Don Hale Blog

Latest updates regarding the Welsh Masters Indoor T&F Championships on 21st January. Special report and comments from Brett Davis and Dave Watson at WMAL   Brett Davis, a director of WMAL has confirmed some extraordinary updates regarding the 2024 Welsh Masters athletics T&F Championships.  He said: “Due to the demands of the programme and restrictions caused by the timetable challenges, Welsh Athletics were only able to offer us (indoor) championship events at 60m, 200m and 300m.  “The middle-distance events are run by the British Miler’s Club, and we await the conditions there when they go live on the BMC website, but they may be elite open only. No field events are championship events due to number restrictions, but individuals can enter, there just won’t be any medals for those events.” And today he added, hot off the press: “ I can update now that the BMC is elite only which translates to 1:58 800m, and 4:05 1500m, for males, and 2:20 and 4:50 for females.” ...

Welsh Master Athlete Peter Watkeys is a unique 1500m double record holder within days of each other. Report by Don Hale.  https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk Welsh Master Peter Watkeys recorded a superb new WMAL record at a 1500m event on August 19th,   and then bizarrely improved upon his time just four days later at another similar meeting - by over 7-seconds - to claim a unique double! Peter, who was additionally representing his Basingstoke & Hants club in the MV40 age category, first ran in a Southern League Athletics Division 1 track meeting at Tooting Bec on 19/8/23, where he set a new record of 4 minutes 19.71 seconds. He received a special commemorative certificate of achievement from the WMAL record and stats official Chris Pruski, but then surprised himself by quickly improving on this excellent time to claim another new record of 4 minutes 12 .83 seconds over the same distance during the Watford Harriers Open Graded track meeting on...

*Some of the WMAL team (*above) at Nuneaton last Sunday during  the  England Masters Inter-Area challenge. Welsh Master Athletics - Provisional results and reports from members at the England Masters Inter-Area challenge at Nuneaton on 6th August. Report by Don Hale. Photographs courtesy of Siwan Eleri Jones. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk   Welsh Masters Athletics celebrated a good turn out and some impressive performances last Sunday (6th August) during the England Masters Inter-Area challenge at Nuneaton. Unfortunately, this meeting clashed with many holiday and previous commitments but nevertheless, WMAL still managed to put a quality team together and were generally pleased with all the varied provisional results. Due to many late changes however to many athletes competing in several different events, the final results list may not be available for a few more days, but we now have the provisional results, plus some comments from offi...

*Dave Watson (*pictured above) recording some great new PBs and records. Welsh Masters Athletes set some remarkable new records, and read about Dave Watson’s incredible one-mile dash - and his investigative work to claim a new WMAL record! Report by Don Hale.  https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk   Several Welsh Masters athletes have been setting some exciting new track & field, and road running records over recent months, with some already receiving commemorative certificates in acknowledgment of their superb achievements following official verification. And read about WMAL official, and top veteran athlete  Dave Watson’s  innovative investigative work as he claims a new one-mile Welsh road record following a great performance in Edinburgh. In addition, I pay tribute to star veteran athlete  Melanie Garland, who is one of WMAL’s top female competitors, and she is most certainly enjoying an excellent season so far with two ex...

Peter Robinson (Hornsea Harriers) pictured above - returned to running after retirement. More inspirational stories wanted about veteran runners...and this time we feature Peter Robinson from Hornsea Harriers... Report by Don Hale .  https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk   Welsh Masters Athletics have been looking for some more inspirational stories about veteran athletes who, for whatever reasons, perhaps stopped running for a period of time, before returning to the sport, and are now enjoying both success and fitness in their later years. We welcome all your tales about the highs and lows of your running career, and this week we feature master veteran athlete  Peter Robinson  from  Hornsea Harriers. Peter explained : “As a teenager, I ran for a Northern UK club, Gateshead Harriers, and had some success. More important, I realised that I loved running. I stopped competing when I married in 1974 but kept 'jogging' to keep fit. “When I ...

*Welsh Master Dave Watson (*above) flew the flag for Wales in Edinburgh Welsh Master Dave Watson is fighting fit and recording great new PBs…and well done to Tracey Smedley on recording a new 400m record on the track. Report by Don Hale.   https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk Welsh Master Dave Watson seems to have hit a genuine purple patch of form this year by recording some superb results on his travels in a variety of events. The MV65 veteran competed yesterday (4th June) at the British Masters BMAF Scottish Mile in Edinburgh and was believed to be the only Welsh Masters’ athlete. He enjoyed a great run in the sun and finished 2nd in his age cat with a fast PB time of just 5 minutes and 35 seconds. Afterwards Dave, who is pictured (*above) with his  medal ,  said: “I think the inaugural running of this race was in Cardiff, then it moved to London, The Mall, before now moving to Edinburgh. “The interesting bit was that the race was advertised...

*Dave Watson (*above) has achieved s ome incredible international success following his heart attack about 18-months ago, and (*below) Dave is pictured last week at the Cardiff Victory 5k race where he finished 2nd in his MV65 age cat. Welsh Master Dave Watson remains on track for further international success following his amazing recovery from a debilitating heart attack. Special Report by Don Hale.   Dave Watson, a new board member of Welsh Masters’ Athletics, tells of his survival from a debilitating heart attack just over 18-months ago, and his gradual recovery and rather incredible, return to success on the track culminating in an appearance at the recent Masters’ World Championships in Torun, Poland. *Dave Watson (*above left) on the podium after track success for Wales. The MV65 middle distance athlete has somehow defied a host of major health problems over the past couple of seasons to finally enjoy medal glory in various 800m, 1,500m, 5k, and cross-country events. He expl...