Don Hale Blog

*Runners and supporters of the 5K Your Way, Move Against  Cancer group. Nova parkrun celebrated its 200th event in style. Report by Don Hale. Photos courtesy of Malcolm. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk   The Nova parkrun at Prestatyn celebrated its 200th event last Saturday. Their first parkrun started on 7th December 2019 and since then, 8,000 participants have completed 30,141 parkruns covering a total distance of 150,705 km, including 4,783 new PB’s, and a total of 435 individuals have volunteered 3,645 times. *Pictured above and below - some of the generous volunteers at Nova and a selection of some of Malcolm's great  action photos. This edited report is courtesy of the Nova Run Director: Well done to the 280 people who joined us to walk, jog and run at the Nova this morning including 27 doing a parkrun for the very 1st time. We were also happy to welcome  Nova Prestatyn 5K Your Way, Move Against Cancer  who joined...

Appeal for more female athletes by Welsh Masters athletics for inter-area fixture at York on 17th August. Urgent appeal by Welsh Masters Athletics. Report by Don Hale.  https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk We have some spaces in the ladies team for the inter area competition in York on August 17th. If you are able to help with any of the following events please let us know by commenting about this post or emailing eleri9uk@yahoo.com. W35 - pole vault W50 - sprints & 800m W60 - 1500m, 3000m & racewalk W70 - 1500m We would love to field a full team so please do get in touch asap: eleri9uk@yahoo.com Brett-davis1@sky.com

*Pictured above - mixed runners are shown on the second lap on Conwy Cob. Mixed emotions due to a new start on the Cob for Conwy parkun - plus other results... Report and photos by Don Hale.  https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk   Conwy parkrun finally returned to action last Saturday morning following a long four month break due to construction work on part of the picturesque 5k course, and delays caused by the controversial introduction of a new start position on the Cob. Nearly 300 runners from past and present, together with numerous visitors, turned out to witness activities at this new start position, which is now half a mile away from the original start/finish, and situated about half-way down, and along the lower section of the Cob. Most runners and walkers were naturally pleased to see the event return, but the new arrangements attracted mixed feelings from the majority of participants, both before, during, and after this revised event, wit...

*Pictured above - Stuart Culverhouse and Kevin Slattery - at the Snowdon race. North Wales duo tackled the tough Snowdon international race with the stars... Report by Don Hale.  https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk   Two North Wales Road Runners took to the great mountain at the weekend and competed in one of Europe’s toughest endurance challenges during the Castel Howell, 48th International Snowdon race. This extraordinary event included over 1,000m climb of Yr Wydda attracted an international array of stars, club runners, plus an elite list of top mountain and fell runners, with standard, international and elite events taking place. Master veteran and NWRRC chairman  Kevin Slattery , who is a VM70 athlete, completed his gruelling run up and down Mt Snowdon on Saturday afternoon in just 1 hour 53 minutes and 49 seconds, and he finished second in his age cat, with his club colleague  Stuart Culverhouse,  a very close seven-secon...

*Pictured above - Llyr ApGeraint-Roberts on his way to a  podium place. (*photo courtesy of Bill Scrivens). North Wales athletes win podium places at the dramatic World Championships. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk *Michelle Farrell (*above) on the podium with her trophy after finishing 3rd in the World Trail Running Championships last weekend.   Two exceptional North Wales athletes claimed prestigious podium places at the Xterra Snowdonia Trail Running World Championships last Saturday after braving the extremely high temperatures that later led to the stoppage of all five events on the mountain. The races started and finished at Llanberis and offered a number of exceptional challenges with athletes tackling varied distances, ranging from 10k to a marathon, and even a 24-hour ultra event, and attracted many of the best athletes from across the globe. The event organisers confirmed:  ‘ The incredible routes explore the trails, gorgeous pa...

Athletes set a hot pace in the heatwave at Penrhyn parkrun. Report by Don Hale. Most photos by Michael Finney. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk   There was a good turn-out of nearly 300 mixed ability entrants at the Penrhyn Castle parkrun last Saturday despite scorching temperatures during this extraordinary heatwave period, including athletes from opposite ends of the UK. A large contingent of quality club runners set a hot pace right from the start over this roller-coaster of a 5k woodland course, with the first seventeen finishers all dipping under the twenty-minute mark, and the first finisher,  Rhodri Owen ( Meirionnydd RC), celebrated a great run in just 16 minutes and 7 seconds, and he also led home a clean sweep with club colleagues, who packed well and took the first five finishing positions. Ricky Challinor  finished in 2nd place, with  Russell Bentley  3rd in 16.52,  Geraint Pugh  was 4th in 16.53, and...