NW Road Running duo ran well in the Chester Marathon.

By Don Hale


*Pictured above -Steve Bozier at the Chester Marathon.

NW Road Running duo ran well in the Chester Marathon.

Special report by Don Hale.

donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025

 

Two North Wales Road Runners tackled the windswept Chester Marathon on Sunday and they both performed well, especially given the extremely challenging conditions.

Steve Bozier was a little apprehensive about running this distance at first after taking some time out from longer races, but he ran well in chip positions of 844th out of 6,698 entrants in 3 hours 26 minutes and 12 seconds, and afterwards he said: A great day back racing again, my first marathon in a year, and only my second race this year. 

“I really enjoyed that and only entered two weeks ago with just six weeks of training as a warm-up for the Eryri Marathonin three weeks. I took it relatively easy and paced it well to get my second fastest marathon time. Rest now, recover, and onto the next one!" 

Jon Evans (*Pictured right) also celebrated following his fine effort as a 4.45 pacer at the Chester Marathon and confirmed: “Really pleased. I felt super strong today. My heart rate averaged 135. Next up, Conwy Half pacing. 4 hours 43 minutes and 48 seconds, is a long time on your feet, but I really enjoyed it and feel really good now.”


*Chester Metric Marathon: Mandy Owen ran in the associated Chester Metric Marathon and despite some earlier reservations, she ran well overall in those tough conditions and finished in 3 hours 20 minutes and 24 seconds.


*This is a link to the all the provisional results from the Chester races:

https://ale.niftyentries.com/Results/2025-MBNA-Chester-Marathon?#


*Heaton Park 10k: Kevin Higgins travelled to North Manchester for the Heaton Park 10k and despite competing over a hilly course with a buffeting wind, he later spoke his battle, saying: “A bit of a tough one this morning in the Heaton Park 10k Race in Manchester. Very undulating and quite windy. A few puddles to contend with on the way around. My time was a bit down on recent weeks in 61 minutes and 40 seconds, and I was 4th in my VM60 age cat.


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

Nearly 4,000 runners tackled the Conwy half-marathon.

By Don Hale
Image
*Pictured above - some members from NWRRC are shown near the start. Nearly 4,000 runners tackled the Conwy half-marathon. Report by Don Hale . Photos by Pat Finnie and others. donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025 Conwy half marathon attracted  nearly 4,000  mixed ability athletes from all across the UK to a most challenging race from Conwy Quay and then around the Great Orme and back ,  and despite  a cold  and often blustery  wind , many still recorded some excellent times. Crowds lined the majority of  the route and they were aided by numerous partially closed roads, which helped to create a tremendous carnival-type party atmosphere en-route.  Andrew Davies  (Malden Harriers) was the eventual winner of this prestigious race well organised by RunWales, in just 1 hour 8 minutes and 56 seconds.  He was followed by  Harry Lupton  (Liverpool Harriers) in 1.13.00, and  Matthew Crehan  (St Helens) in 1.13.57.  In 4th pl...
Read more

British and Welsh Karate Champion Ioan Beards set for top international date in Venice.

By Don Hale
Image
* Welsh karate champion Ioan Beards (*above) promotes the Italian event. British and Welsh Karate Champion Ioan Beards set for top international date in Venice... Special report by Don Hale. donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025 Ioan Beards is an award-winning teenage Karate champion from Deganwy, in North Wales, who is all set to take part next month in the Parakarate Cup Championships, which is a prestigious international tournament, being staged in the stunning Italian City of Venice.   This talented and inspirational 16-year-old will be competing in the  Autism category , and he is already both the Welsh and British champion, and has high hopes of further success on 3rd December, but realises he will face some stiff competition from many keen rivals.   Ioan’s event will be held at the  Palazzo Turismo,  which is the location of the ‘Karatei Youth League,’ at Jesolo, Venice, and this latest venture follows hot on the heels of his recent victory as the British Champio...
Read more

Mark Davies bravely completed the Conwy half-marathon for Headway charity.

