Don Hale Blog

*Club chairman Kevin Slattery (above) won the age percentage handicap race. Report by Don Hale. Photos Steve Jeffrey. Statistics by John Hatton. Club chairman Kevin Slattery was the overall winner of the recent NWRRC club handicap age percentage analysis race, with Kay Hatton finishing in second place, and Sean Butler third. Kevin (aged 67) recorded an amazing 77.69%, with Kay (58) 75.64%, and Sean (63) 72.14%. *Kay Hatton finished second in the club handicap age percentage race. Run from Llandudno’s West Shore to the former WW2 gun site and back over a challenging four-mile plus course including a section of the Great Orme, the special Christmas race attracted twenty-two club athletes, and statistician John Hatton compared the actual finishing times and the handicap time applied, against the ages, resulting in an percentage analysis of their performances. *Race official and statistician John Hatton (left) with veteran athlete Don Hale. It made for some very interesting comparison, wit

*Carla and Martin Green both won their age categories at Conwy Records smashed despite cool and blustery conditions at Conwy half-marathon. Report by Don Hale. Photo’s courtesy of Mick Hall and NWRRC members. Records were smashed and many North Wales athletes celebrated prestigious age category wins at the re-scheduled Conwy half-marathon last Sunday despite cool and very blustery conditions. And it was a particularly close-run contest amongst the elite athletes with many of the top six positions constantly changing places as they battled their way from Conwy Castle and back via the Great Orme, with 17-runners dipping under 80 minutes over a very challenging course. Gary Priestley  (Salford Harriers) eventually claimed an overall victory with a tremendous display to win the race in 1 hour 10 minutes 28 seconds, and he was more than a minute clear of second-placed  Michael Young  (West Cheshire AC) in 1.12.12, with  Tom Roberts  (Meirionnydd RC) just 20-seconds adrift in third spot in 1

* Kevin Slattery (*above) and Gethin Wyn Jones (*below) struck gold at Mold during last weekend's Welsh championships at the Flintshire 10k race. Report by Don Hale. Photos by Steve Jeffery.   NWRRC club chairman and veteran athlete Kevin Slattery together with fast improving Gethin Wyn Jones both struck gold at Mold last Sunday as the North Wales champions, with Kevin also winning his MV65-69 age category during the Flintshire 10k race. Kevin put in a tremendous performance to tackle the hard and hilly course, which included two tough laps along a twisty route and around the windy streets of Mold.  He quickly showed his rivals a clean pair of heels and was 35th overall out of 235 finishers and claimed his double success in a fast time of 44 minutes 49 seconds. Four club runners including Kevin entered the race and additionally ran in the North Wales 10k championships. *Another great gold-gong for Gethin Wyn Jones at Mold. Gethin Wyn Jones  was another runner in good form after sha

Early registration is recommended for this special 30th anniversary run of the Nick Beer 10k run.  The race will be held on Sunday 13th February 2022, with a start time of 12-noon. Report by Don Hale. Photographs by Steve Jeffrey. *Entries have just gone live for the 2022 running of the NICK BEER 30th Anniversary race. Early registration is recommended as this popular event is likely to attract a very large entry due this particular key anniversary, and the organisers confirm they have already received some inquiries from abroad. *PLEASE USE THIS LINK TO REGISTER FOR THE 2022 NICK BEER 10K RACE:  https://secure.onreg.com/onreg2/front/step1.php?id=5402 n   *Martin Green in the colours of North Wales finished 7th in the 2021 Nick Beer race. This annual event always attracts many hundreds of runners of mixed ages and abilities from across the UK, and beyond, to enjoy the scenic splendours of a hilly but picturesque course around the Great Orme. Starting and finishing on Llandudno promenad

*Martin Green leads the pack across the  Menai Suspension Bridge. Victory for Martin Green at Anglesey half-marathon race. Report by Don Hale.   Martin Green won the prestigious Anglesey half-marathon race last Sunday morning following a fierce battle with several keen rivals.  The North Wales Road Runner, who is hard in training for the forthcoming London Marathon, finally finished more than 30-seconds ahead of second placed local runner  Steffan Sayer  from the Menai Track and Field club, to win in 1 hour 13 minutes and 44 seconds, with 3rd place going to local athlete  Anna Bracegirdle , who also set a new all-time female best time NWRAC record of 76.07, by over a minute, which had stood since 2015.  Martin was one of five NWRRC runners who took part in this re-arranged event following previous Covid-19 restrictions, and four members of the team also won age category honours. *Kevin Slattery won his M65 age category at the Anglesey half-marathon. Martin claimed 1st place in his MV45

  THE 2022 NICK BEER MEMORIAL RACE WILL COMMEMORATE THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY. The race will be held on Sunday 13th February 2022, with a start time of 12-noon. Report by Don Hale. Photographs by Steve Jeffrey. *Entries will be going LIVE very soon so watch this space for further updates. It is also likely to attract a very large entry due this particular anniversary and already the organisers confirm they have received inquiries from abroad. *Martin Green in the colours of North Wales finished 7th in the 2021 Nick Beer race This popular annual event always attracts many hundreds of runners of mixed ages and abilities from across the UK, and beyond, to enjoy the scenic splendours of a hilly but picturesque course around the Great Orme. Starting and finishing on Llandudno promenade, opposite the Imperial Hotel, this next race will be the 30th annual run to help commemorate the life of a well-known former local athlete, Nick Beer, who sadly passed away in 1992, aged just 27, after eventually

*Good to see Charlotte-Rose Wilton-Jones back in action on the trail. Charlotte-Rose ran well at Llyn Brenig trail race Report by Don Hale.   Charlotte-Rose Wilton-Jones was the only NWRRC member at the challenging Llyn Brenig 9.5-mile trail race on Sunday, yet she performed very well finishing as the 9th female athlete. The race route included a picturesque trail which circumnavigated Llyn Brenig via the adjoining forest and travelled along the shoreline of the lake, with most of it run off-road on rough tracks.  It was officially described as a long-terrain trail race around Llyn Brenig Reservoir, which started and finished at the Visitor Centre. The talented North Wales athlete, who particularly enjoys endurance runs and trail running, continued her return to form, and finished 27th overall, and she was the 9th female finisher in a good time of 1 hour 16 minutes and 3 seconds. She also   finished 5th in her F30-39 age category. *The race winners included: 1st  Rhodri Owen  (Un) 55.3

Rohan’s relay boost for Children’s Cancer Charities Report by Don Hale. Photographs by Steve Jeffery. Athletes and supporters of North Wales Road Runners had fun in the sun last Sunday as they competed in a special 5-mile relay challenge on Llandudno promenade in aid of CLIC Sargent, and Leukaemia in Children charities. Some twenty-six runners took part in this unique fundraising event in memory of an extraordinary young student, Rohan Ingley, and included five teams of four, plus a guide, each completing 1.25 miles (2k), and one team of five “virtual” runners each running a mile. The weather too proved a hit for all the runners, and a host of supporters and sponsors, with the relay bathed throughout in bright, and very warm sunshine.  The race, organised by club officials John Hatton and Carla Green, with essential timekeeper Liz Driscoll, proved to be a real fun occasion, with many runners recording PB’s over this unusual sprint distance.  The winning team was Team 1, who completed t