Don Hale Blog

*Carla and Martin Green enjoyed some good results at Wrexham. Good performances by the Road Runners at the Village Bakery Wrexham half-marathon. Report by Don Hale. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com   Martin Green led the North Wales Running team home at the Village Bakery half marathon race at Wrexham last Sunday with a very impressive display just days after returning from a family holiday. Martin , who now has dual registration with  Meirionnydd RC , recorded a fast time of 1.14.06, in 72nd place overall, out of 1,834 entrants, and he won his M50 age cat.  Will Evans  was another athlete in top form, and he was thrilled with his new PB time of 1.25.34 in 33rd place, whilst Martin’s wife  Carla Green  finished 3rd in her F50 cat in 506th place, and the 47th female, in 1.31.19. Karl Morris ran his fastest time since 2019 in 726th place in 1.39.33, and *Pictured (*above left), Will Evans, with Adam Lemalle, and Cheryl Frost with Kay Hatton, all took part in...

*Pictured above - Steve Bozier with a crowd of runners at the start. Tough challenge for the Road Runners at the final Coed y Brenin Winter Trail Race... Report by Don Hale. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com   Eight North Wales Road Runners competed in the tough Coed y Brenin 7-mile Winter Trail Race last Saturday and recorded some excellent results amongst the 449 finishers. This final event included some challenging terrain with some stunning beauty and was run along single tracks and footpaths through the  Coed y Brenin Forest Park , which left a sting in the tail! Benjamin Brummit  led the NWRRC team home in 36th place in 57 minutes and 7 seconds, and it was a close encounter for  Sion Thomas  and  Steve Bozier , with Sion 81st in 63.43, and Steve 86th in 64.17. And it was a similar story for  Steve Poupart  and  Rob Haines , with Steve finishing in 117th place in 67.37, with Rob just one place and seven-seconds adrift. Dave Jones  al...

*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.

*Richard Scamans (*above), was the first NWRRC member back at Conwy. Almost tropical at Conwy parkrun after weeks of freezing conditions...plus other results... Report by Don Hale,   There was a good mix of travelling club and social runners at Conwy parkrun last Saturday for a half-term encounter, with temperatures appearing almost tropical at just 4 degrees, following a long period of freezing conditions and strong winds. Iain Burgess  celebrated another outstanding performance as the first finisher overall on this usual puddle-filled 5k course in just 18 minutes and 35 seconds, with debutant  Ewan Gibb  ( Saltaire Striders ), pressing Iain all the way home in 19.19, whilst  Jack Callaghan  ( Betsi Runaways ), was 3rd in 19.43. The first female finisher  was SW20 athlete  Llio Owen  (15th overall) in 21.38, with SW30  Elisha Price  (33rd), and the 2nd female in 23.40, and VW40  Claire Kelly  was 3rd (38th), in 24.02. The...

*Pictured above - the race leader Rhys Jones being chased by the pack, and (*below), the massed range of hundreds of runners provided a spectacular sight. The Nick Beer 10k proved a huge success for runners and charities... plus a unique photo special on a very cold day. *Report and main photos by Don Hale.  Additional photos by John Hatton, and Hannah Griffith. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk *Many of the marshals and volunteers are shown ready for action. The 33rd Annual Nick Beer Memorial 10k race proved another huge success for event organisers Always Aim High, the 744 finishers, and for a host of local charities, despite the bitterly cold weather and a blustery wind around the Great Orme. Rhys Jones  ( Rhedwyr Hebog Runners ) led from start to finish around this tough and very challenging course, and he ran home along Llandudno promenade to win in just 33 minutes and 9 seconds, but he was pushed all the way by rivals  Simon Cole ...

