Don Hale Blog

* A festive run  in  the winter sun at Conwy  Parkrun for the final event of 2021. Report by Don Hale. Photos by Steve Jeffery. Conwy parkrun was a festive feast of colour last Saturday morning with most runners and volunteers joining in the fun to celebrate Christmas at this final event of the year. Youngster  Sion-Kelly McIntosh  was the first athlete home overall and the 1st SM20-24 age cat winner, completing this 5k challenge in just 18 minutes, with rival  Matthew Baker  sixteen-seconds adrift in 18.16 and finishing 2nd in his own SM30-34 cat, whilst  Pete Vale  (Bromsgrove) was a further two-seconds behind in 3rd place, but won his MV45-49 cat in 18.18. *Conwy  Parkrun  volunteers prepare for the Christmas 5k dash. The event attracted 217 runners and despite many wearing a variety of costumes, it still proved to be a fast and furious run, in cold, but very bright and breezy conditions, with many runners recording personal best times, and the first fourteen men all dipping under t

*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 following a hi

*A sprint finish from  Mark Jessett in 2nd place at the Conwy Parkrun. Report by Don Hale. Photos by Steve Jeffery.   Three members of North Wales Road Runners won their respective age categories at the Conwy Parkrun last Saturday, and one junior even celebrated a massive new personal best time, whilst three  other athletes claimed podium placings elsewhere as tourists. With several club members opting to rest prior to the Welsh 5k championships on the Sunday, or trying to take it easy within the Conwy parkrun, many times and performances were therefore restricted. Simon Cole  (GOG Triathlon) was the first athlete home again in this 5k challenge in 16 minutes 41 seconds, with  Mark Jessett  from NWRRC 2nd overall in 18.09, and  Alun Brown  3rd with a new PB, and just four seconds adrift of Mark in 18.13. The event attracted 255-runners with clubs and individuals from across the UK again represented. *Another good performance from Gethin Wyn Jones (*pictured above) and also from Steve M

Jonathan Kettle set a hot pace from the start at Conwy parkrun last Saturday. Report by Don Hale. Photos by Steve Jeffery.    It was a cool, crisp, autumn morning for 259 finishers at the Conwy Parkrun where Jonathan Kettle from North Wales Road Runners was the first man home in just 17 minutes and 27 seconds. Jonathan easily won his VM45-49 age category and set a hot pace for his rivals, with club colleague  Mark Jessett  finishing 3rd overall in 18.21, and he also won his VM35-39 age cat. NWRRC entered fifteen athletes and collected four age category wins and two personal best times, but many members were either recovering from major marathons and recent races or were preparing for other events over the weekend. Martin and Carla Green  used the parkrun as a recovery exercise following last week’s dual success at the Manchester Marathon, and both ran well together again with Martin finishing in 19th place in 21.23, and Carla (*pictured left) winning her VW45-49 age cat in 21.28.  Sea