Don Hale Blog

Do you want to run for Wales in the BMAF XC International in Leeds? Report promoted by Don Hale. donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025   *Note from Bernie Jones, the chair of the Welsh Athletics Masters Advisory group.   The cross-country season is only a few weeks away now. Just a reminder for Welsh athletes interested in running for Wales in the BMAF Cross Country International in Leeds to express an interest.  Welsh Athletics will be selecting Welsh Teams to compete at the BMAF Masters Cross Country International taking place in Leeds on Saturday 15 November 2025.   *For more info and to express interest follow the link below.  https://tinyurl.com/BMAF-Masters   *All the details on the Welsh Athletics website :   https://www.welshathletics.org

  North Wales Cross-Country League fixtures and registration details 2025/26. Report from Bernie Jones promoted by Don Hale. donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025   Bernie Jones, the secretary of the North Wales Cross Country League, has kindly supplied all the details for the registration of all participating junior and senior athletes, together with the fixture list for the 2025/26 cross-country season.   North Wales Cross Country AGM. At the 41st Annual General Meeting of the North Wales Cross Country Association fixtures for the 2025/26 season were agreed. Subject to final confirmation the dates/venues are as follows:   Sat 4 October  - St Asaph (hosted by Denbigh/Prestatyn) Sat 25 October  - Eirias Park (hosted by Colwyn Bay) Sat 22 November  - Bala (hosted by Meirionnydd) Sat 24 January  - Shrewsbury (hosted by Shropshire S) Sat 14 February  - Marches School (hosted by Oswestry O Sat 10 January  - Bangor  North Wales Champs  (hos...

 *Pictured above - many members of the NWRRC team at the Caernarfon half marathon last Sunday. Wet and windy at Caernarfon for the half marathon championships... Report by Don Hale. donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025   There was a good entry of more than six hundred elite, club and social runners at the Caernarfon half marathon last Sunday, which was staged in unusually wet and windy weather but saw the top male and female athletes retain their titles. This event was also part of the  North Wales Regional Half-Marathon Championships , and it also attracted many top athletes from all around the UK, and it was well organised by RunWales. Tomos Roberts  (Meirionnydd RC) was the overall winner in 1 hour 11 minutes and 26 seconds, with  Chris Pownall (Cybi Striders) second in 1.15.42, and  Steffan Sayer  (Menai T&F), third in 1.15.45. *The first female finisher was  Emma Alofs  (Cybi Striders) in 1.27.49, and  Eleanor Ashcroft  (Denbigh H...

  *Pictured above - friendly volunteers at the Penrhyn Castle parkrun (l-r): Cheryl Frost, John Hatton and Carla Green Tail end visitors boosted the numbers at North Wales parkruns...plus other results... Report by Don Hale donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025   At the tail end of the holiday season, and with the weather still reasonable, most North Wales parkruns still recorded bumper attendances boosted by a host of visiting athletes. At the  Newborough Forest parkrun , seven out of the first ten finishers were all visitors from varied parts of the country, and they also recorded some excellent times.  The same applied to nearby  Nant y Pandy , with six out of the first ten finishers making their course debuts, and many other events also reported increased number from travelling runners. It was good to note that a promising young athlete in  Josh Mottram  (Colwyn Bay AC), celebrated his 100th parkrun last Saturday at  Conwy  by finishing 3rd overa...

*The late Helena Tipping, pictured above at the World Veterans 10k championships held in Vancouver, Canada, in 1986. Stop the Cancellation of Running Events in Wrexham - and please sign the petition... Important introduction by Don Hale: 5/9/2025.  donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025 *My thanks to my running colleague Martin Green who has alerted me to an extraordinary decision made by Wrexham County Council Borough Council, to try to cancel running events on Wrexham Industrial Estate,  and  in the Isycoed area, which will affect many events including the famous Helena Tipping 10k race , which helps to raise tens of thousands of pounds for worthwhile charities. Martin said:  “Would appreciate if any of my running friends could sign this petition, as some council official is trying to ruin a race that’s been going longer than me.”   And  Mike Edwards, a r etired chartered surveyor and local government officer, runner, cyclist and swimmer,  has just organised...

*Pictured above - Karl Morris on his ultra race along the Coastal Path. Karl battled the elements to complete the tough ‘Ring of Fire’ race...and well done to Martin Joy in his ultra race. Report by Don Hale. donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025   North Wales Road Runner Karl Morris battled against heavy rain, gales, and a severe lack of sleep, to record a tremendous performance in the tough ultra ‘Ring of Fire’ race around the Anglesey Coastal Path last weekend. This is one of the most gruelling challenges in the country, and for this experienced endurance athlete, his demanding journey began at Holyhead’s Breakwater Park, and followed a continuous loop covering some 131 miles, and just over 11k elevation along the island’s picturesque coastal pathway. Karl’s determination to complete the course was evident by his overall race stats, with his family and friends able to watch and admire his progress online. He eventually finished well in 47th place out of 112 starters – and in an incredib...

Martin and Carla (*pictured above) both won their age cats at the Golden Ball 20-mile race at Lancaster. Martin and Carla Green on top form at the Golden Ball 20-miler. Report by Don Hale. donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025 Martin and Carla Green both won their respective veteran age categories at the Golden Ball 20-mile race on Sunday, which part of the Lancaster Races series of events. Now competing for  Meirionnydd RC , Martin was in fine form again, and he finished 5th overall and won his MV50 cat in a very good time of 1 hour 57 minutes and 54 seconds, with Carla, from  North Wales Road Runners , also winning her FV50 age cat in 46th place, and she was the fourth female finisher in 2.30.21. For Martin, this was his second race over the weekend after first competing for his club in the Mid Cheshire 5k race on Friday night, where he recorded another excellent time of just 16 minutes and 18 seconds.  After his 20-mile race on Sunday, Martin confirmed : “My biggest ever month...

*Pictured above left - Rhian Roxburgh with her Great Britain  team just after being  pulled from their tough endurance race. Drama for North Wales athlete Rhian Roxburgh and Team GB in Sweden... Report by Don Hale. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com North Wales athlete Rhian Roxburgh and her colleagues who were representing Team GB in Sweden last week during the demanding 'One Water Race,’ were forced to pull out of the competition along with eight other international teams, due to time delays and freezing conditions, which  forced multiple medical evacuations – including two by helicopter! Rhian, who is a popular and well-known local triathlete, coach and endurance athlete with GOG Triathlon , was selected by  Team Great Britain  to take on this extraordinary challenge for the first time ever, with fellow experienced athletes  Gaz Roberts, Chris Goodfellow  and support from  Mike Alexander. They were pitched against nine other rival teams from Aust...