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*Pictured above - the late Welsh Master Athlete and Rhondda AC coach Glyn Pugh. Funeral arrangements for Welsh Master, Rhondda AC athlete and popular coach, Glyn Pugh. Please would you be able to put an update on your blog with regards to Glyn Pugh’s funeral. I know he was known by so many people, who would like to pay their respects. With permission from Pauline, for those who wish to attend: Glyn Pugh's Funeral will take place on Wednesday 27th March 2024 at 11.15am. A celebration of Glyns life will be held at GlynTaff Crematorium. Following the Service, you are all invited back to Penygraig Labour Club for Refreshments. Rhondda Athletic Club. | Facebook *This was my previous blog about Glyn on 26/2/24. Sad loss of outstanding Welsh Master Athlete Glyn Pugh. Report by Don Hale. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk Rod Davies from Welsh Masters Athletics has confirmed some important news. He has confirmed: “We have a rather sad post for the website. One of our throwing stalwarts, Glyn Pugh, has passed away. This is our statement from WMAL.” Welsh Masters Athletics are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Glyn Pugh of Rhondda AC on Tuesday 20th February. As well as a dedicated supporter of WMAL. including representing the club in inter area matches over the years, he was a well-respected lynchpin of Rhondda AC and of Welsh Athletics in general, especially the throws. He will be greatly missed by his many friends in Masters Athletics. Somehow the throwing events will not be quite so much fun. Our thoughts go out to his many friends, his family, and those at the King George Track for which he worked so hard. *A full obituary can be found on the Welsh Athletics site: https://www.welshathletics.org/en/blog/post/glyn-pugh-obituary 23/02/2024 00:00, In Blog / Club Notice Board / Statement from Welsh Athletics. Welsh Athletics is saddened to hear of the passing of Rhondda AC Coach, official, athlete and stalwart Glyn Pugh. It is with immense sadness we share the news that Glyn Pugh, a stalwart of Rhondda Athletic Club and Welsh Athletics has suddenly passed away on Tuesday 20 February 2024 aged 62.Glyn’s love for athletics began when he was just 13. He was spotted at a school event by the Rhondda Athletic Club coach Bill Kingsbury.  Bill told Glyn that he could see the potential in him becoming a great shot putter and in the following few days he turned up for training. Glyn became an outstanding athlete, and won countless medals at Regional championships, Welsh championships and British Masters Championships. He represented Wales at Junior, Senior, and Masters age groups and he was also a former British Masters Hammer Champion. Bill always insisted that Glyn was the best athlete and competitor he had ever trained – and Bill had coached hundreds of athletes!When Bill and John Loney (another Rhondda AC coach) passed away, it was the turn of Glyn to step up to the mark and become the next throws coach at the Rhondda club. Glyn certainly did step up to the mark – the medals, championships wins and internationals that he had input to throughout his time at the club are just too many to mention. He was a tremendous coach, a great mentor and selfless with his time. He had a magical way of building people up for competitions and bringing out the best in them – whether it was winning a Welsh Championship or getting a personal best in a league meeting. He thought the world of his athletes and in turn, each and every one of them thought the world of him too.  Glyn wasn’t just an athlete and coach at Rhondda AC.  Glyn was also Chairman of the club and he did a tremendous amount of work outside of club hours. He spent hours of his time on phone calls to local councillors and Welsh Athletics to make sure the Rhondda club had the best of everything. King George Track at Clydach Vale was very much achieved through the time, hard work and persistence of Glyn.  The track will certainly be a lasting legacy on his behalf.Glyn was a larger than life character, and will be missed by so many.  Over the 50 years that he was competing, he brought so much fun to every competition he took part in. He will be a huge loss to all of the masters athletes he competed with.  This has been evident from the hundreds of messages received from his fellow competitors across the U.K. since his passing. Welsh Athletics has also lost a great field official in Glyn as he would never fail to be present at any track and field competition.  He would literally spend hours on the field at every competition, and just like when he was competing, he would bring fun to every event he officiated at.Glyn is without doubt one of the Rhondda Athletic Club legends and he will never be forgotten. He has left the club with so many wonderful memories over the years and will he will be talked about for years to come. Our loss is most definitely Heaven’s gain.Our thoughts go out to his partner Pauline, step-son Rob and the rest of his family at this very sad time.

