donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2026

*The North Wales Road Running  team at the Race the Train event in midweek, pictured left to right: Jonathan Kettle, Helen Hannam, Hannah Griffith, Nia Lister, and Daniel Hennell. Runners were on track to Race the Highland Train at Caernarfon in  midweek... Report by Don Hale. donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2026 coastandcountry.blog   Nearly three-hundred club and mixed ability athletes took part in the popular annual Race the Highland Train 5k dash last Wednesday night at Caernarfon. Departing from the Highland railway station in town, 278 runners, then travelled by train to the next station along the line at Dinas, before returning on foot to take on the challenge of trying to beat the train back to its start, along a mainly downhill and very fast course. A trio of runners from  Meirionnydd RC  claimed the first three finishing places with some excellent times including  Owen Roberts, the first man home in just 14 minutes and 13 seconds, with  Gavin Stuart...

*Helen Hannam takes time out to relax after completing another Race 4 Life. Race 4 Life runners raise welcome funds for Cancer Charities Well done to all the local runners who took part in the recent Race 4 Life 5k and 10k races for important Cancer Charities. The latest event was held in Rhyl on a very breezy weekend. This is just a brief mention of some of the many competitors and charity fundraising entrants who took part at Rhyl. Intro by Don Hale.   donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2026 coastandcountry.blog   *NWRRC member Helen Hannam - pictured right - said:  “My third Race 4 Life 2026 in Rhyl marks my 8th  Year of Smashing Races to Smash Cancer. Very happy that I managed to run it all, but my injury seems to be ok now. Thank you as always to chauffeur and photographer extraordinaire Lee.  Very happy with my sub 30 minutes for 5k after my injury, in 29.32.” https://fundraise.cancerresearchuk.org/.../helens-race...   *Josie Davies:   “ All done and dust...

*A quartet of NWRRC members are shown at the Rhostryfan 10k race (l-r): Adam Lemalle, Nia Lister, Helen Hannam and Carla Green. Plenty of action from the midweek races Report by Don Hale. donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2026 coastandcountry.blog   Several NW Road Runners competed in the Rhostryfan 10k race near Caernarfon last Wednesday evening, and some members also took part in the Foel Lus fell race at Penmaenmawr the previous evening. At the demanding Rhostryfan event  Adam Lemalle  finished well in 26th place out of 70 entrants in 46.46, and he was second in his M40 age cat, with  Carla Green  35th overall, and third in her F50 age cat in 48.59.  Nia Lister  was 66th in 1.01.07, with  Helen Hannam  just one place and five-seconds adrift after running the course together. The event was won by  Tom Roberts  (Meirionnydd RC) in 33,22, with  Deio Llyn Roberts  (Hebog) second in 36.03, and  Andrew Douse  (Cybi Striders)...

 *Pictured above - Black Cloak Runners at the Amsterdam Marathon with Helen Hannam (*front row - far left - and birthday girl Nia Lister - third from left front row. Black Cloak Runners' group enjoyed a birthday bash at the Amsterdam Marathon... Report by Don Hale.  donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025   A large group of North Wales athletes together with family members and supporters travelled to Amsterdam last weekend to compete in their annual marathon. The idea started almost a challenge, as sixteen members of  Black Cloak Runners  from Colwyn Bay suddenly had an idea to help celebrate member Nia Lister’s birthday, so they decided to do something completely different, and opt for an overseas marathon debut adventure. *Birthday celebrations  for Nia Lister (*above left) with Helen Hannam. One of the birthday bash organisers Helen Hannam explained: “ We wanted to help Nia run her first marathon on her birthday, so sixteen of us from Black Cloak Runners went to ...

*Gwen Charlton pictured above - after completing her gruelling trail marathon. Gwen Charlton completed the tough NW Pilgrims Trail Marathon in style...and news of Helen's charity runs. Report by Don Hale. Photos courtesy of Gwen Charlton. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk   Road Runner Gwen Charlton took to the trails last Saturday to compete in one of the toughest, but scenic, races in the country, the North Wales Pilgrims Trail Marathon, and yet despite this extreme challenge, she ran extremely well and afterwards said, she was very pleased with her determined efforts. Gwen eventually completed her trek in a highly credible time of 7 hours 50 minutes and 58 seconds to finish in 158th place overall, and she was the 71st female athlete.  She later confirmed: “This must be one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. Absolutely stunning route along the top coast of Llyn Peninsula with lots of steps, fields, cows, sheep, wonky paths, rocks, gates, bea...

*Some of the NWRRC team (*above) at the Snowdonia half-marathon (l-r) Hannah Griffith, Adam Lemalle, Kevin Slattery, Dave Jones, Stuart Culverhouse, Steve Roberts, Charlotte Rose Wilton Jones, and Cai Roberts. Ten Road Runners hit peak form despite the heat at the tough Snowdonia half-marathon... Report by Don Hale. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk   Ten members of North Wales Road Runners competed in the gruelling Snowdonia half-marathon race on Sunday but were pleased with their results despite a rather hot, and humid day. Stuart Culverhouse  was the first NWRRC athlete home in 41st place overall with an impressive chip time of 1.47.38, but the club chairman and top veteran athlete  Kevin Slattery  was perhaps the pick of the team after winning his MV65 age cat with a superb performance in 70th place in 1.53.36. *And as a note of interest, Kevin’s son  Ian Slattery,  who was visiting, also ran well, and he finished 23r...

*Some of the NWRRC team at Wrexham (l-r): Cheryl Frost, Kay Hatton, Kevin Slattery, and Gwennan Charlton, with Richard Scamans at the back. Welsh cakes and fast times at the Village Bakery half-marathon...plus other results. Report by Don Hale. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk   The well organised and very popular Village Bakery half-marathon race attracted a massive entry of over 1,700 runners, at Wrexham last Sunday morning, and included numerous elite and club athletes, in addition to a plentiful amount of fun and social runners. On a fast, and relatively flat course, many runners were able to celebrate personal best (PB) times and raised funds for local and national charities. North Wales Road Runners  entered fifteen members and collected three prestigious age category awards. The first club man home again was  Jonathan Kettle  in 75th place with a new course PB in 1.15.52, followed by  Iwan Evans  (281) in 1.24.44,...

*The NWRRC team at the tough Conwy fell race (l-r): Helen Hannam, Nia Lister, Charlotte Rose Wilton Jones, Nicola Wylie and Adam Lemalle. Tough challenge for brave runners at the Conwy Fell Race. Report by Don Hale. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk   Five North Wales Road Club members braved the tough challenge of the Conwy fell race last Saturday afternoon in cold, misty, and drizzly conditions which tested stamina to the limits. Amidst a quality field of 106 finishers, mainly of experienced fell runners from clubs across the country, they all battled well despite the testing conditions. Adam Lemalle was the first NWRRC man home in 71st place in 71 minutes and 15 seconds, with Charlotte Rose Wilton Jones 2nd in 87th place overall in 85.46. She was closely followed by  Nicola Wylie  in 94th place in 89.45, with  Nia Lister  104th in 123.38, and  Helen Hannam  105th in 130.05. *Nicola Wylie (*above left), with Nia Liste...