Don Hale Blog

*Stuart Culverhouse and his son Joe (*above) competed well at Conwy parkrun. Two-hundred parkrunners tackled the challenging  and waterlogged 5k course at Conwy. Report by Don Hale. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmasters.co.uk Over two-hundred entrants, including two-dozen North Wales Road Runners, tackled the waterlogged conditions at Conwy parkrun last Saturday, before discussing a controversial decision taken by the organisation’s HQ this week to remove all male, female, and age category records. The dreadful puddle-filled, muddy, and challenging 5k course took quite a beating during the previous few days, with strong winds, and torrential rain making everyone wish they had been wearing flippers, or wellies, rather than expensive training shoes. Stuart Culverhouse  though led home a team of twelve NWRRC athletes home, who secured four age cat wins, and four second placings, and he finished 6th overall, and claimed 2nd place in his VM50 age cat in a fast time of 2...

*Rhian Roxburgh (*above) was the pick of the GOG Triathlon team after a 2nd place finish in her age category at the Ironman event in Portugal. *The GOG Triathlon team (*above and below) at the Cascais Ironman challenge. Rhian Roxburgh leads the GOG’s to success at Ironman challenge Report by Don Hale The highly talented GOG Triathlon Club  also  had a total of eight squad members competing in the gruelling Ironman 70.3-mile race in Cascais, Portugal, last weekend, including  Elizabeth Driscoll, who has dual membership with NWRRC, but Rhian Roxburgh was surely the pick of the team after claiming a podium place with a 2nd place finish in her respective age group. A GOG club spokesman confirmed their outstanding success: “As a club, we're super proud of the eight squad members that raced Ironman 70.3 in Portugal.   Every single one of them put in tremendous performances and got to run down the famous red carpet.  “With many of them overcoming injuries and sick...

Elizabeth Driscoll (*pictured above) tackled the Cascais Ironman race in style. Report by Don Hale.   It proved to be a happy landing for RAF Air Traffic Controller Elizabeth Driscoll as she successfully navigated her way around the tough Cascais Ironman 70.3-mile course in Portugal last weekend. The experienced North Wales Road Runner who in everyday life has a very responsible role at RAF Valley on Anglesey, tackled three gruelling challenges, which included a difficult 1.2-mile swim, a 56-mile bike ride, and a 13.1-mile run, and all carried out in very hot conditions. *Elizabeth Driscoll (*pictured above) on the finish line after her race. Elizabeth eventually completed the event in 6 hours 33 minutes and 36 seconds and finished in 1,619th place overall, and she was the 262nd female and claimed 14th place in her F55 age cat. This proved to be an incredible performance by this popular endurance athlete who first set her heart on completing this race whilst on secondment last...

Great day for GOG Triathlon members at Bala in Welsh Championship race - and Rhian Roxburgh claims unique double.   Report by Don Hale.   GOG Triathlon had a strong team of over 30 members competing at Bala during Stage 5 of the Welsh Triathlon Super Series and they won gold and silver medals for several top podium placings in different age categories, with Rhian Roxburgh completing a unique double. *A unique double by Rhian Roxburgh at the Bala Triathlon. The event included a 1500m lake swim, a 40k bike ride and a near 10k run, and attracted 463 finishers.  Rhian Roxburgh  was the first female club runner home in 21st position and claimed gold for winning her Vet Female 40-49 age cat, finishing in 2 hours 11 minutes 19 seconds, and she won silver as the 2nd female finisher overall to celebrate a unique double. *Another great performance by teenager Caitlin Owen who won her age cat. Gareth Bowyer  was another worthy gold medal winner claiming 1st ...

Liz Driscoll celebrates fantastic day at Bala Triathlon. Report by Don Hale.   North Wales Road Runner Liz Driscoll, who last weekend competed for her second claim club GOG Triathlon, tells of her unique experience in taking part in her first ever triathlon race at Bala. The event was said to be the ideal race for both beginners and experienced athletes alike, and the race seemed to live up to its pre-race publicity as “one of the most exciting triathlons the UK has to offer,” and soon became one of the most unforgettable races on the Welsh Triathlon Super Series. Race organisers, Tough Runner UK, teamed up with highly experienced local club, Clwb Beicio Bala, to bring back this amazing event, which was previously considered one of the most popular races on the circuit. And  this year, the event was included as Stage 5 of the Welsh Triathlon Super Series , which was also televised on S4C. Billed as the Bala Standard Triathlon, it involved a closed road triathlon, which started...

* Some of the GOG runners at  the  Nick Beer race on Llandudno promenade Age Cat honours for GOG Triathlon Club at a very hot Nick Beer 10k race Report by Don Hale. Photographs by Steve Jeffery.   The GOG Triathlon Club entered a large contingent of quality athletes in the very hot and hilly Nick Beer 10k race last Sunday morning, which was one of the very first major events held in Wales this year since the Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns. This popular race starting from Llandudno Promenade, and then out and back, including a tough climb around the Great Orme, always offers runners a stern challenge, but this year, the re-scheduled race - due to previous restrictions - provided an even harder test with very high temperatures and limited shade for the 400-plus finishers. The event also included a prestigious Inter-County race with some of the top runners from North Wales, Staffordshire, Shropshire, and Cheshire taking part. North Wales eventually won the men’s race, with the ...