Don Hale Blog

*The start of the 2024 Deganwy Dash with Jonathan Kettle and the leaders. ENTRIES NOW OPEN FOR THE 2025 DEGANWY DASH & ROHAN'S CHARITY RUN... FRIDAY 30th May 2025 START TIME 7PM.  https://secure.onreg.com/onreg2/front/step1.php?id=6781 *Pictured above - Deganwy Dash race organisers John Hatton and Carla Green John and Carla’s Deganwy Dash voted the ‘Best Sporting Event of the Year 2024,’ and raised thousands for Children's Cancer Charities... Don Hale Blog: John and Carla’s Deganwy Dash voted the ‘Best Spor... https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2024/11/john-and-carlas-deganwy-dash-voted-best.html?spref=tw Report by Don Hale. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk FRIDAY 30th May 2025 START TIME 19:00  https://secure.onreg.com/onreg2/front/step1.php?id=6781 RACE LICENCE APPLIED FOR:  RACE HQ DEGANWY PROMENADE - Race Number collection from 5:00pm ENTRY FEE £15 AFFILIATED £17 NON AFFILIATED  ALL PROCEEDS GO TO CANCER CHARITIES....

British Masters Indoor Pentathlon/3000m/open events Urgent update: Thank you for the prompt response from many people but we still need more. The survey closes at 9 am tomorrow morning.   https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com Dear Masters Athletes, Our indoor meeting at Sheffield has become a regular fixture in the BMAF winter season in recent years but it always a challenge because it is much more expensive than Lee Valley.  This isn't critical if we get good turnout but after making a provisional booking the venue for 26 January we have delayed making a final decision by various resourcing issues. This week is now the crunch time to confirm the event is going ahead.  We need a large turnout to make it financially viable, but we are very reluctant to cancel it. The facilities there are superb and there nothing comparable within 160 miles. If all goes well this year, then we can sure as we can be to continue with it each year thereafter.   *Please use this link to re...

*NWRRC members are pictured above with their trophies. (*Photo John Hatton). Glittering annual trophy afternoon for North Wales Road Runners... Report by Don Hale. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com   It was a glittering afternoon of trophies and celebrations for members of North Wales Road Runners at Colwyn Bay Cricket Club last Sunday following the club’s annual festive handicap race at Rhos on Sea. Kay Hatton  was this year’s MC, ably assisted by her colleague  Cheryl Frost,  with all the prizes awarded following an excellent carvery lunch.  One of the very first awards went to Mike Hayton and Kay Hatton , who were the winners of the earlier Christmas handicap  race at Rhos on Sea. *Club veterans Mike Hayton and Kay Hatton (*above), were the Christmas handicap race winners from earlier in the day The first male awards  went to the individual group winners and included: Group C –  Rob Fryer , and runner-up  Daniel Hennell .  Steve Mason ...

*North Wales Road Runners are pictured (*above) just before the start of the festive handicap race on the promenade at Rhos on Sea. Christmas cracker at the NWRRC handicap race. Report by Don Hale. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com   Twenty-four members of NWRRC took part in the annual Christmas club handicap race, which this year was staged from the Rhos on Sea clock tower to the renovated far end of the promenade and back over a 4.5-mile course. Well organised with times recorded and verified by  Carla Green  and  Elizabeth Driscoll , with support from other members, the handicap rules this time included each runner having to hand in their watches and mobile phones, and the need to predict their finishing times, so that no one knew their exact pace, or whether their estimated times were likely to be accurate, until they actually reached the finish line. The top three female winners , who were the closest to their times included the winner –  Kay Hatto...

Storm Bert was the only winner as various parkruns and local events hit - but Steve, Martin, and Harry beat the weather. Report by Don Hale. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk   Storm Bert was the only winner last weekend as heavy rain and gale force winds forced the postponement of numerous sporting events, and in particular some fell and trail races, plus a host of popular parkruns across the area. Planned parkruns at Nova Prestatyn, Penrhyn Castle, Newborough Forest and Conwy, to name but a few, were all cancelled on either Friday night, or early Saturday morning, on essential health and safety grounds, to help protect both volunteers and many hundreds of participants. At Penrhyn Castle  they announced on Friday afternoon: “Unfortunately owing to the weather forecast we’ve been informed that parkrun is cancelled this Saturday.” And the same applied at the  Nova Prestatyn  venue, which is run along the promenade, when they confirmed: “...

*Pictured above - Michael Finnie - back on track at the Indoor 60m race. Veteran track sprinter Michael Finnie won his age cat at the Indoor 60m dash ...plus other race results. Report by Don Hale. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk   NWRRC veteran track athlete Michael Finnie won his M65 age cat at the North Wales Indoor Open 60m dash at the Deeside Indoor Athletics Centre at Coleg Cambria, Deeside, last Saturday. He braved the challenging weather conditions en-route caused by Storm Bert, to take part in the sprint event, and he was just a fraction of second down on his previous best time, but said he was still pleased with his fine result of 11.23 seconds. After the event, he admitted that unfortunately the road conditions had restricted the number of competitors, but confirmed: “Not bad, since I haven’t been able to train much due to weather and flu the past week. I think I was a quarter of a second slower than my best.” Michael is hoping to improve...

Newport Harriers athletes:  Eleri Jones, Juliet Sidney, Louise Kirkby, and Nicky Buckwell at the World Masters Athletics Championships. Some great medal-winning results for Welsh athletes from the World Masters in Sweden.   World Masters Athletics Championships 13th - 25th August, in  Gothenburg , Sweden. Report by Juliet  Sidney .   Juliet Sidney from Welsh Masters Athletics has kindly forwarded a brief summary from some of the medal winning successes by her club at Newport Harriers and from Welsh Masters Athletics members who competed in the Masters World Championships in Sweden during August. She confirmed: “A massive congratulations to our FIVE Master athletes who travelled to Sweden with all FIVE coming away with relay medals. After competing in their individual events previously and doing well they were all chosen for relay legs.  “Eleri Jones was the 1st leg in the W40 4 x 100m team winning silver, and she also broke the British record...

North Wales Cross Country League 2024/25: Registration details and notice of change of venues for races: - Report courtesy of Bernie Jones, secretary.   The 2024/25 Cross Country Season is just around the corner. Clubs are asked to register athletes wishing to compete in the League using the forms on the North Wales Cross Country website:   Senior Registration: https://view.officeapps.live.com/op/view.aspx?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.northwalesxc.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F08%2FSenior-Athlete-Registration-NWCCL-2024-25.xlsx&wdOrigin=BROWSELINK   Junior Registration: https://view.officeapps.live.com/op/view.aspx?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.northwalesxc.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F08%2FJunior-Athlete-Registration-NWCCL-2024-25.xlsx&wdOrigin=BROWSELINK   Forms should be e mailed to me: Bernie-jones@sky.com Clubs are also reminded   that league fees (£100 per club for seniors and £50 for juniors) are payable by at the latest before the start of the seco...