Don Hale Blog

*Pictured above - super vet Sandy Johnston (NWRRC) won his VM75 cat at the Penrhyn Castle parkrun last Saturday. North Wales parkrun round-up: Report by Don Hale. Photos by Michael Finnie. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com   *Prestatyn:  There was another good turn-out of 248 finishers at the warm but windswept  Nova Prestatyn parkrun  last Saturday, with local SM30 soccer star  Aaron Dodwell  recording a new course PB and sharing the exact time of 17.58 with JM15-17 Northern Ireland visitor and junior athlete  Matthew Lamont , whilst  Nic Brook  (Eryri Harriers) took the 3rd spot in 18.26. The first female finisher was  Anna   Drinkwater  (Eryri Harriers) in 19.16, (6th overall) with  club  colleague  Gemma Moore , hot on her heels with a new PB in 19.29, whilst  Eve Manifold  (Eryri Harrier) was 3rd with a new PB in 22.03.  *There were 248 finishers. Some Conwy on Tour members at Nova include...

*Pictured above left - Daniel Huws and Dave Munday - after completing their incredible 50k charity challenge to help fundraise for Cancer charities, and (*below), the start of their campaign. Longest Day for NW athletes who ran ten different parkruns in a day for Cancer charity... Report by Don Hale. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com   On the longest day of the year, last Saturday 21st June, two athletes completed a tough Cancer Charity challenge, by completing ten 5k runs on ten different parkrun courses within fourteen hours! Daniel Huws  and  Dave Munday  first began their incredible marathon fundraising event for  MOVE Against Cancer  on Yns Mon, at Newborough Forest at 6am, and they finally finished their gruelling day on home soil at the Nova Prestatyn course at about 8pm.   They were all run on genuine, varied and undulating 5k parkrun routes within North Wales, but as all the events started at 9am, obviously they could only run in one live ...

*Pictured above - the start of the Penrhyn Castle parkrun last Saturday. Penrhyn was the King of the Castle for popular parkruns Report by Don Hale. Photos courtesy of Michael (Pat) Finnie. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com   The Penrhyn Castle parkrun was one of the most popular local events again last Saturday morning, with 256 visiting club and social athletes enjoying the picturesque but undulating 5k woodland trail course, despite a very cool and blustery wind. Young  Andrew Moore  won his SM20 age cat with an outstanding display in just 17 minutes and 8 seconds, and he was over a minute ahead of his nearest rival  Luke Hilliard  (Elswick Harriers) on his debut in 18.21, with teenager  Aidan Thomas  3rd in 18.30. The 1st female finisher was SW25 athlete  Anna Drinkwater  (Eryri Harriers), in 19.26, who was 6th overall, with  Laura McKenzie  (Betsi Runaways), 2nd (27th), in 22.54, whilst  Elen Jones  claimed the 3rd spo...

*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 ...

Jonathan Kettle set a hot pace from the start at Conwy parkrun last Saturday. Report by Don Hale. Photos by Steve Jeffery.    It was a cool, crisp, autumn morning for 259 finishers at the Conwy Parkrun where Jonathan Kettle from North Wales Road Runners was the first man home in just 17 minutes and 27 seconds. Jonathan easily won his VM45-49 age category and set a hot pace for his rivals, with club colleague  Mark Jessett  finishing 3rd overall in 18.21, and he also won his VM35-39 age cat. NWRRC entered fifteen athletes and collected four age category wins and two personal best times, but many members were either recovering from major marathons and recent races or were preparing for other events over the weekend. Martin and Carla Green  used the parkrun as a recovery exercise following last week’s dual success at the Manchester Marathon, and both ran well together again with Martin finishing in 19th place in 21.23, and Carla (*pictured left) winning her V...