above - Llyr ApGeraint-Roberts at the Cairns parkrun in Australia - as he prepares to represent Wales in the World Sprint Duathlon championships. Road Runner Llyr goes ‘Down Under’ to represent Wales in the World Sprint Duathlon. Report by Don Hale. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk   North Wales Road Runner Llyr ApGeraint-Roberts has travelled to Australia in readiness to represent Wales in the World Sprint Duathlon Championships on Friday (16th August). The talented Great Britain and Welsh international runner has been selected to represent his country in this week’s major competition, which has attracted about fifty of the top duathlon athletes from around the world, who will compete for honours in this prestigious event. This Sprint Duathlon championship race includes a 5k run, followed by a 20k bike ride, and then another 2.5k dash, and this year it’s being staged at Townsville, a coastal city in North-East Queensland. In preparation fo...
Read more

In the Face of Adversity: A new true and dramatic short story by Debbie Jordan.

By Don Hale
Image
In the Face of Adversity: A short story by Debbie Jordan. by    Debbie Jordan    (Author):  5.0 (12): *Now available via Amazon:   https://amzn.to/3RhzR3a 5.0 out of 5 stars  A special Coast and Country book review. *Now available via Amazon:   https://amzn.to/3RhzR3a This is a true story of a woman who has gone through more than any one person deserves in a lifetime. She has faced a traumatic childhood followed by fighting for her life on more than one occasion. The trauma and events of her life are unbelievable but through it all she has never given up fighting, and at the age of 62 she has finally come to terms with it all and is able to tell her story. donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2026 coastandcountry.blog
Read more

North Wales trail team cleared the course at Betws after Storm Arwen damage.

By Don Hale
Image
*NWRRC athletes Lesley Goodson (*left) and Sarah  Ferguson Hudson. Report by Don Hale. Photographs by Sarah Ferguson Hudson & Steve Jeffery.   Race organisers from the Betws y Coed Trail Challenge events had to call in a determined group of volunteers and supporters last Saturday morning to help clear the course following the aftermath of Storm Arwen, and ongoing weather problems, which had left dozens of fallen trees blocking or restricting several planned routes. *Pictured (above and below) some fallen trees blocked the 5k course. The exceptional gales, heavy rain, and dangerous conditions on Friday night and during the early hours of Saturday morning provided trail officials with a nightmare scenario, but within hours a team of athletes and supporters cleared the way for five out of the six races to go ahead. Initially organisers stated: ‘ Thanks to everyone that has been in touch this morning, the weather here is fine, and we have no snow. We’ve been up on the routes a...
Read more

Conwy parkrun under threat due to new proposals - SAVE CONWY PARKRUN GROUP FORMED.

By Don Hale
Image
*Pictured above - some of the new SAVE CONWY PARKUN group after their meeting last Saturday morning at the RSPB site at Conwy. *Blogstory about the SAVE CONWY PARKRUN campaign on the NWNW back page. Conwy parkrun under threat due to new proposals  Report by Don Hale https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com   The future of Conwy parkrun is currently under threat after Welsh Parkrun officials have decided to impose new changes to this picturesque 5k course, which include plans for a different start area on Conwy Cob, with alternative car parking arrangements. This parkrun has been out of action for about twelve weeks due to construction work on part of the course for a multi-million-pound cycle track, but just as runners were preparing to re-start their activities, they have now been hit a series of interventions, restrictions, and demands on the event organisers by parkrun officials who have continued the suspension of this popular event. Just a few years ago however, this event was vo...
Read more