Harry Driscoll (pictured above) was the first NWRRC member home at the Chester 10k race last Sunday - photo by John Hatton. Harry Driscoll led North Wales Road Runners home at the Chester 10k. Report by Don Hale. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk Eight North Wales Road Runners competed amongst nearly 5,000 finishers at the Chester 10k race last Sunday, and they all performed well despite the cold, wet, and windy conditions. Harry Driscoll led the team home with a tremendous run in 68th place overall with a great new course PB in just 37 minutes and 49 seconds, and Steve Roberts was also on top form in 542nd place in 45.49. *Pictured above - NWRRC member and Welsh Master Steve Roberts. Meanwhile, Cheryl Frost and Kay Hatton continued their regular cat and mouse tussle, with Cheryl finishing well in 769th place, as the 89th female runner, in 47.34, and 4th in her FV55 age cat, and Kay also enjoyed another fine run and won her FV60 age cat, finishing in 924th place as the 114th female in 48.40. *Pictured above left - Kay Hatton (photos by John Hatton), and (*below), Cai Roberts, Josie Davies (GOG Triathlon), with Kelly Alford, and Vicky Taylor. Jon Evans made a rare return to racing in 867th place with a good time of 48.14, whilst Kelly Marie Alford ran well and she was the 204th female, in 1,077th place overall in 49.49, with Cai Roberts 1,206th in 50.40, and Vicky Taylor 2,980th, and the 974th female in 1.01.44. The results included chip times and positions. *The overall 10k race winner was Kada Omar (Birchfield Harriers AC) in 31.38, with Aaron Doyle (Vale Royal) 2nd in 32.25, and Morgan Curry finished 3rd in 33.13. The 1st female athlete was Anna Bracegirdle (Salford Harriers AC) in 34.43, (13th overall), and Lindsay Fisher (West Cheshire AC) was 2nd, (38th overall), in 36.36, with Joanna Marsden 3rd, (and 41st overall) in 36.41. *This is the link to the provisional results from the Chester 10k race: https://ale.niftyentries.com/Results/2024-MBNA-Chester-10K

Daniel Hennell (above) is pictured after his 10k race in Lovell Canyon, and (*right) his medal. Other Another busy weekend with our results on the road review...report by Don Hale. *America: NWRRC member Daniel Hennell went on his travels to Las Vegas last week and took part in his first international race in the Labour of Love 10k race in Lovell Canyon, Nevada. He ran well in this challenging event and finished 9th overall and 3rd in his M40-49 age cat in 53.19. After the event, he confirmed: “The Labour of Love 10k. This was my first race at altitude (about 4,500ft elevation). It was really cold at the start, but it soon warmed up nicely. My chip time was 53.19.” *The Lovell Canyon sign (right), in Nevada. *Hunstanton: Ben and Sarah Ferguson Hudson also went on their parkrun travels again last weekend and enjoyed some good performances in the Hunstanton promenade parkrun in Norfolk. Ben was 5th in 21.24, and won his VM45 age cat, and Sarah was also on top form, and she won her VW45 age cat as the first female finisher in 11th place overall in 22.53. *Prestatyn: Stuart Culverhouse and Dave Jones took part in the Nova parkrun at Prestatyn last Saturday, and Stuart finished 4th in 20.56, and he won his VM50 age cat, whilst Dave was 2nd in his VM50 cat, and 12th overall in 25.21. *Pictured above - Ben and Sarah Hudson, ran well at Hunstanton.

