Sarah and Emma tackled the hot North Downs 50k ultra race.

By Don Hale


*Pictured above - Emma Vadhesha and Sarah Ferguson Hudson.

Sarah and Emma tackled the hot North Downs 50k ultra race in style...

Report by Don Hale. 

https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com

 

Ultra-distance and endurance athlete Sarah Ferguson Hudson and her friend Emma Vadhesha competed in the North Downs 50k race last Saturday and despite the hot weather, they completed their gruelling challenge in style.

NWRRC member Sarah (*pictured right), later explained: “It was very hot and hilly. It eventually took us 7 hours and 50 minutes, but the scenery was stunning around the North Downs. Who knew it was so hilly down South? I ran with my lovely friend Emma, who got me into running in the first place.”


Sarah confirmed that she normally runs in her ultra races with her husband Ben, but he is still recovering from injury and explained: “Ben’s ankle is definitely on the mend, and we have booked into the Jubilee half-marathon in a couple of weeks, so he is hoping to improve on his time from the MK half. 


"This time though, it was just me and Emma at the North Downs event, and we stuck together all the way round, and we needed the chat to distract us.”




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

Your comments are welcomed

Most recent posts

Track champion Steve finished second at the Welsh Duathlon championships

By Don Hale
Image
*Steve Gardner (*above left) on the podium with Tim Parfitt and Steven Gee. Track champion Steve finished second at the Welsh Duathlon championships. donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2026 coastandcountry.blog International track champion Steve Gardner finished as the runner-up on the podium in the prestigious Welsh Sprint Duathlon Championships at Pembroke last Sunday. The NWRRC member, and GB track athlete, who was representing his second claim club GOG Triathlon, competed in a 5k run, a 21k cycle race, followed by a final 2.5k dash, and he finished second overall with an excellent combined time of 1 hour 12 minutes and 31 seconds. After his event, Steve confirmed:  “Just a note to let you know I competed for GOG Triathlon Club today, finishing in 2nd place; 1st place went to  Tim Parfitt  in a time 1 hour 12 mins and 31 seconds, and the 3rd spot went to  Steven Gee  in 1 hour 13 mins and 17 seconds.  “There was only 46 seconds between the three of us, so it was a...
Read more

Visitors set a hot pace on a cold, frosty morning at the Rhos parkrun – plus other results and reports from the region.

By Don Hale
Image
*Runners listen to the briefing at the start of the Llandrillo yn Rhos parkrun. Visitors set a hot pace on a cold, frosty morning at the Rhos parkrun – plus other results and reports from the region... Report by Don Hale. Photos courtesy of Michael Finnie. donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025 Pictured above and below - the mass start of the Rhos parkrun. It was another jam-packed and fun-filled occasion on Saturday morning at the new Llandrillo yn Rhos (Y Promenade) parkrun last Saturday following a record-breaking attendance on Christmas Day. Despite the freezing temperatures and a generous covering of heavy frost around the region, with the icy conditions causing the cancellation of rival events at  Conwy  and at  Nova , the Rhos parkrun, possibly aided by a light layer of sand at key points, was given the green light, much to the delight of 576 eager entrants. And many runners later expressed their gratitude to the run director  Dougie Graham  and his RD colleagues,...
Read more

Road Runners galloped home at the Chester 10k races

By Don Hale
Image
*Pictured above - Vicky Taylor with Mandy Owen and Kelly Alford at Chester. Road Runners galloped home at the Chester 10k races Report by Don Hale. donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2026 coastandcountry.blog Five North Wales Road Runners completed  amongst a very large field of some 7,315 entrants at the Chester 10k race last Sunday, and they all performed well and recorded some noteworthy finishing times. Veteran  Jon Evans  was in top form, and he finished strong in a good chip time of 47 minutes and 44 seconds, and he led the team home with  Molly Evans  next in 49.32.   *Jon Evans (*above left) with  master vet Rob Fryer. And it was good to see  Kelly Alford  back in action again, and she also enjoyed her run in 49.38; with master vet  Rob Fryer  continuing his purple patch in 54.59; and  Vicky Taylor  ran home in 77.12.  *And there were plaudits too for  Mandy Owen  who finished in 66.17.
Read more

Prestatyn’s Nova parkrun proved popular again with Conwy tour members...plus other results

By Don Hale
Image
*Pictured above - Conwy runners and volunteers at the Nova event. Prestatyn’s Nova parkrun proved popular again with Conwy tour members...plus other results round-up. Report by Don Hale. Photos by Gwyn Williams at Nova and Mike Finnie at Penrhyn. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com *Conwy parkrunners on tour at Nova (above l-r): Darren Dentith, Don Hale, Liz Evans  and John Stallard. The Nova parkrun at Prestatyn was one of the best attended local parkruns last Saturday morning with 285 entrants including local club athlete Tom Carter, who was the first finisher with a new PB in 17 minutes and 15 seconds, with the first three finishers all recording new course PBs. Tom however was pushed all the way by rival Matthew Baker, and he was just 4 seconds adrift, with JM11-14 junior Seth Williams 3rd in 19.00. *The first female was SW20 athlete Eve Manifold (23rd), with a PB in 21.23, with Abbey Young 2nd, (29th), with a new PB in 21.58, whilst teenager Erin Thinas (34th), finished in 2...
Read more

Tough Pipe Dream race for Fell Runners

By Don Hale
Image
*Pictured above - a race marshal  directs Adam Lemalle and a pack of runners along this challenging fell run route. Tough Pipe Dream race for Fell Runners Report by Don Hale. Photos courtesy of Dougie  Graham. donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2026 coastandcountry.blog The tough Dolgarrog Pipe Dream Fell Race attracted some 165 finishers to their annual challenge last Saturday, which was part of the WFRA short championships, and won by Kieran Wynne-Cattanach (Eryri Harriers) following a great effort over this 6.8k course in just 33 minutes and 52 seconds. He was followed by  Gavin Roberts  (Calder Vale RR) in 34.10, and  Rhys Goodrick  (Vegan Runners) in 35.02.  And the first female finisher,  Bronwen Jenkinson  (29th overall) secured a unique double victory for  Eryri Harriers , with another fine performance in 41.06, whilst  Suzie Richards  claimed the runner-up spot in 42.57 (34th overall), with  Jessica Evans (36th overall), an...
Read more

Hot pace at Rhos after a frosty start for plenty of visitors.

