Don Hale Blog

*Road Runner Vicky Taylor (*above) completes her trail run at Capel Curig. Eryri Slate Trail 10k race for Vicky and Nia. Report by Don Hale.  https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com   Two North Wales Road Runners took to the hills last weekend at Capel Curig to compete in the Ogwen Yr Helgi Du 10k mountain race. Described, as being the perfect opportunity to enjoy some stunning, if not spectacular views, in Eryri’s Ogwen Valley, entrants were offered a varied choice of three very different but challenging distances for the more experienced athletes to consider, including 10k, 125k, and 40k races. The intrepid duo of  Vicky Taylor and Nia Lister  , opted for the 10k event - said to be an out and back, fast and flat route - which followed the historic Eryri Slate Trail,  through the Valley, with the Glyderau, and Carneddau dominating the landscape.  They both performed well with Nia 35th overall out of 74 finishers, in a good time of 1 hour 6 minutes and 34 seconds,...

*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...

*Members of NWRRC (*pictured above), prior to the start of the Christmas handicap race at West Shore. Blustery winds for Road Runners at club’s Christmas handicap race...plus other  results and New Year events. Report by Don Hale. Main photos by Kevin Slattery and John Hatton. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk   Twenty-five members of North Wales Road Runners took part in the annual Christmas handicap race last Sunday, but they had to battle with cool and very blustery head and sidewinds as they negotiated a challenging four-mile course along part of the Great Orme. Following a tough route out from West Shore and climbing up the Orme to the old WW2 gun sites and past what’s known as ‘ Millionaires Row ,’ the runners then turned via a further muddy track before returning back to the start. This popular event, well organised by John Hatton, Martin and Carla Green, and a team of willing volunteers and marshals attracted a bumper attendance, which in...

*Carla Green (*pictured above) won her FV50 age cat at Conwy. Course and car park swamped by downpour at soggy Conwy parkrun... Report by Don Hale.    https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk   More than 300 entrants took part in a very soggy Bank Holiday parkrun at Conwy last Saturday which attracted numerous visiting club and social runners. On a challenging 5k course that more resembled a cross between a lake and a swamp following a heavy overnight and early morning downpour, participants even had to negotiate a flooded RSPB car park (*see below) before starting their run. Despite numerous weather-related problems, the first two finishers were still able to splash their way around this picturesque route, with both recording extremely fast times, including   Adam Jones   who claimed 1st place in only 17 minutes and 17 seconds to win his SM2-29 age cat.   He was closely followed by rival  Hamish Morton  (Cambridge & Co...