Menai Suspension Bridge is back in the race!

By Don Hale

Menai Suspension Bridge is back in the race!

Report by Don Hale & Emma McIntyre.

https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com

 

Following numerous sporting problems caused by successive storms across North Wales in recent weeks, we can now confirm something positive and uplifting with news that the ever-popular 2025 Jones o Gymru Anglesey Half Marathon & 10k, will again include the famous Menai Suspension Bridge next March.

This announcement is an exciting and welcome update for hundreds of runners, and especially for local charities and fundraisers, as for the first time in three years, the iconic Suspension Bridge will be back as a key attraction within the race route! 

Now in its 14th year, this much-loved event has historically started at the famous Menai landmark, attracting runners from across the country, and beyond, to this stunning starting line. 

However, since October 2022, essential maintenance work temporarily removed the Bridge from the course, yet now, with the completion of these works, event organisers Always Aim High (AAH) Events are thrilled to announce its triumphant return.

AAH managing director Nigel Kendrick shared his excitement, saying: "We are absolutely thrilled to have the iconic bridge back at the heart of the event. This isn’t just fantastic news for us and the race itself, but also a wonderful boost for the town of Menai Bridge and the wider community."



On Sunday 2nd March 2025, the start and finish lines will still remain at Wood Street in Menai Bridge, but the restored route will now include two crossings of the Suspension Bridge, offering participants two opportunities to enjoy its breathtaking views.

From seasoned runners chasing a personal best to first-timers and fundraisers, the event’s undulating course is the perfect challenge for all abilities. Families won’t be left out either, with the Dragons Dash Kids Race, a 1.2-mile event for children as young as five, ensuring there’s something for everyone to enjoy.

The 2025 event will also support Alder Hey Children’s Charity, which provides care for 450,000 young patients annually, including over 3,257 children from North Wales who needed expert care last year. 

*If anyone wants to fundraise, please tick the box on your booking form when entering. There is no minimum amount, but every penny counts – and anyone who commits to raising more than £100 will receive a free running shirt from the charity. If you would like to apply for a free charity place (minimum sponsorship £200) please contact joanne.bartels@alderhey.nhs.uk

*Entries are now open, so runners are advised to secure a place asap:

https://alwaysaimhighevents.com/events/anglesey-half-marathon-and-10k-2025




Don Hale is a former award winning investigative journalist and now a best-selling author who has created a very popular blog post linked to numerous social media sites. donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025.

Comments

Post a Comment

Most recent posts

A fast start and finish by some quality visiting athletes at the Rhos parkrun - plus other North Wales parkrun results and reports.

By Don Hale
Image
*The start of last weekend's Rhos parkrun. A fast start and finish by some quality visiting athletes at the Rhos parkrun - plus other North Wales parkrun results and reports... Report by Don Hale. donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2026 coastandcountry.blog  *Pictured above  - Members and supporters of the 5k Your Way, Move Against Cancer Group at the Rhos parkrun last Saturday morning.  Report by Don Hale. Rhos photos by Michael (Pat) Finnie. The Llandrillo yn Rhos parkrun welcomed over 500 runners, walkers, and volunteers to their Saturday morning event last weekend, including many members from the 5k Your Way, Move Against Cancer group, for their regular monthly gathering. It proved to be a very warm but blustery day and attracted numerous quality athletes and visitors from all parts of the UK and abroad.  Six out of the first ten finishers were all first-timers and it was a keen battle for top placings with visitor  Harry Hammon  (Bramhall Runners) just hanging o...
Read more

Blooming Great news for the Joshua Tree charity following a large donation from the organisers of the Deganwy Dash.

