Don Hale Blog

*Pictured above - Sharon Hutchings (*second from the left) with her Welsh team colleagues. Competing in Masters athletics by an extraordinary Welsh field athlete Sharon Hutchings... Special  report by WMAL webmaster Juliet Sidney with Sharon Hutchings. donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025 www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk I have been competing abroad since 2022 at the European Indoor champs, Braga. Restarting after having my left knee replaced in 2021 due to osteoarthritis.  During this time of recovery, I had a lot of thinking time, and I’d always regretted giving up athletics aged 25 as good shot putter, discus thrower whose pb’s were 12.24m and 33.50m with a highest British ranking of 6 for shot put aged 16. I started collecting all my old newspaper cuttings, British ranking books, memories and reminiscing about how much I enjoyed throwing in those days. During this time a good friend Ann Thatcher who was my friend and colleague at Newbury AC years ago mentioned masters athletics th...

 *The winning female relay team at the Euro Masters Championships. Welsh Masters Shine at the European Championships in Madeira...results round-up by Juliet Sidney. donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025 Welsh Masters athletes once again did Wales proud at the European Masters Championships in Madeira, delivering a week packed with medals, personal bests and inspirational performances.  From sprints to jumps and endurance events, every athlete showcased the determination, camaraderie and spirit that define Welsh Masters Athletics.   Double Team Gold for Anne Dockery Anne Dockery (W75)  had a packed and impressive schedule in Madeira, showing her trademark endurance and determination across multiple events. She finished 4th in the 400m , 3rd in the 1500m , 4th in the 5000m , and produced another strong performance in the 6K cross country , earning individual bronze and team gold . Anne rounded off her superb week with the 10K road race , finishing 6th  and helping her te...

*Juliet Sidney (*second from left above), is pictured with her team mates after winning the 4 x 100m final at the European Masters Championships in Madeira. Great win for Welsh Master Athlete Juliet and her GB relay team mates at the European Masters Championships in Madeira. Report by Don Hale.  donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025   Well done to the Great Britain ladies W55 relay team who won the 4 x 100 metres final at the European Masters Athletics Championships in Madeira at the weekend with a stunning performance that is likely to be a new European record. The GB team that collected prestigious gold medals consisted of  Juliet Sidney, Diane Wright, Stefanie Dornbusch, and Christine Harrison-Bloomfield  with an impressive time of 53.84, ahead of Germany in second place, and Ireland third. *The delighted GB relay winners are shown above  just after  securing victory in the Euro Masters final in Madeira. Award winning veteran sprinter  Juliet Sidney  ...

*Some race action photos above from the recent Welsh Masters T&F champs at Yate. *Pictured above - the Pocket Rocket - Juliet Sidney who won two gold medals. Six of t he best for Wynn and two gold for Juliet at the recent Welsh Masters T&F champs at Yate... Report by Don Hale https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk Well done to Wynn Howe for a tremendous effort in winning six medals from six events at the recent Welsh Masters T&F champs at Yate, and to Juliet Sidney for her golden double in the sprints. One Welsh Masters athlete however raised a very important point to me by saying that no one has bothered to send in a report about this important event, Unfortunately, this is a common problem that I have had ever since becoming involved with WMAL. There is plenty of pre-publicity but little or no results and reports sent in for publication, so come on lads and lassies, don't be shy, let the website know about your efforts! Chris Pruski, the reco...

*Pictured above - the Pocket Rocket - Juliet Sidney in action. Welsh Masters athlete Juliet Sidney (the pocket rocket) reflects on an incredible year on the track.. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk That's my athletics done for 2024. Definitely a year of ups and downs, but I hung on in there to have some strong performances and good results.   Indoor Highlights:  60m indoor w55 Welsh and British champion. Made my first 200m indoor European final. Bronze medal 4 x 200 w50 European masters championships  Outdoor Highlights:  100m and 200m w55 Welsh and British Champion. Managed a W55 PB in the 100m and a PB in the 200m.   Made my first world outdoor final in the 100m.   First ever world medal 4 x 100m silver.  So many people to thank  @elite82high  for overall training programme. Eric Oram speed sessions. Helen James for your support and guidance. Team-mates and Newport Harriers for their support to masters athlet...

Newport Harriers athletes:  Eleri Jones, Juliet Sidney, Louise Kirkby, and Nicky Buckwell at the World Masters Athletics Championships. Some great medal-winning results for Welsh athletes from the World Masters in Sweden.   World Masters Athletics Championships 13th - 25th August, in  Gothenburg , Sweden. Report by Juliet  Sidney .   Juliet Sidney from Welsh Masters Athletics has kindly forwarded a brief summary from some of the medal winning successes by her club at Newport Harriers and from Welsh Masters Athletics members who competed in the Masters World Championships in Sweden during August. She confirmed: “A massive congratulations to our FIVE Master athletes who travelled to Sweden with all FIVE coming away with relay medals. After competing in their individual events previously and doing well they were all chosen for relay legs.  “Eleri Jones was the 1st leg in the W40 4 x 100m team winning silver, and she also broke the British record...

     *Top veteran sprinter Juliet Sidney (*above left) with colleagues at Derby. Hot, sunny and medal success, plus PBs for WMAL members at the BMAF track and field championships. Report by Don Hale. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk   It was very hot and sunny for a host of Welsh Masters Athletes at the British Masters Athletics track and field championships held at the Moorways Stadium, at Derby, last weekend, with many competitors winning gold medals and recording some great new PBs. One of the top female veteran sprinters  Juliet Sidney , from WMAL, won two gold medals and set a new 200m PB beating her previous performance from several years ago. And North Wales athletes  Steve Gardner , and his master vet father  Dave Gardner  hit top form again, like many others, and just a week after their amazing exploits at Yate for the WMAL champs, with both recording some amazing new PBs. Juliet Sidney confirmed today...