Don Hale Blog

*The NWRRC team at the Abersoch half-marathon (*l-r) Rachel Morris, Helen Hannam, Nicola Wylie, Stuart Culverhouse and Iwan Evans, Age category victory for Stuart Culverhouse at the Abersoch half-marathon race despite tough conditions. Report by Don Hale.   https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk   Five North Wales Road Runners travelled to Abersoch last Saturday (15/7/23) for their annual half-marathon event and collected two prestigious podium places, including an outright age category victory for Stuart Culverhouse as an MV50 athlete, despite facing very wet and windy conditions. In a large entry of about 300 runners,  Iwan Evans  was the first NWRRC member home in 20th place overall in 1 hour 31 minutes and 14 seconds, to claim the 3rd spot in his MV45 age cat. He was followed by  Stuart Culverhouse , who finished 29th in 1.35.53, to win his MV50 cat. Nicola Wylie  enjoyed another outstanding run as the 27th female, and in 136th place overall in 1.54.14, an

*Stuart Culverhouse (*above) ran well at the Manchester Marathon. Road Runners tackled various Marathon challenges. Report by Don Hale.   Marathon mania returned to the streets of Manchester and elsewhere in the UK again last Sunday as tens of thousands of runners celebrated their long winter training slog in style by completing numerous and very personal 26.2-mile journeys. The events, which helped to raise many millions of pounds for various charities, always attract a wide variety of entrants ranging from top international stars to first time social runners and brought mass crowds out to cheer on their heroes. The Manchester race was eventually won by Lithuanian athlete  Ignas Brasevicius  in just 2 hours 16 minutes and 27 seconds, with  Naomi Mitchell  taking the plaudits as the 1st female finisher in 2.31.27. North Wales Road Runners  welcomed back various marathon challenges and entered seven members at Manchester, with two others competing at the  Boston Marathon  in the UK, and

*Road Runner Josh Keogh (*pictured above) had a great run in the Metric Marathon. Outstanding win for Josh Keogh at Colwyn Bay Metric Marathon...plus Jonathan Kettle on form at Knighton 20. Report by Don Hale. Photos by Steve Jeffery   North Wales Road Runner Josh Keogh was the outstanding winner of the Colwyn Bay Metric Marathon last Sunday, finishing almost two minutes ahead of his nearest rival. The popular all-round athlete, who combines road races, with fell running, trail, and endurance events, set a hot pace throughout despite a blustery headwind, and proved a worthy champion of this challenging  Metric Marathon , which also proved to be an ideal warm-up for the forthcoming London (full) Marathon. Starting from the athletics track at Eirias Park, Colwyn Bay, this event attracted some 425 mixed ability finishers from across the UK, over a new and testing course, that became a race of two halves due to a strong and persistent sea breeze. *(Above) Some of the NWRRC  members  at the

* North Wales Road Runners at the start of the Llandudno Easter 5k Dash. Report by Don Hale. Photos by Kevin Slattery and Steve Jeffery.   North Wales Road Runners had two athletes in the top three placings, in addition to winning both the male and female team prizes and claimed five age category wins at the popular Easter 5k Dash on Llandudno prom last Saturday. Martin Green  led home a large club entry of some twenty-eight athletes for this revived race which has not been held since 2019 due to Covid-19 restrictions and postponements. The overall race was won by  Scott Nixon  (Cardiff AC) in 16 minutes 23 seconds, with Martin just 12-seconds adrift in 2nd place, despite a gallant effort, and  Mark Jessett  finished 3rd in 16.48, and he deserves extra credit after competing at the Conwy parkrun earlier that morning where he was the top club finisher in 18.50. *Pictured (*above left) Martin Green, and (*above right) Will Williams with Harry Driscoll at the start of the Easter 5k Dash o

Kay Hatton (*pictured above) was the pick of the trio at the Tatton Park 10k. Report by Don Hale. Photos by John Hatton.   Three North Wales Road Runners crossed the border into England last Saturday and celebrated with some very good performances in the Tatton Park 10k race in Cheshire, including Kay Hatton who won her respective veteran age category. With parkruns and most other races currently prohibited, or severely restricted in Wales, due to Welsh Government and Covid-19 restrictions it meant another long trip for three notable club athletes who had to battle strong winds, cold temperatures, and rain over a challenging but picturesque course. Harry Driscoll  (*pictured above) was the first NWRRC member home in 19th place in 39 minutes 51 seconds, with  Iwan Evans  31st in 41.43 and 4th in his MV40 age cat, whilst  Kay Hatton  was the pick of the trio, and continued her excellent form to win her VW55 age cat in a superb time of 48.03, finishing 109th overall and the 13th female ru

*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