Don Hale Blog

RNLI fundraising appeal for runners to support their Mayday Mile challenge... Report by Don Hale. Photo Steve Jeffery.   The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) has launched an urgent fundraising campaign for individual runners or running clubs to help them promote and support their Mayday Mile Appeal. *Flashback to the last RNLI appeal with John Hatton (*above right) from NWRRC handing a fundraising cheque from the club to an RNLI official in Llandudno. Catherine Tudor, the community manager, for North and Mid Wales, confirmed: ‘RNLI lifesavers answer Mayday calls and rescue others, but this May, we’re asking for your help, so will you answer our call? ‘As the beaches fill up this summer, our lifesavers will be at their busiest. With more people drawn to the water, more people will get into danger. It could be you or someone you love, and crews needs to be ready, and that takes lifeboats, training kit, lifeboat stations, and fuel. ‘Can you help get our lifesavers ready for resc

*Stuart Culverhouse (above) enjoyed another good performance at the Conwy Parkrun. Hot pace for top athletes at Conwy parkrun. Report by Don Hale. Photos by Steve Jeffery.   It was an incredibly bright, sunny, and warm start for nearly two-hundred Conwy parkrunners last Saturday morning with the first eleven athletes setting a hot pace to record some superb times and all dipping under the twenty-minute barrier. Ian Lawton  (Mersey Tri) was the first finisher overall in a very fast time of just 16 minutes and 4 seconds over this challenging 5k course, with  James Yarwood  (Abergele Harriers) 2nd despite a great new PB, and finishing exactly one minute behind Ian in 17.04, whilst local junior  Alfie Shirland  (Colwyn Bay AC) claimed 3rd place with another good run in 17.43 to win his JM11-14 age cat.                      *Will Williams (*above) turned in another great run in 7th place. North Wales Road Runners  entered eleven senior members and one junior with  Will Williams  continuing

*Elizabeth Driscoll (*above) collects her 1st Lady prize following her success at the World’s most southerly marathon on the Falkland Islands. Report by Don Hale.   North Wales Road Runner Elizabeth Driscoll finished as the 1st Lady last Sunday at the highly challenging Stanley Marathon on the Falkland Islands and added to her already impressive set of results in other varied races on this most southerly outpost. To give its official title, the Standard Chartered Bank Stanley Marathon, is widely regarded as one of the most challenging marathon courses, with participants rewarded by magnificent views around the Islands’ capital, Stanley. It is also an AIMS certified event which confirms its position as the World’s most southerly marathon. Elizabeth, who is an RAF Flight Control Officer, is currently based on the Falkland Islands as part of her duties, and regularly takes part in numerous and varied sporting events. Her other recent successes include winning the Ladies title in three Cap

*North Wales Road Runners (*above and l-r) Steve Forsyth, Don Hale, and Will Wiilams with a car boot full of donated sports gear for Gambia at the Conwy Parkrun last Saturday. Steve Forsyth launches appeal for unwanted sports kit for Gambian runners. Report by Don Hale.   NWRRC member Steve Forsyth this week praised the support of local runners as he launched his appeal for any unwanted or spare sports kit for underprivileged young athletes in Gambia, The popular and talented runner, who has recently returned from his homeland overseas after visiting family and friends, is hoping to collect as many items as possible for numerous promising young sportsmen and women in Gambia, who desperately need any surplus trainers, t-shirts, running vests, socks, shorts, gloves, hats, scarves or even any unused gels! Many youngsters are said to be busy training for a variety of local races in Gambia including the forthcoming Banjul marathon events but have limited protective shoes and sports clothing

*Josh Keogh (*above) ran a great new PB at Conwy for 2nd place overall. Bright and breezy but a fast finish at Conwy parkun. Report by Don Hale. Photos by Steve Jeffery.   It was bright and breezy at the Conwy parkrun last Saturday where over two-hundred finishers enjoyed the exceptional conditions and picturesque route to record a host of PBs and fast times, with the first nine finishers all dipping under the twenty-minute barrier. Road Runner  Josh Keogh  ran his socks off and claimed a deserved new PB, but he still finished a few seconds adrift of the overall winner, teenager James Smith, who also recorded a PB in 17.00, with another young runner Peter Cotterell, finishing 3rd in 17.28. Josh  was one of three NWRRC members who won their age categories, and yet, amazingly a further eight club runners all finished second in their cats! He led home a team of eleven seniors and one junior in 17.13, and was 1st in his SM30-34 age cat.  Jonathan Kettle (*above left) with Will Williams (*a

