Don Hale Blog

*Steve Gardner (*above), finished well at Conwy and won his age cat. Good turn-out at Conwy parkrun for the last event of year...plus other results. Report by Don Hale. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com   There was a good turn-out of over three-hundred mixed ability entrants at Conwy parkrun last Saturday morning for the final event of 2024, with many club and social athletes travelling from far afield. Thankfully, the weather was near perfect, which was in stark contrast to the previous week, and it remained a good festive atmosphere as runners looked forward to the New Year celebrations. North Wales Road Runners  entered thirteen members and recorded four age category victories and two new course PBs. Gold medal winning track athlete  Steve Gardner , fresh from his success in the Welsh Masters indoor 3000m championships, made a rare parkrun appearance and led the team home in 8th place overall with a new PB of 19 minutes and 11 seconds, to win his VM60 cat. Steve was clo...

 *Pictured above - Stuart Culverhouse and his son Joe both win their age cats. Mixed bag of weather for over two-hundred entrants at Conwy parkrun...but Stuart and Joe completed a family double. Report by Don Hale https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk   Over two-hundred entrants at Conwy parkrun faced a mixed bag of weather last Saturday morning with cool, wet, and windy conditions, which made a mockery of the claim that it’s supposedly summer! North Wales Road Runners  Stuart Culverhouse  and his young son  Joe   Culverhouse , however, celebrated a family double with both members winning their respective age categories. Stuart, who led home a team of eleven, was the 1st NWRRC man home in 12th place overall in 20.54, and he won his VM50 cat, whilst Joe finished 28th, and won his JM11 cat in 22.34. Sandwiched in-between was  Steve Roberts , who braved a running vest but finished 2nd in his VM55 cat in 22.10, with  Martin ...

*Some of the NWRRC team (*above) at the Snowdonia half-marathon (l-r) Hannah Griffith, Adam Lemalle, Kevin Slattery, Dave Jones, Stuart Culverhouse, Steve Roberts, Charlotte Rose Wilton Jones, and Cai Roberts. Ten Road Runners hit peak form despite the heat at the tough Snowdonia half-marathon... Report by Don Hale. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk   Ten members of North Wales Road Runners competed in the gruelling Snowdonia half-marathon race on Sunday but were pleased with their results despite a rather hot, and humid day. Stuart Culverhouse  was the first NWRRC athlete home in 41st place overall with an impressive chip time of 1.47.38, but the club chairman and top veteran athlete  Kevin Slattery  was perhaps the pick of the team after winning his MV65 age cat with a superb performance in 70th place in 1.53.36. *And as a note of interest, Kevin’s son  Ian Slattery,  who was visiting, also ran well, and he finished 23r...

  New dates for midweek series of fell races confirmed. Report by Don Hale.  *North Wales ladies on the town (above l-r) Elizabeth Driscoll, Hannah Griffith, Tessa Bushnell and Gwennan Charlton. Four female members of NWRRC recently took part in a unique Urban Orienteering event around Llandudno as part of a new and exciting series of races organised by Eryri Harriers. Gwennan Charlton , who was a member of this talented quartet confirmed: “You are given a map and set of checkpoints, then you visit as many of these as possible within a one-hour time limit. Hannah Griffith, Tessa Bushnell, Elizabeth Driscoll , and me, teamed up, and finished as the second team, a close 10 points off the winning team. *Hannah Griffith has also confirmed the dates for the forthcoming mid-week urban fell race series of races: See poster (*below): -

*Kay Hatton (*above left) with Cheryl Frost. Hat-trick of silver medals at Welsh cross-country championships. Report by Don Hale.    https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com   Three members of NWRCC took part in the Welsh Athletics Inter-Regional cross-country championships at Monmouth last Saturday and all collected silver medals as part of their respective age group team medals.  Richard Eccles  finished 6th in his MV55 race with the team coming home in 2nd place overall, and  Cheryl Frost  and  Kay Hatton  ran in the FW55 age cat race and again were rewarded with silver medals for a similar second-placed finish. Cheryl was 109th and the 8th MW55 runner in 31.17, with Kay 122nd and 11th in the same age cat in 32.08. *Richard Eccles (*above) enjoyed a great run at Monmouth and won a silver medal in his MV55 team. After the race Richard said: “ A well organised event on a great course and although it was a long journey to earn my first NW vest it was...

*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...

*Richard Eccles (left) with Jonathan Kettle and Steve Forsyth. Fast finishing at revised Porth Eirias Halloween 10k race. Report by Don Hale. Photographs by Steve Jeffery. Steve Forsyth stormed to victory in the Halloween 10k at Porth Eirias last Saturday morning, which followed a revised route from Colwyn Bay to Penrhyn Bay and back, due to ongoing construction work on the coastal path to Llandullas. The Prestatyn athlete had a comfortable run winning his VM40-49 age category in just 34 minutes. North Wales Road Runner  Jonathan Kettle  gave chase and ran extremely well to finish 2nd overall and 2nd in his age cat in 34.41, with Steve’s club colleague  Andrew Bromley  claiming 3rd place a minute adrift in 35.41. The race, which attracted 139 runners, proved a success for several other NWRRC members with  Richard Eccles  finishing 7th overall and winning his VM50-59 age cat in 36.49. And  Carla Green  continued her superb run of form as the 1...

Podium place for Steve Bozier at Snowdonia Epic Trail 10k race - and a great team effort. Report by Don Hale.   Five club runners took part in the highly challenging Snowdonia Epic Trail 10k race last Sunday in the rain where Steve Bozier enjoyed an exceptional run to claim a podium position as the 3rd placed finisher. *Steve Bozier put in a great performance to finish 3rd in the Snowdonia Trail race and he is pictured (*top of page) and (*above centre) in the white top appearing as a giant on the start line. Steve ran an amazing 48 minutes 53 seconds, and he was also 2nd in his respective age category. The race also recorded some other notable team performances from  Dave Spofforth ,  Liz Driscoll ,  Hannah Griffiths , and  Samantha Williams , with a couple of the members only recruited at the last minute. *Some good running from the ladies at the Snowdonia Trail race (pictured l-r), Hannah Griffith, Sam Williams and Liz Driscoll. *Another excellent  resul...