Don Hale Blog

*Pictured above (l-r): Ben and  Sarah Hudson with Mike Hayton. Road Running trio at the Ruthin 10k.   A trio of NWRRC members competed in the Ruthin 10k road race on Sunday and the pick of the team was Sarah Hudson who was 34th overall, the 3rd female finisher, and she was also 2nd in her F40 age category in 47.37.  And to add some extra icing to Sarah’s performance, she finished just ahead of her husband  Ben , who was 37th overall, and 5th in his M40 cat in 48.08, whilst master veteran  Mike Hayton  enjoyed another good run, and he was 102nd, and 4th in his M70 cat in 63.24. Sarah Hudson later confirmed:  “Great fun this morning running the “lumpy” Ruthin 10k, and over the moon to have come 3rd lady in 47.37, and to beat Ben!”   *Kevin Higgins also ran in the 5k race and he finished in 50th place in 28.48 in his first race since last September due to injuries.

*North Wales Road Runners are pictured (*above) just before the start of the festive handicap race on the promenade at Rhos on Sea. Christmas cracker at the NWRRC handicap race. Report by Don Hale. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com   Twenty-four members of NWRRC took part in the annual Christmas club handicap race, which this year was staged from the Rhos on Sea clock tower to the renovated far end of the promenade and back over a 4.5-mile course. Well organised with times recorded and verified by  Carla Green  and  Elizabeth Driscoll , with support from other members, the handicap rules this time included each runner having to hand in their watches and mobile phones, and the need to predict their finishing times, so that no one knew their exact pace, or whether their estimated times were likely to be accurate, until they actually reached the finish line. The top three female winners , who were the closest to their times included the winner –  Kay Hatto...

*Pictured above - the NWRRC runners at Porth Eirias (l-r), Mike Hayton, Carla Green, and Stuart Culverhouse. Road Running trio claimed podium places at Porth Eirias 10k race...plus other results. Report by Don Hale. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk   A trio of Road Runners took part in the Porth Eirias 10k race last Saturday morning and they all gained podium places and recorded some excellent results. Stuart Culverhouse  finished in 8th place overall in 41.24 and he was 2nd in his M50 age cat, whilst  Carla Green  was on top form again as the 1st female finisher, (11th overall), and she won her F50 age cat in 42.14, whilst master veteran  Mike Hayton  enjoyed another good performance in 99th place, and he also won his M70 age cat in 59.42. After the race Stuart Culverhouse confirmed : “Porth Eirias 10k. Chip time was one second slower than when I last ran this race 5 years ago, but my gun time was three seconds quicker today...

*Pictured above - A quartet of NWRRC members at the Beaumaris 10k (l-r), Len Jackson, Kay Hatton, Mike Hayton, and Cheryl Frost. Road Runners celebrated a hat-trick of podium places at the Beaumaris 10k...plus other results. Report by Don Hale. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk   A quartet of Road Runners tackled the tough and very hilly Beaumaris 10k race on Sunday and claimed three podium places including two age cat wins for the ladies. Cheryl Frost  and  Kay Hatton  hit top form again with Cheryl the 5th female and she also won her F50 cat with a fast time of 48 minutes and 41 seconds, but Kay gave Cheryl a good chase and she too won her own F60 age cat in 49.57 as the 8th female.  For the lads, veteran  Len Jackson  and master veteran  Mike Hayton , also gave a good account of themselves with highly credible efforts. Len finished as the 49th male in 59.04, and 6th in his M60 cat, whilst Mike was 52nd, and he was...

  *Pictured above (l-r) - the NWRRC trio at Abersoch on Saturday - Sandy Johnston, Stuart Culverhouse, and Gwen Charlton. Road Running trio set the pace at the Abersoch half-marathon... plus other race results. Report by Don Hale. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk A trio of NWRRC members took part in the   Abersoch half-marathon   last Saturday with  Stuart Culverhouse  coming home first for the club in 28th place overall, out of nearly 300 entrants. And he also celebrated a new course PB and finished two-minutes quicker than last time in 1.33.35 and he was 3rd in his M50 age cat.  Super-veteran  Sandy Johnston  confirmed his pedigree with a superb result of 1.42.26 to win his M75 cat with a new PB in 62nd place, whilst  Gwen Charlton  ran well in 2.20.44, and she was 260th overall, and the 86th female finisher. After the race Sandy said:  “Just ran a huge over-75 PB at the Abersoch half after 10 days ...

