Crisin Backshall is the Welsh Athletics - Volunteer of the Year!

By Don Hale don hale blog


*Crispin Backshall (*above), with his WA Volunteer of the Year award.

Crispin Backshall is the Welsh Athletics - Volunteer of the Year - special awards for hard working promoters.

https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com


Report courtesy of Kay Hatton from NWRAC.


Congratulations to Crispin Backshall for winning Welsh Athletics Volunteer of the Year Award at the WA Annual Awards Ceremony. Crispin is a stalwart officer on the NWRAC and is also on the committee of Colwyn Bay AC. 

He works tirelessly in promoting and organising T&F events in North Wales as well as officiating at T&F, Road Running and Cross Country events. Such a well deserved award. 

Menai T&F are also to be congratulated for being awarded Welsh Athletics Development Club of the Year for the second year running, particularly in recognition of their development work with youngsters and encouraging participation in all disciplines. 

The club was also praised for involvement with the WA Junior League. And Barry Edwards has also been awarded the Welsh Athletics Meritorious Award for all the work he has done with promoting athletics and providing opportunities for youngsters in the region. 

Until recently, Barry was WA Development Officer for North Wales and, although no longer in the role, he has continued to work on a voluntary basis to encourage youngsters to participate in the sport with a regular Friday night session for juniors of all ages. Congratulations to Barry on receiving this prestigious award.

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Your comments are welcomed on all posts

Most popular posts

Great performance by Martin Green to win the Pier2Pier half-marathon...and some other excellent club results...

By Don Hale don hale blog
Image
*Martin Green (*above), crosses the finishing line at Colwyn Bay. Great performance by Martin Green to win the Pier2Pier half-marathon...and some other excellent club results... Report by Don Hale. Photos by John Hatton and Dave Jones. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com *The NWRRC team (*above) at Colwyn Bay for the Pier2Pier half-marathon.   North Wales Road Runner Martin Green quickly bounced back to top form last Sunday to win the new Pier2Pier half-marathon race following a close a battle with his club colleague Jonathan Kettle and the third placed finisher Chris Pownall. Martin, who has only just returned to racing following a period of ill health, looked comfortable all the way along this challenging promenade course from the Eirias Park Stadium to Llandudno Pier and back, despite a blustery wind, and dodging the aftermath of storm damage. He was one of ten NWRRC members who competed in this well organised event by RunWales, and he was pleased with his time of 1 hour 17 minutes and
Read more

Mixed emotions but a great experience for athletes at the London Marathon...plus other results and updates.

By Don Hale don hale blog
Image
*North Wales Road runner Mal Preece (*above) at the London Marathon. Mixed emotions but a great experience for athletes at the London Marathon...plus other results and updates... Report by Don Hale. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk   Seven North Wales Road Runners competed in the televised London Marathon last Sunday amongst a mass participation of some 50,000 runners, who raised tens of thousands of pounds for various worthy charities, with many athletes recalling mixed emotions and personal best times! Mal Preece  was the first NWRRC member home with an excellent time of 3 hours and 20 minutes, and he celebrated following a great new PB time. Afterwards he confirmed:  “Very pleased with a new six-minute PB. I ran my first marathon back in 2011 at Chester, and to date I’ve knocked 20 minutes off that time. Looking to chip away my latest PB again next year with GFA time. My goal was to get my qualifying time for Berlin next year, which I achieved. ” *Pic
Read more

Conwy parkrunners battled against Storm Kathleen.

By Don Hale don hale blog
Image
*Pictured above - Jonathan Kettle at Conwy parkrun. Conwy parkrunners battled against Storm Kathleen. Report by Don Hale. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk   It was wild and extremely windy at Conwy parkrun last Saturday as nearly 300 mixed ability athletes braved Storm Kathleen on this blustery riverside 5k course. Once again, this popular event attracted a host of visiting runners from across the UK, but they all faced the usual swamp-like, waterlogged course, following several days of heavy and unrelenting rain, combined with 40-mph plus head and side winds! North Wales Road Runners  entered eleven members and J onathan Kettle  led the team home with an amazing performance considering the atrocious conditions under foot to finish in 3rd place overall, and he also won his VM45 age cat in just 18 minutes and 19 seconds. Will Williams  was also in good form, and he won his VM50 cat in 6th place in 19.02, with  Steve Mason  10th in 19.45, and 3rd in his VM
Read more

The Green duo welcomed back at Conwy parkrun in cool, blustery but relatively dry conditions.

By Don Hale don hale blog
Image
*Martin and Carla Green (*above), were welcomed back to Conwy parkrun. The Green duo welcomed back at Conwy parkrun in cool, blustery but relatively dry conditions... Report by Don Hale.  https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk It was another good turn-out at Conwy parkrun last Saturday as nearly 300 athletes of mixed ages and abilities enjoyed an unusually dry 5k riverside course, yet they still had to contend with a rather cool and blustery wind. The event welcomed back  North Wales Road Runners  Martin and Carla Green  following a period of absence, and this formidable duo formed part of a club team of twelve entrants, who collected two age category wins, three second places and two third. They both took it steady, like many other runners this week, due to additional race commitments the following day, with  Martin  finishing 6th overall, and he was 2nd in his VM45 cat in 20 minutes and 39 seconds, whilst  Carla  won her VW50 cat in 62nd place in 25.05.  Wil
Read more

Road Runners dug deep to win podium places at the tough Goldrush Trail races...plus other race results.

