Don Hale Blog

*Pictured above - Steve Mason - who was the first NWRRC member home. Hot pace despite a bitterly cold morning at Conwy parkrun. Report by Don Hale. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com It was a very cold start for the first Conwy parkrun of 2025 as 247 mixed ability athletes tackled the puddle-filled, but picturesque 5k course, from the RSPB Nature Reserve last Saturday morning. Despite the freezing temperatures,  Iain Burgess  set a very hot pace as the 1st finisher in just 18 minutes and 36 seconds to win his VM35 age cat, and he was some 36-seconds ahead of his nearest rival, VM40  Richard Wilyman (GOG Triathlon), in 19.08, with SM25  Aaron Jones  3rd in 19.49. Llio Owen  was the 1st female finisher with a new PB of 21.23, and she won her SW20 age cat (13th overall), with VW40 athlete  Vicky Cole  (GOG Triathlon), 2nd (19th overall) with a fine run in 22.05, and VW35  Emma Stanley  claimed the 3rd place, (21st overall) in 22.15. North Wal...

*Pictured above - a splashing start for the leaders at last Saturday's Conwy parkrun. Keen competition at Conwy parkrun despite the challenging conditions... Report by Don Hale. Photos by John Hatton. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk   Numbers were down at Conwy parkrun last Saturday morning due to the Christmas shopping rush, combined with some very challenging weather conditions. And at the risk of sounding like a broken record, the riverside course was flooded again and resembled a cross between a swamp and a tough 5k cross-country course, yet it still created a great festive atmosphere, with many of the near two-hundred mixed ability entrants wearing their traditional fancy dress outfits. Despite a strong blustery wind and drizzly rain there were still some good times recorded and the first athlete back was  Morgan Kendall  (Meirionnydd RC), dressed in his famous Banana-man kit once more, and he faced a keen battle with rival  Cai ...

*Pictured above - Martin and Carla Green at Conwy parkrun. Cold, wet, and windy at Conwy parkrun - with tributes paid to fallen athlete Rob Porter. Report by Don Hale. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk   It was back to the cold wind, rain, and numerous puddles on the Conwy 5k parkrun course last Saturday as two-hundred mixed ability athletes returned following a few weeks of stop, starts, and cancellations due to various storms. This week’s event also paid tribute to former regular parkrunner Rob Porter , who sadly lost his life whilst taking part at a similar event at Conwy almost exactly 5-years ago. North Wales Road Runners  entered thirteen members with  Martin Green  leading the team home in 6th place overall, and he was 2nd in his VM50 age cat in 19.32, but it proved a real battle of Wills for the next placings with  Will Evans  and  Will Williams  in close pursuit, and they finished just a few seconds and in c...

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...

CONWY PARKRUN:  Unfortunately due to the forecast conditions tomorrow (*Saturday 7th December), we will be cancelling this weekend. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com

*Pictured above - birthday boy Kevin Slattery celebrated his 70th birthday at Conwy parkrun with a superb run, and he won his new VM70 age cat. Six age cat wins for the Road Runners at a mild Conwy parkrun...and special celebrations for Kevin Slattery. Report by Don Hale. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk   North Wales Road Runners turned out nineteen members this week on a very mild morning, but on puddle-filled course from the RSPB Nature Reserve, which again attracted a generous attendance of nearly three-hundred mixed ability and social runners. Steve Mason  led the NWRRC team home in 5th place overall as they claimed six age cat victories, including his own VM50 age cat win in 18 minutes and 56 seconds.  Birthday boy  Kevin Slattery , the club chairman, celebrated his both his 70th birthday, and winning his respective, and new VM70 age cat, after finishing 12th overall in 21.43, and this week he was joined in the parkrun by his son...

Storm Bert was the only winner as various parkruns and local events hit - but Steve, Martin, and Harry beat the weather. Report by Don Hale. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk   Storm Bert was the only winner last weekend as heavy rain and gale force winds forced the postponement of numerous sporting events, and in particular some fell and trail races, plus a host of popular parkruns across the area. Planned parkruns at Nova Prestatyn, Penrhyn Castle, Newborough Forest and Conwy, to name but a few, were all cancelled on either Friday night, or early Saturday morning, on essential health and safety grounds, to help protect both volunteers and many hundreds of participants. At Penrhyn Castle  they announced on Friday afternoon: “Unfortunately owing to the weather forecast we’ve been informed that parkrun is cancelled this Saturday.” And the same applied at the  Nova Prestatyn  venue, which is run along the promenade, when they confirmed: “...

*Pictured above - many members of NWRRC at the start of the half-marathon. Six podium places for the Road Runners in the tough Conwy half-marathon... Report by Don Hale. Photos by John Hatton and Lesley Goodson. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com   There was a great turn-out of some thirty-one North Wales Road Runners amongst a massive entry of nearly 3,000 mixed ability athletes, who took on the mighty challenge of the Conwy half-marathon last Sunday. Described as one of the toughest half-marathons in the country, and following a picturesque but extremely tough course from Conwy Castle to Llandudno and around the Great Orme, some six members claimed podium places, including one age cat victory, two second places, and three third places, in addition to claiming numerous PBs. Martin Green  who has dual registration for both NWRRC and  Meirionnydd RC , had a fine run after finishing 9th overall with a chip time of just 1 hour 17 minutes and 3 seconds, and he was 2nd in his M5...