Josh Keogh (pictured above), was the first runner home at Conwy. Report by Don Hale. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk In stark contrast to last week’s icy 5k course at Conwy parkrun, this time some 229 starters faced a cold blustery wind, but the event welcomed a large contingent from Porth Eirias Runners, and numerous ‘Couch to 5k’ participants. North Wales Road Runners entered twelve members with Josh Keogh being the first man home overall on an unusually dry but challenging course with a fast time of 17 minutes and 33 seconds. The club also celebrated four first placed age cat victories, four second, and two third placings. Josh also won his SM30 age cat, and he was more than a minute ahead of the second placed finishers and debutants, Cameron Morris in 18.42, and Ed Slaughter third in 18.43. Cameron won his SM20 cat, and Ed additionally won his SM18 age cat. Sion Thomas finished 9th overall, and he was the second NWRRC finisher with a new course PB of 21,26, and he won his VM40 age cat. Adam Lemalle also ran well in 15th place with another PB of 22.00, and he was second in his VM40 age cat, with Steve Mason 24th, and second in his VM45 cat in 23.14. * Steve Mason NWRRC pictured right: Richard Scamans enjoyed a good workout in 30th place in 24.00, and master vet Don Hale finished 2nd in his VM70 cat in 25.33, with Tony Gibson in hot pursuit, and making a rare parkrun appearance with a fine effort in 53rd place, and he won his VM65 cat in 25.52. Hannah Griffith finished second in her VW50 cat in 59th place in 26.07, and veteran Rob Fryer was 68th in 26.39, and claimed the third spot in his VM65 cat. Elizabeth Driscoll was 87th in 28.11, and she won her VW55 age cat, with master vet Mark Mason 119th, and third in his VM70 cat in 30.20, whilst Rachel Morris finished 160th in 35.03. *Pictured above - Elizabeth Driscoll. *Anna Drinkwater, a regular Conwy park runner, who has just claimed the Welsh Orienteering championship title in South Wales recently, (with her husband Sam winning a silver medal), was the first female finisher at Conwy parkrun. She also won her SW25 age cat. The Eryri Harrier finished 4th overall in 19.56, with club colleague Gemma Moore second, and one place behind Anna in 20.33, but she won her VW40 cat, whilst Alex Aldous was 16th in 22.15, and she finished 2nd in her SW25 cat *Pictured above – Anna Drinkwater and her husband Sam. Anna, a regular park runner at Conwy,  won the Welsh Orienteering championships last week with Sam winning a silver medal in the men’s event. *Plaudits were handed to master vet Sandy Johnston (Les Croupiers), pictured above - who was the first VM70 master vet in 32nd place in 24.15, and praise was also given to the run director, and to all the volunteers and marshall’s on such a cold and very windy day Other results: *Hunstanton: Ben and Sarah Ferguson Hudson went on their parkrun travels again last weekend and enjoyed some good performances in the Hunstanton promenade parkrun in Norfolk. Ben was 5th in 21.24, and won his VM45 age cat, and Sarah was also on top form, and she won her VW45 age cat as the first female finisher in 11th place overall in 22.53. *Prestatyn: Stuart Culverhouse and Dave Jones took part in the Nova parkrun at Prestatyn last Saturday, and Stuart finished 4th in 20.56, and he won his VM50 age cat, whilst Dave was 2nd in his VM50 cat, and 12th overall in 25.21.

*Pictured above - Adam Lemalle and Kevin Slattery from NWRRC at the Anglesey half-marathon race. (*This superb image and the one below of Alastair Canaway have been provided, courtesy of Mel Parry photography). Email: dmelparry@gmail.com of the NW Road runners celebrated age cat wins at Anglesey half-marathon and 10k races. Report by Don Hale. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk It was a bumper turn-out at the Anglesey half-marathon and 10k races last Sunday with over 1,100 runners taking part in this tough and very challenging course on an unusually bright and sunny morning. North Wales Road Runners entered five athletes in the half-marathon event, with a further six members competing in the 10k, and once again they celebrated with an excellent M65 age cat victory by club chairman Kevin Slattery in the longer distance race, whilst Alastair Canaway finished 3rd overall in the 10k, and master vet Don Hale won his M70 cat, with fellow vet Rob Fryer claiming the 3rd spot in his M65 cat! This very popular double event was well organised by Always Aim High, and the conditions also attracted a large crowd of enthusiastic supporters, who cheered the runners from start to finish. *Pictured right - Alastair Canaway, who finished 3rd in the Anglesey 10k. Stuart Culverhouse was the first NWRRC member home in the half-marathon with a gritty and determined display, finishing 64th out of 640 starters, in a very good time of 