Don Hale Blog

 *Pictured above - Black Cloak Runners at the Amsterdam Marathon with Helen Hannam (*front row - far left - and birthday girl Nia Lister - third from left front row. Black Cloak Runners' group enjoyed a birthday bash at the Amsterdam Marathon... Report by Don Hale.  donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025   A large group of North Wales athletes together with family members and supporters travelled to Amsterdam last weekend to compete in their annual marathon. The idea started almost a challenge, as sixteen members of  Black Cloak Runners  from Colwyn Bay suddenly had an idea to help celebrate member Nia Lister’s birthday, so they decided to do something completely different, and opt for an overseas marathon debut adventure. *Birthday celebrations  for Nia Lister (*above left) with Helen Hannam. One of the birthday bash organisers Helen Hannam explained: “ We wanted to help Nia run her first marathon on her birthday, so sixteen of us from Black Cloak Runners went to ...

*Pictured above - NWRRC member Steve Bozier and his  family at the Penrhyn Castle  Dark Run last Saturday. Penrhyn Castle Dark Run raised about £10k for children's hospices...and all set for this Saturday at Conwy Quay. Report by Don Hale.  donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025   It proved to be another great night at the  Penrhyn Castle Dark Run  last Saturday with 384 participants helping to raise about £10k for  Hope House and Ty Gobaith  children's hospices. One of the event organisers and MC  John Hatton  later confirmed: “ Penrhyn Dark Run  last night. I went to the morning parkrun, then back as MC for the Dark Run, which was an absolutely fantastic evening.  We had so many volunteers, which made it so special all around the course, and we were overwhelmed by the response.  “Out of interest the provisional amount raised at Penrhyn was £10k and just looking forward to my next role at  Conwy Dark Run  on Saturda...

*Gwen Charlton (*above left) with Kevin Higgins and Kevin Slattery at the Abergele races last weekend. Quality competition at the Abergele 5k and 10k races. Report by Don Hale.  donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025   There was a massive turn-out of over 500 quality athletes for the Abergele 5k and 10k races held on the town’s promenade on Sunday, which was well organised by RunWales. Despite some wind and rain, both events attracted a wealth of elite, club, and social runners and the 5k race set a hot pace with the first 15 finishers all dipping under the 20-minute mark including the first two female athletes! And just 20-seconds separated the first six finishers! In the 10k race, the first 14 athletes ran under 40-minutes, with some close times between the top six places, and the first female athlete was almost three minutes ahead of her nearest rival. The first finisher overall at the 5k event was  Huw Gwynn  (Eryri Harriers) with a good time of 16 minutes and 37 seconds,...

*Juliet Sidney (*second from left above), is pictured with her team mates after winning the 4 x 100m final at the European Masters Championships in Madeira. Great win for Welsh Master Athlete Juliet and her GB relay team mates at the European Masters Championships in Madeira. Report by Don Hale.  donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025   Well done to the Great Britain ladies W55 relay team who won the 4 x 100 metres final at the European Masters Athletics Championships in Madeira at the weekend with a stunning performance that is likely to be a new European record. The GB team that collected prestigious gold medals consisted of  Juliet Sidney, Diane Wright, Stefanie Dornbusch, and Christine Harrison-Bloomfield  with an impressive time of 53.84, ahead of Germany in second place, and Ireland third. *The delighted GB relay winners are shown above  just after  securing victory in the Euro Masters final in Madeira. Award winning veteran sprinter  Juliet Sidney  ...

*Some members of the NWRRC team at the Bangor City 10k - pictured left to right on the back row - Steve Roberts, Daniel  Henell and Mike Hayton, and (*front row), Not Lister, Helen Hannam, Kay Hatton, Cheryl Frost and Gwen Charlton. Bangor City 10k race saved by quick thinking to help defeat the weather. Special report by Don Hale. Photos by John Hatton. donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025   Over five hundred determined runners completed the weather-beaten Bangor City 10k on Sunday with many elite athletes recording some excellent times despite the challenging conditions. And praise was given to quick thinking by the race organiser  Chris Yorke  from  RunWales  for overcoming many problems with debris on parts of the half-marathon route, which unfortunately forced the late postponement of this associated race but allowed the 10k to continue. In this latter event, Bangor University AC student  Andrew Moore  was the first man home in just 32 minutes and 5...

*Pictured above - Dougie Graham battled injury and he is now ready for action. Dougie builds back his fitness for Happy Faces charity bid at the London Marathon... Special report by Don Hale. donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025   Popular runner and charity fundraiser Dougie Graham has faced a problematic time battling with injuries over this past year, but he has been steadily building back his fitness in readiness for another attempt to run the London Marathon for a worthy cause in 2026. His heroic efforts were unfortunately curtailed earlier this year when he collected a niggling injury that sidelined him for many months, yet this didn’t stop him from volunteering and marshalling at many local parkruns and other events. Now a member of  Dalzell Runners ,  North Wales Road Runners , and still a member of Black Cloak Runners, Dougie is making a slow but steady comeback attempt, and he has been using a treadmill at times to ease his pain, before completing a few test events, inc...

  THE LIBERATION OF JERSEY & WARTIME SECRETS:  Some compelling wartime memories from three remarkable men...by Don Hale.   donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025 New paperback book. Available on Amazon:   https://amzn.to/3Keb4Jw The Jersey Boys and Liberation!   Some compelling wartime memories from three remarkable men...  Now available from Amazon in paperback, ebook or audio versions: Special Coast and Country online magazine feature... Amazon audio book:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F2HQ2VN4 Paperback:  https://amzn.to/3Keb4Jw Kindle ebook:  https://amzn.to/46ew7TP This is the true story of two remarkable Jersey Boys, and an eventual Liberator, who were all teenagers at the start of World War Two, but soon became embroiled in a variety of dramatic events following the Occupation of Jersey in the Channel Islands by German Forces during 1940-45. Joe  Miére  (* pictured above ), was a constant thorn in the side of the Nazi invaders and ...