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...

*Pictured above - some members from NWRRC are shown near the start. Nearly 4,000 runners tackled the Conwy half-marathon. Report by Don Hale . Photos by Pat Finnie and others. donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025 Conwy half marathon attracted  nearly 4,000  mixed ability athletes from all across the UK to a most challenging race from Conwy Quay and then around the Great Orme and back ,  and despite  a cold  and often blustery  wind , many still recorded some excellent times. Crowds lined the majority of  the route and they were aided by numerous partially closed roads, which helped to create a tremendous carnival-type party atmosphere en-route.  Andrew Davies  (Malden Harriers) was the eventual winner of this prestigious race well organised by RunWales, in just 1 hour 8 minutes and 56 seconds.  He was followed by  Harry Lupton  (Liverpool Harriers) in 1.13.00, and  Matthew Crehan  (St Helens) in 1.13.57.  In 4th pl...

Destination Conwy – have a look this unique special promotional video promoted by Conwy Council in 2010 to encourage people to visit this unique part of North Wales. This is now available to view and for our current generation to examine and compare. Promoted by Don Hale.  donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025 Visit Conwy in North Wales: Now available on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ue91Ra4ic9o?si=6vh07oqmx-4lVA9V via @YouTube   Flashback to about 15 years ago when Conwy Council produced a short promotional video  highlighting the many benefits of visiting this popular holiday destination... Take a fresh look at North Wales, could you pack all this into your last holiday destination? The all-new Destination Conwy , promotional video.  Visit us at http://www.visitconwy.org.uk

*Pictured above - Practice nurse Emily Carr and Practice manager Sarah  Corkish-Brown are shown at the end of their charity trek. Surgery pair Emily and Sarah complete their amazing 100k Sahara Desert Trek for St David’s Hospice. Exclusive  report by Don Hale donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025   Two determined members of the hard-working Bodreinallt doctors' surgery team at Conwy have just completed their extraordinary 100k Sahara Desert Trek and helped to raise  over £42,000 so far for St David’s Hospice. Practice manager  Sarah Corkish-Brown and Practice Nurse Emily Carr  signed up for this huge undertaking some time ago and finally celebrated their success over the past couple of days, and were part of a group that fundraised for this essential local organisation. The trek organisers claimed that entrants would ‘r ediscover true adventure in the awe-inspiring Sahara Desert.’ Their five-day trek covered 100km passing through Morocco’s forbidding landscape...

*Pictured above left - Josie Davies with her daughter Nikki in London. Josie's prolific fundraising activities for the Happy Faces Children's Charity... Special report and introduction by Don Hale. donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025   Josie Davies is a keen and very popular social runner, who is also a prolific charity fundraiser for the Happy Faces Children’s Charity which supports sick, disabled and disadvantaged children across North Wales. This incredible and locally based organisation first began in 2003, and they have since raised over £1M and provided twelve specially adapted school minibuses for over 5,000 children, in addition to specialist equipment for more than 700 children in North Wales. Josie has taken part in various marathons and numerous demanding events over the years for this particular organisation, and her happy and smiling face can often be seen running up and down Llandudno prom, or around the local area, whilst training hard for her next venture.  And despi...