Don Hale Blog

Success in the wind and rain for North Wales athletes at Conwy Parkrun - plus Gethin becomes a tourist again.   Report by Don Hale. Most photographs by Steve Jeffery.   Ten members of North Wales Road Runners took part in the Conwy parkrun last Saturday and despite cool, wet and windy conditions, with plenty of puddles underfoot, five members still claimed age category wins, including two runners in the top-ten finishers. Josh Keogh  was the first club man home finishing 2nd overall but he was the 1st SM30-34 age cat winner in 17 minutes 56 seconds, and  Carla Green  was the 1st female finisher again, and the 1st VW45-49 cat winner in 21.04. *Josh Keogh finished 2nd at the Conwy parkrun but won his age category. *Carla Green claimed another age cat win and she was also the 1st female runner at Conwy despite the wet and windy weather. With many other top runners missing due to other commitments including the London Marathon and Chester Metric and marathon races, it was left to the veter

*Martin Green (above) was the 1st male runner home at the Conwy Parkrun, and his wife Carla (pictured below) was the 1st female athlete to finish. Six age cat wins and three PBs for North Wales runners at Conwy Parkrun...plus parkrun tourist successes. Report by Don Hale. Most photographs by Steve Jeffery.   North Wales Road Runners collected six age category wins and celebrated three personal best times at the Conwy parkrun last Saturday, in addition to claiming three additional cat wins and a top female placing as tourists at other parkruns. With an entry of thirteen athletes amidst the two-hundred and forty finishers at Conwy,  Martin Green  was the first man home overall to win his VM45-49 age cat in 17 minutes and 7 seconds, with club rival  Josh Keogh  a close second in 17.50 to win his own SM30-34 age cat.  *Steve Bozier won his age category and claimed a great new parkrun PB. Mark Jessett  also enjoyed another excellent performance in 4th place, and he was the 1st VM35-39 cat w

                                    *Martin Green in a close finish at the Conwy parkrun. FAST TIMES AND RECORDS SMASHED AGAIN AT CONWY PARKRUN...plus results round-up from other races. Report by Don Hale. Most photographs by Steve Jeffery.   Conwy parkrun witnessed a keen battle for top placings by a host of elite athletes on a near perfect morning at the RSPB site, where several records were smashed, and fast times recorded. And despite three superb parkrun PBs by North Wales runners  Martin Green ,  Josh Keogh , and  Mark Jessett , all were unable to match the fast pace of the 1st placed visiting man  Jonathan Goringe.                                   *PB time for Josh Keogh at Conwy. Goringe from Birchfield Harriers easily won the challenge and also set a new course record for his M30-34 age cat, finishing 51 seconds ahead of  Martin Green  in 16 minutes and 6 seconds, although Martin won his VM45-49 cat in 16.57, and  Josh Keogh  finished 3rd in 17.48, and was 2nd in his M30-34 c

Another fast finish for Jonathan Kettle at Conwy Parkrun. Report by Don Hale. Photographs by Steve Jeffery.   Conwy parkrun returned to near normality last Saturday morning with its usual mix of tourists, fun-runners, and numerous top-quality club athletes from various parts of the UK. Despite fierce competition at the sharp end of this popular 5k event, which recorded 278 finishers, three local runners still took the plaudits, and claimed two of the main podium positions. Colwyn Bay’s extraordinary talented teenager  Bryn Woodall  also registered a unique hat-trick of exceptional wins during consecutive weeks. And for North Wales Road Runner  Jonathan Kettle (*pictured above top)  it was a case of same again, as almost identical to last week, and despite a fast finish, he eventually finished as runner-up to Bryn, who still proved unbeatable in his determination for further success over this distance. *Mark  Jessett claimed a great new parkrun PB at Conwy finishing 3rd overall. Bryn wa

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

Parkrun finally returned to North Wales and Bryn smashed course record. Report by Don Hale. Photographs by Steve Jeffery.   Parkrun finally returned to Wales, and to the Conwy RSPB site on Saturday for the first time in about seventeen months due to Covid-19 restrictions, and despite light rain and a puddle-ridden course, the event was welcomed by 310 muddy finishers, including many tourists, and several athletes from top clubs across the UK. Colwyn Bay AC’s teenage athlete  Bryn Woodall  (*pictured top of page) stole the show however, and recorded a tremendous new course record of just 15 minutes 16 seconds over this picturesque 5k route, which was voted ‘runner-up’ last year in the Parkrun “World Cup” contest. The SM18-19 runner knocked more than two minutes off his own previous personal best time at Conwy, set in January last year, and he also smashed the previous course record set more than six years ago by Andi Jones of 15.52 in August 2015. Bryn, who is about to leave Wales short