Don Hale Blog

  *Pictured above (l-r) - the NWRRC trio at Abersoch on Saturday - Sandy Johnston, Stuart Culverhouse, and Gwen Charlton. Road Running trio set the pace at the Abersoch half-marathon... plus other race results. Report by Don Hale. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk A trio of NWRRC members took part in the   Abersoch half-marathon   last Saturday with  Stuart Culverhouse  coming home first for the club in 28th place overall, out of nearly 300 entrants. And he also celebrated a new course PB and finished two-minutes quicker than last time in 1.33.35 and he was 3rd in his M50 age cat.  Super-veteran  Sandy Johnston  confirmed his pedigree with a superb result of 1.42.26 to win his M75 cat with a new PB in 62nd place, whilst  Gwen Charlton  ran well in 2.20.44, and she was 260th overall, and the 86th female finisher. After the race Sandy said:  “Just ran a huge over-75 PB at the Abersoch half after 10 days of hot and hilly training in Italy, with my daughter A

*Richard Scamans (*pictured above), hit top form at Conwy parkrun. Hat-trick of age cat wins for the Road Runners at Conwy parkrun...plus other race results... Report by Don Hale. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk   Three North Wales Road Runners won their respective age categories last Saturday morning at the Conwy parkrun amongst a good turnout of nearly three-hundred visiting club and social runners. Richard Scamans  was the first NWRRC member home with another determined display, and he was back to his best in 20th place and finished 3rd in his VM55 cat in 21 minutes and 44 seconds, with  Steve Roberts  in close pursuit and finishing 24th in 21.57, and he won his VM55 cat. Club entries were down this week with just eight starters at the RSPB Nature Reserve due to either runners recovering from last week’s races, or preparing for other fixtures, but the results included: -  Harry Driscoll,  who had a steady run finishing 29th in 22.33, and he was 2nd i

These are just some of the many excellent and exclusive photos of Welsh Masters Athletes from last weekend's successful Inter-Area track and field challenge at Corby courtesy of Joe Horner... These are some of my other posts regarding the Inter-Area challenge at Corby and elsewhere... *Don Hale Blog: Some interesting results from Welsh Masters athlet... https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2024/09/some-interesting-results-from-welsh.html?spref=tw   *Don Hale Blog: Welsh Masters athlete Juliet Sidney (the pocket ro...  https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2024/09/welsh-masters-athlete-juliet-sidney.html?spref=tw   *Don Hale Blog: Two Welsh Masters M70 Best Performances by David G...   https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2024/09/two-welsh-masters-m70-best-performances.html?spref=tw https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk

    *David is pictured above having just received his WMAC Silver medal in Gothenburg in September. Two Welsh Masters M70 Best Performances by David Gibson are verified by WMAL...   https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk Welsh Master and Tri Hard Harrier David Gibson from Swansea has now had two Welsh Masters' records verified by WMAL official Chris Pruski.   His M70 Welsh Masters Marathon Best Performance was achieved at the 2024 London Marathon in April with a category winning time of 3.13.31, on 21st April 2024. His M70 Welsh Masters Half Marathon Best Performance of 1.27.11, was accomplished at the 2024 Swansea Half Marathon on June 9th.   These confirmations come just a few weeks after David came 4th in the World Masters Athletics Championship M70 Half Marathon in Gothenburg and was the recipient of a team silver medal for Great Britain.   David started running at the age of 62 doing a 'Couch to 5k' challenge and finds it’s hard to believe how

*Pictured above - the Pocket Rocket - Juliet Sidney in action. Welsh Masters athlete Juliet Sidney (the pocket rocket) reflects on an incredible year on the track.. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk That's my athletics done for 2024. Definitely a year of ups and downs, but I hung on in there to have some strong performances and good results.   Indoor Highlights:  60m indoor w55 Welsh and British champion. Made my first 200m indoor European final. Bronze medal 4 x 200 w50 European masters championships  Outdoor Highlights:  100m and 200m w55 Welsh and British Champion. Managed a W55 PB in the 100m and a PB in the 200m.   Made my first world outdoor final in the 100m.   First ever world medal 4 x 100m silver.  So many people to thank  @elite82high  for overall training programme. Eric Oram speed sessions. Helen James for your support and guidance. Team-mates and Newport Harriers for their support to masters athletics and athletes.  Neil Sidney for all h

