Don Hale Blog

Good numbers tackled the sandy course at Rhos parkrun… plus results round-up... Report by Don Hale donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025 *Ian Burgess (*above) was the first finisher at Rhos last Saturday.   There was another bumper attendance at the Llandrillo yn Rhos parkrun last Saturday morning with 454 entrants tacking the rather sandy 5k promenade course.   *Pictured above left - Nic Brook, with Stuart Culverhouse and Will Evans . Iain Burgess  was the first man home following a determined performance and new PB of just 17 minutes and 49 seconds, but visiting rival  Jordan Roberts  made an impressive debut in 17.58, and he was only nine-seconds behind Iain, with  Lewis Hall  third with another PB in 18.24. And there was a good run by  Nic Brook  (Eryri Harriers), in 7th place, who won his VM50 age cat with a great new PB in 18.46.  *Alex Aldous (*pictured above at a previous Rhos parkrun) leads the pack. * Alex Aldous  was the first fe...

Llandrillo-yn-Rhos parkrun launch and North Wales parkrun results round-up.. Report by Don Hale https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk   What a fantastic turn-out for the very first Llandrillo-yn-Rhos (Y Promenade) parkrun last Saturday, as over 500 mixed ability athletes travelled from near and far to help create and enjoy a spectacular occasion. Run directors  Richard Peevor, Sharon Hughes, Dougie Graham,  and Chris Spillane , together with their hard working support team of new volunteers and marshals, worked their socks off to produce an excellent event on a near perfect day - weatherwise - after recent storms had deposited a load of sand along the promenade course at Rhos on Sea. *Pictured above - three of the four new Llandrillo-yn-Rhos parkrun run directors (l-r): Dougie Graham Sharon Hughes and Richard Peevor, and (*below) some members from the 5k Your Way, Move Against Cancer Group at the start of the parkrun. The parkrun also welcomed m...

Local Running Clubs come together to  supports Welsh Athletics' Own the Night campaign to make running safer for women this winter...SPECIAL FEATURE. donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025 Unique report by Aaron Haggas - the run leader from Black Cloak Runners. A campaign aimed at making running safer for women by raising awareness and empowering communities to support female runners was launched this past Sunday with the Black Cloak Taproom hosting the North Wales Launch  Launched by Welsh Athletics, Own the Night is a national campaign, that confronts the truth head-on.   Running should feel free, safe, and equal but for many women, the reality is very different.  Every autumn, as the clocks go back and nights draw in, women across Wales face growing concerns about safety when running in the dark.    The campaign aims to: •  Raise awareness  of women's safety concerns when running at night or early mornings.   •  Empower women   to contin...

*Simon Cole (*above) was the runaway first finisher at Conwy parkrun Parkrunners beat the weather in North Wales. Report by Don Hale.  donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025   It was one of those horrible early morning days when you wonder why you ever climbed out of bed, as gale force winds and rain challenged my senses for a parkrun, and/or for other events last Saturday morning. With a variety of competing races across North Wales, many club runners probably opted for challenges, yet at so many parkruns across the region, this extraordinary void was quickly filled by numerous social runners visiting during the start of the half-term break. Conwy parkrun  welcomed people from all parts of the UK and beyond, but the first man home was local athletic star  Simon Cole  (GOG Triathlon), who beat the elements to record a positive time of 17 minutes and 13 seconds over the twisting 5k course. He was closely followed by  Cai Curtis-Roberts  in 17.38, with visiting d...

*Pictured above and below - the fast start of the spectacular 5k fundraising race on the prom at Llandudno for the RNLI. Spectacular 5k fundraising race on the prom for the RNLI. Report by Don Hale. Photos by Caitlin Faye and others. donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025 It was a spectacular morning on Llandudno promenade last Sunday as bright warm sunshine greeted over 300 athletes and their supporters to an amazing 5k fundraising race for the town’s essential RNLI group Well organised by race director  John Hatton  and backed by a large and enthusiastic team of hard-working volunteers and marshals, this event attracted a wealth of elite, club and social runners, who recorded some very fast times in near perfect conditions; and this event also included some very popular junior races for children and their parents. John later confirmed:  “I have been working with  Catherine Tudor-Jones , who is the Community Manager. She was so thrilled the event went so well. Originally, th...