Don Hale Blog

  Huge crowds and a record number of entrants at Llandudno Lions Boxing Day charity swim and dip. Introduction by Don Hale. Comments by Ian Turner. Top photo by    It was a bright sunny day with a bracing and very cool wind for a record number of colourful costume wearing swimmers and dippers on Llandudno Promenade on Boxing Day morning, who then braved the freezing sea temperatures to help raise thousands of pounds for local and other deserving charities. MC Ian Turner  kept the packed crowds well informed throughout the morning as usual, by updating everyone about this exciting event, which attracted many hundreds of people from miles around just to watch the mad dash into the waters.  It also turned out to be yet another grand occasion that had been sadly missed over the past two years due to Covid-19 restrictions, but this year it certainly returned with a major splash! *Ian Turner (*far right) with Llandudno Lions Club members and fundraising charity offici...

Eight GOGs tackled the Conwy Christmas Eve parkrun. Special report and photos by Don Hale.   Eight members of the GOG Triathlon club took part in the special Christmas Eve parkrun last Saturday and claimed four podium placings including one age cat win, and three second spots. Andy Jones  was the first club runner back in 30th place in 21.50, with  Andy Brazier  next home in 58th place and 2nd in his MV55 cat in 24.03.  Bryn Phillips  also claimed 2nd place in his MV40 cat in 25.45, and he finished 87th overall.  Steven Owen,  however, was hot on Bryn’s heels in 88th place, and both shared the same finishing time. Nicola Tomlinson  won her VW40 age cat in 94th place overall in 26.18, and  Gary Jones  was 102nd in 26.49. Teenage student  Caitlin Owen  made a welcome return from her studies at Cheltenham and enjoyed a muddy but festive run back on home soil in 123rd place in 27.43, and she also claimed the 2nd spot in her re...

Bananaman finished ahead of the bunch at Conwy’s Christmas parkrun - plus double win for Stuart and Joe at Ruthin. Special report and festive photos by Don Hale. It was a unique experience at Conwy’s Christmas parkrun last Saturday when Bananaman, aka local athlete and Durham University student Morgan Kendall became the first runner back wearing a bright yellow costume and finished just thirteen seconds ahead of the chasing bunch! The teenage prospect initially dominated the 5k event but in the end nearly let it slip, and only won by the skin of his teeth, as he was pursued by several other similarly talented youngsters, who were enjoying a festive break. The parkrun also turned out to be a very colourful and joyous occasion and attracted 230 runners and walkers of all ages and abilities, with the majority dressed in special Christmas outfits Morgan   Kendall   (*pictured top of page) , won his SM18 age cat with a new course PB of 17 minutes and 36 seconds, with  Mat...

The Annual Lions Club of Llandudno Boxing Day Sea Dip is back for the first time since 'Lockdown'. Please go along for 11:30am on Boxing Day to support the Lions, the swimmers, and the two great charities the club are supporting this year. *The start of a previous Boxing Day Sea Dip - photo courtesy of Greg Robbins & Llandudno Lions Club. Ian Turner (*pictured left) previews the Boxing  Day Dip:  The Annual Lions Club of Llandudno Boxing Day Sea Dip is nearly here. This year 'Swimmers Registration' will be on the promenade in the gazebo's by the old Lifeboat slipway.  If you, or anyone you know, will be taking part this year, do please make sure you register before going into the water. Registration is FREE. The club needs to know how many swimmers are going in so the RNLI and St John Ambulance volunteers are aware of numbers. The two main charities nominated by the Lions Club of Llandudno to benefit from this years Boxing Day Dip are ' Ty Gobaith/Hope H...

THE UK ENERGY CRISIS: DON’T BLAME IT ALL ON THE UKRAINE SITUATION. Special feature by John Hatton (*pictured right).   The UK is now in an extremely serious energy crisis, but as the title states it’s not all down to the Ukraine situation.  Successive Governments over the last 50 plus years, have let down the British public, as every aspect of life in this modern world is ENERGY based.   The UK was the first country in the world to have an operational commercial nuclear power station generating electricity back in 1956.  A few additional nuclear power stations were then built, but as these were coming towards the end of their life, no plans were ever introduced to replace them. These Governments have all failed miserably ever since to plan-ahead regarding a situation to secure new energy requirements for a growing population.   This is due to no strategic long-term planning and is the main reason we are now in this current situation. The Gove...

*NWRRC Christmas handicap race winner Nicola Wylie (*above), and (*below) club members pictured before the start of the race. Nicola wins Road Runners Christmas handicap race in freezing conditions on the Great Orme. Report by Don Hale. Photos by Don Hale, Mike Smith, and Kevin Slattery.   Nicola Wylie was the worthy winner of the North Wales Road Runners’ Christmas handicap race last Sunday as twenty-one fellow club members braved freezing conditions and a bitterly cold headwind to compete over a tough and hilly course. With all the start and finishing times adjusted to consider the age and ability of entrants in conjunction with noting recent parkrun performances, the runners then had to tackle a very challenging route from West Shore to the former WW2 gun sites on the Great Orme and back. The race proved to be a close-run event and  Nicola  ran with an unintentional pace-maker  Cheryl Frost , who was recovering from a fall and simply took part as a non-counti...

TELFORD 10K - exclusive match report courtesy of NW road race team manager Paul Brooks from NWRAC. So, the final opportunity for the North Wales road running athletes to represent the Region was on 11th December, at the Telford 10km. This race is advertised as England’s fastest and has a justifiable reputation for not only having a fast, traffic-free course but a field of exceptionally quick athletes.  However, a mixture of injuries and unavailability (including four withdrawals in the week before the race) meant two men, Andy Bromley and Nick Brook , were co-opted into the men’s team literally hours before the start. The day was cold, with temperatures hovering around zero and just below, but the course had been gritted both the day before and in places on the morning of the race, so was declared safe to go ahead. However, it started to snow during wave one and turned into a heavy downfall as the morning progressed, gradually stopping towards the end of wave three. To illust...

  TOP NORTH WALES RANKINGS AFTER TELFORD 10K. Special report by Paul Brooks (*Pictured below).   Congratulations to  Tom Wood  (Eryri/Oxford Uni), who is now ranked #6 in the NWRAC all-time 10km lists and #5 in the senior men's lists for his 30:12 at the Telford 10km last weekend. He also has a 14:40 5km which ranks him #7 in the all-time list and #5= in the senor men's lists.  Here's the top 10 all-time 10km NWRAC men's list up to and including yesterday: 1 Charlie Hulson Liverpool Telford 2018 00:29:12 SM 2  Andrew Davies  Stockport Valencia 2022 00:29:39 M40  3  Rob Samuel  Eryri Chepstow 2021 00:29:46 M35  4 Ian Pierce Tipton Cardiff 1999 00:29:50 SM  5  David Mountford  Deeside Manchester 2012 00:30:03 SM  6  Tom Wood  Eryri Telford 2022 00:30:12 SM  7  Russell Bentley  Black' & B Derby 2012 00:30:14 SM  8 Iolo Hughes Meir'dd Telford 2015 00:30:36 JM  9=  Ryan Davi...