Don Hale Blog

*Pictured above - Steve Mason - who was the first NWRRC member home. Hot pace despite a bitterly cold morning at Conwy parkrun. Report by Don Hale. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com It was a very cold start for the first Conwy parkrun of 2025 as 247 mixed ability athletes tackled the puddle-filled, but picturesque 5k course, from the RSPB Nature Reserve last Saturday morning. Despite the freezing temperatures,  Iain Burgess  set a very hot pace as the 1st finisher in just 18 minutes and 36 seconds to win his VM35 age cat, and he was some 36-seconds ahead of his nearest rival, VM40  Richard Wilyman (GOG Triathlon), in 19.08, with SM25  Aaron Jones  3rd in 19.49. Llio Owen  was the 1st female finisher with a new PB of 21.23, and she won her SW20 age cat (13th overall), with VW40 athlete  Vicky Cole  (GOG Triathlon), 2nd (19th overall) with a fine run in 22.05, and VW35  Emma Stanley  claimed the 3rd place, (21st overall) in 22.15. North Wal...

*Pictured above - Australian author Joy Bloomis. Special Coast and Country Author Spotlight Feature Welcome to another new author feature in conjunction with Amazon (2).   ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Australian author - Joy Bloumis:  The Storms You Walk Through: A Memoir of Roza Hamer.   *This book is now available on Amazon:  https://amzn.to/4i3Sctq ALSO available an ebook:  https://amzn.to/4eIhnie Published by North Wales based firm :   www.bookpublishing4u.co.uk   Exclusive report by Don Hale.  https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com   Occasionally, within my role as a journalist, author, and general nosey parker, I come across certain individuals who have a remarkable background and an amazing story to tell.  Octogenarian Joy Bloumis, from Victoria, in Australia, is one such person, who has just published an incredible new book about a mysterious and dramatic episode in her life that finally reveals the facts about an amazing young woman’s daring jou...

*Pictured above - super vet Sandy Johnston set a new record. Super vet Sandy Johnston set a new record at the Helena Tipping 10k at Wrexham. Report by Don Hale https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk   *Pictured above - some of the NWRRC team at the Helena Tipping 10k race. It was a good turn-out at the Helena Tipping 10k race at Wrexham last Sunday with fifteen North Wales Road Runners in action, and they claimed four prestigious podium places Super veteran  Sandy Johnston  was perhaps the pick of the pack this week after winning his MV75 age cat with another outstanding display and a remarkable chip time of just 46 minutes and 18 seconds, finishing in 226th place out of nearly 700 entrants.  And Sandy’s time also set a new North Wales Regional record, taking 14-seconds off Emyr Davies’ previous best of 46.32, set in Caernarfon in 2019. Young  Harry Driscoll  actually led the team home in 78th place in 37.32, with  Carla Green...

*Harry Driscoll (*above), finished well  in 3rd place at Conwy. Five age cat wins for the Road Runners at a blustery Conwy parkrun...plus other parkrun results. Report by Don Hale. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk   Eighteen North Wales Road Runners took part in the Conwy parkrun last Saturday amidst a good mix of club and social entrants, and recorded five age category wins on a bright, sunny, but cool and blustery morning. Martin Green  continued his superb form, and he was the outstanding and runaway first parkrun finisher with a fast time of just 18 minutes and eight seconds, to win his VM45 age cat.  Harry Driscoll  was also on fire again, and he claimed 3rd place, and won his SM20 cat in 19.38, whilst  Carla Green  made it a hat-trick of early placing age cat victories, finishing 9th, and the 2nd female athlete in 20.35, to additionally win her VW50 age cat. Adam Lemalle  was 16th in 21.26, and 2nd in his VM40...

*North Wales Road Running members are pictured (*above), just before the start of the 5k NW championship race at Llanrug in midweek. *Photo  courtesy  of John  Hatton. Eleven 5k NW championship medals for the Road Runners at Llanrug in midweek. Report by Don Hale. Photos from Llanrug courtesy  of Lesley Goodson. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk North Wales Road Runners (NWRRC) celebrated an exciting midweek 5k race at Llanrug last Wednesday night with eleven podium places in the NW championships, and collected four gold medals, four silver, and three bronze, with some fast times recorded! A high-quality field of top club runners pushed the pace throughout and the event winner was  Tom Roberts (Meirionnydd RC), who set a new 5k championship record in just 15 minutes and 25 seconds. In 2nd place was  Dion Griffiths  (Cardiff AC), in 15.42, with  Connor Rogers  (Wrexham AAC) in hot pursuit in 3rd, and he was only ...

*The above photo including the bench is of the Tri Hard Harriers runners at the opening event, and is courtesy of Mike Roderick. The article author David Gibson is shown in a black top in the centre at the rear. New Welsh parkrun in Swansea Valley Report by David Gibson. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk The popularity of parkruns seems unbounded. With the flat and scenic Swansea Bay parkrun now often getting 500 participants, and sometimes going over 600, a new Welsh parkrun in the Swansea Valley is very welcome.    For parkrun tourists, the recent YouTube video about the  Swansea Bay Parkrun  and local sights by Harry Morgan of Jogon is well worth a watch -   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MczE96cE9iQ   On 28th April, the Cycle Route 43, Ystalyfera parkrun ran its first event attracting 210 runners and walkers, including at least four who had run the London Marathon on the previous Sunday. 43 different clubs were repre...