By Don Hale
Image
*Pictured above - John Hatton in the white shirt is shown holding  the  fundraising cheque for nearly £4k for the Joshua Tree, along with his colleague Carla Green (*far right) and (*far left) Lee Talbot from Brown & Brown, was available together with a charity official and other race sponsors. Blooming Great news for the Joshua Tree charity following a large donation from the organisers of the Deganwy Dash. *John Hatton and Carla Green with race sponsors and the Joshua Tree cheque. donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2026 coastandcountry.blog Fundraising  was blossoming this week with some blooming great news for organisers of the Joshua Tree charity following the presentation of a large cheque for £3,955.37 from John Hatton the run director of the popular Deganwy 5 mile Dash. John and his club and event colleague Carla Green were on hand to present these funds to the deserving charity watched by race sponsors from Specsavers, Brown & Brown, MKM and Jennings Civil Engi...
Read more

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Scottish mountain rescue author – George Bruce. Special Coast and Country Author Spotlight Feature

By Don Hale
Image
Special Coast and Country Author Spotlight Feature Welcome to another new author feature in conjunction with Amazon (4).   ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Scottish mountain rescue author – George Bruce. This book to be featured on BBC TV.   *This book is now available on Amazon:   https://amzn.to/3CJ6uzu   Published by North Wales based firm :  www.bookpublishing4u.co.uk   Exclusive report by Don Hale.  https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com   My Love Affair with the Hills...: And 37-years of Mountain Rescue. *(*Above): Scottish mountain rescue member and author George Bruce. ABOUT THE AUTHOR - George Bruce:  George's book combined  with a unique television  interview about his exciting life and work is to be featured shortly on BBC TV, as George explains: I was interviewed by BBC recently for Simon Barnards programme Uncanny Interviews relating to my story of the Vanishing Cottage to be broadcast later this year so that should cause some interest in t...
Read more

Runners were on track to Race the Highland Train at Caernarfon in midweek

By Don Hale
Image
*The North Wales Road Running  team at the Race the Train event in midweek, pictured left to right: Jonathan Kettle, Helen Hannam, Hannah Griffith, Nia Lister, and Daniel Hennell. Runners were on track to Race the Highland Train at Caernarfon in  midweek... Report by Don Hale. donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2026 coastandcountry.blog   Nearly three-hundred club and mixed ability athletes took part in the popular annual Race the Highland Train 5k dash last Wednesday night at Caernarfon. Departing from the Highland railway station in town, 278 runners, then travelled by train to the next station along the line at Dinas, before returning on foot to take on the challenge of trying to beat the train back to its start, along a mainly downhill and very fast course. A trio of runners from  Meirionnydd RC  claimed the first three finishing places with some excellent times including  Owen Roberts, the first man home in just 14 minutes and 13 seconds, with  Gavin Stuart...
Read more

Personal and professional care provided by Tom Owen and Son, independent family-run funeral directors in Llandudno, Conwy and Colwyn Bay

By Don Hale
Image
Kelly and Tristan Owen with some of their team at Tom Owen and Son.  Personal and professional care provided by Tom Owen and Son, independent family-run funeral directors in Llandudno, Conwy and Colwyn Bay A special Coast and Country online promotional  feature. coastandcountry.blog donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2026   *Funeral Directors  Tristan and Kelly Owen at Tom Owen and Son. It Takes a Team - by Tristan Owen - a director of Tom Owen and Son. A special local business feature.   As a small family funeral directors, people often expect to see Kelly or me when they come to Tom Owen and  Son. In many ways, that is exactly as it should be.  Families place a great deal of trust in us, and being personally involved in the care we provide is something we take very seriously.  But no small family business can run well without good people around it.   A funeral home may look calm from the outside, but behind every funeral there are many quiet acts of ...
Read more

Ben and Sarah competed in the 5 and a bit mile race

By Don Hale
Image
Ben and Sarah Hudson (*pictured above) competed in the 5 and a bit mile race Race warm up for marathon training. Report by Don Hale. donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2026 coastandcountry.blog   North Wales endurance athletes Ben and Sarah Hudson were back in action again last weekend at the Run Cheshire Huxley 5-miler - and a bit race – as part of a warm up for their forthcoming marathon training. Ben finished in 131st place in 36.07, whilst Sarah was 165th in 40.15.  After their run Sarah confirmed:  “A fab morning at the Huxley 5-miler, with a few extra miles thrown in for good measure. I tried  to channel my inner  Josh Kerr  but could not quite cling on for a sub-40-mins result but loved it all the same… in my defence I was going 5 times as far!” This is the link to the Coast and Country online magazine post: https://www.coastandcountry.blog/post/ben-and-sarah-tackled-the-5-mile-and-a-bit-race-at-huxle  
Read more

An exciting start and finish at Rhos parkrun plus a NW results round-up.

