Don Hale Blog

*Stuart Culverhouse (*in red top) leads a pack of runners at Conwy parkrun. Splashdown for North Wales athletes at Conwy parkrun. Report by Don Hale.   Colwyn Bay youngster Alfie Shiland showed his more experienced senior rivals a clean pair of heels despite the mud at the Conwy parkrun last Saturday, as he splashed around the puddle-filled 5k course to claim another notable victory. The talented JM11-14 athlete recorded an excellent time of 18 minutes and 20 seconds to finish twenty-five seconds ahead of his nearest challenger  Sam Davies , who despite recording a new PB of 18.45, was still unable to catch Alfie. Paul Jones finished 3rd in 19.36, and there were 176 finishers. Carla Green  (*pictured above) from NWRRC was the 1st female finisher, in 8th place overall, and she also won her VW50 age cat in 20.15, with a couple of other promising local juniors claiming the next places including  Olivia Jones  who was the 2nd female in 22.28, and she also won her JW15.17 cat, with Colwyn B

*Martin Green (*above) had a good run in the cross country race Five Road Runners tackled Bangor cross country race. Report by Don Hale. Photographs by Steve Jeffery and Kay Hatton.   Five Road Runners swapped their trainers for spikes at the first cross-country fixture of the season at Treborth, near Bangor last Saturday in the North Wales League. Martin Green  used the race as a warm-up for the  Chester Metric Marathon  the following day and ran steadily around the course to finish 9th overall and 2nd in his MV45 age cat in 32.42 in the Senior Men’s race.  Stuart Culverhouse  (*pictured above) was the only other male member involved in this event and he finished 81st in 39.19 and 11th in his MV55 cat. The event attracted 142 runners. *Pictured above (l-r) Kay Hatton, Gwennan  Charlton and Tessa Bushnell at the first North Wales cross country league meeting at Treborth last Saturday. Kay Hatton  led a team of three female club members home in the Senior Women’s race finishing 62nd ove

*(PICTURED ABOVE): The NW Road Running team at Lake Vyrnwy (*back row l-r), Sue Smith, Kevin Higgins, Ben Hudson, Stuart Culverhouse, and John Dalzell, and (*front row), Nicola Wylie, Mandy Owen, Kelly Alford and Sarah Hudson. Fast times by Road Runners at Lake Vyrnwy half-marathon - plus other race results... Report by Don Hale.   Nine Road Runners tackled the revised Lake Vyrnwy half-marathon last Sunday with many athletes amongst the 800 plus entrants celebrating superb times in near perfect conditions. Endurance star  John Dalzell  was the first club man home in 122nd place in 1 hour 28 minutes and 36 seconds, closely followed by  Stuart Culverhouse , who was thrilled to go sub-90 minutes after his 37th attempt, finally finishing in 125th place in 1.28.47.  Ben Hudson  also had a good run out and finished in 158th place in 1.32.33, but his wife  Sarah Hudson  was the outstanding star of the team knocking an amazing nine-minutes off her previous best time. Sarah later admitted that

*Pictured at the Nova parkrun at Prestatyn are (l-r) Rachel Morris, Helen Hannam and Nicola Wylie. Road Runners battled for club points and podium places at Prestatyn's Nova parkrun... Report by Don Hale. Photos by Steve Jeffrey.   Eleven members of NWRRC travelled to Prestatyn last Saturday to compete in the Nova parkrun as part of their revised 5k club championship events, with the run organisers recording their best attendance since lockdown. With numerous open races either being cancelled or rescheduled this year due to the recent pandemic, the club opted to include this parkrun as an important middle-distance alternative, and members later celebrated with seven podium places, including four age category wins. And, for all but one of the Road Runners, it meant a course debut at this parkrun venue, which was also boosted in the sunshine by supporters of the cancer charity – ‘Your Way, Move Against Cancer.’ * Martin  Green (*above) was in fine form with two superb 5k times. Marti

