Don Hale Blog

*Pictured above - Mountain runner Charlotte Rose Wilton Jones. Podium place for Charlotte at the International Snowdon Mountain Race...and Kevin gallops around Aintree 10k. Report by Don Hale. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk   North Wales Road Runner Charlotte Rose Wilton Jones competed in the gruelling Castell Howell International Mountain Race last Saturday, which included a challenging route up and down Mt Snowdon. *Charlotte is shown above and with her medal. This popular event attracted a host of experienced and highly talented mountain runners from around the UK and Europe for one of the top sporting events on the Welsh calendar, which this year celebrated its 49th year. Charlotte was one of nearly five-hundred finishers, and she performed extremely well despite the inclement weather, and completed her arduous 10-mile circuit of this famous Welsh  mountain in just 1 hour 47 mins and 45 seconds and claimed a prestigious podium place after ...

*Pictured above - David Gibson - enjoying a great year setting new PBs. Five PBs this year for Welsh Master David Gibson as he aims for a new 10k record! Report by Don Hale. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk   Welsh Master and Tri-Hard Harrier member David Gibson is really on fire this season and set his fifth PB of the year following another outstanding run in the OGI Porthcawl 10k. Master veteran David, who is remarkably modest athlete, now aged 72, received deserved plaudits this week after he recorded an excellent time of just 39 minutes and 54 seconds for his determined 10k efforts at Porthcawl, which is getting very close to another  Welsh Masters Road Race record! After the event, David said:  “ This was hard work but very pleased to get sub 40 mins. Faster than everyone over 60 years old despite being 72. Possibly the second fastest UK M70 10k YTD. The course was not flat, and there was quite a breeze, so I had to dig deep for this....

*The NWRRC team at the Goldrush trail races (above l-r): Tony Price Jones, Will Williams, Stuart Culverhouse, Jonathan Kettle, Steve Poupart, Adam Lemalle, Dave Jones, Philip Moss and Vicky Taylor. Road Runners dug deep to win podium places at the tough Goldrush Trail races...plus other race results. Report by Don Hale. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk   Ten North Wales Road Runners (NWRRC) had to dig deep last weekend to complete the tough Goldrush 8.5-mile trail and/or the Goldrush Canicross race last Saturday afternoon at Coed y Brenin to win five prestigious podium placings! This popular, and well organised event attracted a wealth of experienced competitors from far afield, with entries generally sold out many months in advance.  Race officials claimed that it includes  some of the best trails and singletrack that Coed y Brenin has to offer, and the event also incorporated one of the best Canicross (runners racing with their dog) races...

*Pictured above - North Wales Road Runners (l-r), Steve Gardner, Michael (Pat) Finnie, and Don Hale at the Indoor Open 60m event last Saturday. Top performances by NW Road Running quartet at the Christmas Indoor Open event... Report by Don Hale. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk   Four veteran Road Runners competed in the North Wales Christmas Indoor Open Challenge event staged at Coleg Cambria, at Connah's Quay, last Saturday afternoon, and they all claimed new PB’s, podium places, and probable new records in their respective age categories. This was an extra meeting on the Track & Field race calendar that attracted a few hundred of the best junior to master athletes in the region who competed in a wide variety of events in an indoor arena. Steve Gardner, Michael (Pat) Finnie,  and  Don Hale  from NWRRC all ran in the 60m heats, whilst Steve’s father  Dave Gardner  took part in the shot-put competition and won his super-m...