Don Hale Blog

Llyr ApGeraint-Roberts (*pictured above) wins qualification to the GB Team for 2025 Duathlon Championships. Report by Don Hale. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmasterathletics.co.uk North Wales Road Runner Llyr ApGeraint-Roberts has gained qualification to the GB Team after finishing 3rd in his respective age category during a 2025 Duathlon Championships qualifying event, held last Sunday on the East Fortune Race Circuit, near Edinburgh. Welsh master Llyr competed in a 5k run, followed by a 21k bike ride, and a final 2.5k run, with his excellent times, and age cat position ensuring him an automatic qualification. His very fast times for each event included his first run of 5k in just 18 minutes, the 21k cycle race in 36 minutes, and the final 2.5k run in 9 minutes. After the event, he confirmed: “I secured my qualification for the 2025 championships by finishing in the top-four of my age group at this event (I missed out at Castle Combe at the beginning of March). “Overall, I

*Jonathan Kettle (*pictured above) was back to his best at Conwy parkrun. Report by Don Hale. Photos by Steve Jeffery.   North Wales Road Runner Jonathan Kettle recovered from injury and soon claimed the top spot at Conwy parkrun last Saturday, finishing more than a minute ahead of his nearest rivals. Jonathan  shook off a recent knee problem to quickly set a fast pace over a hard, dry, but challenging 5k course, and recorded an excellent time of just 17 minutes and 47 seconds.  He easily won his MV45 age category, but he was chased all the way by visiting athlete  Gethin Owen , who set a new PB in 19.05, with  Andy Jones  (GOG Triathlon) a mere 17-seconds adrift, despite another new PB of 19.19. There were 238 finishers including many visiting club and social runners. The 1st female finisher was SW20 athlete  Ffion Roberts  in 27th place overall in 22.33, with  Lianne Stevenson  in close pursuit in 29th place, and the 1st SW25 runner in 22,51, whilst veteran NWRRC member  Kay Hatton  

*Tony Price-Jones (*above) was the first NWRRC man home at Conwy. Bumper entry at Conwy’s Easter weekend parkrun. Report by Don Hale. Photos by Steve Jeffery.   Conwy Parkrun had a bumper number of entrants again for their annual Easter Saturday event with 342 mixed ability athletes tackling the challenging 5k course. The first three male finishers were all tourists, with both  Hamish Fletcher-Cooney , the first man home, and  Gordon Stanford , the second placed finisher, both making their debuts at Conwy, whilst the third placed finisher  Conor Donaghy  (Sale Harriers) claimed a new course PB. Hamish was the 1st SM30 cat winner in 17 minutes and 29 seconds, with Gordon finishing in 17.56, and winning his MV35 cat in 17.56, and Conor was 2nd in the same age cat as Gordon in 18.01. Emily Hanlon  was the 1st female runner home in 15th place overall in 20.30, and she won her SW20 cat in 20.30, with debutants,  Alison Soye  35th overall, and won her SW30 cat, in 22.14, and teenager  Freya

*Will Williams (*above) was the  first  club man home at Conwy parkrun. Conwy parkrun dodged the snow and ice - and Charlie wins podium place in the Falkland Islands. Report by Don Hale. Photos by Steve Jeffery.   Conwy parkrun managed to dodge the snow last weekend, but numbers were down slightly due to a late thaw that still left the threat of ice on this problematic 5k course. Despite some potential problems, visiting athlete  Ian Lawton  (Mersey Triathlon) kept up a good pace and was the first man home in 19 minutes and 8 seconds, and he was nearly two minutes ahead of his nearest rival  Alun Brown (GOG Triathlon), who finished 2nd in 18.24, with  Alan Bryson  3rd in 18.57. The first female finisher was  Jackie Lee  on her course debut. She was 12th overall in 20.49, with  Ellie Leonard  17th and the 2nd female in 21.34. And  Becky Sleath  (Newcastle University) was the 3rd female runner in 21st place overall in 22.02. *Will Williams (*above left) and Jamie Tharme at Conwy. North W

*Members of North Wales Road Running Club prior to their Christmas handicap race from West Shore to the old WW2 gun sites on the Great Orme and back. Steve Mason wins NWRRC Christmas handicap race. Report by Don Hale. Group photo by John Hatton and most others by Steve Jeffery.   Steve Mason deservedly won North Wales Road Running Club’s Christmas handicap race last weekend despite having an eleven-minute time delay.  Newcomer Steve soon overcame his personal race time penalty to become both the first finisher, and the fastest runner on the day, amongst a talented field of twenty-two club rivals, with the first ten runners all dipping under thirty-minutes. * Steve Mason won the NWRRC club handicap race last Sunday ands he was also the fastest runner on the day. Several other club members were absent due to injury, illness, prior commitments, or holiday dates, but it was still a very good turnout on a bright sunny, yet bitterly cold and windy Sunday morning, with athletes following a hi

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