Gold medals for father and son Dave and Steve Gardner at the Indoor Championships.

By Don Hale


*Steve Gardner (*above left), with his dad Dave.

Gold medals for father and son Dave and Steve Gardner at the Indoor Championships.

Report by Don Hale

https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com

 

Road Runner and super-vet Dave Gardner struck gold at the North Wales Indoor Championships at Coleg Cambria, Deeside, last Sunday by winning his M85 age category in the shot-put competition.

Dave also improved on his previous PB and winning performance from last year when he competed in the M80 cat with a superb throw of 7.26m, which is also expected to be a national record. He later obtained a deserved podium place and collected a prestigious gold medal for his sterling efforts.

Meanwhile, Dave’s son Steve Gardner, also collected a gold medal in the Welsh Masters Indoor Championships at Cardiff on Sunday in his 800m track event with an excellent winning time of 2 minutes 20.89 seconds.



*Gold medal winners Dave Gardner (*above left), with Steve Gardner.






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

Visitors boosted the numbers at North Wales parkruns

By Don Hale
Image
*Pictured above - the busy start at the Rhos on Sea parkrun. Visitors boosted the numbers at North Wales parkruns Report by Don Hale. Rhos photos by Michael (Pat) Finnie. donhaleblog.blogspot.com coastandcountry. blog It was perfect weather for the start of the school holidays, and at Rhos parkrun, as at most other North Wales events last Saturday, the superb conditions attracted a wealth of debutant runners, visitors and walkers. Local footballer  Aaron Dodwell  recorded a new course PB at the  Llandrillo yn Rhos  parkrun in just 16 minutes and 36 seconds, but visitor  Colin Latham  (Dragons RC Sale) gave chase all the way to finish in second place in 16.57, with promising JM1-14 athlete  Lucas Burgess  third with a new course PB in 17.25. *Gemma Moore  (Eryri Harriers) was the first female finisher with another outstanding performance in 18.18, and she was followed by  Emma Alofs  on her debut in 19.36, with  Alex Aldous...
Read more

Master’s Inter Area T&F Championships - Sunday 2nd August – at Yate

By Don Hale
Image
*Pictured above and below - some great  photos of the Welsh Masters Athletics  team members at the recent Inter-Area championships at Yate. Master’s Inter Area T&F Championships - Sunday 2nd August – Yate Special report courtesy of Gareth Robbins. Photos by Aled Hughes and Joe Horner. donhaleblog.bogspot.com/2026 coastandcountry.blog. www.welshmasterathletics.co.uk The men’s team provisionally finished 5th – with 2 events still to be declared by the end of the day.  The ladies team finished a wonderful 4th overall, meaning that the combined scores provisionally gave us a 4th place finish.  Special mention to all our debutants at this event, well done everyone pulling on the red Welsh vest for the first time.  The team produced some brilliant performances across the board, with a total of 9 Welsh age group records broken (subject to ratification):  -                M65 – 100mH – I...
Read more

James and the twins starred again at a busy Rhos parkrun - plus a results round-up from other NW events.

By Don Hale
Image
James and the twins starred again at a busy Rhos parkrun - plus a results round up from other NW events. Report by Don Hale. Conwy photos by Michael (Pat) Finnie. donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2026 coastandcountry.blog   There was another bumper attendance at the Llandrillo yn Rhos parkrun and at mist other NW parkruns last Saturday, with over 500 runners and walkers enjoying the warm sunshine and the picturesque 5k promenade course. The almost ever-present athlete and his twin buggy in  James Yarwood  (Wrexham AAC) - pictured right  - was the first finisher yet again at Rhos with a determined performance in just 17 minutes and 4 seconds, and he was only just ahead of  Mark Pemberton , who recorded a new course PB in 17.11, with JM15-17 athlete  Eben Jones  third in 17.52. The first female was well-known athlete  Laura McKenzie  (Betsi Runaways) in 64th place in 22.12, but it was a very close finish with Laura just one-second and one place ahead ...
Read more

URGENT CANCELLATION - Fizzy Friday event now postponed till next year - originally planned for 4th Sept.

By Don Hale
Image
donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2026 coastandcountry.blog URGENT - EVENT NOW CANCELLED! Unfortunately, we’ve made the difficult decision to postpone the Fizzy 5K planned for 4th September. After speaking with Ruth, who originally organised these events, we feel postponing until April next year, to coincide with Bowel Cancer Awareness Month, will be a much better opportunity. Enjoy a Fizzy Friday courtesy of Porth Eirias charity run, jog or walk.   The Fizzy Friday 5K is back! Friday 4th September | 6:30pm | Llandudno Run, jog, walk or sparkle your way around Llandudno Promenade in support of the Ruth vs Billy Fund, supporting people & families at war with bowel cancer. EVERYONE WELCOME! Fancy dress encouraged Fizz stops along the route After-party included Fun first. Finish times second. Book your place: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/.../friday-fizzy-5k-fun-run...
Read more

Hot and hilly at the Caernarfon 10k

By Don Hale
Image
*Pictured above - the NWRRC team at Caernarfon (l-r): Rob Fryer, Stuart Culverhouse, Steve Roberts, Gwen Charlton, Kay Hatton and Nia Lister. Hot and hilly at the Caernarfon 10k Report by Don Hale. Photos courtesy of Lesley Goodson donhaleblog.blogspot.com coastandcountry.blog   It was hot and hilly last Sunday for nearly 300 elite and mainly club runners at the annual but rather challenging Caernarfon 10k race. Local outfit  Meirionnydd RC  celebrated some outstanding performances including the top four places for their six quality entries.  Dion Griffith  was the overall winner in a chip time of 31 minutes and 53 seconds and in fast finish, he was just five seconds ahead of club rival  Gavin Stuart  in 31.58, and  Tomos Roberts  third in 32.23; whilst  Ifan Dafydd  was hot on the heels of Tomos in fourth place in 33.26.  * Llio Jones  (Cybi Striders was the first female finisher in 40.03, with  Lydia Sharpe  se...
Read more

Proud moment for athletics coach John Hatton and a popular former midwife Sharon Buckley.

