Don Hale Blog

*Pictured above - super vet Sandy Johnston (NWRRC) won his VM75 cat at the Penrhyn Castle parkrun last Saturday. North Wales parkrun round-up: Report by Don Hale. Photos by Michael Finnie. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com   *Prestatyn:  There was another good turn-out of 248 finishers at the warm but windswept  Nova Prestatyn parkrun  last Saturday, with local SM30 soccer star  Aaron Dodwell  recording a new course PB and sharing the exact time of 17.58 with JM15-17 Northern Ireland visitor and junior athlete  Matthew Lamont , whilst  Nic Brook  (Eryri Harriers) took the 3rd spot in 18.26. The first female finisher was  Anna   Drinkwater  (Eryri Harriers) in 19.16, (6th overall) with  club  colleague  Gemma Moore , hot on her heels with a new PB in 19.29, whilst  Eve Manifold  (Eryri Harrier) was 3rd with a new PB in 22.03.  *There were 248 finishers. Some Conwy on Tour members at Nova include...

*Carla Green from NWRRC was the first female finisher at Nova. Hot, humid and windswept at Nova’s Prestatyn parkrun...plus other parkrun results round-up... Report by Don Hale. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com It was a very hot and humid despite a very strong and blustery wind at the Nova parkrun at Prestatyn last Saturday, with a generous attendance of some 255 mixed ability athletes and walkers, who all braved the refreshing sea breeze and sandy atmosphere. Two male visitors and course debutants grabbed their places in the top three as fast finishers with  Aaron Dodwell becoming the first male runner home on his debut in 18.44, with  Dafydd Montgomery  2nd in 19.17, and debutant  Harry Brewster  3rd on his debut in 19.30. The first female finisher was  Carla Green  (NWRRC), in 14th place overall, and she also won her VW50 age cat in 21.34. Prestatyn RCs  Lisa Lines  claimed the 2nd spot in 22.33, with  Sali Wheway  3rd with a new ...

*Pictured above - Elizabeth Driscoll and her dog Winston at Penrhyn Castle parkrun. Parkrun round-up plus news of Carla and Kevin on the road Report by Don Hale. Penrhyn photos by Michael Finnie. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com    *Carla Green (*above left), with Kevin Higgins. Carla Green  from NWRRC ran well in the Swansea half marathon on Sunday and she was 521st out of 5,729 entrants. She was the 94th female finisher in a chip time of 1.31.42, and her club colleague  Kevin Higgins  travelled to  Port Sunlight  on the same day to compete in two races and explained: “ Double header this morning in  Port Sunlight races . First a 5k and then a 10k straight after it. Two great races. Great course and an extra medal for completing in both races. My times were: 5k in 28 minutes 50 seconds, and 59 minutes 33 seconds   in the 10k.” *Action (*above and below) from the Penryhn Castle parkrun. Parkrun round-up *Penrhyn:   Chris Turner  (Er...

*Four members of NWRRC won their respective age cats at  Port y Bala parkrun last Saturday. They are shown (*above l-r): Kay Hatton, Carla Green, Martin Green, and Elizabeth Driscoll with her dog Winston. Another record smashed at Penrhyn Castle parkrun and four age cat wins at Bala... Report by Don Hale. Photos by John Hatton and  Michael Finnie. *The start of the Penrhyn Castle parkrun (*above) in the rain. It seems that records at Penrhyn Castle parkrun are more like London buses, with nothing for ages then suddenly two come along at once. Only last week Sara Ismail-Sutton smashed the female course record and last Saturday, despite the rain, there was another bumper turn-out of visiting athletes, who beat the previous attendance record with 370 finishers. And it was very nearly a hat-trick of records, with Colwyn Bay athlete and US student  Bryn Woodall  (*pictured right), enjoying a tremendous run at Penrhyn on their four-lap woodland route on his return to the U...

Response to Conwy Parkrun's potentially controversial statement about the latest behind the scenes activities... Report by Don Hale.  https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com Following the statement issued by Conwy parkrun officials on Thursday afternoon, it would now seem that their comments have attracted widespread controversy, confusion and much anger, with many volunteers and regular runners and supporters, demanding to air their personal views in response. This feature contains some varied reactions etc:   *I have therefore included a link and a copy of the parkrun statement from 29/5/25 which appeared on my blog, and on the Conwy Parkrun’s Facebook page from yesterday. And in addition, I have also included – in the interests of fairness and accountability – the latest updated statement from Conwy parkrun officials, which seems to have attracted further controversy and debate, together with the pubic reaction:   *This is a link to the original statement on my blog from Conw...

*Pictured above - Kay Hatton and Mike Hayton both won their age cats. Visiting athlete smashed the female course record at Penrhyn parkrun, plus other results and reports... Report by Don Hale.  https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com   Penrhyn Castle parkrun attracted 317 entrants last Saturday including visiting athlete Sara Ismail-Sutton (Durham City Harriers), who was not only the 1st finisher overall, but she also smashed the female course record on her debut in 17.45. Despite the cool and blustery conditions Sara beat all her male rivals with ease, and was eventually followed by  Aidan Thomas  in 18.30, and VM60 veteran  Graham Bale  (Plymstock RR), who gave Aidan a hard chase in 3rd spot in 18.33. Quite remarkably, the first three female finishers were all debutants, and with Sara taking the top-spot overall, the 2nd female place was taken by  Anna Patrickson  (City of Salisbury), in 21.56, with  Patricia Ronksley ( Stragglers), 3rd in 23.09....