Don Hale Blog

*Members of North Wales Road Runners pictured (*above) prior to the start. Road Runners staged their annual inter-club relay challenge on the prom in Llandudno. Report by Don Hale. Photos by John Hatton. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk   North Wales Road Runners held their annual inter-club relay competition on Llandudno promenade last Tuesday night with a couple of dozen athletes taking part over a variety of distances. Seven teams, each consisting of three mixed ability and/or mixed aged athletes, plus one volunteer, entered this fun relay event, which was well organised by John Hatton and Carla Green , and included several other willing club volunteers.  All the distances were different and approximated. The first leg was just over 1k, with the second about a mile, and the third just over two miles. *I have entered the individual times and distances where known. The names are in the order of their running, with the 1k leg first, followed by the mile

*Runners wanted for the club relay in August - pictured is Helen Hannam (*above left) with Nicola Wylie. North Wales Road Runners - Summer Relay. The NW Road runners will be staging their Summer Relay on the prom early next month - Tuesday 1st August.  Meet near the Cenotaph at 6.30pm with the relay to start at 7pm, followed by free sausage and chips at the RAOB Club on Madoc Street Llandudno. The relay will be made up of teams of 3 club members per team, with the 1st leg being 1k, 2nd 1 mile, and the final leg 2.5 miles approx. So that arrangements can be made, please confirm in the comments (or by FB messenger) your attendance by the 25th of July.  To arrange the teams, we could also do with knowing your most recent 5k times. Please also confirm any dietary requirements and any guests attending with you for food.        *Flashback to some previous relay action on Llandudno prom (above l-r) Josh Keogh, Kay Hatton and Richard Eccles.

*GOG athlete Craig Rutter (*above) returned to action at  the Nick Beer 10k race and he was one of many GOG Triathlon members who ran last Sunday. Nick Beer 10k charity success as GOG Triathlon runners tackled the Orme in bright sunshine. Report by Don Hale.    Over five-hundred mixed ability runners enjoyed bright sunshine and some spectacular scenery around the Great Orme in Llandudno last Sunday for the ever-popular Nick Beer 10k race. The large crowds of tourists and supporters on the promenade were treated to a feast of entertainment as the mass ranks quickly dashed past the pier and began the challenging ascent and later descent of the Orme prior to returning to the start via Church Walks. There was a large turnout of GOG Triathlon athletes and  Grant Little  was the first club home on 38.05 and he also won his MV40 age cat, with  Jonathan Seymour  close behind in 17th place and 2nd in the same age cat as grant in 38.14, and  Keith Quinton  was the 3rd GOG runner in 39.48. The 1s

* Pictured (*above and l-r) the three female podium race winners from the Nick Beer 10k, Amie Bagnall, Eleesha Charnley, and Rachel Shipley. Nick Beer 10k charity success as runners tackled the Orme in bright sunshine. Report by Don Hale. Most photos  courtesy  of John Hatton. Over five-hundred mixed ability runners enjoyed bright sunshine and some spectacular scenery around the Great Orme in Llandudno last Sunday for the ever-popular Nick Beer 10k race. The large crowds of tourists and supporters on the promenade were treated to a feast of entertainment as the mass ranks quickly dashed past the pier and began the challenging ascent and later descent of the Orme prior to returning to the start via Church Walks. The event also welcomed a special 1k fun run for children and parents on the prom with proceeds donated towards  St David’s Hospice . And the 10k race that followed the junior race also raised tens of thousands of pounds for local charities including  Shine, Ty Gobaith, St John’

  Huge crowds and a record number of entrants at Llandudno Lions Boxing Day charity swim and dip. Introduction by Don Hale. Comments by Ian Turner. Top photo by    It was a bright sunny day with a bracing and very cool wind for a record number of colourful costume wearing swimmers and dippers on Llandudno Promenade on Boxing Day morning, who then braved the freezing sea temperatures to help raise thousands of pounds for local and other deserving charities. MC Ian Turner  kept the packed crowds well informed throughout the morning as usual, by updating everyone about this exciting event, which attracted many hundreds of people from miles around just to watch the mad dash into the waters.  It also turned out to be yet another grand occasion that had been sadly missed over the past two years due to Covid-19 restrictions, but this year it certainly returned with a major splash! *Ian Turner (*far right) with Llandudno Lions Club members and fundraising charity officials at the Boxing Day sw

