Don Hale Blog

   *Harry Driscoll was the first club runner home at the Conwy  Parkrun. Report by Don Hale. Photos by Steve Jeffery.   Conwy parkrun returned to action again following the intervention of Storm Arwen the previous Saturday, but numbers were down due to a clash with other fixtures and a cold blustery wind. The event was won by tourist Ben Hague (Rotherham Harriers) in a PB of 17 minutes 9 seconds, and his club colleague Tammy Hague, also won her VW35-39 age cat in 23.03 and was the 2nd female athlete. Nic Brook (Eryri Harriers) had a great run finishing in 3rd place overall, and the 4th place was taken by international long-distance traveller Bernabe Sanchez Naffziger (Singapore Shufflers) in 19.08. North Wales Road Runners  entered nine athletes amongst the 164 finishers and  Harry Driscoll  was the first club man home finishing 5th overall in 19 minutes 22 seconds to win his SM20-24 age category, and  Sean Butler  was another cat winner of his MV60-64 section.                      *St

Humid conditions attracted super-fast athletes to Conwy parkrun. Report by Don Hale. Most photos by Steve Jeffery.   This week’s Conwy parkrun was staged in complete contrast to the previous Saturday, and instead of wet and windy conditions, the course remained dry, with the weather warm and humid. Perhaps it was these unusual conditions that attracted many of the best local runners who created an extraordinary and feisty competition, with the first nine runners all dipping under twenty-minutes, and three of the top four runners claimed personal best times, with a mere eleven-seconds separating the leading pack. Rhodri Owen  was the first finisher, winning his SM30-34 age cat in 16 minutes and 7 seconds, with  Matthew Roberts  just three-seconds behind, and the winner of his VM40-44 cat in 16.20.  Simon Cole  was a further five-seconds adrift in 16.25, and in addition,  Steve Forsyth , who finished 4th was only three-seconds down on Simon in 16.28. Rhodri, Simon, and Steve also ran in

*Some of the NWRRC team at Chester last Sunday (pictured l-r) Cai Roberts,  Kelly-Marie Alford, Carla Green, Rachel Morris and Kay Hatton. Carla Green leads North Wales team at Chester half-marathon Report by Don Hale.   North Wales Road Runners entered eight athletes at the Essa Chester half-marathon last Sunday and Carla Green was again the pick of the pack finishing as 2nd female in her respective age category and 7th lady in this prestigious race which attracted over 3,000 entrants. And it proved a hectic weekend for the local club now that most parkruns are back to near normal, and the fact the Chester race clashed with the new Caernarfon half-marathon. Carla Green  however, confirmed her top form and celebrated a superb run at Chester in 92nd place overall with a chip time of 1 hour 25 minutes and 55 seconds, and she was also 2nd in her F45-49 age cat.                  *Carla Green finished 2nd in her age category at Chester. Jon Evans  also made a welcome return to endurance rac

*Richard Eccles - set a new course record for his age with a PB at Conwy. North Wales runners take the plaudits at Conwy parkrun. Report by Don Hale. Photographs by Steve Jeffery.   Conwy Parkrun welcomed over three-hundred mixed ability athletes to the picturesque yet puddle-filled course at the RSPB site last Saturday, but it was Richard Eccles and team mates from North Wales Road Running club who took the plaudits, with some exceptional performances as the drizzle closed in. NWRRC entered fifteen members and packed well with four runners finishing in the top-ten and seven of the team also claimed age category wins, two second, and three third place awards, in addition to claiming three new parkrun PBs. And in addition,  Richard Eccles  set a remarkable new course record for his age group by ten-seconds! Jonathan Kettle  was the first club man home in 17 minutes 35 seconds, and won his VM45-49 cat, but this time he had to settle for 4th place overall behind some superb visiting elite

*Cai Roberts and Kelly-Marie Alford on the podium with their son Noah. Cai and Kelly-Marie on track at Oulton Park Report by Don Hale.   Cai Roberts  and his partner  Kelly-Marie Alford  raced around the track during a series of running events at the Oulton Park Grand prix last Sunday, with Cai completing the 10k challenge, and Kelly-Marie claiming 3rd place in her F35 age category in the 16-miler. The popular running couple, who are still recovering from last week’s North Wales half-marathon, sped along the brand-new traffic free course and around the famous motor racing circuit in different events, with Cai finishing 80th overall in his 10k race in 55 minutes 34 seconds; whilst Kelly battled a much longer and more undulating route, including the circuit, to finish 40th overall and 3rd F35 cat in 2 hours 42 minutes and 23 seconds. Later  Kelly-Marie  admitted: ‘ I had the worst stitch at mile 8.5, and it took ages to get rid of it. OMG it was so hard! The hills zapped the energy right