Don Hale Blog

*Steve Gardner (*above left) on the podium with Tim Parfitt and Steven Gee. Track champion Steve finished second at the Welsh Duathlon championships. donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2026 coastandcountry.blog International track champion Steve Gardner finished as the runner-up on the podium in the prestigious Welsh Sprint Duathlon Championships at Pembroke last Sunday. The NWRRC member, and GB track athlete, who was representing his second claim club GOG Triathlon, competed in a 5k run, a 21k cycle race, followed by a final 2.5k dash, and he finished second overall with an excellent combined time of 1 hour 12 minutes and 31 seconds. After his event, Steve confirmed:  “Just a note to let you know I competed for GOG Triathlon Club today, finishing in 2nd place; 1st place went to  Tim Parfitt  in a time 1 hour 12 mins and 31 seconds, and the 3rd spot went to  Steven Gee  in 1 hour 13 mins and 17 seconds.  “There was only 46 seconds between the three of us, so it was a...

*Prolific Yorkshire author Mac McKechnie at a book signing. Special Coast and Country book review:  Run in conjunction with:  donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2026 About the Author - Mac McKechnie. Mac McKechnie is a Yorkshireman who lives in Barnsley, South Yorkshire. Now aged 75, he has the welcome luxury of time to return fully to his lifelong love of writing.  Mac is an active Christian and serves as Pastor of his local church in Barnsley.  His writing reflects a deep interest in human character, moral choice, and the quiet resilience that surfaces in times of crisis.  He has written several books across a range of genres, with science fiction and Westerns among his favourites, alongside more reflective and character-led work inspired by everyday life. Exodus: Escape From Earth: The Trilogy -Paperback. By author Mac McKechnie. *EXODUS: This is the first book in the Escape from Earth trilogy.  This is the link to the book on Amazon:   https://amzn.to/3OxDQq...

Kevin Higgins (*pictured right) braved the Maltese heat to celebrate his 500th milestone run... Report by Don Hale .  donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2026   Two veteran North Wales Road Runners swapped their winter thermals for lightweight vests last weekend as they competed in different road races in warmer climates in Malta and Spain. Kevin Higgins  celebrated his 500th race for the club in the Sliema half-marathon on Sunday after battling with the heat, which unfortunately slowed his finishing time, but he was still pleased to record a memorable milestone. After the race he confirmed:  “I have been road running for the club for the past 35-years, and I finally hit my milestone of 500 races in Malta. It was quite hot, but overall, I was happy with my time of 2 hours,15 minutes and 31 seconds.  “I have participated in so many running challenges over the years, and my personal success is with winning some club championships and age categories, and by collecting and ach...

*Pictured above - the Lee Valley indoor track. Joe Horner confirms a near full WMAL team for the  Inter-Regional Championships at Lee Valley... Report by Don Hale. donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025 Following an appeal on this blog last week from Rod Davies at Welsh Masters Athletics Ltd, Joe Horner and his colleague Adrian have agreed to try and put a team together asap for the forthcoming T&F events. *This was my previous blog with the appeal details:  Don Hale Blog: UPDATE: Temporary team managers appointed for Wels... https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2026/02/update-temporary-team-managers.html?spref=tw This week Joe Horner confirmed the latest updates and news relating to the forthcoming Inter-Regional championships at Lee Valley. Hi everyone, As you may have heard from Rod Davies at WMAL, the 2026 inter-regional is at Lee Valley on 14th March and Adrian and I have agreed to stand in for Brett in getting a team together. We're now in the happy position of having an almost...

Beast of Bryn 2026 :  23 August 2026 donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2026 Beast of Bryn 2026 (Bwystfil Y Bryn): Info from Paul Bulmer. https://beastofbryn.fullonsport.com/event/beast-of-bryn-2026/profile We are delighted to be hosting the Beast of Bryn 2026 (Bwystfil Y Bryn) BRAG (Bryn Residents Action Group) established this race in 2011 and it quickly grew in size and reputation. Much of the history of the race can be found on the BRAG  website . The management of the race was outsourced for a few years, but since 2024 has been fully managed by  BRAG. The event is held under UK Athletics rules with the registration number TR-26-5. We have two distances to choose from – approximately 6.5 miles (10.5km) or 10.5 miles (17km) with total climbs of approximately 288 or 556 Meters. The 10.5-mile route can also be part of the  Welsh Athletics Masters Championship  for affiliated runners. The route passes through the mountains of Afan Forest Park, with stunning view...

Urgent search for a Team Manager for the Welsh Masters Athletics Men’s squad...plus a new initiative for promoting  individual T&F results. Report by Rod Davies from WMAL.  donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025   The Indoor Championships last weekend seem to have been enjoyed by those present, especially the winners (*see revised and updated attached list below).   Next up are the BMAF Championships at Lee Valley on 21-22 February.   Entries via BMAF Opentrack close on 8 February.   That leaves the Inter-Area match, also at Lee Valley, on 14 March. Here we have a problem.  While the women's team will be managed by the usual excellent management team, we are in the awkward position of NOT actually having a men's team manager for this event. Without one, we can have no team! The job involves selecting a team from among our membership and communicating with them before the match. On the day, the manager has to submit the declaration sheet, and alterations as ...