Don Hale Blog

Welsh fell runner Mark Davies wins ‘Special Achievement’ award for tackling the daunting Swiss Peaks 360 mountain race…   Introduction by Don Hale. Photos by Mark Davies.   North Wales Road Runners were successful in three separate categories at the Sport Conwy awards night on (25/11/22) including endurance athlete Mark Davies who won the ‘Special Achievement’ award for his incredible performance in the Swiss 360 mountain ultra-running race. Earlier this year I asked Mark if he would recall the highlights from his epic challenge. Mark now provides an exclusive, unique, and very personal account of his incredible challenge, and it is understood that he was the first Welshman and UK based finisher in this race. I entered this race ten-months ago as I needed a massive challenge, the distance (236 miles), elevation (83,000ft), so the difficulty of the course ticked all the boxes.  I'm now lying in my bed however, with legs like an elephant, and wondering what had just happened, and how

* Some of the GOG runners at  the  Nick Beer race on Llandudno promenade Age Cat honours for GOG Triathlon Club at a very hot Nick Beer 10k race Report by Don Hale. Photographs by Steve Jeffery.   The GOG Triathlon Club entered a large contingent of quality athletes in the very hot and hilly Nick Beer 10k race last Sunday morning, which was one of the very first major events held in Wales this year since the Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns. This popular race starting from Llandudno Promenade, and then out and back, including a tough climb around the Great Orme, always offers runners a stern challenge, but this year, the re-scheduled race - due to previous restrictions - provided an even harder test with very high temperatures and limited shade for the 400-plus finishers. The event also included a prestigious Inter-County race with some of the top runners from North Wales, Staffordshire, Shropshire, and Cheshire taking part. North Wales eventually won the men’s race, with the ladies having