By Don Hale
Image
*Some of the many hard working volunteers at the Llandrillo  yn Rhos parkrun Hot pace at Rhos after a frosty start for plenty of visitors. Report by Don Hale donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2026 coastandcountry.blog   It was bright and sunny following a heavy early morning frost at the Llandrillo yn Rhos parkrun last Saturday, which also commemorated International Women’s Day. And there was another bumper turn-out by club and local athletes, plus plenty of visitors, who this week enjoyed an almost sand-free 5k promenade course. Nicolas Seguin  was the first finisher from 386 entrants, with a new PB in 17.41, and his talented JW15-17 daughter  Tamsin Seguin  (Menai T&F) made it a family double as the first female finisher (16th overall), with an excellent run in 19.45.  Harry Driscoll   (Meirionnydd RC) was the second male finisher in 17.55, with visitor  John Myers  (Helsby RC) third on his debut in 17.58. For the ladies, with  Tamsin ...
Read more

Parkrun boss finally makes a belated statement about the latest controversy to remove important records! But ignores the real reason!

By Don Hale
Image
Parkrun boss finally makes a belated statement about the latest controversy to remove important record! But is it just a smokescreen to cover up a previous row over transgender athletes? By Don Hale.  https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk   It's taken about a week for Russ Jefferys, the CEO of parkrun global to belatedly make a statement about last Thursday’s controversial decision to remove male and female, first, and fast finishers, plus age grades, and age category records from their website. It is something that has naturally attracted strong debate up and down the country, and no doubt at numerous parkruns across the world! But I still question whether this latest debacle is just a smokescreen to try to hide, and hence remove any existing records relating to transgender athletes! Parkrun came into being many years ago following a great idea by several like-minded runners, who organised a timed 5k run in their local park, and so from a small acor...
Read more

Welsh Masters Athletics - Results and photos from the EMAA Inter-area indoor event Lee Valley.

By Don Hale
Image
*The Welsh Masters Athletics relay team -  Ian Broadhurst, Andy Weetman, Michael David Smith and Brett Davis. *Andy Rushbrook and Peter Hawney after their shot put comp etition. Welsh Masters Athletics - Results and photos from the EMAA Inter-area indoor event Lee Valley... https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk Thanks to some members of Welsh Masters Athletics, I have included some photos and reports from last weekend's English Masters Athletic Association (EMAA) competition at the Lee Valley indoor stadium. This event included the Inter-area challenge championships. My thanks to Brett Davis and members of Newport Harriers for the contents. The results can be viewed on the following links.  https://www.thepowerof10.info/results/results.aspx?meetingid=673430 https://bmaf.opentrack.run/en-gb/x/2025/GBR/emaa-inter-area-indoors/event/ Brett Davis, a top international competitor, and a director of Welsh Masters Athletics said: "The results are still provi...
Read more

The Boxing Day Sea Dip was a record-breaking success in the sunshine for Llandudno Lions, and a great boost for hundreds of varied charities.

By Don Hale
Image
*Above and below  - a bird's eye view of the Lions Boxing Day Sea Dip. The Boxing Day Sea Dip was a record-breaking success in the sunshine for Llandudno Lions, and a great boost for hundreds of varied charities. Report by Don Hale. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com   The Boxing Day Sea Dip was a record-breaking success for the Llandudno Lions Club with huge crowds, a massive entry of dippers, and loads of money raised for charity. Over six-hundred fancy dress entrants joined in with the fun and made a huge splash as they dipped their toes into the sea off Llandudno beach, watched by thousands of cheering spectators last Thursday morning for this popular annual charity event, which this year was also blessed by unusually warm sunshine and a bright blue sky! Well organised by the Lions Club , and promoted by both  John Chambers, and MC John Hatton , records tumbled at every turn, with officials confirming that thousands of pounds were raised for their two chosen charities,...
Read more

Kinmel Bay hit the goal trail against Rhuddlan Town in the FAW Amateur Cup.

By Don Hale
Image
Kinmel Bay hit the goal trail against Rhuddlan Town in the FAW Amateur Cup... Kinmel Bay FC (5) v Rhuddlan Town FC (0): In the FAW Amateur Trophy 24/25. Match report and some great action photos by Barry Griffiths . https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com Rhuddlan FC play on the Pengwern College grounds, where they assist  the college in its good work for young people. They came to Y Morfa for  this  round in the FAW Amateur Trophy.  Both teams attacked and defended well through the first half, and it was not  until  the 66th minute of play the Bay broke through, with   Daniel McIlvogue   assisted  by Jordan Bellham, starting the deluge of goals for the KBFC.   Most goals were scored in goalmouth close encounters with the tally as follows:  77 mins  Sean Sheridan  assisted by Ryan Roberts; 80 mins captain  Charlie  Jones  assisted by Jacob Jones; 80 mins  Sean Sheridan  assisted by  Jordan Bellham; 8...
Read more