Don Hale Blog

  TOP NORTH WALES RANKINGS AFTER TELFORD 10K. Special report by Paul Brooks (*Pictured below).   Congratulations to  Tom Wood  (Eryri/Oxford Uni), who is now ranked #6 in the NWRAC all-time 10km lists and #5 in the senior men's lists for his 30:12 at the Telford 10km last weekend. He also has a 14:40 5km which ranks him #7 in the all-time list and #5= in the senor men's lists.  Here's the top 10 all-time 10km NWRAC men's list up to and including yesterday: 1 Charlie Hulson Liverpool Telford 2018 00:29:12 SM 2  Andrew Davies  Stockport Valencia 2022 00:29:39 M40  3  Rob Samuel  Eryri Chepstow 2021 00:29:46 M35  4 Ian Pierce Tipton Cardiff 1999 00:29:50 SM  5  David Mountford  Deeside Manchester 2012 00:30:03 SM  6  Tom Wood  Eryri Telford 2022 00:30:12 SM  7  Russell Bentley  Black' & B Derby 2012 00:30:14 SM  8 Iolo Hughes Meir'dd Telford 2015 00:30:36 JM  9=  Ryan Davis  Wrexham Telford 2022 00:30:50 SM  9=  Alun Vaughan  Eryri Manchester 2005 00:30:50 SM h

Some medal winning ladies at Monmouth (l-r) Jayne Lindley (Buckley), Kay Hatton and Cheryl Frost (NWRRC), Emma Collins (Denbigh), Margaret Ludden (Buckley), and Gemma Moore (Eryri). Above photo by Bernie Jones. WELSH INTER REGIONAL CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS - MONMOUTH 19/11/22. Report by Bernie Jones. Additional photos by Adam Brightman. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com A great day for North Wales runners at Monmouth last Saturday, with some stunning results across all ages , and well done to all athletes, parents, coaches, and team managers, who contributed to such a good event …writes Bernie Jones. After the first two 'school' races in which North Wales athletes performed very well, the Women's senior and masters’ race was first up. It was great to see Martha Owen, Deeside, take on the pace early on but it was Gemma Moore, Eryri Harriers, fresh from winning a bronze team medal at the British Masters Cross Country International, who led the team home in 6th place and 3r

*Jamie Tharme (*pictured above) completed 100k North Wales Ultra challenge. Report by Don Hale.   Endurance runner Jamie Tharme must be a glutton for punishment as he took part in the gruelling new 100k North Wales Path Ultra race last Saturday just a week or two after competing in a tough marathon event. Jamie eventually completed this tremendous challenge of running from Nova at Prestatyn to Bangor - with a good many hills thrown in - in a magnificent time of 15 hours and 2 minutes, covering a Strava distance of 101.95 kms including 2,044m of elevation. Feeling utterly exhausted, Jamie later admitted: “I’ve done a lot of stupid things in my time, but this is definitely up there. Wow! That was so hard!” *NWRRC athlete Jamie Tharme (*pictured above) in another recent race. Two other well-known local runners also took part including,  Amanda Durber  and  Bethan Wyn Roberts.  The pair ran together throughout and completed the course in an amazing time of 15 hours 7 minutes.  Amanda later

* Some of the many young benefactors (*pictured above) of Steve Forsyth's Gambian kit appeal. Steve's kit appeal for Gambia proves a huge success. Report by Don Hale.   Steve Forysth’s appeal for any unwanted running shoes and kit has proved a huge success with the first batch of donations delivered to underprivileged young sportsmen and women last week. The North Wales Road Runner also helped organise the delivery of several carloads and boxes of kit to the Gambian Police Athletic Team who began an urgent distribution to youngsters in readiness for a series of races in their country. *NWRRC athlete Steve Forsyth (*above left) with colleagues Don Hale and Will Williams as they helped collect unwanted trainers and sports kit for Gambia at Conwy parkrun. Steve was also able to send back these  exclusive  photographs from different groups who were absolutely thrilled to receive this kit from hundreds of North Wales supporters which included running clubs at Llandudno, Prestatyn, D

