Don Hale Blog

*Rachel Morris (*above) with her medal at the Great North Run. Round up of races from Ruthin 5k, Nova Prestatyn parkrun, Milton  Keynes races, the Great North Run, and the Bacchus 10k wine and cheese run. Two age cat wins for Road Runners at fast Ruthin Evening 5k. Report by Don Hale.   Three North Wales Road Runners took part in the midweek Ruthin 5k evening race last Wednesday and celebrated some excellent times and claimed two age category wins. In another fast dash, end of season event that attracted 115 elite and top club runners,  Richard Eccles  was the first club man home finishing in 6th place overall and 1st in his MV50 cat in just 18 minutes and 12 seconds. *Richard Eccles (*above) had a great run in the Ruthin 5k evening race. Husband and wife endurance team  Ben  and  Sarah Ferguson Hudson  were also pleased with their performances, with  Ben  running home in 15th place in 20.17 and 6th in his MV40 cat, whilst  Sarah  was 35th overall, the 6th female runner, and she too wo

Special Dark Run with glow-sticks at Conwy for Children’s Hospices. Report by Don Hale.   A very special and rather spooky Halloween Dark Run will be held next month at Conwy to help raise both funds and awareness of Ty Gobaith, Hope House, Children’s Hospices. The event will involve the options of a 5k run, jog, or walk, on the regular Conwy parkrun course starting and finishing at the RSPB site near Llandudno Junction on Saturday 22 October (6.30pm to 9.30pm ), and follows a course along the Cob towards a floodlit Conwy Castle, and then proceeds along the cycle path towards Deganwy before returning to the RSPB centre. A Ty Gobaith spokesperson explained: “It’s time to glow crazy and take in the delights of the first-ever Conwy Dark Run. You can join in with friends, take your family or do it solo - the choice is yours! “We can’t wait to see everyone waving their glow sticks in support of seriously ill local children. The run will feature a warm-up and the Dark 5k event will take plac

North Wales fell runner Mark Davies (*above) tackled the daunting Swiss Peaks 360 race. Mark now provides an exclusive, unique, and very personal account of his incredible challenge, and it is understood that he was the first Welshman and UK based finisher in this race. Photographs also courtesy of Mark Davies.   I entered this race ten-months ago as I needed a massive challenge, the distance (236 miles), elevation (83,000ft), so the difficulty of the course ticked all the boxes.  I'm now lying in my bed however, with legs like an elephant, and wondering what had just happened, and how the hell I managed to finish! It all started at midday on a Sunday in Oberwald. The first couple of climbs teased and went relatively fast both just up 2,000 ft, then dropping 2,000ft to a Valley’s below; the third climb started to show you what was coming. It was a 4,300 ft climb up to an 8,850 ft col, but at the top 100/1,500 ft, I started to feel altitude effects for the first time. I was weak, wi

*Members of the NWRRC team (*pictured above) at the Village Bakery half-marathon (*back row l-r), Stuart Culverhouse, Will Williams, Steve Roberts, Kevin Higgins, Jamie Tharme, Len Jackson and Iwan Evans, (*front row l-r), Carla Green, Nicola Wylie, Helen Hannam, Kay Hatton and Cheryl Frost. ( *photograph by Zoe Roberts ). Martin shared a slice of the action at Village Bakery half-marathon. Report by Don Hale. Most photograph by Steve Jeffery.   Road Runner Martin Green shared a deserved slice of the action at the Village Bakery half-marathon last Sunday at Wrexham, and he was one of thirteen NWRRC members, who also battled for club championship points and claimed three prestigious podium places. And in a star-studded field of nearly 1,400 elite, club, and social runners, Martin performed well again, and finished 15th overall with an impressive chip time of 1 hour 13 minutes and 53 seconds to additionally win his MV45 age cat. The overall race was won by  Gavin Tomlinson  (Chorlton Run

*Steve Forsyth (*above) celebrated his birthday in style at Conwy parkrun. Report by Don Hale. Photos by Steve Jeffery.   Steve Forsyth celebrated his birthday in style at Conwy on Saturday where he was the first parkrunner home and finished more than a minute ahead of his nearest rivals The North Wales Road Runner also brought the best out of the chasing pack with  Hari Jackson  (Manchester Metro University AC) finishing in 2nd place in 17.31, and  Carl Shawcross  (Medway), in 3rd spot in 17.52, with both recording impressive new PBs over this challenging 5k course. The 1st female runner was JW15-17 runner Olivia Jones in 21.45 Steve, who finished in just 17 minutes and 21 seconds and won his MV40 cat, eventually led a team back of eleven other senior club members and one junior, claiming seven podium places altogether, including six age category victories. * Steve  Mason  (*above left) with Harry Driscoll. Steve Mason  was back to his best in 4th place, and he also won his M45 cat in

*Pictured at the Nova parkrun at Prestatyn are (l-r) Rachel Morris, Helen Hannam and Nicola Wylie. Road Runners battled for club points and podium places at Prestatyn's Nova parkrun... Report by Don Hale. Photos by Steve Jeffrey.   Eleven members of NWRRC travelled to Prestatyn last Saturday to compete in the Nova parkrun as part of their revised 5k club championship events, with the run organisers recording their best attendance since lockdown. With numerous open races either being cancelled or rescheduled this year due to the recent pandemic, the club opted to include this parkrun as an important middle-distance alternative, and members later celebrated with seven podium places, including four age category wins. And, for all but one of the Road Runners, it meant a course debut at this parkrun venue, which was also boosted in the sunshine by supporters of the cancer charity – ‘Your Way, Move Against Cancer.’ * Martin  Green (*above) was in fine form with two superb 5k times. Marti

*Martin Green (*pictured above) recorded a great time at 5k race. Fast times for club trio at Mid-Cheshire 5k race. Report by Don Hale.   Three Road Runners competed in the Mid-Cheshire 5k road race last Friday night which proved to be another ultra-fast event for a host of top club and elite athletes. Run over a course known for its speedy times and personal best results, the race attracted 848 finishers for this popular summer challenge. Just thirty-seconds eventually separated the first ten finishers, and incredibly, some twenty-eight athletes all dipped under fifteen-minutes! *Will Williams (*above left) with Harry Driscoll. Martin Green  was the first NWRRC man home in 124th place in a superb time of 16 minutes and 10 seconds, and yet he was 7th in his MV45 age cat.  Will Williams  was delighted with his time of 17.39 in 289th place, with  Harry Driscoll  364th following another excellent run in 18.52. The overall race was won by Adam Craig in just 14.09, with Kurt Taylor (Bristol