By Don Hale
Image
Mark Davies bravely completed the Conwy half-marathon. Special report by Don Hale. donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025 Former fell and mountain champion racer Mark Davies put in a tremendous display of true grit and determination last Sunday as he tackled the gruelling Conwy half marathon, barely two years after receiving life-threatening injuries as a hit and run victim. Mark is an award winning multi-athlete who has spent all his time since the accident trying to re-build his life and his body after such horrific injuries and has gradually been able to take part in some local parkruns. Although a long way from his previous fitness regime, he decided to try and gradually increase his training mileage over recent months with the aim of running the Conwy half to help fundraise for Headway, the brain injury charity association, that has helped him to partially recover from his ordeal. Mark bravely ran the 13-mile plus route from Conwy Quay to Llandudno and then around the Great Orme and back t...
Read more

Back to the ‘splash and dash’ at Conwy as Storm Claudia strikes - plus parkrun results round-ups.

By Don Hale
Image
*Kay Hatton (*above) with others at the rather wet finish area at Conwy parkrun. Back to the ‘splash and dash’ at Conwy as Storm Claudia strikes. Report by Don Hale. Photos by Pat Finnie. donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025     What a difference a week makes   as  Storm Claudia  replac ed  the previous Saturday’s bright sunshine ,   bringing 24-hours of  heavy rain ,  and  causing extreme  flooding  to many 5k parkrun courses ,  forcing several event cancellations  throughout the region.   Conwy  parkrun  somehow survived  but   it  brought an  unwelcome return of the old ‘splash and dash’ riverside rou te with atrocious conditions underfoot.   Despite the weather issues,  and a large influx of visiting athletes ready for the Conwy half-marathon on Sunday,  Rowan Poot  still managed a new PB  as the first finisher  in just 16 minutes and 32 seconds , with...
Read more

AN INCREDIBLE PERSONAL STORY ABOUT THE TWIN TOWERS’ ATTACK

By Don Hale
Image
AN INCREDIBLE PERSONAL STORY ABOUT THE TWIN TOWERS’ ATTACK: *See the YouTube video and order the exclusive book about this dramatic event. https://youtu.be/xj17ZHGzuOM?si=g7dfW_CHftJWwDIQ 9/11 GROUND ZERO: ENGLISHMEN IN NEW YORK - AFTERMATH Don Hale reports on one of the world’s most dramatic terrorist attacks ever. 9/11 GROUND ZERO: ENGLISHMEN IN NEW YORK - AFTERMATH – BY DR SAM ALLEN. Now available on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4egiLc0 Some years ago, I heard from Dr Sam Allen, a well-known, and highly-respected doctor and a global specialist on highly infectious diseases. I have known Sam for about 40-years, and we both ran for the same Derbyshire athletics club in Matlock, when I was editor of the local newspaper. Just a few weeks after I left the paper though, Sam became unintentionally involved in a daring rescue attempt to help the victims of the world’s worst-ever, and most horrific terrorist attack on New York. The following statement is from my original archived introduction t...
Read more

Surgery pair Emily and Sarah complete their amazing 100k Sahara Desert Trek for St David’s Hospice.

By Don Hale
Image
*Pictured above - Practice nurse Emily Carr and Practice manager Sarah  Corkish-Brown are shown at the end of their charity trek. Surgery pair Emily and Sarah complete their amazing 100k Sahara Desert Trek for St David’s Hospice. Exclusive  report by Don Hale donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025   Two determined members of the hard-working Bodreinallt doctors' surgery team at Conwy have just completed their extraordinary 100k Sahara Desert Trek and helped to raise  over £42,000 so far for St David’s Hospice. Practice manager  Sarah Corkish-Brown and Practice Nurse Emily Carr  signed up for this huge undertaking some time ago and finally celebrated their success over the past couple of days, and were part of a group that fundraised for this essential local organisation. The trek organisers claimed that entrants would ‘r ediscover true adventure in the awe-inspiring Sahara Desert.’ Their five-day trek covered 100km passing through Morocco’s forbidding landscape...
Read more

