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  ...

*Steve Gardner is pictured (*above left) on the podium at the European Masters event. Prestigious Silver medal for Steve Gardner at European Masters Champs...plus a new PB and a new Welsh track record! Report by Don Hale.  donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025   Welsh Master Steve Gardner came home with a prestigious silver medal after competing in the European Masters Athletics Championships in Madeira last week and said that competing successfully at this level had been like a dream come true. The North Wales Road Runner  was representing Great Britain once again in the 2000m steeplechase event, and he finished second following a highly competitive encounter against some of the world’s top track athletes, yet he recorded a great new PB and claimed a new Welsh Masters record! Veteran Steve was one of 4,200 masters athletes from 33 European countries at this top Euro Masters track championship event, and he praised his North Wales endurance coach  John Mussum  for his h...