*Martin Green (*above in white vest) leads the pack at a previous Pier to Pier race. MESSAGE FROM ORGANISER OF PIER TO PIER 10K RACE - EVENT POSTPONED TILL NEXT JANUARY 2023. It is with regret we will have to postpone this year’s race. We have tried numerous different weekends and simply just cannot co-ordinate First Aid and transport with so many events back in the calendar following the lifting of Covid -19 restrictions. This time of year is worsened with the promenade being so busy at Llandudno, Rhos and Colwyn Bay it has been made even more difficult as we approach the summer period. For those that have entered we will postpone the race to January 2023 and entries will automatically be deferred. The date will either be the 14th  or 21st  January 2023 and will confirm as soon as the tide information has been revealed. If you wish to receive a full refund please click  here  before April  30th 2022, after this we will transfer any entries to the 2023 event. Thank you for your patienc

RNLI fundraising appeal for runners to support their Mayday Mile challenge... Report by Don Hale. Photo Steve Jeffery.   The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) has launched an urgent fundraising campaign for individual runners or running clubs to help them promote and support their Mayday Mile Appeal. *Flashback to the last RNLI appeal with John Hatton (*above right) from NWRRC handing a fundraising cheque from the club to an RNLI official in Llandudno. Catherine Tudor, the community manager, for North and Mid Wales, confirmed: ‘RNLI lifesavers answer Mayday calls and rescue others, but this May, we’re asking for your help, so will you answer our call? ‘As the beaches fill up this summer, our lifesavers will be at their busiest. With more people drawn to the water, more people will get into danger. It could be you or someone you love, and crews needs to be ready, and that takes lifeboats, training kit, lifeboat stations, and fuel. ‘Can you help get our lifesavers ready for resc

*Pictured (*above and below) the start of the 30th anniversary running of the 2022 Nick Beer 10k on the promenade at Llandudno.  Nick Beer memorial 10k race success gave massive fundraising boost to charities...and women's course record broken. Report by Don Hale. Photos by Steve Jeffery. The 30th anniversary run of the popular Nick Beer 10k memorial race proved another huge success last Sunday and gave a massive and very welcome fundraising boost for a variety of charities. This spectacular annual event attracted nearly six-hundred finishers and recorded a host of excellent results despite the blustery conditions, including top female athlete Sara Willhoit, who smashed the women’s course record! Apart from many runners enjoying this race and returning to action after many turbulent months due to Covid-19 restrictions, the race and its associated Fun Run also raised thousands of pounds for St David’s Hospice and the Llandudno Lions Club charities, plus a host of individual good cau

NICK BEER 10K ANNIVERSARY RACE FINALLY GIVEN GREEN LIGHT Report by Don Hale. Most photographs by Steve Jeffery. Organisers of the ever-popular Nick Beer 10k race around Llandudno’s famous Great Orme have finally been given the green light by the Welsh Government and Welsh Athletics and are now back on track to stage their commemorative 30th anniversary race on Sunday February 13th. This latest news came as a welcome boost to race directors John and Kay Hatton from event hosts North Wales Road Running club, following the lifting last weekend of Covid-19 restrictions, which now permits up to 500 people to attend outdoor activities. It will also come as a huge relief for runners of all ages and abilities, and from all parts of the UK and abroad, to accept that they will be able to take part and share in the excitement of competing in this scenic, yet challenging race.  *Martin Green (*above) in the colours of the North Wales County team was 7th in the Nick Beer race last year and shown fi

* Some of the GOG runners at  the  Nick Beer race on Llandudno promenade Age Cat honours for GOG Triathlon Club at a very hot Nick Beer 10k race Report by Don Hale. Photographs by Steve Jeffery.   The GOG Triathlon Club entered a large contingent of quality athletes in the very hot and hilly Nick Beer 10k race last Sunday morning, which was one of the very first major events held in Wales this year since the Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns. This popular race starting from Llandudno Promenade, and then out and back, including a tough climb around the Great Orme, always offers runners a stern challenge, but this year, the re-scheduled race - due to previous restrictions - provided an even harder test with very high temperatures and limited shade for the 400-plus finishers. The event also included a prestigious Inter-County race with some of the top runners from North Wales, Staffordshire, Shropshire, and Cheshire taking part. North Wales eventually won the men’s race, with the ladies having