NWRRC team packed well to claim four age category wins at Conwy parkrun. Report by Don Hale. Photos by Steve Jeffery.   North Wales Road Running Club members maintained their recent top form and returned in numbers to the Conwy parkrun, where they packed well and recorded nine podium places, including one event win, four age category wins, four second placings, and one third. *Martin and Carla Green (*above) both won their age cats and Martin was also the overall winner at the Conwy Parkrun last weekend. A team of fourteen athletes also included talented newcomer  William Williams  who finished 7th overall on his debut and 3rd in his MV45-49 age cat with a great new PB of 19 minutes and 17 seconds.  The parkrun event however was won by  Martin Green , who again won his MV45-49 cat in a superb time of 17.16.  Richard Eccles  ran well and finished 5th and won his MV55-59 age cat in 18.52.  *Richard Eccles (*above) won his MV55-59 age cat at Conwy. It then proved a very close encounter wi

*Harry Driscoll and Kay Hatton at the Abersoch 10k. Podium finish for Kay Hatton at challenging Abersoch 10k. Report by Don Hale. Photos by John Hatton.   Harry Driscoll and Kay Hatton represented NWRRC at the challenging Abersoch HR Anchor 10k last Saturday, with both enjoying superb performances despite the atrocious weather and difficult course. *A great performance from Harry Driscoll at the Abersoch 10k. Harry  had a remarkable run finishing 14th overall out of 341 finishers and recorded a chip time of 42 minutes 2 seconds, with  Kay Hatton  114th overall, and the 23rd female runner in 52.31. Kay also won a prestigious podium place after claiming 2nd spot in her F50 age category. Kay's husband John, who watched the event and took several photographs at the race, confirmed. ‘ It was very wet, windy, and hilly at Abersoch. The course was, road, track, grass, with sandy beach to finish hurdling the groynes.’ *Kay Hatton had to dig deep to claim silver in her age category at Abers

*Kelly-Marie Alford and Mandy Owen on Blackpool prom. NORTH WALES RUNNERS DAZZLED AT BLACKPOOL LIGHTS 10K - and course PB for Kelly-Marie. Report by Don Hale.   Four North Wales athletes dazzled in the glare of the Blackpool Illuminations last Saturday night during the live “Run the Lights” 10k race, which attracted over seven-hundred entrants. The team effort involved husband and wife duo  Charlie and Mandy Owen , with  Kelly-Marie Alford  and her partner  Cai Roberts , together with their young son  Noah  in his buggy. Kelly, who has performed well in several recent endurance events, was again the pick of the club members in 146th place overall, and 28th female runner with a deserved course PB of 49 mins 49 seconds. And she only just missed out on a podium position, finishing 4th in her F35 age cat.  After the race  Kelly-Marie  said: ‘ Blackpool Run the Lights 10k done and dusted (and Noah).’  *The North Wales team who competed in the 'Run the Lights' 10k (*pictured l-r) Ca

Report by Don Hale.  North Wales Road Runner Jonathan Kettle set a hot pace on a cold day but soon hit top gear on the famous Oulton Park motor racing circuit to claim his third win in the annual 16-miler race in the past three years to celebrate a unique hat-trick of prestigious victories. Jonathan Kettle completed a unique hat-trick of wins at Oulton Park Jonathan was one of three club runners who competed in a variety of rare ‘live’ races around the brand-new traffic-free course at Tarporley, last Sunday, which is also the famous home of the British Touring Car Championships, and the British Superbike Championships. Jonathan won this ‘Grand Prix’ running event in just 1 hr 37 mins 18 secs, and also dipped under the chequered flag to claim his M45 age category prize.  He also recorded several best chip times during laps of the race and  finishing two-minutes ahead of the 2nd placed runner.  Afterwards however, Jonathan modestly played down his remarkable achievement, saying: ‘It was