Don Hale Blog

Another fast finish for Jonathan Kettle at Conwy Parkrun. Report by Don Hale. Photographs by Steve Jeffery.   Conwy parkrun returned to near normality last Saturday morning with its usual mix of tourists, fun-runners, and numerous top-quality club athletes from various parts of the UK. Despite fierce competition at the sharp end of this popular 5k event, which recorded 278 finishers, three local runners still took the plaudits, and claimed two of the main podium positions. Colwyn Bay’s extraordinary talented teenager  Bryn Woodall  also registered a unique hat-trick of exceptional wins during consecutive weeks. And for North Wales Road Runner  Jonathan Kettle (*pictured above top)  it was a case of same again, as almost identical to last week, and despite a fast finish, he eventually finished as runner-up to Bryn, who still proved unbeatable in his determination for further success over this distance. *Mark  Jessett claimed a great new parkrun PB at Conwy finishing 3rd overall. Bryn wa

CARLA GREEN CELEBRATED QUADRUPLE SUCCESS AFTER HOLIDAY DASH. Report by Don Hale. Most photographs by Steve Jeffery. Carla Green celebrated an amazing quadruple achievement at the Conwy Parkrun last Saturday, which attracted a bumper Bank Holiday attendance, and saw last week’s overall course record-breaker winner Bryn Woodall, just miss another stunning attempt by a mere four-seconds. North Wales Road Runner Carla (*pictured top of page), who had only just unpacked her suitcase after arriving back from holiday, blitzed around the hard, sun-baked course, and was the 1st female finisher, recording a superb new parkrun PB of exactly 20 minutes in her 100 th  Conwy parkrun, and she easily won her VW45-49 age category, finishing 21st overall. The event again attracted much interest and excitement from a host of top club runners, who were representing many varied parts of the UK, together with a generous sprinkling of tourists enjoying a summer break, which boosted the number of finishers to

Parkrun finally returned to North Wales and Bryn smashed course record. Report by Don Hale. Photographs by Steve Jeffery.   Parkrun finally returned to Wales, and to the Conwy RSPB site on Saturday for the first time in about seventeen months due to Covid-19 restrictions, and despite light rain and a puddle-ridden course, the event was welcomed by 310 muddy finishers, including many tourists, and several athletes from top clubs across the UK. Colwyn Bay AC’s teenage athlete  Bryn Woodall  (*pictured top of page) stole the show however, and recorded a tremendous new course record of just 15 minutes 16 seconds over this picturesque 5k route, which was voted ‘runner-up’ last year in the Parkrun “World Cup” contest. The SM18-19 runner knocked more than two minutes off his own previous personal best time at Conwy, set in January last year, and he also smashed the previous course record set more than six years ago by Andi Jones of 15.52 in August 2015. Bryn, who is about to leave Wales short