URGENT APPEAL TO HELP YOUNG SPORTSMEN AND WOMEN IN GAMBIA. Spare trainers, and sports kit urgently wanted for underprivileged athletes... Report by Don Hale.   North Wales Road Runner Steve Forsyth is appealing for any unwanted sports items including trainers, running t-shirts, vests, socks, shorts, unused gels, gloves, hats, and scarfs etc for use by underprivileged young athletes in Gambia. *Steve Forsyth (above) is appealing for trainers and kit for Gambia. Steve, who recently travelled to visit family and relatives in that country is urgently trying to fill a barrel load of equipment to send out there as soon as possible, and especially in time for potential participants in the local Banjul marathon. He confirmed: ‘Wanted please, your unwanted, or no longer used, men’s and women’s trainers, together with any other unwanted sports gear.  ‘I am sending them to Gambia for people who can’t afford trainers. I am happy to collect from any corner of the UK and note that we already have re

Ben and Sarah (*above) completed gruelling Chester Ultra 50-mile charity challenge. Report by Don Hale.   Husband and wife athletes Ben and Sarah Ferguson Hudson completed the gruelling Chester Ultra 50-mile challenge last weekend. Hosted by GB Ultras, this major endurance event completed its 6th edition this year and allowed supporters to track individual runners online with a live GB race tracker via six key checkpoints and along some of the very best and most beautiful natural trails in the region, including 849m of ascent. The route was said to involve well-marked ultra-marathon linked trails along the North Cheshire Way, and the Sandstone Trail, taking in Helsby Hill, Delamere Forest and Frodsham. The experienced and intrepid endurance team-duo, who are both members of North Wales Road Runners, were amongst nearly three-hundred hardy athletes who tackled this incredible race, which tested physical and mental abilities to the limit.  Ben and Sarah both ran and finished together in

Martin Green won his age cat and shared finish time at Trimpell 20-mile race. Report by Don Hale.   Martin Green put in a tremendous performance at the Trimpell 20-mile race on Sunday and shared 2nd place out of more than 300 quality athletes,  recording  the exact same time as rival Mark Emmerson from Border Harriers. The event was billed as ‘The Pre-London Road Race,’ and included a traffic-free course though the historic City of Lancaster and the stunning Lancashire Lune Valley countryside.  It was claimed to be a friendly race organised by runners who are dedicated to delivering a superb event for every type of runner and was promoted as the ideal race before any chosen marathon. Top North Wales Road Runner Martin fought an epic battle throughout the race with his challenger Mark, and both shared the same excellent finishing time of just 1 hour 54 minutes, with the pair just over a minute adrift of final race winner Chris Pownall from Knowsley Harriers AC. After the race, Martin co

*Richard Eccles finished 5th and won his age cat at Conwy Parkrun. Plenty of visiting club runners at Conwy parkrun. Report by Don Hale. Photos by Steve Jeffery.   Club athletes from as far afield as Truro, Littleborough, the Fylde Coast, Chiltern, and Trentham, had to battle a strong breeze and large puddles amidst the challenging 5k course at Conwy parkrun last Saturday morning. North Wales Road Runners entered ten members this week following numerous fixture clashes over recent weeks with  Richard Eccles  and  Steve Mason  competing neck and neck with just four seconds separating the talented duo. *Steve Mason (*above) had a close finish with Richard Eccles. Richard  eventually finished in 5th place overall in 19 minutes 13 seconds, and he also won his MV55-59 age category, with  Steve  6th, and the winner of his MV45-49 cat in 19.17.  *Pictured (*above left) Gethin Wyn Jones, and (*right) Stuart Culverhouse. Gethin Wyn Jones  continued his rapid progress of late, to finish 16th ove

The Road Relay Championships return to Llandudno Promenade in April 2022. Report by Don Hale. Photo by Steve Jeffery. The North Wales Regional Road Relay Championships will be back in action again this year on Llandudno promenade, offering unique race opportunities for local athletic clubs and mixed ability runners aged from under 11s to seniors, including master veterans aged 70 plus. Organised by race directors John and Kay Hatton from NWRRC, in conjunction with  Paul  Brooks and the North Wales Regional Athletics Council, this exciting event will be held on Saturday 23rd April, following a two-year absence due to Covid-19 restrictions. The first race will start at 11am and will follow a 1km outward route starting along the promenade opposite Venue Cymru to the Cenotaph, and for the majority of runners as identified below, it will involve individual athletes running laps back and forth of either 2k or 4k, dependent upon their respective age categories, as part of a three-person relay

  *Martin Green (*above) on the start line at the Anglesey half-marathon Medals galore for NWRRC runners in Regional Championships at Anglesey half-marathon. Report by Don Hale. Photos by John Hatton and Steve Jeffrey. North Wales Road Runners collected ten Regional Championship medals at the tough Anglesey half-marathon last Sunday, including four gold, two silver and four bronze. And top club man  Martin Green  put in another tremendous performance and recorded a new PB to eventually secure 2nd place, despite severe pressure from keen rivals, and additionally collected a deserved gold medal in the NW championships. The NWRRC athlete was the first club man home from eleven colleagues, and he also won his MV45 age cat with a fast time of 1 hour 12 minutes and 10 seconds over this challenging course.  *Pictured (*above and below) some of the male and female NWRRC runners at the Anglesey half-marathon and 10k races. Martin was joined on the virtual podium by fellow NW GOLD medal winners