Don Hale Blog

*Gethin Wyn Jones was the first NWRRC finisher at Conwy. Close finish for athletes at Conwy parkrun. Report by Don Hale. Photos by Steve Jeffery.   Just over 200 runners took part in last Saturday’s Conwy parkrun, with the leading pair of elite athletes battling all the way for the top-spot, and they were only separated on the line by just one second over this challenging 5k course. Rivals  Adam Jones  and  James Yarwood  (Abergele Harriers) raced nip and tuck throughout, with Adam eventually finishing 1st, with a sprint finish, in a very fast time of 16 minutes and 57 seconds, with James, despite recording a great new PB, having to be content with 2nd place in 16.58.  In another quick dash event, the first nine runners all dipped under the 20-minute barrier, and three out of the first four finishers recorded new PB times.  North Wales Road Runners  only entered four members this week due to several fixture clashes but still recorded three podium age cat places, including two excellent

*A passenger's view (*above) of runners as they attempted to 'Race the Train,' at Caernarfon last  Wednesday night. Fast dash to ‘Race the Train’ at Caernarfon. Report by Don Hale. Most photographs by Steve Jeffery. The popular ‘Race the Train’ event proved to be an enjoyable summer dash for two hundred and fifty-eight runners last Wednesday night with more than half the starters finally managing to beat the Highland locomotive and its entourage back to the start at Caernarfon. The unique 5k course in perfect weather conditions led to a very fast downward dash for a mixed entry of local elite club and social runners with seventeen athletes dipping under 17-minutes, and 47 people in total beating the magic 20-minute mark. The race was eventually won by  Luke Northall  (Wrexham AC) in 15 minutes and one-second, and he was just 7-seconds ahead of rival  Tom Roberts  (Meirionnydd) in 15.08, and  Math Roberts  from hosts (Eryri Harriers) in 15.24.  North Wales Road Runners  ente

Llyr ApGeraint-Roberts Roberts (*pictured above) qualified for 2023 Euro Duathlon championships in his age group. Report by Don Hale. Llyr ApGeraint Roberts  finished 13th out of 138 competitors in the gruelling  Slateman Duathlon  in North Wales over the weekend and secured an automatic entry qualification for his age group in the Euro 2023 championships. He later admitted: “The toughest duathlon ever. The bike had a 4k climb up Nant Peris Pass and the 2nd run was brutal, severe inclines and a slated shale surface!” *Gethin Wyn Jones  becomes a legend (*pictured above). Gethin competed in the  Slateman Legend Triathlon, Swim, Bike and Run challenge last Sunday. He completed a 93.29k cycle race with 1,420m elevation, in 3 hours 44 minutes, and a 22.46k run with 770m of elevation in 2 hours 42 minutes, and he also swam 1.9m in 42.30 making an incredible total Triathlon time of 7.22.04. Afterwards Gethin said: " So happy to have completed my first ever triathlon and for it to be the

*Charlotte-Rose Wilton Jones at the Snowdonia half-marathon. Tough challenge for runners in Snowdonia half-marathon. Report by Don Hale. Most photos by Steve Jeffery.   Several NWRRC members tackled the tough Snowdonia half-marathon race last Sunday, which attracted 425 finishers over a hot and hilly course. Gethin Wyn Jones  celebrated a good performance in 41st place overall in 1 hour 47 minutes and 40 seconds, with Steve Poupart 107th in 1.57.20, and  Charlotte-Rose Wilton-Jones  enjoyed another positive run finishing 111th overall, as the 12th female runner, and 5th in her F21-34 age cat, in 1.58.31.  *Gethin Wyn Jones (*above left) with Steve Poupart at the Snowdonia race. And club colleague  Jamie Tharme  still seems   determined to continue with his weekly endurance punishment, finishing in 157th place in 2.08.18, and  Nicola Wylie  was a tail runner with her dog Beau in 3.22. *The race was won by  Nic Brook  (Eryri Harriers) in 1.31.05, with 2nd  Andrew Wilson  (St Helens in 1

