Don Hale Blog

*Pictured above - super vet Sandy Johnston (NWRRC) won his VM75 cat at the Penrhyn Castle parkrun last Saturday. North Wales parkrun round-up: Report by Don Hale. Photos by Michael Finnie. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com   *Prestatyn:  There was another good turn-out of 248 finishers at the warm but windswept  Nova Prestatyn parkrun  last Saturday, with local SM30 soccer star  Aaron Dodwell  recording a new course PB and sharing the exact time of 17.58 with JM15-17 Northern Ireland visitor and junior athlete  Matthew Lamont , whilst  Nic Brook  (Eryri Harriers) took the 3rd spot in 18.26. The first female finisher was  Anna   Drinkwater  (Eryri Harriers) in 19.16, (6th overall) with  club  colleague  Gemma Moore , hot on her heels with a new PB in 19.29, whilst  Eve Manifold  (Eryri Harrier) was 3rd with a new PB in 22.03.  *There were 248 finishers. Some Conwy on Tour members at Nova include...

*Pictured above left - Daniel Huws and Dave Munday - after completing their incredible 50k charity challenge to help fundraise for Cancer charities, and (*below), the start of their campaign. Longest Day for NW athletes who ran ten different parkruns in a day for Cancer charity... Report by Don Hale. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com   On the longest day of the year, last Saturday 21st June, two athletes completed a tough Cancer Charity challenge, by completing ten 5k runs on ten different parkrun courses within fourteen hours! Daniel Huws  and  Dave Munday  first began their incredible marathon fundraising event for  MOVE Against Cancer  on Yns Mon, at Newborough Forest at 6am, and they finally finished their gruelling day on home soil at the Nova Prestatyn course at about 8pm.   They were all run on genuine, varied and undulating 5k parkrun routes within North Wales, but as all the events started at 9am, obviously they could only run in one live ...

*Pictured above - some of the new SAVE CONWY PARKUN group after their meeting last Saturday morning at the RSPB site at Conwy. *Blogstory about the SAVE CONWY PARKRUN campaign on the NWNW back page. Conwy parkrun under threat due to new proposals  Report by Don Hale https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com   The future of Conwy parkrun is currently under threat after Welsh Parkrun officials have decided to impose new changes to this picturesque 5k course, which include plans for a different start area on Conwy Cob, with alternative car parking arrangements. This parkrun has been out of action for about twelve weeks due to construction work on part of the course for a multi-million-pound cycle track, but just as runners were preparing to re-start their activities, they have now been hit a series of interventions, restrictions, and demands on the event organisers by parkrun officials who have continued the suspension of this popular event. Just a few years ago however, this event was vo...

Dear Conwy parkrun community, We wanted to update you on the work going on behind the scenes to get Conwy parkrun back up and running.  It has been fantastic to see, from our Facebook page, the Conwy parkrun community enjoying their Saturday mornings at other parkruns, far and wide – but it would be even better to have everyone back in Conwy. We wanted to take this opportunity to update you on the progress we are making. As you know, the work on the path between the RSPB nature reserve and the railway bridge forced us to pause our parkrun while the path was resurfaced. It’s great to see that this work has been completed on time, and it does look fantastic. Unfortunately, at the same time that this work began, we were made aware of concerns from parkrun HQ regarding the adequacy and safety of our car parking. This has meant we must address these concerns before we are allowed to restart. The RSPB car park has been identified as being too small for an event that continues to grow in ...

*Pictured above - Kay Hatton and Mike Hayton both won their age cats. Visiting athlete smashed the female course record at Penrhyn parkrun, plus other results and reports... Report by Don Hale.  https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com   Penrhyn Castle parkrun attracted 317 entrants last Saturday including visiting athlete Sara Ismail-Sutton (Durham City Harriers), who was not only the 1st finisher overall, but she also smashed the female course record on her debut in 17.45. Despite the cool and blustery conditions Sara beat all her male rivals with ease, and was eventually followed by  Aidan Thomas  in 18.30, and VM60 veteran  Graham Bale  (Plymstock RR), who gave Aidan a hard chase in 3rd spot in 18.33. Quite remarkably, the first three female finishers were all debutants, and with Sara taking the top-spot overall, the 2nd female place was taken by  Anna Patrickson  (City of Salisbury), in 21.56, with  Patricia Ronksley ( Stragglers), 3rd in 23.09....

Kinmel Bay FC draw with the League leaders. NWCEFL 24/25 Premier Division 15 Mar 25 at St Asaph. CPD Y Glannau (2) v Kinmel Bay FC (2). Report and photos by Barry Griffiths. A cold sunny dry day on the excellent St Asaph Leisure Centre under referee Karl Berry, where Glannau opened the score from a Steven Kirk penalty in the 19th minute of play.  Bay captain Chris Jones scored the first of his two goals when assisted by Sean Sheridan who equalised the score in the 26th. Daniel Price assisted by Steven Kirk took Glannau into the lead just at the start of the 2nd half. Bay was awarded a penalty mid-way through the 2nd half which the Glannau keeper Bradley Wright saved, and so Bay was behind until the very last moment of injury time when Chris Jones scored his second with a blistering drive assisted by Tate Walker. *Y Glannau now lead the table with 50 points to KBFC 3rd place on 41. With Cerrigydrudion losing 2:1 to Pheonix the Cookson Cup final will be KBFC v Penmaenmawr. ...

*Pictured above - Jonathan Kettle who was the first NWRRC member home. Another fast and well attended event at the Conwy parkrun swamp! Report by Don Hale. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk   It was another good turn-out at Conwy parkrun last Saturday due to a large number of visiting athletes, but the conditions underfoot were horrendous once again, with another swamp-like 5k course for the 300 plus entrants. Despite the waterlogged and challenging route, the first twelve finishers all dipped under the twenty-minute mark, with SW20 runner  Andrew Moore  the first man home with a new PB of 16 minutes and 27 seconds. The second placed finisher was visitor VM40  Aaron Saxton  (Manchester Tri Club), who was pleased with his debut time of 17.41, with fellow VM40 athlete  Frazer Slade  3rd with another PB of 17.52.  The first two female runners were both teenage visitors, with JW15-17  Cara Scott , the first lady in ...