Don Hale Blog

*Pictured above - Practice nurse Emily Carr and Practice manager Sarah  Corkish-Brown are shown at the end of their charity trek. Surgery pair Emily and Sarah complete their amazing 100k Sahara Desert Trek for St David’s Hospice. Exclusive  report by Don Hale donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025   Two determined members of the hard-working Bodreinallt doctors' surgery team at Conwy have just completed their extraordinary 100k Sahara Desert Trek and helped to raise  over £42,000 so far for St David’s Hospice. Practice manager  Sarah Corkish-Brown and Practice Nurse Emily Carr  signed up for this huge undertaking some time ago and finally celebrated their success over the past couple of days, and were part of a group that fundraised for this essential local organisation. The trek organisers claimed that entrants would ‘r ediscover true adventure in the awe-inspiring Sahara Desert.’ Their five-day trek covered 100km passing through Morocco’s forbidding landscape...

MENTAL ELF – Festive Fun Run for Conwy Mind at Eirias Events Centre...Sunday 30th  November... Report by Don Hale.  donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025   There will be a Festive Fun Run on Sunday 30th November at 11am for Conwy Mind at Eirias Events Centre, in Colwyn Bay. There are two choices to choose from at the  Mental Elf Festive Fun Run : -  A 5k Mental Elf, or a 2k Mini Elf.   The event organisers have invited everyone to join them  on Sunday 30th November 11am at Eirias Events Centre, Colwyn Bay for a day of fun and fundraising.   They say you can walk, jog, skip, or run, whilst soaking up the festive spirit and supporting Conwy and Vale of Clwyd Minds, and confirmed: “Together, we can go the extra mile for mental health!  The Mini Elf 2k Fun Run, is a new event this year! Mini elves can join in the fun too with a 2km fun run packed full of all the jingling fun. There is also a Free National Trust pass for every particip...

*Pictured above - Sarah Ferguson Hudson and her husband Ben at the ultra. Wedding anniversary on the run for Ben and Sarah at a ‘Beautifully Brutal’ 60k ultra Coast to Coast race. Report by Don Hale. donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025   North Wales endurance athletes Ben and Sarah Hudson went on the run last Saturday during an unusual way to celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary by competing in the ‘Beautifully Brutal’ Pen Llyn Coast to Coast Winter Ultra race. This extremely tough event followed a highly challenging and undulating course over a distance of some 60km (37.5 miles), and this experienced pair of endurance runners ran together, and despite Sarah suffering from a heavy cold, they both finished well in 10 hours 53 minutes and 41 seconds.  The event attracted a wealth of top international ultra runners, and the NWRRC members eventually shared joint 147th place overall. Ben was also the 91st male and the 86th British finisher, with Sarah the 54th female and the 87th Bri...

Popular all-round athlete Arwel Lewis wins ‘Services to Athletics’ award... Report by Don Hale donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025   Praise was given to top all-round athlete, Arwel Lewis, from Eryri Harriers last week after he was presented with the ‘Services to Athletics’ award at the Welsh Athletics awards evening. This popular veteran still competes regularly for his club in all disciplines, and has represented Wales on the road, cross country, trail, and in mountain races.  Kay Hatton,  who is a member of the  North Wales Regional Athletics Council,  said: “Arwel puts in a huge amount of time as a volunteer for his club, and as a race adjudicator and race organiser.  “He is also the fell/trail representative on the NWRAC and WA General Council, the Welsh Athletics mountain/trail secretary, and a team manager, in addition to be being the Welsh Ultra representative. This was such a well-deserved award!” A modest Arwel later acknowledged:  “I am very honou...

