Don Hale Blog

*Jonathan Kettle (*above) enjoyed a  good  result at Lake Vrynwy. Good performances despite a delayed start at the Lake Vyrnwy half-marathon...plus other race results... Report by Don Hale.   https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk   North Wales Road Runners entered seven club members in the popular Lake Vrynwy half-marathon last Sunday, which was hit by some unexpected problems, with the start delayed for about 40-minutes due to heavy traffic and parking issues. Despite this unfortunate delay, all the competitors still managed to perform well, and enjoyed the muggy conditions, with a pleasant breeze around the picturesque lake and relatively flat course.  Jonathan Kettle  enjoyed a steady performance, and he was the first NWRRC man home in 1 hour 18 minutes and 18 seconds to finish in 27th place overall. Stuart Culverhouse  was 153rd in 1.32,12, with  Ben Hudson  176th in 1.34.18, and Ben’s wife  Sarah Ferguson Hudson  finished as the 37th female, 214th overal

*NWRRC trio (*above) Cai Roberts, Kelly Marie Alford and Vicky Taylor. NW Road Running trio tackled the tough Ras Y Mynydd midweek race... Report by Don Hale.   https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk Three NW Road Runners took part in the rather challenging Ras Y Mynydd multi-terrain fun-run last Wednesday night amidst a generous entry of some seventy-two hardy athletes. Cai Roberts  was the first club athlete home of the trio in 53rd place in 44 minutes 31 seconds and the race was competed over an undulating, yet picturesque 4.6-mile (7.3km) course, with Cai’s partner  Kelly Marie Alford  very close behind in 56th place in 45.07, and  Vicky Taylor  ran well and finished in 53.54. This race was perhaps a tough task for the NWRRC team as it came within a couple of days of them all tackling the Caernarfon 10k, last Sunday, where Kelly admitted to fatigue, but nevertheless, they all performed well and seemed to enjoy the run despite the course. It also meant a re

  *Martin Green (*pictured right) at Conwy's parkrun. Bumper attendance and cake at Conwy’s Coronation Day parkrun...plus other race results... Report by Don Hale. Most photos by Steve Jeffery. There was a bumper mix of some highly talented and mixed ability athletes at the Coronation Day parkrun at Conwy last Saturday, which this week was again staged in very humid conditions and attracted many entrants dressed in colourful Royal tribute costumes, with cake made available at the finish.  North Wales Road Runners  entered sixteen members and had two of their top runners in the first three finishers in addition to claiming eight podium places and three age cat winners. Visitor  Adam Jones  was the 1st male runner home in just 16 minutes and 36 seconds, and he finished over a minute ahead of his nearest rival to easily win his SM25 age cat. The 1st female finisher was VW35 cat winner  Hayley Turner  (GOG Triathlon), 30th overall in 22.24, with  Ella Grundy (Colwyn Bay AC), the 2nd fe

*Runners on the road during the Snowdonia Marathon (l-r) Kelly Alford, Cai Roberts, Mandy Owen and Vicky Taylor. Road Runners battled the course and weather at Snowdonia Marathon....plus other race results & news. Report by Don Hale.   Ten members of North Wales Road Running Club completed the gruelling Snowdonia Marathon last Saturday despite battling a very tough course and some extremely challenging weather conditions that included driving rain and gusty winds, with two other runners forced to drop through injuries and sheer exhaustion. Ben Hudson was the first club man  home  and he   finished in 263rd place in 3.53.35, and  John Dalzell , also had an excellent run in 3 hours 56 minutes and 21 seconds. He was closely followed by Karl Morris in 303rd place in 3.57.56, and this was Karl's 7th running of this event. And colleague Sarah Ferguson Hudson, another top endurance and ultra- distance  athlete was  the 46th female finisher, and 326th overall, in 4.00.31.  Stuart Culv

Carla Green realises PB dream at Altrincham 10k race.   Report by Don Hale.   Carla Green finished as the 3rd female runner at the Altrincham 10k race last Sunday, and finally realised a four-year PB dream to dip under 40-minutes for this challenging distance. The NWRRC member celebrated a very positive performance, finishing 35th overall out of 1,188 finishers and she was 3rd Lady in 38 minutes 49 seconds. Carla also won her FV45 age category.  The female race was won by  Joanna Marsden  in 36.18, with  Molly Cawthorne  2nd in 37.41 with Carla 3rd. The male race was won by  Marco Parolin  in 33.09, with 2nd  Matthew Beacock  in 34.34, and  Matthew Harrison  3rd in 34.39. Silver medal for Kelly-Marie at Wrexham 10k.   Kelly-Marie Alford  and  Cai Roberts  ran in the re-arranged Village Bakery half-marathon race in Wrexham on Sunday and both rummers were satisfied with their performances on a very hot day.  Kelly-Marie also finished second in the North Wales championships and won a pres

*They think it's all over - it is now! Three exhausted but happy runners (l-r) Cai Roberts, Kelly-Marie Alford  and  Vicky Taylor after completing the NW half-marathon race last Sunday morning. Club athletes competed in tough North Wales half-marathon Report by Don Hale. Believed to be one of the toughest events in the country, some 138 endurance athletes took part in the re-scheduled North Wales half-marathon race last Sunday in mixed weather conditions. This incredible challenge started and finished on the beach close to the Mulberry Marina and crossed back and forth into the Snowdonia National Park.  Set between the mountains and sea near Conwy, this year’s race unfortunately attracted a reduced entry due to previous pandemic restrictions, yet all were treated to some spectacular scenery over a difficult course. North Wales Road Runners  had five members competing and although most found the route very hard, they all claimed to have enjoyed their venture.  * Steve Roberts perfor

NWRRC athletes braved the heat at Aldi Chester 10k - and hosepipe came to the rescue of all runners...   Report by Don Hale   Several North Wales athletes turned out at the Aldi Chester 10k road race last Sunday despite a heat wave, and social distancing restrictions, within a massive turnout of nearly 3,000 runners. Newcomer  Jamie Tharme  was the first club man home in 50 minutes 51 seconds in 430th place from 1,633 male runners. He was followed by  Cai Roberts  in 55.49 in 676th place, with local soccer referee  Charlie Owen , a highly creditable 1,225th in 77.34. *Charlie  and Mandy Owen sizzled at the Chester 10k *Vicky Taylor had another good run at Chester in the heat Kelly-Marie Alford  led the ladies back home with another good run as 137th female out of 1,165 finishers in 55.06. And  Vicky Taylor  was another runner in fine form and following on from last week’s fell race, finishing as 239th female in 58.54, with  Mandy Owen  301st female in 60.49. Afterwards, Kelly confirmed

*A plucky performance from Vicky Taylor at the Tal y Fan fell race Age category placing for Vicky Taylor in Tal y Fan fell race Report by Don Hale. Photographs by Steve Jeffery and Jonathan Kettle   Three NWRRC members took part in the gruelling Ras Tal y Fan fell race at Rowen last Saturday in very hot and humid conditions, with plucky Vicky Taylor snatching 2nd place in her respective age category. Said to be one of the toughest runs on the local North Wales fell racing circuit, the race is staged over varied terrain with nearly 800m of ascent and offered a stern challenge to all competitors over an 8-mile plus course.  The first two miles are said to be the most difficult, and host organisers, Club Rhedwyr Eyri Harriers, stated that entrants needed be able to navigate their way around the course, as although marshalls are at the checkpoints, and at the various gates and stiles around the course, the route is unmarked, and prior fell running experience is recommended. This year, with