donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2026

*Josh Keogh (*above left) who was the eventual race winner at Deganwy, is shown leading the pack with rival Martin Green along Conwy Cob. Deganwy 5-mile Charity Dash proved a winner once again. Report by Don Hale. Photos courtesy of Michael (Pat) Finnie. donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2026 coastandcountry.blog   It was another hot and humid, but most enjoyable evening for the annual Deganwy Dash run on Friday night, which was staged over a scenic 5-mile course from the promenade to the RSPB Nature Reserve and back. Well-organised by the hard-working  John Hatton, Carla Green,  and their dedicated team of volunteers, this event attracted 343 finishers and helped to raise many thousands of pounds for children’s cancer charities, and for many other worthy causes. It was also good to see so many local running clubs well represented including members from Prestatyn RC, NWRRC, Denbigh Harriers, Colwyn Bay AAC, GOG Triathlon, Eryri Harriers, Cybi Striders, Porth Eirias Runners, Buckle...

*North Wales Road Runners at the start of the Llandudno 10 mile and half marathon. Over 1,000 runners beat the weather at the new 10 mile and half marathon races... Report by Don Hale. Photos by Michael Finnie. donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2026 coastandcountry.blog   It was wild, wet, and windy for over 1,000 hardy athletes on Sunday for the Victorian 10 mile and half marathon races which started with a loop along Llandudno promenade before heading out towards Colwyn Bay, and a reverse route home. The mass pack of runners had to negotiate a challenging course and a fierce and swirling headwind, with some heavy showers thrown in for good measure along their tough journey. And yet despite the brutal conditions it still failed to deter numerous elite entrants with M35  James Yarwood  (Wrexham AAC) winning the half marathon race in a very good chip time of just 1 hour 16 minutes and 43 seconds. He was followed by M50  Martin Green  (Meirionnydd RC) in 1.18.57, and M35...

*Martin Green (*above far right) leads the pack at the Penrhyn Castle parkrun. Parkrunners beat the wind and rain to record some great PB times...NW results round-up... Report by Don Hale. Photos by Michael Finnie. donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025   Heavy rain and wind played a key role at most of the NW parkruns last Saturday with many courses reporting flooding and sections of heavy going, yet they still attracted numerous club and mixed ability entrants from far afield. With the  Newborough Forest parkrun  cancelled, this probably swelled the numbers at both the nearby  Penrhyn Castle and Nant Y Pandy  events, with numerous debutants recording some excellent PB times despite the challenging conditions *Penrhyn:  (*pictured right - John Hatton and fellow volunteers at Penrhyn).  There was a very good turn-out of some 243 entrants at the  Penrhyn Castle parkrun  with  Adam Jones  the first man home in 16.29, and  Rhodri Owen ...

*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...