*Pictured above - Harry Driscoll (Meirionnydd) finished third at the Conwy parkrun. Fast pace and good weather for a change at most NW parkruns - full results round-up  ... Report by Don Hale. Photos courtesy of Pat Finnie. donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025 A total of 242 finishers enjoyed the unusually bright sunshine and moderate weather conditions last Saturday morning at the picturesque Conwy 5k course, which again attracted a large number of mixed ability athletes and visitors. The pace from the leading pack was fast and furious right from the start on Conwy Cob with the first eleven finishers all dipping well under twenty-minutes, and just ten seconds separated the first two men home. Visitor  Robert Foster  eventually confirmed his top placing with a fine debut run in just 17 minutes and 22 seconds, and he finished narrowly ahead of  Cai Curtis-Roberts , who was second in 17.32, with  Harry Driscoll  (Meirionnydd RC) third with a new course PB in 17.41....

*Pic tured above - Mike Hayton and Kay Hatton at Newborough. Unfortunate mix-up costs NW runner an extra 5-mile trek!   Three members of North Wales Road Runners competed in the challenging Newborough Trail 10k race on Sunday, but unfortunately one athlete at least was misdirected into the adjacent half-marathon race at a late turn point and ended up running an extra 5-miles! Despite the drizzle and the winds Kay Hatton  continued with her excellent top form and won her VW60 age category in 58.07, with colleague  Mike Hayton  claiming the second spot in his VM70 cat in 73.02, but fellow master veteran runner  Rob Fryer  faced an extra unplanned 5-mile trek after a mix-up at an important turn marker, eventually finishing in 97.53.  This was a great shame for Rob, who like Kay, has been in excellent form of late, and Kay said he was going well until about 9k, when he was somehow misdirected away from the shorter course.   Rob later confirmed: ...

  *Pictured above - Pat Finnie from NWRRC is shown winning the veteran's 60m race at the Deeside Indoor Athletics Centre. North Wales Indoor Christmas events: Special Track & Field event...Paul Brooks from the North Wales Regional Athletics Council has provided some details about the NW Christmas Open Indoor meeting at the Deeside Centre...but hurry as entries are needed asap! *Further details on the N.W.R.A.C, Face book page:   https://www.facebook.com/groups/755410871224908 donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025 North Wales Indoor Christmas Open on  Saturday 13th December   ENTRIES CLOSE THURSDAY 4th DECEMBER. To enter click on:   https://welshathletics.org/.../north-wales-indoor... Closing date is Thursday 4th December. *To enter, please click on :  https://welshathletics.org/.../north-wales-indoor... The closing date is  Thursday 4th December , and  if you’re interested in helping out, or you need any further details, please contact   Amy Edwa...

*Pictured above - Welsh Master athlete Arwel Lewis at the awards ceremony. Arwel Lewis given special Services to Athletics award by Welsh Athletics... Special report by Kay Hatton from the NW Regional Athletics Council. donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025 Huge congratulations to Arwel Lewis who was presented with the Services to Athletics Award at the Welsh Athletics Awards evening last weekend.   Arwel competes regularly for Eryri Harriers in all disciplines and has competed for Wales on the road, cross country, trail and mountain. He also puts in a huge amount of time as a volunteer for his club, is a race adjudicator and a race organiser.  Arwel is also the fell/trail representative on the NWRAC and WA General Council, Welsh Athletics  mountain/trail secretary and team manager as well as Welsh Ultra representative and team manager. Such a well-deserved award! A modest Arwel later acknowledged:  “I am very honoured and feel very privileged to have received the Welsh Ath...

  Joe Cocker set to be honoured at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in Los Angeles… Report by Don Hale.  donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025   Sheffield’s famous late rhythm and blues/rock star JOE COCKER is amongst a unique group of prestigious top music performers set to be honoured at the 40th Annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in Los Angeles on Saturday 8th November 2025. This year’s Inductees included: Bad Company, Chubby Checker , Joe Cocker , Cyndi Lauper, Outkast, Soundgarden, The White Stripes, Salt-N-Pepa, Warren Zevon, Thom Bell, Nicky Hopkins, Carol Kaye and Lenny Waronker. A brief extract from Joe singing a recording of ‘Georgia on My Mind’ will also be used by the event organisers during his induction to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I was fortunate to have been able to record some amazing facts about the early days of Joe Cocker’s stop/start career with  Terry Thornton , who was Joe’s first manager, and the person who b...