*Three Bexley AC athletes (*pictured above), at Corby, from left to right, Graham Holder, Andy Rushbrook, and Peter Hawley. Some interesting results for Welsh Masters athletes at the Inter-Area T&F championships at Corby.... Brett Davis reports on the success of WMAL athletes.   Three athletes from Bexley AC represented Welsh Masters Athletics at the Inter-Area track and field championships at Corby last weekend in the throwing events. This included M50  Graham Holder,  shot, discus, and hammer, M60  Andy Rushbrook , shot and high jump, and M70  Peter Hawley  shot. The men came 6th out of 9 teams with wins from  Graham Holder  for the hammer,  Glyn Price  for the pole vault and the M60, 4 x 100m relay team ( Rod Davies ,  Brett Davis ,  Ian Broadhurst , and  Paul Williams ). The women came an amazing 2nd out of 9 teams with wins from  Kath Morgan  W35 high jump,  Mel Garland  W60 high jump, 100m and long jump,  Michelle Thomas  W50 100m and 200m,  Ewelina Ciesielska  W35 3000m and

*Kevin Higgins (*pictured above), had a double  date in Lithuania. Two races in a day for Kevin Higgins in Lithuania.   Report by Don Hale. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk Kevin Higgins  competed in two different races in Vilnius in Lithuania last Sunday. He ran in a 5k event at 2.30pm in 24 degrees and recorded a time of 28.16, finishing 539th out of about 3,000 runners. He later ran in a 10k race at 4pm when it was even hotter at 26 degrees. He completed that event in 59.58, and he was 953rd out of about 2,200 runners. Kevin later confirmed:  “I ran the races with Kieran McGrane. Both races were undulating and 60 per cent on cobble stones. They were great with lots of support all the way around and throughout the city. Today’s races today take me near my 500th race for North Wales Road Running Club.” *Kevin Higgins shown above at his two races. Other race results: *Corby: Steve Gardner  ran in the Inter-Area track and field championships at Corby last

*Pictured above - some of the highly successful North Wales Road Running team at the Caernarfon half-marathon race. (l-r): Front row - Helen Hannam, Nia Lister, and Hannah Griffith; and (*back row l-r): Adam Lemalle, Steve Roberts, Kevin Slattery, Rob Fryer, Stuart  Culverhouse, Daniel Hennell and Will Evans. Podium places and ten regional medals for the Road Runners at the Caernarfon half-marathon. Report by Don Hale. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk   There was a massive turnout of over five hundred runners at the Caernarfon half marathon event on Sunday which also featured the North Wales Regional Championships. The  Road Runners  entered a large contingent of fifteen members and celebrated with five prestigious podium places in the main race, including three age cat victories, plus ten championship medals, with six gold, one silver, and three bronze medals amidst the 504 finishers. *Jonathan Kettle (*above in the white vest), is pictured with a leadi

*Rachel Morris (*above), claimed another prestigious medal at the GNR. Rachel Morris and her parents Brian and Hilda competed in the Great North Run... Report by Don Hale . https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk *Pictured above left - Rachel Morris, and (*right), her parents Brian and Hilda Limacher at the Great North Run.   North Wales Road Runner Rachel Morris joined her parents Brian and Hilda Limacher in the famous Great North Run last Sunday in some challenging conditions with some heavy showers and high humidity. The family   made the long trek to Newcastle for this epic event which attracted over 60,000 entrants, including some top international athletes, with many participants often raising tens of thousands of pounds for various charities. Rachel  said she enjoyed her run and confirmed that her parents took part in the race again. Rachel finished well in 2.49.41.  Hilda and Brian  ran the course together and finished in 3.42.11. She later said: “60,00