Don Hale Blog

   *Harry Driscoll was the first club runner home at the Conwy  Parkrun. Report by Don Hale. Photos by Steve Jeffery.   Conwy parkrun returned to action again following the intervention of Storm Arwen the previous Saturday, but numbers were down due to a clash with other fixtures and a cold blustery wind. The event was won by tourist Ben Hague (Rotherham Harriers) in a PB of 17 minutes 9 seconds, and his club colleague Tammy Hague, also won her VW35-39 age cat in 23.03 and was the 2nd female athlete. Nic Brook (Eryri Harriers) had a great run finishing in 3rd place overall, and the 4th place was taken by international long-distance traveller Bernabe Sanchez Naffziger (Singapore Shufflers) in 19.08. North Wales Road Runners  entered nine athletes amongst the 164 finishers and  Harry Driscoll  was the first club man home finishing 5th overall in 19 minutes 22 seconds to win his SM20-24 age category, and  Sean Butler  was another cat winner of his MV60-64 section.                      *St

Humid conditions attracted super-fast athletes to Conwy parkrun. Report by Don Hale. Most photos by Steve Jeffery.   This week’s Conwy parkrun was staged in complete contrast to the previous Saturday, and instead of wet and windy conditions, the course remained dry, with the weather warm and humid. Perhaps it was these unusual conditions that attracted many of the best local runners who created an extraordinary and feisty competition, with the first nine runners all dipping under twenty-minutes, and three of the top four runners claimed personal best times, with a mere eleven-seconds separating the leading pack. Rhodri Owen  was the first finisher, winning his SM30-34 age cat in 16 minutes and 7 seconds, with  Matthew Roberts  just three-seconds behind, and the winner of his VM40-44 cat in 16.20.  Simon Cole  was a further five-seconds adrift in 16.25, and in addition,  Steve Forsyth , who finished 4th was only three-seconds down on Simon in 16.28. Rhodri, Simon, and Steve also ran in

*Master veteran Peter Armstrong with teenager Mia Morris at Denbigh. Podium places for two North Wales Road Runners. Report by Don Hale. Photos by Rachel Morris.   Two North Wales Road Runners competed in the Denbigh Evening 5k race last Wednesday and both won deserved age-related podium place positions. Although there were considerable differences in the ages between young teenager  Mia Morris , and master veteran  Peter Armstrong , both athletes turned in highly creditable performances on a cool, windy, and very hilly course around Denbigh, to claim top finishing positions. Peter won his MV70-74 age category finishing 13th overall in 25 minutes 16 seconds, and 16-year-old Mia was 25th overall and 9th female runner, whilst also claiming 3rd place in an extended U21 age cat in 28.19. Peter Armstrong (*above) won his VM70-74 age cat and (below) teenager Mia Morris was 3rd in her respective age category at the Denbigh Evening 5k race. This final evening race of the season attracted 47 ru

                                    *Martin Green in a close finish at the Conwy parkrun. FAST TIMES AND RECORDS SMASHED AGAIN AT CONWY PARKRUN...plus results round-up from other races. Report by Don Hale. Most photographs by Steve Jeffery.   Conwy parkrun witnessed a keen battle for top placings by a host of elite athletes on a near perfect morning at the RSPB site, where several records were smashed, and fast times recorded. And despite three superb parkrun PBs by North Wales runners  Martin Green ,  Josh Keogh , and  Mark Jessett , all were unable to match the fast pace of the 1st placed visiting man  Jonathan Goringe.                                   *PB time for Josh Keogh at Conwy. Goringe from Birchfield Harriers easily won the challenge and also set a new course record for his M30-34 age cat, finishing 51 seconds ahead of  Martin Green  in 16 minutes and 6 seconds, although Martin won his VM45-49 cat in 16.57, and  Josh Keogh  finished 3rd in 17.48, and was 2nd in his M30-34 c

*Master veteran runner Peter Armstrong won his M70 age act at Rhyl 5k Fast and furious running at the Welsh Athletics 5k race at the Marsh Tracks in Rhyl. Report by Don Hale. Photographs by Steve Jeffery.   It was another fast and furious 5k Welsh Athletics race at Rhyl’s Marsh Tracks last Sunday afternoon, which was again run in very warm and humid conditions. The race, which was the third in a special series of four events, attracted a wealth of high-quality male and female athletes, and both the men’s and women’s events recorded incredibly fast times, with the first seven men dipping under 19 minutes, and the first seven women finishing under 22 minutes. North Wales master veteran runners  Peter Armstrong  and  Don Hale  were the only NWRRC representatives due to several fixture clashes, but both recorded season’s best times, and both won their respective age categories.  Peter enjoyed a very good run and finished 15th overall in 23 minutes 2 seconds for his 1st place M70 cat win. D

*Peter Armstrong celebrated his return to NWRRC with a Welsh victory in the M70 age category of the BMAF one-mile championships last weekend North Wales runners won Welsh podium placings in British Masters virtual mile race:  Report by Don Hale. Most photographs by Steve Jeffery. Several North Wales athletes shone in the cold winter sunshine last weekend during the prestigious British Masters one-mile championships, with two club runners claiming Welsh podium placings amongst a highly talented field. This virtual race was one of two major time-trial events staged over the same few days, which unfortunately clashed with the rival Welsh Athletics (WA) two-mile challenge series. Staged under Covid-19 restrictions and BMAF rules, it still attracted a massive turn-out of some 1,560 competitors nationwide, including many of the UK’s top club runners. The quality of entrants was both obvious and outstanding, with the first seventy athletes dipping under five-minutes, and a further four hundre