By Don Hale don hale blog
Image
*The NWRRC team at the Goldrush trail races (above l-r): Tony Price Jones, Will Williams, Stuart Culverhouse, Jonathan Kettle, Steve Poupart, Adam Lemalle, Dave Jones, Philip Moss and Vicky Taylor. Road Runners dug deep to win podium places at the tough Goldrush Trail races...plus other race results. Report by Don Hale. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk   Ten North Wales Road Runners (NWRRC) had to dig deep last weekend to complete the tough Goldrush 8.5-mile trail and/or the Goldrush Canicross race last Saturday afternoon at Coed y Brenin to win five prestigious podium placings! This popular, and well organised event attracted a wealth of experienced competitors from far afield, with entries generally sold out many months in advance.  Race officials claimed that it includes  some of the best trails and singletrack that Coed y Brenin has to offer, and the event also incorporated one of the best Canicross (runners racing with their dog) races on the calend
Read more

(UPDATE): Funeral arrangements for the former Swansea Harrier and WMAA secretary Jonathan Kersting.

By Don Hale don hale blog
Image
Funeral arrangements for the former Swansea Harrier and WMAA secretary Jonathan Kersting... Message from Mel James at Welsh Masters Athletics.   I have received the sad news of the passing of a previous WMAA secretary   Jonathan Kersting , on April 12th. Jon was secretary around the millennium time, alongside the great John Collins and Ken Bray.   He competed for  Swansea Harriers  and WMAA within the B&I Cross Country International and many other masters events. I received this info from Ken Bray's daughter Yvonne, (Bullen) It was Jon's wife that informed her. I will attempt to find out more info, ASAP.  These are the  details of Jon Kersting's funeral arrangements. The funeral will take place on Wednesday 8th May.   The Service is at St Mary's Church, Burry Port. SA16 0SL at 12.30pm. Followed by Cremation at Llanelli Crematorium, Penprys Rd. SA14 8BX.  Friends and Family are cordially invited to meet after the funeral at Ashburnham Golf Club, Burry Port. SA16 0HN.
Read more

Welsh Athletics teams for the forthcoming international events.

By Don Hale don hale blog
Image
Welsh Athletics teams for the forthcoming international events. TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT    - Master 10k and half marathon races, Report by Bernie Jones. We are delighted to share the team of athletes who will be representing Wales in the upcoming Masters 10km and Half Marathon Internationals this May!  *Read the full team announcement here:   https://tinyurl.com/welsh-masters-team
Read more

NWRRC quartet tackled an 8-mile challenge for the South Snowdonia Search & Rescue Team.

By Don Hale don hale blog
Image
*The NWRRC quartet pictured above (l-r): Nia Lister, Kay  Hatton, Cheryl Frost and Mike Hayton. NWRRC quartet tackled an 8-mile challenge for the South Snowdonia Search & Rescue Team. Report by Don Hale. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk   North Wales Road Runners entered a quartet of hardy athletes in the SSART Trawsfynydd Multi-Terrain 8-mile race last Sunday afternoon amongst an entry of 232 finishers who helped to raise essential funds for the South Snowdonia Search & Rescue team. Described as a beautiful multi-terrain race starting from the Magnox Power Station and then around Trawsfynydd Lake in the Eryri/Snowdonia National Park, the course was claimed to be fast, with just one challenging hill over a mixed tarmac and trail route. The NWRRC team  performed well despite the very blustery conditions, combined at times with hail showers, but  Cheryl Frost  led her group home in 68th place, as the 9th female athlete, with an excellent chip time
Read more

Fast times at Conwy parkrun despite hard, dry, and bumpy conditions...plus NWRRC members at Nova parkrun...

By Don Hale don hale blog
Image
*Will Evans (*above), was the first NWRRC member back at Conwy. Fast times at Conwy parkrun despite hard, dry, and bumpy conditions...plus reports from runners at Nova parkrun. Report by Don Hale. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk   It was hard, dry, and very bumpy, at Conwy parkrun last Saturday as some 239 mixed ability entrants from varied parts of the UK recorded new personal best times (PBs), over this picturesque but challenging 5k course. North Wales Road Runners  entered ten members, with  Will Evans  finishing 4th, and he won his VM40 age cat in 20.01, but he was only three-seconds ahead of his talented young club colleague  Harry Driscoll,  following a lively final dash. Harry though claimed the second spot in his SM20-24 age seemed satisfied with 5th place overall. *Harry Driscoll (*above left), with Jami Tharme, and Joe Culverhouse. Jamie Tharme  was 3rd in his VM45 cat in 32nd place in 22.33, with promising youngster  Joe Culverhouse  34th, a
Read more

Unusually dry conditions at Conwy parkrun boosted the numbers and times.

By Don Hale don hale blog
Image
*Will Williams (*above), was the first NWRRC athlete at Conwy parkrun. Unusually dry conditions at Conwy parkrun boosted the numbers and finishing times... Report by Don Hale. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk   North Wales Road Runners only entered nine athletes this week at the Conwy parkrun due to other commitments including the London Marathon the following day, but they still claimed four age category wins and recorded some excellent finishing times. This ever-popular weekly event attracted another bumper attendance with 239 mixed ability runners taking part in this spectacular 5k riverside course, which again proved unusually dry despite mixed weather conditions all week. NWRRC athlete  Will Williams  enjoyed a good result in 2nd place overall and won his VM50 cat in 18 minutes and 36 seconds, with  Stuart Culverhouse  4th, and 2nd in the same cat as Will in 20.21, and  Adam Lemalle  also celebrated another great new PB time of 21.22 and won his VM4
Read more