Don Hale Blog

*NWRRC members  Steve Bozier (*above left) with Kevin Higgins. Steve records his best ever 10k time at South Liverpool Report by Don Hale.    donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025 Two North Wales Road Runners travelled to compete in the South Liverpool 10k last Sunday, and both members recorded very good results. The event was held at the Wavertree Park and Stadium and the course included laps of the athletic track and the park, but Steve Bozier  claimed his best ever 10k time of 39.31 to finish in 27th place overall, and his club colleague  Kevin Higgins  was also on song, and he too was pleased with his finishing time of 57.49. However, at the time of writing the age cat results had not been confirmed. After the race Steve confirmed:  “I am really made up with my fastest ever 10k and thanks to @assent_performance for the last 4 months, coaching, and keeping me injury free and fast! Onwards and upwards, Thanks too, to my understanding wife Clare for bein...

Time to enter the famous Deganwy 5-mile Dash - entries limited to just 350 places for this unique charity race. Report by Don Hale. donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025 Entries for the famous Deganwy 5-mile Dash are now open, and runners are advised to enter early as numbers will be limited to just 350 due to the popularity of this essential fundraising event for Children’s Cancer charities. *This is the important link for Deganwy Dash entries:   https://in.tdlentries.co.uk/2026-deganwy-dash The event on Friday 29th May 2026 starts and finishes on Deganwy Promenade close to the revamped shelter and follows a picturesque course along the river estuary and around Conwy Cob to the RSPB Nature Reserve, where it turns and returns back along the same route to the finish. Run director John Hatton confirmed this week: “The Deganwy Dash is now live now for entries. The aim of the race is to still raise money for Cancer in Children. Joshua Tree is our main recipient for money plus as before Young ...

*Ben and Sarah Hudson (*pictured above) completed the new National Trust 10k trail event at Aberdaron. New National Trust 10k trail events around the UK. Report by Don Hale donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025   Do you fancy a run around an ancient World Heritage site, or through varied and rugged landscapes? The free monthly 10k Trust10 trail runs are a great way to get some exercise, make friends, and to enjoy nature? That is exactly what two experienced North Wales Road Runners and ultra-distance athletes tried out last weekend at Aberdaron, and although it was not a race, the fascination of a new event and the competitive nature of  Ben and Sarah Hudson  led to both members achieving first places in their respective male and female categories. After the event, Sarah confirmed: “ We did a lovely event at the weekend put on by the National Trust; the Trust 10k or Taclo 10. They are not timed (and it’s a case of bring your own watch) but they are at various National trust locat...

* *A delighted young athletics star Josh Mottram after his race. Superb gold medal for young North Wales Regional champion Josh Mottram at the Twin Piers 10k. Report by Don Hale. donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025 A massive well done to the enthusiastic and very talented young athlete Josh Mottram, who won a prestigious gold medal last weekend in the challenging Twin Piers 10k race as the North Wales Regional champion for his age category. The Colwyn Bay AC runner was second overall in his age cat, to another excellent young runner in Ryan Rutledge in 36.47, but he finished first as the Under-20 champion in the NW Regional competition, completing his race in just 39 minutes and 59 seconds.  His friends and club colleagues helped him to celebrate this great effort, and said the were very proud, as he finally dipped under the 40-minute mark for the first time over this distance for a deserved new PB, and he knocked an amazing 3 minutes 30 seconds off his time from last year's race. Josh w...

*Pictured above left - Charlotte Rose Wilton Jones with her running friend Tanya Beattie after completing the challenging Delamere trail half marathon. Charlotte braved the ice and mud in the Delamere Forest half marathon...plus a night out at the Conwy Urban race. Report by Don Hale. donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025   NWRRC member Charlotte Rose Wilton Jones competed in the tough Delamere Forest half marathon trail event last weekend in her first race back after having her twins. Charlotte ran with her running friend  Tanya Beattie  and recorded a good time of 2 hours 14 minutes and 40 seconds over a very icy, muddy, and slippery course, and after the race she confirmed: “Last Sunday,  I ran the Delamere Half Marathon. My first race back since having my twins in August last year. It felt great to be back racing, even though the cold, icy and muddy conditions made it tough, and my legs struggled at times.” And last Thursday night,  Charlotte quickly recovered to ta...

*Steve Gardner (*pictured above) finished 7th and won his VM60 age cat Milder conditions, plus another major local race, boosted parkrun numbers...and parkrun results round-up... Report by Don Hale. donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025   The Llandrillo yn Rhos parkrun proved a magnet for visiting athletes once again, which this week was boosted by hundreds of people travelling to the area for the Twin Piers 10k race held later that day. Thankfully, the weather conditions were much better than in recent times, with bright sunshine and milder temperatures, that probably inspired a flurry of personal best (PB times) and proved an ideal warm-up for the afternoon event. The first three male finishers at Rhos were all first timers with  Tony Coyne  (Belle Vue Racers) the first man home on his course debut with a great performance in 17 minutes and 56 seconds. He was followed by  Mickey Armstrong  in 18.21, and  Danny O’Reilly  (Chester Tri Club) in 18.36. The first...

North Wales Cross Country Champs report from the Treborth Track, Bangor race on 10/1/2026.   A special report and photograph cortesy of Bernie Jones, the secretary of the NW Cross Country League. donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025 A big thank you to Eryri Harriers for hosting the North Wales Championships for the second-year running. Bangor is always testing and this year was no different.  Thank you to all the volunteers, not just on the course but behind the scenes and especially to Helen Blair for coordinating everything. Unfortunately, due to be stuck in one foot of snow we did not have the chip timing services of Dave Peters and had to revert to old school timing and recording.  “A late Friday night sorting out numbers from my loft ensured we were able to go ahead! I would therefore like to thank all the officials who enabled me to do some coordinating and sort out individual medals. THANK YOU ALL. Without them there would be no Championships. ALL TEAM MEDALS AND AGE GROU...

*Runners listen to the briefing at the start of the Llandrillo yn Rhos parkrun. Visitors set a hot pace on a cold, frosty morning at the Rhos parkrun – plus other results and reports from the region... Report by Don Hale. Photos courtesy of Michael Finnie. donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025 Pictured above and below - the mass start of the Rhos parkrun. It was another jam-packed and fun-filled occasion on Saturday morning at the new Llandrillo yn Rhos (Y Promenade) parkrun last Saturday following a record-breaking attendance on Christmas Day. Despite the freezing temperatures and a generous covering of heavy frost around the region, with the icy conditions causing the cancellation of rival events at  Conwy  and at  Nova , the Rhos parkrun, possibly aided by a light layer of sand at key points, was given the green light, much to the delight of 576 eager entrants. And many runners later expressed their gratitude to the run director  Dougie Graham  and his RD colleagues,...

Rhos on Sea 5k Your Way Move Against Cancer parkrun on Saturday 27th December. donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025 Tomorrow (Saturday 27/12) is a very special  Y Promenâd parkrun, Llandrillo-yn-Rhos  — our monthly  Rhos-on-Sea: 5k Your Way, Move Against Cancer  meet-up, and the reason this parkrun began here. Please do join us to help raise awareness of 5K Your Way Move Against Cancer, a welcoming community for anyone affected by cancer who would like to enjoy the fresh air, move at their own pace, and connect with like-minded people.  Meet at 8:45am by the 5KYW flag as shown in the picture.  *Everyone is welcome. * *Read about the Christmas Day parkrun. Don Hale Blog: Massive Christmas Day attendances at Rhos and Nova... https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025/12/massive-christmas-day-attendances-at.html?spref=tw