Don Hale Blog

*Teenage GOG athlete Caitlin Owen (*above) has won her age cat at Conwy parkrun twice in recent weeks during a break from her studies. GOG Triathlon members ran their luck with 7 podium places, including five age cat wins! Report by Don Hale. (*Conwy parkrun 25/3/23).   GOG Triathlon entered thirteen members at Conwy but contrary to belief, this number proved very lucky as they claimed seven podium places including five age category victories! Victoria Cole  was the first club athlete home, and she was also the 1st female finisher, with a new PB of 21.20, to also win her VW40 age cat, finishing 10th overall .  Andy Brazier  was 2nd in his MV55 cat in 23rd place in 23.04, with  Steven Owen  finishing 29th in 23.15, and  Merf Jones  was in close pursuit in 32nd place in 23.30. Tom Simpson  finished 64th in 25.35, and  Stephen Dutton  was 70th in 25.52, with  Claire Parsley  enjoying another good run in 71st place, and she was only three seconds behind Stephen but won her VW45 age cat in

*GOG Triathlon members Bryn Phillips (*left) and Steven Owen celebrated a dead-heat at Conwy parkrun with both athletes sharing the same finishing time. Hat-trick of age cat wins for the GOGs at Conwy parkrun. Report by Don Hale. Photos by Steve Jeffery.   Twelve members of the GOG Triathlon Club claimed six podium places including a hat-trick of age category wins at a very damp Conwy parkrun, where the course was near waterlogged following a period of heavy rain. Victoria Cole  was the first club runner home in 21.50, and she also won her VW40 age cat finishing in 31st place overall, and just a second ahead of colleague  Andy Jones  who was 32nd in 21.51.  Andy Brazier  also won his MV55 cat in 44th place in 23.00, with  Billy Thomas  53rd in 23.39. Steven Owen  and  Bryn Phillips  celebrated a very close finish with both athletes sharing the exact same time of 25.27  with a dead-heat in 72nd and 73rd places respectively. And  John Farrell  finished 3rd in his MV55 cat in 88th place i

Eight GOGs tackled the Conwy Christmas Eve parkrun. Special report and photos by Don Hale.   Eight members of the GOG Triathlon club took part in the special Christmas Eve parkrun last Saturday and claimed four podium placings including one age cat win, and three second spots. Andy Jones  was the first club runner back in 30th place in 21.50, with  Andy Brazier  next home in 58th place and 2nd in his MV55 cat in 24.03.  Bryn Phillips  also claimed 2nd place in his MV40 cat in 25.45, and he finished 87th overall.  Steven Owen,  however, was hot on Bryn’s heels in 88th place, and both shared the same finishing time. Nicola Tomlinson  won her VW40 age cat in 94th place overall in 26.18, and  Gary Jones  was 102nd in 26.49. Teenage student  Caitlin Owen  made a welcome return from her studies at Cheltenham and enjoyed a muddy but festive run back on home soil in 123rd place in 27.43, and she also claimed the 2nd spot in her respective SW18 age cat, with  Wayne Roberts  finishing 163rd in 3

Great day for GOG Triathlon members at Bala in Welsh Championship race - and Rhian Roxburgh claims unique double.   Report by Don Hale.   GOG Triathlon had a strong team of over 30 members competing at Bala during Stage 5 of the Welsh Triathlon Super Series and they won gold and silver medals for several top podium placings in different age categories, with Rhian Roxburgh completing a unique double. *A unique double by Rhian Roxburgh at the Bala Triathlon. The event included a 1500m lake swim, a 40k bike ride and a near 10k run, and attracted 463 finishers.  Rhian Roxburgh  was the first female club runner home in 21st position and claimed gold for winning her Vet Female 40-49 age cat, finishing in 2 hours 11 minutes 19 seconds, and she won silver as the 2nd female finisher overall to celebrate a unique double. *Another great performance by teenager Caitlin Owen who won her age cat. Gareth Bowyer  was another worthy gold medal winner claiming 1st place in his Vintage Vet 50-59 age cat,

Liz Driscoll celebrates fantastic day at Bala Triathlon. Report by Don Hale.   North Wales Road Runner Liz Driscoll, who last weekend competed for her second claim club GOG Triathlon, tells of her unique experience in taking part in her first ever triathlon race at Bala. The event was said to be the ideal race for both beginners and experienced athletes alike, and the race seemed to live up to its pre-race publicity as “one of the most exciting triathlons the UK has to offer,” and soon became one of the most unforgettable races on the Welsh Triathlon Super Series. Race organisers, Tough Runner UK, teamed up with highly experienced local club, Clwb Beicio Bala, to bring back this amazing event, which was previously considered one of the most popular races on the circuit. And  this year, the event was included as Stage 5 of the Welsh Triathlon Super Series , which was also televised on S4C. Billed as the Bala Standard Triathlon, it involved a closed road triathlon, which started with a 1

* Some of the GOG runners at  the  Nick Beer race on Llandudno promenade Age Cat honours for GOG Triathlon Club at a very hot Nick Beer 10k race Report by Don Hale. Photographs by Steve Jeffery.   The GOG Triathlon Club entered a large contingent of quality athletes in the very hot and hilly Nick Beer 10k race last Sunday morning, which was one of the very first major events held in Wales this year since the Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns. This popular race starting from Llandudno Promenade, and then out and back, including a tough climb around the Great Orme, always offers runners a stern challenge, but this year, the re-scheduled race - due to previous restrictions - provided an even harder test with very high temperatures and limited shade for the 400-plus finishers. The event also included a prestigious Inter-County race with some of the top runners from North Wales, Staffordshire, Shropshire, and Cheshire taking part. North Wales eventually won the men’s race, with the ladies having

GOG Athletes performed well at World Triathlon championships at Roundhay Park   Report by Don Hale.   Ten members from the North Wales based GOG Triathlon Club formed a strong team at Leeds last weekend during the AJ Bell Festival of Triathlon, which was part of the World Championship series. Events were staged over hilly and challenging routes on both Saturday and Sunday at the scenic Roundhay Park, and in near perfect weather conditions. The GOG squad were pitched amongst about 4,000 competitors, including both amateur and elite athletes, and were able to gain valuable experience, and to even share the unique atmosphere at this prestigious blue carpet, multi-event finish.                                         *Angharad Lewis In the Saturday Sprint race , which involved a 750m swim, an 18.5 kms cycle race, followed by a 5k Run;  Si­mon Hick   was the first club man home in 1.28.41 , with  Caitlin Owen the 1st GOG lady to finish in 1.38.04 , closely followed by  Amelia Roberts   in 1