Don Hale Blog

*North Wales Road Runners (photo by Steve Jeffery taken before lockdown). Welsh Athletics Winter Miles Series - 2 Miles series This is your last chance to register and run in the Welsh Athletics two-mile championships. it is available from this Friday till Monday. Please check the rues of the competition as runs must start and finish within 200 metres. Friday 5th Mar - Monday 8th Mar: Entries Close 4th Mar 23:59 https://data.opentrack.run/en-gb/x/2021/GBR/wa2m21/ All athletes must be registered with their club and Welsh Athletics eligible to be able eo compete.  Performances must be submitted via OpenTrack following the rules below. Athletes must make their runs PUBLIC on either Strava or Garmin to allow for result scrutiny. Upload instructions can be found  here . Performances that do not comply with the parameters set out below will be marked as non-scoring in the final results. GENERAL RULES: Distances must be run and submitted between 00:01 on the first day of competition Friday 5t

  BMAF Virtual 1 Mile Challenge This a great opportunity to have a go at the British Masters one-mile dash on your own patch, and in your own time. The event is open to all registered individuals and/or club teams. The event celebrates the masters 1-mile championships finishing at Buckingham Palace, London, which were cancelled due to Coronavirus. Organiser and promoter, Peter Kennedy, explains: ' We have tried to keep masters athletes motivated with two successful virtual challenges, a 5k and 10k in these very difficult times.  Now we are promoting a 1-mile event which is free to enter, with entries closing on  06/03/2021 , and some of you have already entered.  THE LAST DAY FOR COMPETITION IS THIS SUNDAY MARCH 7TH. The run can be completed in one long mile or out and back. ' A 1 mile event will not only appeal to the endurance athletes but those who love runnin on a track, and we are hoping for a good take-up, so don’t delay: ENTER VIA THE LINK BELOW . It is free so what have

*Jonathan Kettle won a gold medal at the North Wales 10-mile championships Medals galore for NWRRC athletes in 10-mile championships Report by Don Hale. Most photographs by Steve Jeffery. The North Wales virtual 10-mile championships attracted a star-studded field with 95 quality entrants battling hard for prestigious medals. NWRRC had thirteen runners competing and collected a total of eight medals, including two gold, four silver, and two bronze in the various age categories, with Jonathan Kettle being the pick of the team once again, finishing 5 th  overall, and winning gold in his M45 age cat. Held under strict pandemic restrictions, and run individually on their own patch, athletes had to choose their moment to run amidst a wet and windswept period. The 10-mile race was eventually won by Luke Northall from Wrexham in 56.07, but NWRRC had two runners in the top-ten and three in the top twenty, with their team of eight men and five women competing for honours. Jonathan Kettle ran ex

*Josh Keogh won his 'Senior Man' age category at the Welsh one-mile championships Josh celebrated top-three finish and Welsh age category title *Report by Don Hale. Most photographs by Steve Jeffery. North Wales Road Runner Josh Keogh celebrated a great performance in last weekend’s Welsh Athletics one-mile virtual championships, finishing 2 nd  overall, with two other club runners claiming podium positions in their respective age groups. Staged as an unusual out-and-back race, and held over three days amidst very difficult weather conditions, the race proved to be a very close encounter, as Josh finished just 14 seconds behind the eventual winner Alex Jackson (U20M) from Cardiff AC, who ran home in an incredible time of just 4 mins 39 seconds. Josh though, added the Welsh 'Senior Man' title to his excellent top-three placing, recording a great time of 4.53, and secured 2 nd  spot by a mere 5 seconds ahead of 3 rd  placed rival Nic Brook from Eyri Harriers, who was 1 st

  NEW – Running for Fun By author, sports writer, and award winning journalist, and former investigative reporter, and editor Don Hale - An amusing look back at his early running and football career – with fitness tips and advice. This short book was originally published in 1986. *The early days from a jogger to a marathon runner (drawing by the late Norman Taylor) NEW RUNNING FOR FUN by Don Hale  Without doubt it is one of the most amusing and yet fully informative books ever written about running. It explains the enthusiasm of the FUN & SERIOUS RUNNER ...    PUBLIC REACTION TO THIS MASTERPIECE: -   * I found that I couldn't put the book down - Foreman at the glue factory. * My own performers were anxious to get their teeth into it - Lion Tamer. * A very useful item, the section on leg injuries was most interesting and it has now stopped my sideboard from wobbling - DIY Enthusiast. * My wife and I both rushed for a copy at the same time – there was nothing else to swat the fly