Next North Wales Cross Country League fixture at Bala

By Don Hale
Image
Next North Wales Cross Country League fixture at Bala Note from Tom Roberts about this weekends XC fixture. donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025 Round 3 Y Bala. The next NW CX League fixture will be at BALA. Car parking is at the Green LL23 7NG, make sure you pay for parking. Toilets are also at this location. The fields are a 5-minute walk from the car park.  Do not try and park closer to the fields. Loads of space for gazebos on the side of the course. The route is a flat course but challenging, there’s a smooth compacted track roughly 150 meters that will take a spike.  Approx distances of the routes are shown below.   We are very lucky to have permission to host this race please respect the fields, ideally do warm ups and cool down on the trail opposite the race fields. Hope you enjoy the race. Diolch
Read more

Buster Crabb - Ian Fleming's favourite spy and the inspiration for James Bond.

By Don Hale
Image
Buster Crabb was author Ian Fleming's favourite spy and the real inspiration for his fictional character JAMES BOND. LIONEL 'BUSTER' CRABB was a drinker, a gambler, a womaniser and a lover of fast cars and gadgets. On top of all that, he was a spy, an acquaintance of Ian Fleming and the inspiration for James Bond. donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025 This latest book, BUSTER CRABB, published by the History Press, this is the fascinating story of Buster Crabb, the naval spy who disappeared in bizarre circumstances in 1956. Entitled -  Buster Crabb - Ian Fleming's favourite spy and the inspiration for James Bond,  was released in Spring 2020 - originally to coincide with the launch of the new Bond film - which was later delayed due to the Covid-19 restrictions. A British naval frogman and bomb disposal expert, Crabb worked directly under Fleming during the Second World War at Naval Intelligence and went on to conduct covert operations for both SIS and MI5. Elements from Crabb...
Read more

Llandudno Lions Boxing Day Sea Dip for local charities - entries now open.

By Don Hale
Image
Llandudno Lions Boxing Day Sea Dip for local charities - entries now open...all funds for deserving local charities... donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025 The Lions Club of Llandudno have just announced the details about their annual Boxing Day Sea Dip in association with St George's Hotel on Tuesday 26th December, and entries are now open! The check in will be at 10am ready to go into the water at 11.30am (tide permitting). One of the organisers, John Chambers , suggests that suitable footwear should be worn and all the proceeds will go towards Alaw Ward (Cancer Ward) at Ysbyty Gwynedd, and local Lions Charities. John added: "This is a unique chance to raise funds for a deserving cause of your choice and to help Llandudno Lions Club. All registered swimmers will also receive a special certificate memento of the event, and prizes will also be awarded for Fancy Dress." *Entries for the Lions Club of Lland udno Boxing Day Dip are NOW OPEN. Please use link below FREE to ENTER. Ple...
Read more

Tristan Owen's Manchester Marathon plans for the Rotary Club's Community Chest Appeal.

By Don Hale
Image
*Pictured above - Llandudno undertaker and keen runner Tristan Owen will be competing in the Manchester Marathon for the Rotary Club'a charity appeal. Tristan Owen will be running in the Manchester Marathon and he is fundraising for the Rotary Club’s Community Chest Fun Appeal.   This is another special community-based story within a new series of unique features looking at the life, careers, hopes and ambitions, of many talented and dedicated athletes, sports people, and fundraisers within North Wales. *Tristan is shown (*above), second  from the left with his team mates.   Special sporting feature: Introduction by Don Hale. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com   This latest feature highlights the determination of a well-known local undertaker, businessman, and charity fundraiser  Tristan Owen , who first began his running journey about 18 months ago, after taking part in the  Conwy parkrun . Since then, the under-taker has fast become an over-taker, recording...
Read more