Don Hale Blog

*The NWRRC team at the Abersoch half-marathon (*l-r) Rachel Morris, Helen Hannam, Nicola Wylie, Stuart Culverhouse and Iwan Evans, Age category victory for Stuart Culverhouse at the Abersoch half-marathon race despite tough conditions. Report by Don Hale.   https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk   Five North Wales Road Runners travelled to Abersoch last Saturday (15/7/23) for their annual half-marathon event and collected two prestigious podium places, including an outright age category victory for Stuart Culverhouse as an MV50 athlete, despite facing very wet and windy conditions. In a large entry of about 300 runners,  Iwan Evans  was the first NWRRC member home in 20th place overall in 1 hour 31 minutes and 14 seconds, to claim the 3rd spot in his MV45 age cat. He was followed by  Stuart Culverhouse , who finished 29th in 1.35.53, to win his MV50 cat. Nicola Wylie  enjoyed another outstanding run as the 27th female, and in 136th place overall in 1.54.14, an

*Jonathan Kettle (*above) finished 2nd at Conwy but won his MV45 age cat. Conwy parkrun celebrated the 75th anniversary of the NHS with birthday cake and welcomed a top track star to this challenging 5k course! Report by Don Hale .  https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk Almost two-hundred-and fifty people took part in the Conwy parkrun last Saturday, which also celebrated the 75th anniversary of the NHS, and was well supported by a large team from Porth Eirias Runners, who provided numerous volunteers, marshals, and some special birthday cake! *Bethan Wyn Roberts (*front centre) with members of the Porth Eirias Runners who did such a great job volunteering and supporting Conwy parkrun for the NHS 75th anniversary. The event proved to be another hot and humid affair with visiting runners travelling from many parts of the UK, and even from as far away as Australia, to enjoy the splendours of this scenic course. And one such experienced traveller was a top inter

*Pictured above - Four North Wales Road Runners at the Great Orme Fell Race (l-r) Steve Bozier, Nicola Wylie, Helen  Hannam and Karl Morris. Perfect conditions as records smashed at the Great Orme Fell Race... Report by Don Hale.    The annual   Great Orme Fell Race (Y Gogarth) was held last Tuesday evening in superb conditions with dozens of experienced fell, endurance, and club runners enjoying some spectacular views, as they smashed several established records. Staged over as challenging 4.1-mile, (6.6kms) course, with 1,306ft (398m) of elevation, organisers welcomed a perfect evening for racing, with many entrants travelling from far afield just to take part in this ever-popular event, which included both junior and senior races and varied age categories. One of the local event organisers,  Mike Blake  from Eryri Harriers ,  later confirmed: “Perfect running conditions at the Great Orme for Round 12 of the  Joe Brown Shops ’ mid-week fell race series.  “And our thanks to the organi

*Kay Hatton (*above) put in another great performance to win her age cat Kay and Mark win podium places at Anglesey half-marathon...plus 10k results. All race reports and results by Don Hale.   Veteran athletes Kay Hatton and Mark Mason were the outstanding stars of the NWRRC team at the Anglesey half-marathon race on Sunday with both members winning prestigious podium places including an age category win for Kay, and a 2nd place for Mark. The Road runners entered a strong team of ten athletes, and they all competed well against a strong entry of nearly 700 club rivals.  Mark Jessett  was the first club man home in 8th place overall in 1.18.11, with  Rory Middleton  29th in 1.25.38, and  Iwan Evans  46th in 1.29.18. *Mark Jessett (*above left) with Stuart Culverhouse. Stuart Culverhouse  maintained his recent good form in 53rd place in 1.31.02, and  Kay Hatton  enjoyed another outstanding run to win her new VW60 age cat in 1.45.37 in 174th place, and the 25th female runner.  Nicola Wyl

*NWRRC Christmas handicap race winner Nicola Wylie (*above), and (*below) club members pictured before the start of the race. Nicola wins Road Runners Christmas handicap race in freezing conditions on the Great Orme. Report by Don Hale. Photos by Don Hale, Mike Smith, and Kevin Slattery.   Nicola Wylie was the worthy winner of the North Wales Road Runners’ Christmas handicap race last Sunday as twenty-one fellow club members braved freezing conditions and a bitterly cold headwind to compete over a tough and hilly course. With all the start and finishing times adjusted to consider the age and ability of entrants in conjunction with noting recent parkrun performances, the runners then had to tackle a very challenging route from West Shore to the former WW2 gun sites on the Great Orme and back. The race proved to be a close-run event and  Nicola  ran with an unintentional pace-maker  Cheryl Frost , who was recovering from a fall and simply took part as a non-counting athlete.  *Nicola Wyl

*Will Williams (*above) finished 2nd in the Run Wales 5k race Loyal athletes battled horrific weather in Run Wales 5k and 10k races...plus  Martin and Carla Green at Telford 10k. Report by Don Hale.   Nine Road Runners took part in the Run Wales Loyalty 5k and 10k races last Saturday despite freezing conditions that included sleet, rain, and snow, and a tough course covered in mud with many deep puddles. The race organisers confirmed this was a non-profit event and offered a free bonus place to runners who had previously entered at least two Run Wales events this year.  Both races utilised what was meant to be a very fast, flat, and scenic course long the cycle tracks from Conwy Bridge to Deganwy Quay and back, but the adverse weather conditions made the races far more of a challenge than expected. The 5k race  attracted twenty-one runners, and it was won by  James Yarwood  (Abergele Harriers) in 16.39, with  Will Williams  from NWRRC claiming a deserved 2nd place overall, and 1st in h