Don Hale Blog

*The late Helena Tipping, pictured above at the World Veterans 10k championships held in Vancouver, Canada, in 1986. Stop the Cancellation of Running Events in Wrexham - and please sign the petition... Important introduction by Don Hale: 5/9/2025.  donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025 *My thanks to my running colleague Martin Green who has alerted me to an extraordinary decision made by Wrexham County Council Borough Council, to try to cancel running events on Wrexham Industrial Estate,  and  in the Isycoed area, which will affect many events including the famous Helena Tipping 10k race , which helps to raise tens of thousands of pounds for worthwhile charities. Martin said:  “Would appreciate if any of my running friends could sign this petition, as some council official is trying to ruin a race that’s been going longer than me.”   And  Mike Edwards, a r etired chartered surveyor and local government officer, runner, cyclist and swimmer,  has just organised...

Athletes set a hot pace in the heatwave at Penrhyn parkrun. Report by Don Hale. Most photos by Michael Finney. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk   There was a good turn-out of nearly 300 mixed ability entrants at the Penrhyn Castle parkrun last Saturday despite scorching temperatures during this extraordinary heatwave period, including athletes from opposite ends of the UK. A large contingent of quality club runners set a hot pace right from the start over this roller-coaster of a 5k woodland course, with the first seventeen finishers all dipping under the twenty-minute mark, and the first finisher,  Rhodri Owen ( Meirionnydd RC), celebrated a great run in just 16 minutes and 7 seconds, and he also led home a clean sweep with club colleagues, who packed well and took the first five finishing positions. Ricky Challinor  finished in 2nd place, with  Russell Bentley  3rd in 16.52,  Geraint Pugh  was 4th in 16.53, and...

*The Welsh Team before the AJ Bell Great North 10km Old Boys show the way home in the Great North. Report and photos courtesy of Bernie Jones. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk The ‘Old Boys’ led the way in the third of this year’s Master Internationals which was held within the AJ Bell Great North 10km in Newcastle. Not satisfied with breaking the Welsh and British records at the Swansea Half Marathon last month, Alan Davies, Swansea Harriers once again emphatically won his M70 category by nearly two minutes and he ran the undulating Newcastle course in 38-34! That’s two wins out of two events for Alan this year and both by two minutes underlining he is world class. Alan Davies being presented with his winning trophy from Welsh Team Manager Luke Northall Not to be outdone, Mike Whyatt, Eryri Harriers also won his second Masters International out of two (having previously won the 5km in Shrewsbury by over a minute) when he won his M60 category by 73 secon...