Don Hale Blog

*Pictured above - Will Williams celebrated a new 10k PB. North Wales Quartet performed well at the Colshaw 10k. Report by Don Hale https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com   Four members from North Wales Road Runners competed in the Colshaw Hall 10k race last Sunday in near perfect conditions and celebrated some excellent results. Will Williams  hit top form again and recorded a superb new PB, but he was just seven-seconds adrift of his estimated target, finishing in 95th place out of 1,137 entrants in 36 minutes and 7 seconds, and 5th in his VM50 age category. After his event, Wiil said:  “A massive PB, though I thought I had dipped under 36 minutes. Not quite, but next time, I think I will get it!” Carla Green  also enjoyed a good run as the 48th female finisher and 320th overall, with a good time of 43.07, whilst  Kay Hatton  claimed the 5th spot in her VW60 cat in 47.51, and master veteran  Mike Hayton  was 852nd and 5th in his VM70 cat in 1.07.32. ...

*Pictured above - Jonathan Kettle one top form at Chester. Superb PB for Jonathan Kettle at the Chester half-marathon. Report by Don Hale.  https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com   North Wales Road Runner Jonathan Kettle returned to action at the weekend with a superb performance and claimed a new course PB despite the heat at the Chester half-marathon, finishing 23rd out of 6.539 other runners. After his race he confirmed:  “The Chester half-marathon may have not been my fastest, but I was pleased with a course PB of around one minute, and I didn’t expect it at all.  “I said to someone before the race that you have to go hard enough to risk blowing up to know what you really have on the day, and today I did that, and I didn’t blow up, absolutely loved the pain of the race.”   *Stuart Culverhouse (*above left), with Helen Hannam and Adam Lemalle. Jonathan was one of eight NWRR members who faced the hot dash at Chester and master veteran  Kevin Slattery  was ...

*Stuart Culverhouse (*above left), with his son Joe and daughter Sophia at the Nova parkrun at Prestatyn last Saturday morning where they all won their cats. Unique family hat-trick of parkrun age cat wins at Nova...plus other results... Report by Don Hale. Penrhyn photos by Michael Finnie. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com     It was a unique family hat-trick of age category victories for NWRRC veteran Stuart Culverhouse, together with his son Joe, and daughter Sophia at the Nova parkrun at sun-drenched Prestatyn last Saturday. Junior  Joe  finished 10th overall and he won his JM11-14 age cat with an impressive time of 20.38, whilst his dad  Stuart  just one place and seven-seconds behind Joe, and he won his VM50 age cat in 20.46, with  Sophia  also enjoying another good performance in 109th place in 30.05, and she won her JW15-17 age cat. After the parkrun Stuart admitted:  “My f irst run post marathon and my legs still felt heavy. Great to ...

*Ultra runners Ben and Sarah Hudson (*above) in the MK half-marathon race. North Wales trio tackle Milton Keynes marathon races. Report by Don Hale.  https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com Three North Wales based runners competed in the Milton Keynes marathon and half-marathon events last Sunday, and they all recorded some good times. Stuart Culverhouse  (*pictured right), opted for a the full marathon and he set a new PB marathon time of 3 hours 38 minutes and 4 seconds, and after his race he confirmed: “A new PB by around 1 min 50 secs. It could have been better. I hung on to the 3:30 pacer for a while, but my legs gave up with 4 miles to go. Still really happy, even if I can't get up off the floor as I type this.” Ultra runners Ben and Sarah Hudson ran in the half-marathon race with Ben shaking off an ankle injury to finish in 1 hour 51 minutes and 58 seconds, whilst Sarah’s time was also very good in 1.53.47.  What made their times even remarkable was the fact that b...

*Pictured above - the NWRRC runners at Porth Eirias (l-r), Mike Hayton, Carla Green, and Stuart Culverhouse. Road Running trio claimed podium places at Porth Eirias 10k race...plus other results. Report by Don Hale. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk   A trio of Road Runners took part in the Porth Eirias 10k race last Saturday morning and they all gained podium places and recorded some excellent results. Stuart Culverhouse  finished in 8th place overall in 41.24 and he was 2nd in his M50 age cat, whilst  Carla Green  was on top form again as the 1st female finisher, (11th overall), and she won her F50 age cat in 42.14, whilst master veteran  Mike Hayton  enjoyed another good performance in 99th place, and he also won his M70 age cat in 59.42. After the race Stuart Culverhouse confirmed : “Porth Eirias 10k. Chip time was one second slower than when I last ran this race 5 years ago, but my gun time was three seconds quicker today...

*Pictured above - Stuart Culverhouse was the first NWRRC member home. Great new course PB for Mark Davies as he continues to build, back his fitness at the waterlogged Conwy parkrun...plus other results. Report by Don Hale. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk   There were just a handful of Road Runners at the Conwy parkrun last Saturday morning due to a clash of other fixtures as 240 brave social and club athletes welcomed bright and sunny weather as they tackled the waterlogged 5k riverside course from the RSPB Nature Reserve. And the highlight of the day was to note that NWRRC athlete Mark Davies  (*pictured right),  continues  to build  back his fitness following a devastating accident, with a great new course PB of 34.50, knocking well over a minute from his previous  best. Stuart Culverhouse  dashed through the numerous puddles following the previous night’s downpour, to finish 10th overall in 20 mins 17 seconds and he...

*Pictured above - Stuart Culverhouse was on song to lead the team home. Stuart Culverhouse led the Road Runners home at Conwy parkrun...plus other results. Report by Don Hale. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk   It was another bumper turn-out at Conwy parkrun last Saturday on a bright, sunny, but crisp morning, with the usual array of visiting club and social runners. Stuart Culverhouse  led home a team of fifteen  North Wales Road Runners  finishing 8th overall and he won his VM50 age cat in 20 minutes and 20 seconds. He was followed by  Steve Roberts  who also won his new VM60-64 age cat, as he celebrated his 60th birthday on the day in 26th place in 22.29. Jamie Tharme  looked back to his old-self again with a solid run in 39th place in 23.33, and master vet  Sandy Johnston  seemed to make a speedy recovery from last week’s  Chester Marathon , finishing well in 58th, and he also won his VM70 age cat in 2...

  *Pictured above (l-r) - the NWRRC trio at Abersoch on Saturday - Sandy Johnston, Stuart Culverhouse, and Gwen Charlton. Road Running trio set the pace at the Abersoch half-marathon... plus other race results. Report by Don Hale. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk A trio of NWRRC members took part in the   Abersoch half-marathon   last Saturday with  Stuart Culverhouse  coming home first for the club in 28th place overall, out of nearly 300 entrants. And he also celebrated a new course PB and finished two-minutes quicker than last time in 1.33.35 and he was 3rd in his M50 age cat.  Super-veteran  Sandy Johnston  confirmed his pedigree with a superb result of 1.42.26 to win his M75 cat with a new PB in 62nd place, whilst  Gwen Charlton  ran well in 2.20.44, and she was 260th overall, and the 86th female finisher. After the race Sandy said:  “Just ran a huge over-75 PB at the Abersoch half after 10 days ...