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...

North Wales quartet proud to run in the heat for Welsh Masters Report by Don Hale donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2026 coastandcountry.blog   Four  very proud athletes from North Wales Road Runners competed as part of the Welsh Masters team in their match against England at the weekend during the Shrewsbury 5k Festival lap races. Jonathan Kettle, Steve Gardner Cheryl  Frost, and Will Williams  all spoke about their immense pride to have been selected to represent their country, and they each performed well despite the extremely hot and dry conditions. *Pictured right - Jonathan Kettle with Will Williams. In a very fast, packed, and high-quality encounter including 452 elite runners,  Jonathan   Kettle  finished in 89th place overall in just 17 minutes and 44 seconds, and he was 6th in his M50 age cat, whilst GB international veteran track and duathlon champion  Steve Gardner  was 135th in 18.50, and he was 6th in his M60 cat.  Will Williams ...

*Pictured above - Chris Spillane and Steve Poupart at the running workshop. 'Guild Running Workshop' organised along Colwyn Bay promenade. donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2026 coastandcountry.blog North Wales athletics coaches Tony Price Jones, Jonathan Kettle and Hayley Price Jones, organised a 'Guild Running Workshop' recently in cooperation with Welsh Athletics along Colwyn Bay promenade. Tony confirmed:  “We were able to put fifteen new people through the course to help with Dalzell Runners, and also at Rhos, and at other local parkruns, and to be able to offer more Guilds opportunities. “The course was 500m, and I managed to get the entire course fees covered by some fantastic sponsors, including FatFace , who were the largest sponsor, but also many thanks to Chris Spillane and Co .” And praise should be given to athlete Jasper Mcqueen, from Porth Eirias Runners, who has also organised some previous Guild Running workshops.    *Above some volunteers and coaches in action ...

*Pictured above - Jon Evans from NWRRC who was a two-hour pacer. Local runners in top form at the Chester half-marathon. Report by Don Hale. donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2026 coastandcountry.blog   There was a massive entry of over 700 elite, club, and mixed ability athletes at the Essa Chester half marathon last Sunday with several North Wales runners celebrating some superb finishing times and placings. Tomos Roberts  and  Martin Green  were two top members representing  Meirionnydd RC , with Tomos 8th in 1.08.54, and he won his MV35 age cat, with colleague Martin also winning his MV50 cat in 23rd place in 1.15.15.  And full credit to another  North Wales  star in  Steffan Sayer  (Menai T&F) who was 20th in 1.14.42, and fellow Welshman  Matthew Collins  (Oswestry Olympians) in 1.07.58. The overall race was won by  Jack White  (City of Norwich) in 1.05.56, followed by  Luke Burgess  (Bristol & West) in ...

*Pictured above - some of the Llandrillo yn Rhos Run Directors team at the St David's Day weekend event last Saturday, and (*below) the start at Rhos parkrun. Fast times without the sand at the popular St David’s Day weekend event at the Rhos parkrun... Report by Don Hale. Photos by Michael Finnie. donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2026 The St David’s Day weekend attracted a large number of mixed ability athletes to North Wales parkruns last Saturday morning, where once again, numerous fast times were recorded. The hard work of Richard Peevor and his great support team of Run Directors and volunteers ensured the  Llandrillo yn Rhos parkrun  went ahead as planned, after persuading the council to help clear plenty of sand from parts of the course and ensured all essential safety measures were implemented. This popular event now seems to attract the best of the best in terms of club, top juniors, and/or elite athletes, along with social walkers and runners from a number of respected ...

*Jonathan Kettle (NWRC) finished third at the Conwy parkrun last week. Wet and windy parkruns - but they still attracted plenty of tourists...full results round-up... Report by Don Hale donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025 It was another wet and windy day for most North Wales parkrunners last Saturday morning, yet it still failed to deter a wealth of keen visitors and participants to many a ‘splash and dash’ 5k course. Conwy was no exception where 225 hardy entrants braved the elements and the waterlogged riverside route to record some exceptional times given the circumstances. The first runner home at Conwy however, remained unknown at the time of writing, but there was just six-seconds between the second and third finishers, which included visitor  Jonty Brown  (Buxton AC) on his debut in 18 minutes and 13 seconds, with  Jonathan Kettle  (NWRRC) third in 18.19. Visitor  Beatrice Cordingley  (Sale Harriers) was the first female finisher (7th overall) with a new P...

*Pictured above - the start of the NW 5k championship race at Llanrug. (*photos courtesy of Will Ash (Bill Scriven). Fast times and NW championships medals at the Llanrug 5k midweek race...results and medal winners. *Report by Don Hale.  *All photos courtesy of Will Ash (Bill Scriven). https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com   There was a very good entry for the Llanrug 5k race in midweek with some fast times recorded over a challenging course with the first 17 athletes all dipping under 18 minutes. This well organised event was also run in conjunction with the  North Wales Regional 5k championships  and overall it attracted over two-hundred elite, club, and varied ability runners from across the area and beyond. Gwion Roberts  (Meirionnydd RC) was the overall race winner in 16 minutes and 7 seconds, with Gwion’s club colleague  John Davies  2nd in 16.44, and  Dave Bus Hughes  (Eryri Harriers) 3rd in 16.59. The first three female finishers all repre...

*Pictured above - Jonathan Kettle one top form at Chester. Superb PB for Jonathan Kettle at the Chester half-marathon. Report by Don Hale.  https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com   North Wales Road Runner Jonathan Kettle returned to action at the weekend with a superb performance and claimed a new course PB despite the heat at the Chester half-marathon, finishing 23rd out of 6.539 other runners. After his race he confirmed:  “The Chester half-marathon may have not been my fastest, but I was pleased with a course PB of around one minute, and I didn’t expect it at all.  “I said to someone before the race that you have to go hard enough to risk blowing up to know what you really have on the day, and today I did that, and I didn’t blow up, absolutely loved the pain of the race.”   *Stuart Culverhouse (*above left), with Helen Hannam and Adam Lemalle. Jonathan was one of eight NWRR members who faced the hot dash at Chester and master veteran  Kevin Slattery  was ...