Don Hale Blog

*Pictured above - the NWRRC prize winners at last Saturday's awards night. Glittering trophy night for North Wales Road Runners. Report by Don Hale. Group photo by Ian Turner.   There was a large turn-out of club members, officials, and guests at the North Wales Road Running Club’s presentation evening, held last Saturday night, at the North Wales Golf Club in Llandudno. This was the first time in a several years that the club has been able to celebrate such a glittering occasion due to pandemic restrictions, and this time many newcomers, and much improved club athletes, became the recipients of numerous impressive awards. The evening included a special dinner at the 19th Hole restaurant followed by the presentation and a disco. The awards were handed out by the hard-working NWRRC club chairman Kevin Slattery, with praise also given to Martin Green, who was the results and points co-ordinator, in addition to many club officials, and fellow members, who had all helped to make this e

 *Some of the NWRRC members who ran at Bangor last week (l-r) Llyr ApGeraint Roberts, Mike Hayton, Rob Fryer, Kelly Alford and Cai Roberts. Llyr won a surprise victory at the hilly Bangor 10k race. Report by Don Hale. Photos by Steve Jeffery.   Travelling Road Runner Llyr ApGeraint-Roberts was the surprise winner of the hilly Bangor 10k race last Sunday. The East Midlands based athlete finished just 15-seconds ahead of his nearest rival and won his MV45 age cat in just 37 minutes and 3 seconds. Llyr (*pictured left) led home a NWRRC team of eight runners amongst an entry of some 198 finishers, with five members recording podium places including four runners, who also won their respective age categories.   After the race Llyr admitted his surprise at his outstanding victory. He said: “ The race was great as I won, but I went into it with the sole purpose of just doing a course PB, and then see what would happen, so I was surprised when I crossed the line first!” Llyr’s colleague  Harry

*Stuart Culverhouse (*in red top) leads a pack of runners at Conwy parkrun. Splashdown for North Wales athletes at Conwy parkrun. Report by Don Hale.   Colwyn Bay youngster Alfie Shiland showed his more experienced senior rivals a clean pair of heels despite the mud at the Conwy parkrun last Saturday, as he splashed around the puddle-filled 5k course to claim another notable victory. The talented JM11-14 athlete recorded an excellent time of 18 minutes and 20 seconds to finish twenty-five seconds ahead of his nearest challenger  Sam Davies , who despite recording a new PB of 18.45, was still unable to catch Alfie. Paul Jones finished 3rd in 19.36, and there were 176 finishers. Carla Green  (*pictured above) from NWRRC was the 1st female finisher, in 8th place overall, and she also won her VW50 age cat in 20.15, with a couple of other promising local juniors claiming the next places including  Olivia Jones  who was the 2nd female in 22.28, and she also won her JW15.17 cat, with Colwyn B

*Martin Green (*pictured above) recorded a great time at 5k race. Fast times for club trio at Mid-Cheshire 5k race. Report by Don Hale.   Three Road Runners competed in the Mid-Cheshire 5k road race last Friday night which proved to be another ultra-fast event for a host of top club and elite athletes. Run over a course known for its speedy times and personal best results, the race attracted 848 finishers for this popular summer challenge. Just thirty-seconds eventually separated the first ten finishers, and incredibly, some twenty-eight athletes all dipped under fifteen-minutes! *Will Williams (*above left) with Harry Driscoll. Martin Green  was the first NWRRC man home in 124th place in a superb time of 16 minutes and 10 seconds, and yet he was 7th in his MV45 age cat.  Will Williams  was delighted with his time of 17.39 in 289th place, with  Harry Driscoll  364th following another excellent run in 18.52. The overall race was won by Adam Craig in just 14.09, with Kurt Taylor (Bristol

*Nicola Wylie (above) won her age cat at the Ellesmere Port parkrun Other club race results: from around  the UK and beyond.. *Birchwood:  Three NWRRC members took part in the Birchwood 10k race on Sunday.  Kelly-Marie Alford  and  Cai Roberts  ran together again with Kelly finishing in 156th place in 50.46 and the 7th F35 athlete, with Cai sharing the same time and just one place behind.  Mandy Owen  also continued her return to fitness with another determined run in 56.13 and 220th place. *Pictured (*above l-r) Mandy Owen, with Kelly Alford and Cai Roberts. *America: Jon Evans  continued his American adventure last weekend and returned to the  Theodore Roosevelt Island DC parkrun  in America where he celebrated a great new course PB of 22.55 to win his MV55 age cat, marking a 27-second improvement to his time from last week and finishing in 7th place overall. *Jon Evans (*above) celebrated a new course PB at his American parkrun. *Hemel Hempstead: Stuart   Culverhouse  completed a to

