Athletics Coaches encouraged their runners to complete a Christmas social dash around the Orme.

By Don Hale donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025


*Jonathan Kettle (*pictured above front), with the group of festive runners.

Athletics Coaches encouraged their runners to complete a Christmas social dash around the Great Orme.

Report by Don Hale.

https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com

www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk

 

Popular athletics coaches Jonathan Kettle and Tony Price-Jones, who organise a regular weekly training session on Llandudno promenade, opted to swap their evening programme last week, to a special Christmas social dash around the Great Orme.

This festive event included dozens of running enthusiasts, mainly from Dalzell Runners, together with mixed members of North Wales Road Runners, GOG Triathlon, and several other local running groups, or individuals, and it was understood that most runners completed two challenging laps of the Orme, aided by essential head-torches to record a distance of about 11k.



After the event, Jonathan and Tony received numerous generous plaudits from the runners for their efforts throughout the year, with Jonathan later confirming: “Running is about people, friendships, support, fitness, and sport! Personally it’s never about a job or money, so on behalf of myself and Tony, we would like to thank every single runner that has been to just 1 session or 52 sessions this year. 
“We absolutely love our Wednesday evenings seeing you all put the effort in but also in such a supportive and friendly way to us, as well as every runner there. We are supper proud to have this group of such wonderful people.”

Tony also added: “I would like to add to what Jonathan mentioned. What you all have done is just amazing, and I can't thank you all enough. The chats we have had over how far each and every one has come on this year is amazing and makes us feel so proud. What a lovely run around the Orme this evening, so thank you all for making it a great run. Thank you all so-so much. Merry Christmas.”

Don Hale is a best-selling British author and former investigative journalist. He has been Journalist of the Year on three separate occasions in the past. and his extensive campaign to help free Stephen Downing for a murder he did not commit, won him both the Campaign and National Journalist of the Year Awards, A former regional newspaper editor, he was awarded an OBE in 2002 for campaign journalism. He has also been a lead investigator in several other successful, high-profile, miscarriage of justice and human rights cases. He has written several best selling books including - Murder in the Graveyard a true crime mystery story. There is also Buster Crabb - Ian Fleming's Favourite Spy, and Mallard about the battle to create the fastest steam loco in the world against the challenge from Nazi Germany, and more lately, there is The Jersey Boys and Liberation, about the secret stories of occupied Jersey during WW2, told by several resistance heroes and historians.

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