Don Hale Blog

*Pictured above - some members of the NWRRC team at Holyhead. Track star visitor won the Holyhead Breakwater 5-mile race. Report by Don Hale https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com   There was a good mix of club and social runners at the annual Holyhead Breakwater 5-mile race last Sunday with nearly 200 entrants enjoying a well organised event, which also formed part of the NW Regional Championships. Visiting track star  Samuel Roberts  (Retford AC), (*pictured right), who is the 23-year old eldest son of Welsh International triathlete  Llyr ApGeraint-Roberts  (NWRRC), was the first man home on this undulating course in just 24 minutes and 7 seconds, with  Josh Griffiths  (Swansea Harriers), second and in close pursuit, finishing in 24.19, whilst local athlete  Sam Gunning (Cybi Striders), claimed third place in 27.05. Sam Gunning’s club colleague  Emma Alofs  was the first female finisher in 31.15, with  Bethan Jones  (Black Cloak Ru...

Conwy Parkrun plans to re-start next week despite row over new course, plus the start/finish areas... Report by Don Hale.  https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk   Conwy parkrun has been given the go-ahead to finally re-start next Saturday following many weeks of controversy and harsh criticism by volunteers, sponsors, runners and supporters, over plans to change the existing start and finish areas, and alterations to car parking facilities. In 2019, Conwy Parkrun received tens of thousands of public votes and was elected as runner up in the global World Cup competition of parkruns, due to their friendliness, and for its picturesque 5k riverside course. This popular parkrun though has been out of action since last March mainly due to an extensive 12-week multi-million-pound renovation and upgrading scheme, which included essential work to the latter part of the new national cycle route from the railway bridge to the RSPB nature reserve, which is part ...

*Four top female Welsh athletes at the Great North race (l-r): Emma Collins, Cheryl Frost, Kay Hatton and Carla Green. NW Masters on top form at the Great North Masters International 10k race. Report by Don Hale.  https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk *The Welsh team are pictured above at the Masters International race A strong team of top Welsh veteran athletes competed in the Great North 10k on Sunday amidst a massive entry of over 10,000 elite, club and mixed ability runners in this popular North-East challenge. The event also included a  Masters International Road Race  featuring age group teams representing Wales, England, Northern Ireland, and the UK Armed Forces. At the time of writing the enormous list of results was still awaiting full verification, and a further report may be added later, but several  North Wales  runners celebrated some amazing results with  Tomos Roberts  (Meirionnydd RC) finishing 7th overall in ...

*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...

*Some of the successful North Wales men's team are pictured above. BRITISH INTER-COUNTIES MOUNTAIN RUNNING CHAMPIONSHIPS & BRITISH MOUNTAIN RUNNING CHAMPIONSHIPS Saturday 14th June 2025. Pen-Y Ghent Mountain Race (12.2km/500m): The British Inter-Counties Mountain Running Championships took place at Horton in Ribblesdale, North Yorkshire, on Saturday 14th June, with some notable performances by North Wales athletes.   https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com Report and photos courtesy of Arwel Lewis, with support by Paul Brooks. The Pen-Y-Ghent 12.2km/500m race was organised by Settle Harriers.  *Some great performances by the North Wales ladies team. The women’s race started at 1:30pm in a torrential downpour which soon cleared to leave clear and quite warm conditions for a relatively fast running race route.  First home for North Wales was Ruth Calcraft (Run Free Fell Runners) in 26th position overall in a time of 1:05:01 followed by: 31st Catrin Donnelly (Eryri Harriers) 1:...