*Carla and Martin Green (*above) both won their age cats at Conwy Parkrun. Bright and breezy with close finish at Conwy parkrun. Report by Don Hale. Photos by Steve Jeffery.   Some 267 runners of all shapes and sizes, ages, and mixed abilities, tackled the Conwy parkrun last Saturday amidst bright but very breezy conditions, which was in stark contrast to the blistering heat of the previous week. In addition to the many social runners, this popular event again attracted a generous mix of young and promising athletes, together with numerous top club runners, who all seemed determined to test their abilities over this challenging 5k course. Exciting local teenage prospect  Morgan Kendall  was the first runner home to celebrate his third parkrun victory at Conwy, and his 90th parkrun overall, but this time he also recorded a great new PB of just 17 minutes and 38 seconds to win his SM18-19 age category. Morgan was pushed all the way by  Martin Green  (NWRRC) and  Nic Brook  (Eryri Harrier

*Another deserved parkrun win for Mark Jessett (*above). Mark Jessett wins narrow victory at Conwy parkrun. Report by Don Hale. Most photos by Steve Jeffery.   Road Runner Mark Jessett celebrated a deserved victory at the Conwy parkrun last Saturday following his impressive performance on this challenging 5k course and finished just eleven seconds ahead of a very determined rival. Mark was the first NWRRC member home and he also won his M35-39 age category in 17 minutes 41 seconds to confirm his recent excellent form. And promising teenager  Morgan Kendall  finished a close 2nd in 17.52. but won his SM18-19 age cat, with  Robert Cordle  3rd, and 1st MV40-44 cat in 18.05. The event attracted two-hundred and twelve finishers, including a team of fifteen Road Runners, who claimed seven cat podium places with three members also winning their respective age cats. *Pictured (*above left) Gethin Wyn Jones and (*right) John Dalzell. Gethin Wyn Jones  ran his fastest parkrun this year to finish

*A passenger's view (*above) of runners as they attempted to 'Race the Train,' at Caernarfon last  Wednesday night. Fast dash to ‘Race the Train’ at Caernarfon. Report by Don Hale. Most photographs by Steve Jeffery. The popular ‘Race the Train’ event proved to be an enjoyable summer dash for two hundred and fifty-eight runners last Wednesday night with more than half the starters finally managing to beat the Highland locomotive and its entourage back to the start at Caernarfon. The unique 5k course in perfect weather conditions led to a very fast downward dash for a mixed entry of local elite club and social runners with seventeen athletes dipping under 17-minutes, and 47 people in total beating the magic 20-minute mark. The race was eventually won by  Luke Northall  (Wrexham AC) in 15 minutes and one-second, and he was just 7-seconds ahead of rival  Tom Roberts  (Meirionnydd) in 15.08, and  Math Roberts  from hosts (Eryri Harriers) in 15.24.  North Wales Road Runners  ente

CARLA GREEN CELEBRATED QUADRUPLE SUCCESS AFTER HOLIDAY DASH. Report by Don Hale. Most photographs by Steve Jeffery. Carla Green celebrated an amazing quadruple achievement at the Conwy Parkrun last Saturday, which attracted a bumper Bank Holiday attendance, and saw last week’s overall course record-breaker winner Bryn Woodall, just miss another stunning attempt by a mere four-seconds. North Wales Road Runner Carla (*pictured top of page), who had only just unpacked her suitcase after arriving back from holiday, blitzed around the hard, sun-baked course, and was the 1st female finisher, recording a superb new parkrun PB of exactly 20 minutes in her 100 th  Conwy parkrun, and she easily won her VW45-49 age category, finishing 21st overall. The event again attracted much interest and excitement from a host of top club runners, who were representing many varied parts of the UK, together with a generous sprinkling of tourists enjoying a summer break, which boosted the number of finishers to