*Stuart Culverhouse (*above) was the first NWRRC back home at Conwy. Three age cat wins for Road Runners at bright and breezy Conwy parkrun. Report by Don Hale. Photos Steve Jeffery.   It was bright and breezy at Conwy parkrun last Saturday where an increased number of top club and social runners enjoyed the excellent weather to record some fast times and new PBs. Adam Jones  was the first man home over this picturesque 5k course in just 16 minutes 59 seconds, with  Tom Carter  just 3 seconds behind, despite a new PB time of 17.02, with  Osian Griffiths  3rd in 18.59. The first lady was the speedy  Alice Johnson  (Les Croupiers), who finished 7th overall in 19.27. *Pictured above, super master vets Sandy  Johnston  (*left) and Roger Harrison Jones both ran well at the Conwy parkrun. The parkrun attracted another bumper turnout of 234 runners from across the UK, and it also welcomed back a couple of remarkable ‘super’ veterans in  Sandy Johnston  (Les Croupiers), a highly respected MV70

*Some of the NWRRC team prior to the start of the Fairy Freckled Cow race (*pictured l-r) Stuart Culverhouse, Helen Hannam, Kevin Higgins, Hannah Griffiths, Don Hale, Mike Hayton and Nicola Wylie. Podium places and NW medals for Road Runners at Fairy Freckled Cow Trail race. Report by Don Hale.   It was a great turnout of experienced club athletes and a few social endurance runners at the very tough Fairy Freckled Cow 10.7k trail race last Sunday morning. The Road Runners entered eight members and collected four podium places and a few PBs, in addition to several North Wales Trail championship medals, at one of the most challenging trail races in the region around Alwen Reservoir. Despite spectacular views, this race followed a gruelling and very hilly course, with the event eventually won by  James Yarwood  (Abergele Harriers) in 40 minutes 21 seconds. He was followed by  Stephen Skates  (Prestatyn RC) in 41.15, and  Ian Edwards  (Eryri Harriers) 3rd in 41.24. The Ladies race was won

 *Stuart Culverhouse was the first NWRRC member home at Conwy parkrun. Conwy parkrun welcomed bumper entry to Bank Holiday weekend event - plus other race results... Report by Don Hale. Most photos by Steve Jeffery.   It was an excellent Bank Holiday weekend turn out of athletes at the Conwy parkrun last Saturday where two visiting club runners took the honours by claiming the first and second placings amongst a bumper entry of 230 finishers on a warm but windy morning. Matt Darnley (Bramhall Runners) was the first man home to win his VM40 age cat in 18.34, followed by Richard Gallois (Kingfisher Harriers), who also won his VM45 cat in 18.58, with Chris Morgan taking the 3rd place in 19.07, and he finished 2nd in the same age cat as Richard. The first female runner was Alice Johnston (Les Croupiers), and 1st SW30 cat with a new PB of 19.36 North Wales Road Runners  had several top members missing due to a variety of reasons and entered ten athletes and one junior, but still managed to

*Josh Keogh pictured (*above) at a previous Great Orme Fell Race. Report by Don Hale.   The annual Great Orme fell race was held last Tuesday night and attracted a variety of experienced club runners from across the UK.  On an evening of mixed weather conditions and following a wet, slippery, and at times a challenging course that started from the Ski Centre in Happy Valley,  some 106 hardy athletes eventually finished to ensure that it proved another highly successful race for event organisers Eryri Harriers. Math Roberts  and  Gavin Roberts  from Calder Valley claimed a unique club double in the 1st and 2nd placings, with Math winning his V40 age cat in 30 minutes 29 seconds, and Gavin just 19-seconds adrift in 30.48, to win his M-Open age cat, with local athlete  Michael Corrales,  now representing Dark Peak, claiming the 3rd spot, and second place in the same cat as the overall winner. NWRRC  had three members competing with  Josh Keogh  taking 8th place in 32.53, with  Jonathan Ke

*Stuart Culverhouse (above) enjoyed another good performance at the Conwy Parkrun. Hot pace for top athletes at Conwy parkrun. Report by Don Hale. Photos by Steve Jeffery.   It was an incredibly bright, sunny, and warm start for nearly two-hundred Conwy parkrunners last Saturday morning with the first eleven athletes setting a hot pace to record some superb times and all dipping under the twenty-minute barrier. Ian Lawton  (Mersey Tri) was the first finisher overall in a very fast time of just 16 minutes and 4 seconds over this challenging 5k course, with  James Yarwood  (Abergele Harriers) 2nd despite a great new PB, and finishing exactly one minute behind Ian in 17.04, whilst local junior  Alfie Shirland  (Colwyn Bay AC) claimed 3rd place with another good run in 17.43 to win his JM11-14 age cat.                      *Will Williams (*above) turned in another great run in 7th place. North Wales Road Runners  entered eleven senior members and one junior with  Will Williams  continuing