Six of the best for the Road Runners at Conwy parkrun - plus other great race results... Report by Don Hale. Photos by Steve Jeffrey. North Wales Road Runners collected six age category awards on a very warm morning last Saturday during the well-attended 300th parkrun celebrations at Conwy. And it later added extra icing to the many cakes offered to participants after the event, to confirm that promising NWRRC athlete  Josh Keogh  was the runaway winner of the event in just 17 minutes and 25 seconds, and he also won his SM30-34 age category ahead of  Chris Yorke  2nd in 18.07, and GOG Triathlete  Alun Brown,  despite his PB in 3rd place in 18.18. *Josh Keogh was the runaway winner of the Conwy Parkrun. It was a depleted club turnout however this week of just ten members, including two juniors, due to numerous fixture clashes, and several other members taking it steady in readiness for half marathons or other races the following day.  *Martin Green (*above) took it steady last Saturday

*Harry Driscoll (above) with another good run to lead the club runners home. Report by Don Hale. Photos by Steve Jeffery.   North Wales Road Runner Harry Driscoll was the first club runner back at Conwy parkrun last Saturday morning and he led home a strong team of fourteen seniors and two juniors amongst a holiday crowd of some two-hundred finishers. The talented team of mixed ages and abilities also claimed six age category wins and five second places in addition to recording several personal best (PB) times. Harry  finished 5th overall and won his SM20-24 age cat in just 20 minutes and 6 seconds, and he was nearly two minutes ahead of his nearest rival, veteran  Sean Butler  who also won his MV60-64 cat in 21.56 and he was 18th overall. *Jamie Tharme (*above) produced a good result despite a lack of sleep. Jamie Tharme  battled a lack of sleep due to work commitments, but still enjoyed a dream run to finish 22nd and 2nd in his MV40-44 cat in 22.13, and he was just six seconds ahead

. *Another good run from Steve Mason (*pictured above) at Conwy parkrun. Splash down for Conwy parkrunners on puddle-filled course. Conwy parkrun 2/4/22.  Report by Don Hale. Photos by Steve Jeffery.   Conwy parkrun resembled a waterlogged cross-country course last Saturday, with a mass of deep puddles, and entrants having to splash their way around, and battle with the cold, damp conditions, and a steady drizzle. Despite all these climatic problems, the event still attracted 163 finishers including runners from as far afield as Darlington, Keswick, Hyndburn, Eden, and Rossendale, with five elite athletes in the top-13 all claiming new PBs, and the first 11 finishers dipping under 20-minutes. Nic Brook  (Eryri Harriers) was the first man home to additionally win his MV45-49 age cat in 17 minutes and 56 seconds, with  Daniel Wellings  2nd overall and 2nd in the same age cat as Nic in 18.37, with  Chris Yorke  3rd, and 1st in his MV50-54 cat in 18.49. North Wales Road Runners  entered ei

*Stuart Culverhouse (above) enjoyed another good performance at the Conwy Parkrun. Hot pace for top athletes at Conwy parkrun. Report by Don Hale. Photos by Steve Jeffery.   It was an incredibly bright, sunny, and warm start for nearly two-hundred Conwy parkrunners last Saturday morning with the first eleven athletes setting a hot pace to record some superb times and all dipping under the twenty-minute barrier. Ian Lawton  (Mersey Tri) was the first finisher overall in a very fast time of just 16 minutes and 4 seconds over this challenging 5k course, with  James Yarwood  (Abergele Harriers) 2nd despite a great new PB, and finishing exactly one minute behind Ian in 17.04, whilst local junior  Alfie Shirland  (Colwyn Bay AC) claimed 3rd place with another good run in 17.43 to win his JM11-14 age cat.                      *Will Williams (*above) turned in another great run in 7th place. North Wales Road Runners  entered eleven senior members and one junior with  Will Williams  continuing