By Don Hale
Image
*John Hatton (*above left), with Sharon Buckley at the Conwy half-marathon. Proud moment for athletics coach John Hatton and a popular former community midwife Sharon Buckley. It was a proud moment this weekend for athletics coach, MC and promoter, John Hatton as he saw his new running protegee  Sharon Buckley – a well-known former North Wales midwife - cross the finish line at the challenging Conwy half-marathon with a remarkable time. John, who is heavily involved with North Wales Road Runners , Conwy parkrun , and is also a keen supporter and promoter of a host of charity events, confirmed: “Over the last 6 months I have been training Sharon, who is 60, to run her first half-marathon which she did today in 2.34.17, which is a fantastic achievement. “Sharon was a highly respected midwife in North Wales, and at one time she received an award as the top midwife in the Betsi Cadwalader Health Board for her dedicated service to the community.” *John Hatton was on hand last ...
Read more

Blustery conditions at Conwy parkrun and other results on the road..

By Don Hale
Image
*Martin Green (*above) had a good run but had to settle for 2nd place. It was a breeze for teenager Morgan Kendall in blustery conditions at Conwy parkrun with Martin Green 2nd. Report by Don Hale. Photos by Steve Jeffery.   North Wales based student Morgan Kendall, representing  Durham City Harriers , made light of the rather cool and blustery conditions at Conwy parkrun last Saturday to record a great new course PB of just 16 minutes and 30 seconds as the first male runner home. The teenage prospect aka  Banana man , from a previous fancy dress dash at this same parkrun, finished nearly two minutes ahead of his nearest rival, veteran Road Runner  Martin Green , in 19.25, with debutant veteran  John Brogan  3rd in 19.49. The first female runner was  Victoria Cole  (GOG Triathlon) 10th overall in 21.20, with  Alice Johnston  (Les Croupiers) just ten-seconds behind in 2nd place, and 13th overall, in 21.30, whilst teenager  Ella Grund...
Read more

RNLI Llandudno 5K & 1K Fun Run - Sunday 20th September 2026 -last few places available.

By Don Hale
Image
  *Flashback to last year's RNLI 5k race on Llandudno prom. RNLI Llandudno 5K & 1K Fun Run 2026 Sunday 20th September 2026   donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2026 Race organiser John Hatton challenges runners to be part of something special and help save lives at sea by signing up for charity runs, hosted by Llandudno RNLI! But if you want to run, you need to hurry and sig up asap as places are now limited to popular demand! And John also added: " Just working on a race for next year 5k RSPB.  I came up with the idea, when I was invited to a site visit by the Contractors, Jennings.   "I have spoken to Helen the manager and she is really keen, we can have cafe as race HQ plus of course the toilets, it will help put back what they have lost over the time with the new course at Conwy." 💙 Sign up today and be a lifesaver! https://rnli.niftyentries.com/RLNI-Llandudno-5K-1K-Fun-Run-2026   *Just giving link if you want  to donate only https://www.justgiving.com/...
Read more

Dave Jordan’s nostalgic book about 1970s schooldays.

By Don Hale
Image
Special Coast and Country book review promotion. Dave Jordan’s nostalgic book about 1970s schooldays. donhaleblog.blogspot.com coastandcountry.blog LIFE AT BEDFORD DRIVE PRIMARY SCHOOL Now available on Amazon   Life at Bedford Drive Primary School   by Dave Jordan is a collection of stories and anecdotes of the author’s time at the school as a pupil during the 1970s, when life seemed perhaps less complicated than today. The school is on the Wirral, where Dave lived until 1990 before moving away to follow a chemistry-based career with Lever Brothers/Unilever in UK, Middle East and Eastern Europe.    Three local siblings and an unrequited love of Tranmere Rovers means that he has never lost touch with the area, and it remains a real pleasure to visit family and friends. The book has delightful illustrations by Jan Ewing, who is also a fellow pupil of the school. Past pupils will enjoy a nostalgic trip down memory lane. Present day pupils will enjoy the stories too - wh...
Read more

Christmas cracker at the NWRRC handicap race...plus other race results.

By Don Hale
Image
*North Wales Road Runners are pictured (*above) just before the start of the festive handicap race on the promenade at Rhos on Sea. Christmas cracker at the NWRRC handicap race. Report by Don Hale. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com   Twenty-four members of NWRRC took part in the annual Christmas club handicap race, which this year was staged from the Rhos on Sea clock tower to the renovated far end of the promenade and back over a 4.5-mile course. Well organised with times recorded and verified by  Carla Green  and  Elizabeth Driscoll , with support from other members, the handicap rules this time included each runner having to hand in their watches and mobile phones, and the need to predict their finishing times, so that no one knew their exact pace, or whether their estimated times were likely to be accurate, until they actually reached the finish line. The top three female winners , who were the closest to their times included the winner –  Kay Hatto...
Read more