Don Hale Blog

*NWRRC team members at the start of the Llanrug 5k NW Road championship race. Road Runners struck gold at super-fast NW 5k championships at Llanrug... Report by Don Hale.   It was an incredible evening of super-fast running at Llanrug last Wednesday for the North Wales 5k Road Championships, where 130 elite and top club runners competed for prestigious honours.  The eventual race winner was  Ryan Davis  (Wrexham AC) in just 15 minutes and 37 seconds, with  Adam Jones (Eryri Harriers) just snatching 2nd place in 16.13, and he was only four-seconds ahead of  Tomos Roberts (Meirionnydd RC) in 16.17. And quite amazingly, the first twenty-eight runners all dipped under 20-minutes, and the first eight under 17-minutes, with a matter of seconds separating athletes in the top-ten placings. Against this background, many NWRRC members celebrated a record-breaking night of glory, winning a total of seventeen NW championship medals, including five gold, six silver and ...

Josh Keogh (*pictured above) claimed narrow victory at Conwy parkrun...plus other race results... Report by Don Hale. Most photos by Steve Jeffery.   There was a good turn-out of both club runners and visitors to Conwy parkrun last Saturday where NWRRC athlete Josh Keogh claimed another narrow victory despite a brave challenge from Colwyn Bay teenager Bryn Woodall. Josh faced a cat and mouse challenge throughout the 5k dash from his exceptional rival and just managed to win the event by two seconds following a sprint finish. He was one of thirteen club colleagues and two juniors with the team also winning five age cat awards. Josh  recorded a time of 17 minutes and 14 seconds and won his SM30-34 age cat, with  Bryn  also winning his own SM18-19 cat in 17.16, followed by another promising young athlete,  Harri Jackson  (Manchester Metropolitan University AC) in 17.50. Fellow Road Runner  Chris Davies  enjoyed another good showing to finish 11th in ...

Llyr ApGeraint-Roberts Roberts (*pictured above) qualified for 2023 Euro Duathlon championships in his age group. Report by Don Hale. Llyr ApGeraint Roberts  finished 13th out of 138 competitors in the gruelling  Slateman Duathlon  in North Wales over the weekend and secured an automatic entry qualification for his age group in the Euro 2023 championships. He later admitted: “The toughest duathlon ever. The bike had a 4k climb up Nant Peris Pass and the 2nd run was brutal, severe inclines and a slated shale surface!” *Gethin Wyn Jones  becomes a legend (*pictured above). Gethin competed in the  Slateman Legend Triathlon, Swim, Bike and Run challenge last Sunday. He completed a 93.29k cycle race with 1,420m elevation, in 3 hours 44 minutes, and a 22.46k run with 770m of elevation in 2 hours 42 minutes, and he also swam 1.9m in 42.30 making an incredible total Triathlon time of 7.22.04. Afterwards Gethin said: " So happy to have completed my first ever triath...

*Richard Eccles (*above) is one of five NWRRC members selected for Wales. Welsh road running team includes five NWRRC athletes for Home Nations races at Tenby in July. Report by Don Hale.   Five members of North Wales Road Runners have been selected to represent Wales at the Road Running Festival in Tenby on 3rd July against top athletes from the Home Nations. The final selection was announced this week by team official Bernie Jones following scrutiny from fellow selectors, who initially welcomed applications from local running clubs and individuals, based on recent or potential performances over varied distances. International event race organisers at Tenby invited teams from the Home Nations of the UK to participate, with up to eight runners permitted in each of the four 10-year age bands, based on the day of the competition. Events include 5k, 10k and half-marathon races. The NWRRC members selected include:  Richard Eccles  M55-64 (5k), and  Cheryl Frost  W55...

 *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 sti...

WELSH SOLOIST SIONED TERRY SET TO APPEAR AT  DEGANWY 5-MILE DASH AS A TRIBUTE TO AN EXTRAORDINARY YOUNG STUDENT. Report by Don Hale. Photo's courtesy of Rohan's family. The classically trained mezzo-soprano and Welsh soloist Sioned Terry will be a special guest at this month’s Deganwy Dash - now known as Rohan’s Run - and will perform shortly before the start of this special tribute race to an extraordinary young student. Sioned, from North Wales, is an internationally renowned artist and has shared the stage with a host of well-known musicians, singers, and entertainers, in addition to numerous outstanding Welsh male voice choirs throughout the UK and abroad. She has also performed on two separate occasions for the Royal Family, and at many top sporting events, including a special performance for the Welsh Commonwealth Games team. Sioned has told race organisers John and Kay Hatton and Carla Green, that she is delighted to have been invited to perform at this particular 5-mile...