Don Hale Blog

*NWRRC members are pictured above with their trophies. (*Photo John Hatton). Glittering annual trophy afternoon for North Wales Road Runners... Report by Don Hale. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com   It was a glittering afternoon of trophies and celebrations for members of North Wales Road Runners at Colwyn Bay Cricket Club last Sunday following the club’s annual festive handicap race at Rhos on Sea. Kay Hatton  was this year’s MC, ably assisted by her colleague  Cheryl Frost,  with all the prizes awarded following an excellent carvery lunch.  One of the very first awards went to Mike Hayton and Kay Hatton , who were the winners of the earlier Christmas handicap  race at Rhos on Sea. *Club veterans Mike Hayton and Kay Hatton (*above), were the Christmas handicap race winners from earlier in the day The first male awards  went to the individual group winners and included: Group C –  Rob Fryer , and runner-up  Daniel Hennell .  Steve Mason ...

*North Wales Road Runners are pictured (*above) just before the start of the festive handicap race on the promenade at Rhos on Sea. Christmas cracker at the NWRRC handicap race. Report by Don Hale. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com   Twenty-four members of NWRRC took part in the annual Christmas club handicap race, which this year was staged from the Rhos on Sea clock tower to the renovated far end of the promenade and back over a 4.5-mile course. Well organised with times recorded and verified by  Carla Green  and  Elizabeth Driscoll , with support from other members, the handicap rules this time included each runner having to hand in their watches and mobile phones, and the need to predict their finishing times, so that no one knew their exact pace, or whether their estimated times were likely to be accurate, until they actually reached the finish line. The top three female winners , who were the closest to their times included the winner –  Kay Hatto...

*NWRRC Christmas handicap race winner Nicola Wylie (*above), and (*below) club members pictured before the start of the race. Nicola wins Road Runners Christmas handicap race in freezing conditions on the Great Orme. Report by Don Hale. Photos by Don Hale, Mike Smith, and Kevin Slattery.   Nicola Wylie was the worthy winner of the North Wales Road Runners’ Christmas handicap race last Sunday as twenty-one fellow club members braved freezing conditions and a bitterly cold headwind to compete over a tough and hilly course. With all the start and finishing times adjusted to consider the age and ability of entrants in conjunction with noting recent parkrun performances, the runners then had to tackle a very challenging route from West Shore to the former WW2 gun sites on the Great Orme and back. The race proved to be a close-run event and  Nicola  ran with an unintentional pace-maker  Cheryl Frost , who was recovering from a fall and simply took part as a non-counti...

*Club chairman Kevin Slattery (above) won the age percentage handicap race. Report by Don Hale. Photos Steve Jeffrey. Statistics by John Hatton. Club chairman Kevin Slattery was the overall winner of the recent NWRRC club handicap age percentage analysis race, with Kay Hatton finishing in second place, and Sean Butler third. Kevin (aged 67) recorded an amazing 77.69%, with Kay (58) 75.64%, and Sean (63) 72.14%. *Kay Hatton finished second in the club handicap age percentage race. Run from Llandudno’s West Shore to the former WW2 gun site and back over a challenging four-mile plus course including a section of the Great Orme, the special Christmas race attracted twenty-two club athletes, and statistician John Hatton compared the actual finishing times and the handicap time applied, against the ages, resulting in an percentage analysis of their performances. *Race official and statistician John Hatton (left) with veteran athlete Don Hale. It made for some very interesting comparison, wit...

*Members of North Wales Road Running Club prior to their Christmas handicap race from West Shore to the old WW2 gun sites on the Great Orme and back. Steve Mason wins NWRRC Christmas handicap race. Report by Don Hale. Group photo by John Hatton and most others by Steve Jeffery.   Steve Mason deservedly won North Wales Road Running Club’s Christmas handicap race last weekend despite having an eleven-minute time delay.  Newcomer Steve soon overcame his personal race time penalty to become both the first finisher, and the fastest runner on the day, amongst a talented field of twenty-two club rivals, with the first ten runners all dipping under thirty-minutes. * Steve Mason won the NWRRC club handicap race last Sunday ands he was also the fastest runner on the day. Several other club members were absent due to injury, illness, prior commitments, or holiday dates, but it was still a very good turnout on a bright sunny, yet bitterly cold and windy Sunday morning, with athletes follo...