Don Hale Blog

*Martin Green recorded another superb victory at a windswept Conwy Parkrun. Storm Malik provided a stern challenge for Conwy parkrunners as Martin Green claims victory... Report by Don Hale. Photos by Steve Jeffery.   Storm Malik provided an extra element of strong gale force winds to Conwy parkrun’s already challenging 5k course last Saturday, thereby reducing many hopes of obtaining personal best times for 176 brave souls. Facing powerful head and side winds and with the tide racing in on the RSPB estuary, the runners were forced to battle unusually buffeting conditions as they completed this picturesque “out and back” course, which probably reduced all finishing times by at least a minute. North Wales Road Runners  entered eleven athletes and claimed nine age category podium placings, including  Martin Green , who returned to parkrun and easily won the event despite including his run as part of his tough ongoing training schedule.  Martin  finished well in 19 minutes 4 seconds to wi

Fundraising 1k Fun Run for St David’s Hospice on Llandudno prom at Nick Beer 10k memorial race. Report by Don Hale.    St David’s Hospice will be staging a fundraising 1k fun run for children just before the start of the Nick Beer 10k race on Sunday 13th February. The event will be run along Llandudno promenade and all  participants will also receive a medal. This event is part of the Nick Beer 10K road race which now commemorates its 30th year. The fun run is open to all age groups, and entry is just £5 which is payable on the day at the race HQ within Venue Cymru or via St David’s fundraising office (*see details below). All proceeds from the event will go towards St David’s Hospice. The Fun run start 11.30am in conjunction with the North Wales Road Runners. Registration starts from 10.30am at Venue Cymru. And all entrants will receive their Fun Run medal at the finish line.   Enter now, either by calling St David’s Hospice Fundraising Office on 01492 873674 Monday-Friday 9am-5pm or

*Road Runner Josh Keogh was the first athlete back at the Conwy Parkrun. Familiar faces returned to boost Conwy parkrun. Report by Don Hale. Photos by Steve  Jeffery and John  Hatton.   Conwy parkrun welcomed back numerous familiar faces for the second week on the trot as the popular 5k event returned to near normal again following several problematic weeks due to pandemic restrictions. The event was also boosted by an increased attendance of 234 runners on a very cold Saturday morning, but this time it was run over a bone-hard course instead of the usual puddle filled route and included many first timers and travelling tourists in addition to the usual group of elite athletes. North Wales Road Runner  Josh Keogh  was one such returnee and celebrated his first-ever victory at Conwy, together with a superb new course PB, and a deserved age category win.  He was nearly a minute ahead of the talented 2nd placed local youngster  Alfie Shiland , who easily who won his JM11-14 cat, in 18.17,

NICK BEER 10K ANNIVERSARY RACE FINALLY GIVEN GREEN LIGHT Report by Don Hale. Most photographs by Steve Jeffery. Organisers of the ever-popular Nick Beer 10k race around Llandudno’s famous Great Orme have finally been given the green light by the Welsh Government and Welsh Athletics and are now back on track to stage their commemorative 30th anniversary race on Sunday February 13th. This latest news came as a welcome boost to race directors John and Kay Hatton from event hosts North Wales Road Running club, following the lifting last weekend of Covid-19 restrictions, which now permits up to 500 people to attend outdoor activities. It will also come as a huge relief for runners of all ages and abilities, and from all parts of the UK and abroad, to accept that they will be able to take part and share in the excitement of competing in this scenic, yet challenging race.  *Martin Green (*above) in the colours of the North Wales County team was 7th in the Nick Beer race last year and shown fi

*Mark Jessett (*above) was the  first NWRRC athlete back at the Conwy  Parkrun. Report by Don Hale. Photos by Steve Jeffery. Conwy parkrun finally returned as predicted last Saturday following another unfortunate break from action due to harsh Welsh Government and Covid-19 restrictions and even ended up on TV! The parkrun events were only approved by the Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford the day before, after the ruling for people attending outdoor events was suddenly increased from 50 to 500! This meant a slightly belated 7th anniversary birthday bash celebration at the RSPB starting point for just short of two-hundred enthusiastic runners on a cold morning that was also filmed by ITV Wales. It turned out to be a rather fast and furious event that attracted numerous elite athletes in addition to a host of fun runners, including nineteen first timers, and numerous local athletic club members.  The quality at the top end of the run included seven out of the first eight finishers recor