*The famous five from NWRRC (*above l-r front row): Nicola Wylie, Cheryl Frost and Mike Hayton, with (*back row), Rob Fryer and Stuart Culverhouse. Five championship medals for five Road Runners at the Fairy Freckled Cow Trail Race... Report by Don Hale.   Five Road Runners successfully competed in the Fairy Freckled Cow Trail Race on Sunday, which was a very challenging 10.7k race around Llyn Alwen Reservoir and formed part of the North Wales Trail Race Championships, with each member collecting a prestigious medal. Stuart Culverhouse  led the NWRRC team home, and he was delighted to collect a deserved gold medal after finishing 14th overall and he won his M50 age cat in 47 minutes and 26 seconds.  Cheryl Frost  also had a very good run, finishing in 34th place, and 2nd in her F55 cat in 56.25 to win a silver medal, and  Nicola Wylie  celebrated winning a bronze medal in 3rd place in the same age cat as Cheryl, finishing in 39th place in 60.54. Master vets...

*The NWRRC quartet pictured above (l-r): Nia Lister, Kay  Hatton, Cheryl Frost and Mike Hayton. NWRRC quartet tackled an 8-mile challenge for the South Snowdonia Search & Rescue Team. Report by Don Hale. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk   North Wales Road Runners entered a quartet of hardy athletes in the SSART Trawsfynydd Multi-Terrain 8-mile race last Sunday afternoon amongst an entry of 232 finishers who helped to raise essential funds for the South Snowdonia Search & Rescue team. Described as a beautiful multi-terrain race starting from the Magnox Power Station and then around Trawsfynydd Lake in the Eryri/Snowdonia National Park, the course was claimed to be fast, with just one challenging hill over a mixed tarmac and trail route. The NWRRC team  performed well despite the very blustery conditions, combined at times with hail showers, but  Cheryl Frost  led her group home in 68th place, as the 9th female athlete, with...

*Pictured above - some of the NWRRC team at the Anglesey races (l-r): Stuart  Culverhouse, Mike Hayton, Rob Fryer, and Don Hale. NW Road runners celebrated age cat wins at Anglesey half-marathon and 10k races. *Adam Lemalle and Kevin Slattery are pictured (*above) at the start of the half-marathon race, and (*below left), Alastair Canaway (*left), with Don Hale close to the finish of the 10k. (*These superb images courtesy of Mel Parry photography). Tel: 07810 161614. 01248 852944. Email:  Email:  dmelparry@gmail.com     Report by Don Hale. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk   It was a bumper turn-out at the Anglesey half-marathon and 10k races last Sunday with over 1,100 runners taking part in this tough and very challenging course on an unusually bright and sunny morning. North Wales Road Runners  entered five athletes in the half-marathon event, with a further six members competing in the 10k, and once again they celebr...

*Richard Eccles (*pictured above) enjoyed a good run and finished 9th in addition to winning his age cat at the Abergele 5k race. Gold medals and podium places for a quartet of Road Runners at Abergele. Report by Don Hale. Photos by Steve Jeffery. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk Over two-hundred club and social runners competed in the Abergele 5k and 10k races on the town’s promenade last Sunday morning, where a quartet of Road Runners celebrated podium places and won two gold medals! NWRRC  entered two athletes in both the 5k, and 10 events, and they all recorded unexpected podium places, with two welcome age category victories and impressive gold medals for  Richard Eccles  and  Don Hale  in the 5k, and two third-placed finishes in their respective age cats for  Steve Roberts  and  Mike Hayton  in the latter 10k event.     *Richard Eccles (*above left) with Don Hale. The races were run concurrently...