Don Hale Blog

SPECIAL FLASHBACK FEATURE:  When Conwy parkrun beat Covid and reached the World Cup Final. Exclusive report by Don Hale. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com   Last Saturday, Conwy parkrun and hundreds of similar parkruns across the UK, fell victim to Storm Darrah, with event organisers quickly taking the essential and important decision to cancel for the second time in the past three weeks. This temporary lull in busy parkrun and local running events however, reminded me of the torrid time of Covid, which struck in 2020, and continued for much of the next 18-months, with a long series of events postponed. This was a time however, when due to restrictive circumstances, Chester parkrun officials introduced a unique and innovative online competition to try to find the most popular parkrun globally, with a special  World Cup of Global Tourism  event, encouraging parkrun participants and their supporters, to vote online for their favourite location. The response was extraord...

*Pictured above - Australian author Joy Bloomis. Special Coast and Country Author Spotlight Feature Welcome to another new author feature in conjunction with Amazon (2).   ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Australian author - Joy Bloumis:  The Storms You Walk Through: A Memoir of Roza Hamer.   *This book is now available on Amazon:  https://amzn.to/4i3Sctq ALSO available an ebook:  https://amzn.to/4eIhnie Published by North Wales based firm :   www.bookpublishing4u.co.uk   Exclusive report by Don Hale.  https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com   Occasionally, within my role as a journalist, author, and general nosey parker, I come across certain individuals who have a remarkable background and an amazing story to tell.  Octogenarian Joy Bloumis, from Victoria, in Australia, is one such person, who has just published an incredible new book about a mysterious and dramatic episode in her life that finally reveals the facts about an amazing young woman’s daring jou...

*Road Runner Llyr ApGeraint-Roberts is pictured above in the finish area. Good performance by Llyr in Australia during the World Sprint Duathlon championships... Report by Don Hale https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com   Welsh Master and GB international athlete Llyr ApGeraint-Roberts celebrated an outstanding performance last Friday in the World Sprint Duathlon championships in Australia and just missed out on a top podium place. The North Wales Road Runner who has been training hard all year – despite some unexpected health problems of late – was delighted to be offered this unique opportunity to represent his country in such a major competition. And on Friday, he recorded some excellent times during his run-bike-run event, which attracted dozens of world class elite athletes to Townsville, a coastal city in North-East Queensland. Staged towards the end of the winter season in Australia, the weather proved to be unusually warm for this championship race, but Llyr still recorded a fast...

*Pictured above - Llyr ApGeraint-Roberts at the Cairns parkrun in Australia - as he prepares to represent Wales in the World Sprint Duathlon championships. Road Runner Llyr goes ‘Down Under’ to represent Wales in the World Sprint Duathlon. Report by Don Hale. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk   North Wales Road Runner Llyr ApGeraint-Roberts has travelled to Australia in readiness to represent Wales in the World Sprint Duathlon Championships on Friday (16th August). The talented Great Britain and Welsh international runner has been selected to represent his country in this week’s major competition, which has attracted about fifty of the top duathlon athletes from around the world, who will compete for honours in this prestigious event. This Sprint Duathlon championship race includes a 5k run, followed by a 20k bike ride, and then another 2.5k dash, and this year it’s being staged at Townsville, a coastal city in North-East Queensland. In preparation fo...

*Pictured above - Alastair Canaway was the first finisher at Conwy parkrun. Visiting athletes from far afield boosted the numbers at Conwy parkrun...plus other results. Report by Don Hale. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk   Local athletes, together with a bumper turn-out of visitors from around the UK, and even from the Netherlands, and Australia, boosted the numbers to 355 entrants at the RSPB Nature Reserve last Saturday morning for the 410th Conwy parkrun. North Wales Road   Runner  Alistair Canaway  made a rare parkrun appearance, and he was the 1st athlete back overall on this unusually dry and bumpy 5k course. He stormed ahead from the start and celebrated an excellent result with a new PB in 17 minutes and 39 seconds and he won his VM35 age cat. He also led home a team of twelve club runners. Other NWRRC members included  Steve Roberts  in 24th place in 22.02, and he was 2nd in his VM55 cat, and  Jamie Tharme ...

*Harry Driscoll (*pictured above) was the first NWRRC member home at the Chester 10k race last Sunday - photo by John Hatton. Harry Driscoll led North Wales Road Runners home at the Chester 10k. Report by Don Hale. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk   Eight North Wales Road Runners competed amongst nearly 5,000 finishers at the Chester 10k race last Sunday, and they all performed well despite the cold, wet, and windy conditions. Harry Driscoll  led the team home with a tremendous run in 68th place overall with a great new course PB in just 37 minutes and 49 seconds, and  Steve Roberts  was also on top form in 542nd place in 45.49. *Harry Driscoll (*above left), with Steve Roberts. Meanwhile,  Cheryl Frost  and  Kay Hatton  continued their regular cat and mouse tussle, with Cheryl finishing well in 769th place, as the 89th female runner, in 47.34, and 4th in her FV55 age cat, and Kay also enjoyed another fine run and w...

  *Daniel Hennell (*above) is pictured after his 10k race in Lovell Canyon. Other Another busy weekend with our results on the road review...report by Don Hale. *America:  NWRRC member  Daniel Hennell  went on his travels to  Las Vegas  last week and took part in his first international race in the  Labour of Love 10k  race in Lovell Canyon, Nevada. He ran well in this challenging event and finished 9th overall and 3rd in his M40-49 age cat in 53.19.  After the event, he confirmed: “The Labour of Love 10k. This was my first race at altitude (about 4,500ft elevation). It was really cold at the start, but it soon warmed up nicely. My chip time was 53.19.” *The Lovell Canyon sign (*above left), with part of the course in Nevada. *Hunstanton: Ben  and  Sarah Ferguson  Hudson also went on their parkrun travels again last weekend and enjoyed some good performances in the  Hunstanton promenade parkrun  in Norfolk. Ben was 5...

*Will Williams (*above), ran flat-out to finish second at Conwy. Perfect conditions for Will Williams amidst a bumper half-term crowd at Conwy parkrun...plus other results. Report by Don Hale. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk   Conditions were almost perfect at Conwy parkrun this week with a remarkably dry course after several weeks of swamp-like conditions underfoot, with nearly 300 mixed ability club and social runners enjoying this picturesque 5k course. Boosted by the half-term holidays, organisers welcomed entrants from across the UK, and North Wales Road Runner  Will Williams , had to run flat-out to secure 2nd place overall, and he won his VM50 age cat, during another fast-dash event.  Will finished in a good time of 18 minutes and 54 seconds, but he was only 13-seconds ahead of the 3rd placed finisher, visitor  Richard Pollitt  (Horwich RMI Harriers), who won his VM45 cat in 19.07. The first male finisher was  Dave Hu...