By Don Hale
Image
*The busy start at the Llandrillo yn Rhos parkrun last Saturday with some dramatic actions till to come on the dash to the finish. An exciting story and finish at Rhos parkrun plus a NW results round-up... Report by Don Hale. Photos by Michael (Pat) Finnie. donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2026 coastandcountry.blog   It proved to be yet another exciting and very close start and finish at the Llandrillo yn Rhos parkrun - with the top three athletes all battling it out over the final kilometre - before Conor Davies and Michael Corrales, eventually held on to keep James Yarwood and his famous double twin buggy in third place! Connor had an outstanding 5k run in just 16 minutes and 53 seconds, with Michael second with a new course PB in 16.59, and James (Wrexham AAC) a close third in 17.00.  *The first female finisher was  Elin Jones  in 20.13 (18th overall) in 20.13, with JW11-14 athlete  Savannah Williams  a close second with a new course PB in 20.22, and visitor...
Read more

Some personal stories by North Wales athletes in the London and Manchester Marathons.

By Don Hale
Image
*NWRRC athlete Gwen Charlton (*above right), heads towards the finish line at the London Marathon. Some personal stories by North Wales athletes in the London and Manchester Marathons... Special Marathon’s sporting feature: Introduction by Don Hale. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com   This is a brief sporting spotlight featuring a number of the many North Wales based athletes who took part in last weekend’s London or Manchester Marathons, with a few even overcoming personal tragedies in order to compete, and most also raising some much-needed funds for local charities. It would be impossible of course, to mention everyone who took part, but this article will at least give a voice to some key individuals who have made a determined effort with hard training throughout the winter to ensure they were ready to start and finish one of the most gruelling races ever, over 26.2 miles.  This is a summary of their personal challenges: Fast time at London for Martin Green. Martin Green, ...
Read more

RUNNING FOR FUN (NEW) by Don Hale

By Don Hale
Image
  NEW – Running for Fun By author, sports writer, and award winning journalist, and former investigative reporter, and editor Don Hale - An amusing look back at his early running and football career – with fitness tips and advice. This short book was originally published in 1986. *The early days from a jogger to a marathon runner (drawing by the late Norman Taylor) NEW RUNNING FOR FUN by Don Hale  Without doubt it is one of the most amusing and yet fully informative books ever written about running. It explains the enthusiasm of the FUN & SERIOUS RUNNER ...    PUBLIC REACTION TO THIS MASTERPIECE: -   * I found that I couldn't put the book down - Foreman at the glue factory. * My own performers were anxious to get their teeth into it - Lion Tamer. * A very useful item, the section on leg injuries was most interesting and it has now stopped my sideboard from wobbling - DIY Enthusiast. * My wife and I both rushed for a copy at the ...
Read more

Artist Elizabeth Haines’s exciting new ‘Thin Places’ exhibition in Fishguard. 14th July to 29th August 2026.

By Don Hale
Image
Artist Elizabeth Haines’s exciting new ‘Thin Places’ exhibition in Fishguard...14th July until 29th August 2026. Special Coast and Country online art feature. coastandcountry.blog donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2026 *Pictured above and below - some of Elizabeth's paintings in the Peppers Gallery. The much-admired Pembrokeshire artist Elizabeth Haines will be staging an exhibition of her latest and exciting paintings from Tuesday 14th July at Peppers in West Street, Fishguard until 29th August. This week Elizabeth confirmed:   This is to let you know about my forthcoming exhibition at  Peppers (West Wales Arts Centre) in Fishguard.  The theme is  Thin Places:  a term rooted in ancient belief, but referring to any physical location where the boundary between the mundane world and the divine or spiritual realm is felt to be especially permeable. It’s often used to describe sacred sites, perhaps associated with ancient ritual, or areas of great natural beauty. In a ‘thin ...
Read more