Don Hale Blog

Mark Davies bravely completed the Conwy half-marathon. Special report by Don Hale. donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025 Former fell and mountain champion racer Mark Davies put in a tremendous display of true grit and determination last Sunday as he tackled the gruelling Conwy half marathon, barely two years after receiving life-threatening injuries as a hit and run victim. Mark is an award winning multi-athlete who has spent all his time since the accident trying to re-build his life and his body after such horrific injuries and has gradually been able to take part in some local parkruns. Although a long way from his previous fitness regime, he decided to try and gradually increase his training mileage over recent months with the aim of running the Conwy half to help fundraise for Headway, the brain injury charity association, that has helped him to partially recover from his ordeal. Mark bravely ran the 13-mile plus route from Conwy Quay to Llandudno and then around the Great Orme and back t...

*Kay Hatton (*above) with others at the rather wet finish area at Conwy parkrun. Back to the ‘splash and dash’ at Conwy as Storm Claudia strikes. Report by Don Hale. Photos by Pat Finnie. donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025     What a difference a week makes   as  Storm Claudia  replac ed  the previous Saturday’s bright sunshine ,   bringing 24-hours of  heavy rain ,  and  causing extreme  flooding  to many 5k parkrun courses ,  forcing several event cancellations  throughout the region.   Conwy  parkrun  somehow survived  but   it  brought an  unwelcome return of the old ‘splash and dash’ riverside rou te with atrocious conditions underfoot.   Despite the weather issues,  and a large influx of visiting athletes ready for the Conwy half-marathon on Sunday,  Rowan Poot  still managed a new PB  as the first finisher  in just 16 minutes and 32 seconds , with...