*Pictured above - all round fell racer Karl Morris enjoyed a double date. Karl Morris completes two runs in a day including the tough Conwy Fell Race...plus other results... Report by Don Hale.   https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com *Fell runners are shown tackling the tough climb up Conwy Mountain. North Wales Road Runner Karl Morris took part in the annual Conwy Fell Race on Saturday afternoon just a few hours after competing in the 5k Nova parkrun at Prestatyn.  Described by the organisers as ‘a great fell race in the Conwy mountains,’ this gruelling course followed a 5-mile route, which included an initial 500m climb, and a further 1650ft of elevation, which started and finished at Conwy Cricket Club, and attracted 112 hardy and mixed ability athletes. Despite the challenge of two events in a day, Karl, a popular all-round endurance, fell, and road running athlete, completed this tough course with flying colours, and he ran home in 69.43 to finish in 77th place. *The over...

*Pictured above - super vet Dave  Gardner, who won gold at Deeside. North Wales athletes performed well at prestigious Indoor Championships... Report by Don Hale. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com   Three top veteran athletes hit good form at two different Indoor Championship events last weekend, with North Wales Road Runner Steve Gardner crossing the Pennines to compete for the Welsh Masters on the track in the 3000m, whilst his father Dave struck gold in the shot putt event at Coleg Cambria, Deeside, alongside Paul Brooks, who also won gold in his own respective age category. Steve however, despite an excellent performance in Sheffield, said he was slightly down on his best time for this distance, but admitted to facing some stern competition, from rivals.   *Above left - Steve and Dave Gardner, and (*right) Paul Brooks. After the event, Steve confirmed:  “I competed in the British Masters Indoor Championships last Sunday. It was a very strong MV60 age category held...

*Pictured above - NWRRC track star and record holder Steve Gardner. Steve Gardner competed in the British Masters Indoor 3000m champs at Sheffield. Report by Don Hale.  https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk North Wales Road Runner Steve Gardner took to the track again last week and this time he travelled across the Pennines to compete for the Welsh Masters in the British Masters Indoor championships held in Sheffield. Despite an excellent performance, the record breaking veteran Welsh athlete was slightly down on his best time for this distance, and faced some stern competition.   After the event, Steve  confirmed: “I competed in the British Masters Indoor Championships last Sunday. It was a very strong MV60 age category held over two races. I finished 2nd in the B race in a time of 10.43 which meant I was 10th overall taking into consideration the times of both races. I was 5-seconds slower than my PB but pleased with my performance on th...

*Steve Gardner and his father Dave are pictured above. Welsh Masters record breaking trio received their certificate recognition awards this week. Report by Don Hale https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk   Three Welsh Masters veteran athletes received official certificates this week to confirm they have recorded some new national records at recent track and field events. The roll of honour includes two  North Wales Road Runners  in father and son athletes  Dave and Steve Gardner,   and David Williams  from the  Guildford and Godalming club. Dave celebrated a new record in the indoor shot putt competition held at Coleg Cambria, Deeside, on 11th January this year, with an impressive throw of 7.26m to win his M85 age cat, whilst his son Steve competed at the National Indoor Athletics Centre in Cardiff on 12th January, and he won his M60 cat in the 800m indoor track race in 2 minutes 20.89 seconds. David Williams was another...

*Pictured above - Will Williams celebrated another positive run. Conwy parkrunners back in action on a waterlogged course after several postponements... Report by Don Hale. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com   Nearly three-hundred mixed ability athletes took part in the Conwy parkrun last Saturday following a series of postponements due to the weather and severe water problems but faced a very cold breeze and a waterlogged 5k course on their delayed 10th anniversary. Martin Green  was the first  North Wales Road Runner  home, although he also represents  Meirionnydd Runners , due to his dual registration. He finished 7th overall in 17 minutes and 59 seconds and won his VM50 age cat. Will Williams  finished 13th overall and he was 3rd in his VM50 cat in 19.48, with  Sion Thomas  31st in 22.15, and 2nd in his VM40 cat, whilst  Daniel Hennell  enjoyed a good run in 71st place in 25.40.    *Sion Thomas (*above left), with Daniel Henn...