Don Hale Blog

Conwy Urban Night Score – Explore the Medieval streets of Conwy – 8th January 2026. Unique orienteering event. By Gwennan Charlton. donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025   For anyone who’s been thinking of doing one of the Orienteering Urban Night races, we’re coming to Conwy on the 8th of January! Link for more info/entries here:   https://facebook.com/events/s/conwy-urban-night-score/1186436856278025/ *Gwennan Charlton (*above left), is helping to promote the Conwy event, with Lizzie Bennett, who is a keen urban orienteer. Get ready for the first orienteering event of 2026!  We're exploring the medieval streets of Conwy for this one. And it's going retro- pen, paper and clues only! No map run.   I've got a series of clues- both educational and non-educational for you to gather around town. Think treasure hunt, but the pot of gold is a lamp post!   Entries are open online at :   https://pre-entries.co.uk/dl/events Online entries shut at 8pm on 7th January so ...

*Pictured above - Run Directors Richard Peevor and Dougie Graham at Rhos. Festive demands and the weather kept numbers down at NW parkruns... Report by Don Hale. Rhos parkrun photos courtesy of Pat Finnie. donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025   It was a cool, damp morning at most of the local parkruns last Saturday, with numbers down at the majority of them, probably due to festive demands and the problematic weather conditions, with some flooding on numerous 5k courses. Conwy may have suffered the most, with entrants down for the third week on the trot, and only 80 determined athletes – including 24 visitors – who completed the swampy riverside route at the RSPB, whilst Nant y Pandy’s event was cancelled altogether! The new  Llandrillo yn Rhos parkrun  still remains a novelty but entrants were down from last week’s launch of 501 to 345, and the stats were very interesting with 240 first timers, and nearly half of the previous week’s entrants recorded new PB’s this week! *S...

*Pictured above and below - Cheryl Frost and Kay Hatton North Wales Road Running duo completed the gruelling Sea to Summit Challenge... Report by Don Hale.  donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025 Two top veteran female athletes from North Wales Road Runners completed the gruelling Sea to Summit Offa’s Dyke Challenge on Sunday. This was a very demanding race for Welsh international, club colleagues and friends  Cheryl Frost  and  Kay Hatton , as the event covered 14-miles and some 3,700ft of ascent, and took the pair 3 hours and 40 minutes! After the event, Kay said:  “Cheryl and I have just finished the Challenge. It was a race, but most of us either ran/walked as there were numerous steep gradients and was very muddy! ”        

*Pictured above and below - some of the fun runners at the Mental Elf events. Mental Elf 2k and 5k races proved a huge success at Eirias Park, Colwy Bay last Sunday... Report by Don Hale. Pictures by Caitlin Faye Photography. donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025 John Hatton, who was one of the charity event organisers at last weekend’s Mental Elf races at Eirias Park, was delighted by the fun frolics and the great public response, plus the generous funds raised for such a worthy cause. Sponsored by Jennings , participants were told that they could either walk, jog, skip or run whilst soaking up the festive spirit, and whilst supporting Conwy and the Vale of Clwyd Minds, with a Mini Elf 2k fun run, and 5k event. After the event, John confirmed:  “A massive thank you to all the volunteers last Sunday at the Mental Elf 2k & 5k, held at Eirias Park, Colwyn Bay.  What a day, and it began at 8am setting up the course. It was white everywhere, and a hailstorm was incredible. “The weathe...

A very challenging and muddy course at the Bala cross country fixture in the latest NW XC League event... Report by Don Hale.  Match report and photo courtesy of Bernie Jones donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025 It was a good turn-out at Bala despite the weather and some very challenging and muddy  conditions which tested runners to the limit. In the Senior Men's race Andrew Moore (Bangor University) was the first man home in 31 minutes and 12 seconds, but he was only 13-seconds ahead of his keen rival Rhodri Owen (Meirionnydd RC) in 31.23, and Rhodri's clubmate Daniel Kashi in 31.44. The Meirionnydd team packed well and they had five members in the top 10 finishing places and topped the team table ahead of Wrexham AAC and Buckley, who were both within a whisker of each other. *There were 144 finishers. In the Over 65 race, Graham Jones (Shrewsbury AC) was the overall winner and he also took the 1st MV 65 prize in 24.22, with Andy Clarke (Oswestry) second in 24.23, and 2nd...

*Pictured above - Laura Kenny with John Hatton at the sports awards. John Hatton and Michelle Farrell celebrate top  sporting  awards from Dame Laura Kenny   Report by Don Hale.   donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025   Popular charity fundraiser, event organiser, sports promoter, and athletics coach John Hatton deservedly won another prestigious trophy last Friday night at the Conwy Sports Awards, along with an exceptional local international triathlete in Michelle Farrell.   They are both well-known talented local individuals in the athletics world and they received their awards along with other identified sporting heroes from the former Olympic cycling star Laura Kenny.   John Hatton later confirmed:  "I was honoured and so thrilled to be the winner of the 'Volunteer of the Year' at the Conwy Sports Awards last Friday. I have now won four awards at the event, including Services to Sport, Best Event of the Year for the Nick Beer 10k, and the  Degan...