Don Hale Blog

Don retains 60m title with new PB at North Wales Indoor championships. *Don Hale with his gold medal at Deeside in the Masters 60m dash. NWRRC Master veteran runner   Don Hale   claimed a great new PB time of 11.15 seconds and retained his Regional Championships age cat title with a gold medal performance in the Masters 60m dash held at the North Wales Indoor Athletics Centre at Coleg Cambria, Deeside, last Sunday afternoon. Don, now 69, previously won the M65-69 age cat race in 2020, and said he was pleased to retain his sprint title after two years of pandemic restrictions, and this victory moved his age ranking from Welsh No 2, to No 1, at least for a few weeks.  https://www.thepowerof10.info/rankings/rankinglist.aspx?event=60&agegroup=V65&sex=M&iyear=2022&areaid=93  

*Some members of the NWRRC team at the Rhyl 10-mile and 5-mile championships. (*Photo by John Hatton). Road Runners beat the weather to win championship medals at Rhyl 10-mile Report by Don Hale. Photos by John Hatton and Mick Hall.   NWRRC members beat the horrific weather last Saturday and claimed medals galore in the highly prestigious North Wales championships held within the Rhyl 10-mile race. Tackling rain, sleet, snow, and freezing temperatures, runners claimed five podium places including two age category wins, one second and two third placings, in addition to winning four gold and four silver medals in the North Wales championship age categories. Josh Keogh  was the first club man home finishing 3rd overall and 3rd in his SM21.34 age cat in 56 minutes 47 seconds, with  Jonathan Kettle  8th but won his MV50-55 cat in 58.28. *Jonathan Kettle braved the elements to finish 8th and won his age cat at the Rhyl 10-miler. (Photo Mick Hall) Stuart Culverhouse  was another runner in fin

Conwy parkrunners’ battled atrocious weather conditions. Report by Don Hale. Photos by Steve Jeffery.    Conwy parkrun attracted 146 determined finishers last Saturday morning despite athletes having to battle with atrocious weather conditions. It was certainly not a day for any fair-weather runners with the course near waterlogged, and coupled with wind, rain, sleet, and bitterly cold temperatures. This half-term fixture however, welcomed tourist runners from as far afield as Taunton, Newcastle, Bromsgrove, Chester, and Abingdon, with just twenty-two seconds separating the top three finishers, and six men dipping under the twenty-minute marker. *Mark Jessett was the first NWRRC athlete back at the Conwy Parkrun. Jonathan Tyler  (Betsi Runaways) claimed 1st place in 18 minutes 11 seconds and was 1st in his MV35-39 age category.  James Smith  (Menai Track and Field) was 2nd overall and 1st in his SM18-19 cat in 18.29, with  Pete Vale (Bromsgrove & Redditch) just four-seconds behind

*Pictured (*above and below) the start of the 30th anniversary running of the 2022 Nick Beer 10k on the promenade at Llandudno.  Nick Beer memorial 10k race success gave massive fundraising boost to charities...and women's course record broken. Report by Don Hale. Photos by Steve Jeffery. The 30th anniversary run of the popular Nick Beer 10k memorial race proved another huge success last Sunday and gave a massive and very welcome fundraising boost for a variety of charities. This spectacular annual event attracted nearly six-hundred finishers and recorded a host of excellent results despite the blustery conditions, including top female athlete Sara Willhoit, who smashed the women’s course record! Apart from many runners enjoying this race and returning to action after many turbulent months due to Covid-19 restrictions, the race and its associated Fun Run also raised thousands of pounds for St David’s Hospice and the Llandudno Lions Club charities, plus a host of individual good cau

Course record broken at Conwy Fell Race. Report by Don Hale. Photos by Steve Jeffery.   It proved to be a very fast finish for the first two Welsh International runners at last Saturday’s Conwy Fell Race with Matthew Roberts breaking the 2019 course record to win in 41 minutes 30 seconds, and he was just one second ahead of the previous course record holder Gavin Roberts in 41.31. *(Pictured above) A good run from Josh Keogh at the Conwy fell Race. Matthew (CUPR) also won his MV40 age cat, with Gavin (Calder Valley Fell Runners) winning his MO class, and Joel Gomes (Wrexham) finishing in 3rd place and 2nd in his M40 cat in 43.53. The first female was Katie Davies (Staffordshire Moorlands), 24th overall in 43.53. *A determined effort from Karl Morris (*above) at Conwy. North Wales Road Runners  entered two athletes with  Josh Keogh  finishing 10th in 48.33, with  Karl Morris  38th in 58.44. The event was run over a challenging 5-mile course with 1650ft of elevation and attracted seventy

Five age cat wins for Road Runners at Conwy parkrun. Report by Don Hale. Photos by Steve Jeffery.   Numbers were down for regulars at Conwy parkrun last Saturday due to the rough weather and several fixture clashes, yet this popular 5k run still attracted tourists from as far afield as Davenport, Rochdale, Stockport, Lancaster, Newbury, and Pontypridd, amongst others. North Wales Road Runners  entered seven athletes this week and five claimed age category wins, with two others finishing in third places. And both the male and female first finishers positions were won by  Martin and Carla Green. *Pictured (*above), wearing black and looking just like a couple from a Milk Tray advert - Carla and  Martin  Green who both won at Saturday's Conwy  Parkrun. The wet and very blustery conditions, however, didn’t seem to affect  Martin Green  who was the first runner back again to record a hat-trick of successive victories, and he also won his MV45-49 age cat in 18 minutes 56 seconds.  *Dave

*Steve Mason (Above) enjoyed another good run at Conwy despite the conditions Wild, wet, and windy at popular Conwy Parkrun...and success for Charlie Owen. Report by Don Hale. Photos by Steve Jeffery.   It was another wild, wet, and very windy day at Conwy parkrun last Saturday morning at the RSPB site, yet this popular event still attracted over two hundred determined runners. Martin Green  was the first man home again over this puddled-filled course and knocked eighteen seconds off his winning time from last week, but he was made to work hard throughout his run by promising local junior athlete Alfie Shiland, who eventually finished just seven seconds adrift. North Wales Road Runners  had twelve members in action and recorded nine age cat podium results including five outright victories, two second, and three third places. Martin Green  additionally won his MV45-49 age cat in a fast time of 18 minutes 48 seconds, whilst  Steve Mason  also enjoyed another great performance to finish 5

*Martin Green recorded another superb victory at a windswept Conwy Parkrun. Storm Malik provided a stern challenge for Conwy parkrunners as Martin Green claims victory... Report by Don Hale. Photos by Steve Jeffery.   Storm Malik provided an extra element of strong gale force winds to Conwy parkrun’s already challenging 5k course last Saturday, thereby reducing many hopes of obtaining personal best times for 176 brave souls. Facing powerful head and side winds and with the tide racing in on the RSPB estuary, the runners were forced to battle unusually buffeting conditions as they completed this picturesque “out and back” course, which probably reduced all finishing times by at least a minute. North Wales Road Runners  entered eleven athletes and claimed nine age category podium placings, including  Martin Green , who returned to parkrun and easily won the event despite including his run as part of his tough ongoing training schedule.  Martin  finished well in 19 minutes 4 seconds to wi