Covid restrictions prevented Conwy parkrun from celebrating their 7th anniversary. Report by Don Hale. Most photos by Steve Jeffery. Welsh Government and Covid-19 restrictions unfortunately prevented the organisers of the Conwy parkrun from celebrating seven years since staging their very first event.  Although the junior parkrun has continued and seems to be going from strength to strength, the adult participation has been halted by a limit of just 50 participants for all outdoor sports events in Wales.  It’s a ruling that has caused extreme controversy within the running fraternity and seems in stark contrast to identical events in all other parts of the UK, with English ministers even querying the validity of this ban, and the impact on both mental and physical health. The restrictions have also somewhat dampened the spirit of parkrun of late, and it is hoped that further meetings this week with the Welsh Government, Parkrun UK, and Welsh Athletics will help to rectify the problem.

Kay Hatton (*pictured above) was the pick of the trio at the Tatton Park 10k. Report by Don Hale. Photos by John Hatton.   Three North Wales Road Runners crossed the border into England last Saturday and celebrated with some very good performances in the Tatton Park 10k race in Cheshire, including Kay Hatton who won her respective veteran age category. With parkruns and most other races currently prohibited, or severely restricted in Wales, due to Welsh Government and Covid-19 restrictions it meant another long trip for three notable club athletes who had to battle strong winds, cold temperatures, and rain over a challenging but picturesque course. Harry Driscoll  (*pictured above) was the first NWRRC member home in 19th place in 39 minutes 51 seconds, with  Iwan Evans  31st in 41.43 and 4th in his MV40 age cat, whilst  Kay Hatton  was the pick of the trio, and continued her excellent form to win her VW55 age cat in a superb time of 48.03, finishing 109th overall and the 13th female ru

Road Runner Elizabeth Driscoll was 1st lady at Falkland Islands parkrun. Report by Don Hale. Photos by Elizabeth Driscoll.   NWRRC athlete Elizabeth Driscoll competed in her first parkrun of the year, this time many thousands of miles away from her home patch in Conwy, when she took part in the rather bleak and windswept Falkland Islands event last Saturday. The experienced runner, who is also an Air Traffic Control officer at RAF Valley on Anglesey, is currently on secondment overseas, and finished 5th overall in the 5k event from a field of twenty-one other runners and she was the 1st female finisher.  Afterwards, Elizabeth said: ‘Not wishing to make any of you jealous but I have done my first parkrun of the year at the most southerly in the world! Cape Pembroke Lighthouse Parkrun, Stanley, on the Falkland Islands. ‘Not the quickest course, very rough ground, and extremely windy (+40 mph) but I came 5th overall, 1st lady in 27.04 (there were only twenty-one runners, but you have to b

*Course PB for Mark Jessett at New Year’s Day parkrun in Kent. Report by Don Hale. Some photos by Steve Jeffery.   Mark Jessett was up bright and early on New Year’s Day to take part in the Bexley parkrun at Sidcup in Kent and was rewarded with a great new course PB of 18 minutes 26 seconds. The NWRRC athlete was 3rd overall out of 271 finishers, and he also won his MV35-39 age category. Mark also recorded his third PB out of his last four outings at this parkrun and knocked eleven seconds of his previous performance in Kent. The event was won by James Macdonald (Cambridge Harriers) and 1st MV40 cat in a fast time of 17.10, with Alexander Barber, SM25-29, 2nd overall in 18.00, with Mark  Jessett 3rd. *Mark Jessett in action at a previous Conwy  Parkrun. Tour De Llyn Llydaw race. Well known local athletes   Nic Brook   and his partner   Gemma Brown   competed together in the Tour De Llyn Llydaw fell race on New Year’s Day. The experienced endurance runners completed a tough 5-mile cours