Don Hale Blog

*Pictured above - Colwyn Bay AC runner Josh Mottram at the Conwy race. Runaway success at the Conwy Mountain Race Report by Don Hale. Photos courtesy of Sean Gavin. donhaleblog.blogsport.com/2025 The Conwy Mountain Race proved to be a runaway success once again and attracted a record entry of some 167 experienced fell and mountain athletes to this challenging course, which was the first fixture in this tough North Wales Series. The race over 5-miles with a climb of 1650ft, was eventually won by Gavin Roberts (Eryri Harriers) in 43 minutes and 33 seconds and he was the first M40 runner.  In second place was Chris McLean (Meirionnydd RC) and he was the first Male Open age cat winner in 44.39, with Rhys Jones (Hebog) third, and he was second in the same age cat as Chris in 45.20. The First Lady was Miranda Grant (Eryri Harriers) in 54.55 and she won her F40 cat, and the same club claimed the first three female finishing places, and they were all F40 age cat athletes, with Tess E...

Beast of Bryn 2026 :  23 August 2026 donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025 Beast of Bryn 2026 (Bwystfil Y Bryn): Info from Paul Bulmer. https://beastofbryn.fullonsport.com/event/beast-of-bryn-2026/profile We are delighted to be hosting the Beast of Bryn 2026 (Bwystfil Y Bryn) BRAG (Bryn Residents Action Group) established this race in 2011 and it quickly grew in size and reputation. Much of the history of the race can be found on the BRAG  website . The management of the race was outsourced for a few years, but since 2024 has been fully managed by  BRAG. The event is held under UK Athletics rules with the registration number TR-26-5. We have two distances to choose from – approximately 6.5 miles (10.5km) or 10.5 miles (17km) with total climbs of approximately 288 or 556 Meters. The 10.5-mile route can also be part of the  Welsh Athletics Masters Championship  for affiliated runners. The route passes through the mountains of Afan Forest Park, with stunning view...

*NWRRC athletes Kay Hatton and Cheryl Frost at the Aintree 10k North Wales duo galloped around the Aintree 10k Reports by Don Hale donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025 Welsh international and NWRRC veterans’  Cheryl Frost and Kay Hatton c elebrated prestigious podium places at the  Aintree 10k race  last Sunday amongst over 600 entrants, with Cheryl winning her F60 age category in 88th place overall as the 13th female in 46.26, whilst Kay finished equally well in 121st place overall as the 21st female finisher in 48.27, and she was second in the same age cat as Cheryl.   *Cheryl Frost - above left - with Kay Hatton and Harry Driscoll. Fast time for Harry at Tatton Park 10k Meirionnydd RC athlete   Harry Driscoll   enjoyed a great run in the   Tatton Park 10k   last Saturday finishing in 10th place overall out of 982 entrants, and he was 6th in his Senior Men age cat in a fast time of 36.24.

Good numbers tackled the sandy course at Rhos parkrun… plus results round-up... Report by Don Hale donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025 *Ian Burgess (*above) was the first finisher at Rhos last Saturday.   There was another bumper attendance at the Llandrillo yn Rhos parkrun last Saturday morning with 454 entrants tacking the rather sandy 5k promenade course.   *Pictured above left - Nic Brook, with Stuart Culverhouse and Will Evans . Iain Burgess  was the first man home following a determined performance and new PB of just 17 minutes and 49 seconds, but visiting rival  Jordan Roberts  made an impressive debut in 17.58, and he was only nine-seconds behind Iain, with  Lewis Hall  third with another PB in 18.24. And there was a good run by  Nic Brook  (Eryri Harriers), in 7th place, who won his VM50 age cat with a great new PB in 18.46.  *Alex Aldous (*pictured above at a previous Rhos parkrun) leads the pack. * Alex Aldous  was the first fe...

*Ben and Sarah Hudson  are pictured above amongst some half-marathon runners at the Charles Darwin race in Shrewsbury  last Friday. Double date for NW ultra-distance athletes Ben and Sarah in Shrewsbury...plus their parkrun results. Report by Don Hale. donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025   North Wales based ultra-distance husband and wife  athletes  Ben and Sarah Hudson competed in the Charles Darwin Day celebratory half-marathon in Shrewsbury last Friday, and both recorded some excellent finishing times and places. Ben was second overall in 1 hour 40 minutes and 51 seconds, whilst Sarah finished seventh in 1.54.49, and she was the second female. The overall winner, and first lady was  Jo Pugh  in 1.36.33, and the half-marathon event was just one of several different races on the day that also offered a 5k, 10k, and a full marathon.     *Pictured above left - Ben Hudson, and his wife Sarah  Hudson (*right) after completing the Charles Darwin h...

*John Hatton above - with Dame Laura Kenny - at last year's awards. Please support SPORT in Conwy...  John Hatton appeals for urgent support for top sports event... special report by Don Hale. donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025 The well-known, award-winning athletics coach and charity fundraiser John Hatton is appealing for urgent  help and new ideas to both  save and support Sport Conwy. With all the current cost of living problems to contend with, and a succession of funding reductions, especially in relation to sport, he has come up with an innovative idea that might appeal to local businesses, support groups, and community organisations to help keep Sport Conwy going! John explained: “I am on the committee for Sport Conwy, and we have been supporting local sports for 30 years, this year. However, financial cutbacks and grants that we usually apply for have been dramatically cut,  I have come up with a new scheme to fill our void in finances, and  to help ma...

New team manager's plan for Welsh Masters Athletics donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025 Following an appeal on this blog last week from Rod Davies at Welsh Masters Athletics Ltd, Joe Horner and his colleague Adrian have agreed to try and put a team together asap for the forthcoming T&F events. This is Joe's appeal below: - www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk Hi everyone, As you may have heard from Rod Davies at WMAL, the 2026 inter-regional is at Lee Valley on 14th March and Adrian and I have agreed to stand in for Brett in getting a team together. We're new to this, don't know the membership as well as Brett, and there's a fairly short deadline to get the initial team submitted. So, to help us along, it'd be greatly appreciated if you could reply to this letting us know whether or not you're available/ interested. "Not available" and "possibly available" replies, are as useful as "available" at this point while we find our feet! Als...