Don Hale Blog

Report and results round-up from the Richard Burton 10k. Details from David Gibson. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk   The Richard Burton 10k run in early November in the Afan Valley near Port Talbot is a bit of a cult event with a special valley flavour but attracting top club runners from throughout South Wales.  The race is one of the oldest of its type having started in 1982 as a fun run in remembrance of three lads who died in a car crash whilst travelling from Cwmafan to Swansea. In 1983 Richard Burton CBE was asked if he would allow the race to be named after him, which he agreed to. The atmosphere and local support are just two aspects that make it a great event. The circular course has some serious climbing early on compensated by an exhilarating downhill return from Pontrhydyfen to the finish in Cwmafan. Two unique aspects are the Welsh Slate coasters instead of medals along with a Welsh cake for all finishers.   The category firs...

  *This is a photo of Tony Crocker taken by Roger Garland, proudly wearing his “GB Veterans” tracksuit top, having just secured the European M75 High Jump title at Ancona in Italy in 2016. Special tribute to the late veteran athletic champion - Professor Anthony (Tony) Crocker - RIP. Report by Roger Garland.   It is with sadness that I am writing to inform you of the recent death of Tony Crocker.  Tony was an exceptional “Vet” athlete for many years as a member of the Droitwich Club and MMAC, still holding no less than eight MVTFL records across four disciplines and several different age categories. He was also very successful at Regional, National, European, and World Championship level, winning a hatful of gold medals whilst setting records within Great Britain and overseas.    Although the start of his athletics career pre-dated Power of 10, the amazing performances later in his career are very well documented.    We ow...

*Pictured above  - Carla Heath - with her dramatic new book Mother's Love. Special Coast and Country Author Spotlight Feature. Welcome to another new author feature in conjunction with Amazon.   Mother’s Love by Carla Heath.   Published by North Wales based firm:   www.bookpublishing4u.co.uk   www.donhaleblog.blogspot.com *Read Carla’s fascinating new book which is now available on Amazon via this link:   https://amzn.to/3ASdQQF ABOUT THE AUTHOR : Mother’s Love by Carla Heath.   This is a personal experience of the journey of the author life growing up.  I felt I needed to share my story for others who may have encountered a troubled childhood and give them inspiration and encouragement that you can turn things around and overcome difficulties to thrive when you are an adult and accomplish your own personal aspirations and goals. This book reaches out to wide audience who enjoy real life stories. It is in my own words. It is a story that is raw an...

*Crime thriller writer David Widdowson (*above) with his new book. Special Coast and Country Author Spotlight Feature. Welcome to another new author feature in conjunction with Amazon.   Lifer’s Chance: An Offer he couldn't refuse by David P. Widdowson... https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com   Published by North Wales based firm :   www.bookpublishing4u.co.uk   *David’s exciting new book is now available on Amazon via this link: https://amzn.to/416u4jR   About the book: This is the debut novel by David P. Widdowson. An exciting new crime thriller: A prisoner (an ex-Met Police firearms officer) is serving a life sentence. Then he is given an offer he can’t refuse… ABOUT THE AUTHOR : New crime thriller writer   David Widdowson was born in Nottinghamshire in 1952. In 1967 aged 15 he left school and started work as an apprentice agricultural engineer. He Married Jennie in 1977.  From 1981 to 1990 he studied with the Open University to obtain a BA Honours Degre...

*Pictured above - veteran foreign correspondent and author Colin   McIntyre. Special Coast and Country Author Spotlight Feature Welcome to another new author feature in conjunction with Amazon. Tiptoeing Through the Cold War:  A veteran correspondent looks back - by Colin McIntyre. *NOTE: This book is now available on amazon:   https://amzn.to/49992Tu ABOUT THE AUTHOR : Former foreign correspondent and author Colin McIntyre.   Published by North Wales based firm:   www.bookpublishing4u.co.uk https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com In this very interesting memoir the author, Colin McIntyre, looks back on 34 years as a foreign correspondent mainly reporting the Cold War.  After joining Reuters news agency in the 1960s he is posted to East Berlin, the only Western correspondent accredited to communist East Germany, and Czechoslovakia, still reeling from a 1968 Soviet-led invasion to crush attempted reforms.  After a spell in Asia covering communist takeovers in ...

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...

*Picture above - Deganwy Dash race organisers John Hatton and Carla Green John and Carla’s Deganwy Dash voted the ‘Best Sporting Event of the Year,’ and raises thousands for Children's Cancer Charities. Report by Don Hale. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk   The Deganwy Dash was voted the Best Sporting event of the year within Conwy County at the annual Conwy Sports Awards last Friday night at Venue Cymru. Well organised by  John Hatton  and  Carla Green  from  North Wales Road Runners , this popular annual 5-mile race from Deganwy Quay to the RSPB Nature Reserve, and back via Conwy Cob, always attracts over 350-plus mixed ability runners who raise thousands of pounds for charity. The main charity includes generous donations to Children’s Cancer charities, and for the past few years it has been run in memory of a young local student Rohan Ingley, who sadly lost his life due to cancer, and has been known as 'Rohan's Run.' Award...

*Pictured above - North East historian and   author  Ian Ansell Marshall. Special Coast and Country Author Spotlight Feature Welcome to another new author feature in conjunction with Amazon.   ABOUT THE AUTHOR : North-East author and historian Ian Ansell Marshall...   Published by North Wales based firm:   www.bookpublishing4u.co.uk   About the author: Ian Ansell Marshall. I am Ian, the youngest of five boys and the only one to be born in London as my parents moved there from Yorkshire.  I went to a comprehensive school in London, gained "A" levels in the Humanities and went on to a college in London where I gained a BA and a teaching degree.  My childhood memories centre around reading and I was taken by my mother to the library every week, sometimes twice. As a teenager, my passion for reading remained but I also played football to a decent level and then found the wonders of the guitar. I only have 7 but each one is specific to the music I play...