1 hour 34 minutes and 20 seconds. He was followed by Kevin Slattery, who had an outstanding run again, and defied the years, to win his M65 age cat in style, finishing 87th in 1.37.01. Adam Lemalle was also on form in 286th place in 1.52.54, and Samantha Williams returned to racing in 479th place in 2.07.58, whilst it was also good to see Hannah Griffiths running well with her sister, Siwan Kalatzi (Thames Valley Triathletes), and she was 566th in 2.17.41, with Siwan just one place and one second ahead. In the 10k race, which included nearly 500 starters, Alastair Canaway blazed a fast trail despite the undulating course, and claimed a well-deserved 3rd place overall as the 3rd O/Sen cat in 37.08, with promising newcomer James Jones making his club debut, finishing 19th in 41.44, and Sion Thomas was 78th in 49.59. After the 10k, a delighted Alistair confirmed: “I'm very happy to finally be back racing after a long eleven months of injury. I really didn't feel good today, so I'm happy to come away with 3rd place and blew out the cobwebs.” The vets then took the plaudits in the same demanding race, with Don Hale winning his M70 age cat with a new course PB of 53.54, and his best 10k time since 2021, in 122nd place; whilst Rob Fryer was back to his best and claimed the 3rd spot in his M65 age cat, finishing 145th in 55.30; with fellow master vet Mike Hayton running well as the 5th M70 cat in 1.02.12. The 10k race was won by Lloyd Williams (Cybi Striders) in 34.59, with club colleague Ryan Roberts second in 35.50, and Alastair Canaway (NWRRC) third in 37.08. The first female athlete was Tilly Edwards (Eryri Harriers) in 40.33, with Lydia Sharpe second in 40.33, and Orla Healy (Mayne AC), finished third in 42.05. *The half-marathon was won by George Ravenhall (North Leeds Road Runners) in 1.11.28, and Ifan Dafydd finished second in 1.12.14, with Sam Griffiths (Menai T&F) third in 1.14.00. Praise was also given to Sam’s club colleague Stefan Sayer, who finished fourth in 1.16.17, and Nic Brook (Eryri Harriers), who was 6th overall in 1.18.53. And it was good to note that Sandy Johnston won his M70 age cat with a great run in 1.45.45, finishing in 192nd place. The first female athlete was Emma Alofs (Cybi Striders) in 1.29.22, with Naomi Wright second in 1.30.39, and Eleri Wright (Rhedwyr Hebog Runners), third in 1.33.04. *Anglesey 10k results: https://www.tdleventservices.co.uk/en/results-embed.php?event=3994#0_1DFB19 *Anglesey half-marathon results. https://www.tdleventservices.co.uk/en/results-embed.php?event=3994#0_7FC8A0

*Kevin Higgins (above left), with Tony Gibson. RACE ROUND-UP FOR NW ROAD RUNNERS Report by Don Hale. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk There were eleven races and/or parkruns recorded by North Wales Road Runners over the past weekend, with the Conwy parkrun, and the Anglesey 10k and half-marathon already reported on this blog. Other race results: OULTON PARK: *Cheshire: Three NWRRC members hit the track running last Sunday at the Oulton Park 10k and 5k races with all of them winning their respective age categories. Kevin Higgins won his M60 cat in the 10k race after finishing 63rd in 51.59, and Tony Gibson was just one place behind in 52.15, and he also won his M65 age cat. Meanwhile, Steve Gardner also won his M60 cat in the 5k race with a good performance in 7th place overall in 19.19. After the race, Kevin admitted: “It was a very undulating course, but this was my best time for over two years.” TRAFFORD 10K: *Manchester: Will Williams and Jamie Tharme travelled to south Manchester last weekend to compete in the very fast and elite-packed Trafford 10k race, which attracted over 1,500 top athletes. Will finished in 417th place overall in 37.02, with Jamie 757th in 43.53. After the race Will Williams confirmed: “My plan was sub-37mins, and I just missed out by 2-seconds, only because of my haze of exhaustion. I forgot that 10k is 6.21, not 6:10, so I mistimed the last bit and needed to push sooner. This is still over 50-seconds faster than last year, so pleased with a course PB. It was only my second race of the season, so if last season is anything to go by, much faster times to come.” *Pictured above - Will Williams (left), with Jamie Tharme. PIPE DREAM 7K FELL RACE: *Dolgarrog: NWRRC members Charlotte Rose Wilton Jones and Nicola Wylie competed in the gruelling Pipe Dream 7k fell race last Saturday at Dolgarrog, which celebrated its 20th anniversary. Charlotte finished 60th overall in 59.07, and Nicola was 72nd in 63.53, and she also claimed second place in her F50 age cat. Charlotte later admitted: “This was very hard, especially going up the pipe-line steps. It was absolutely brutal!” Charlotte Rose Wilton Jones (above) at the Pipe Dream 7k fell race last weekend, and (*below) part of the tough course. *Other parkrun results: *Ruthin: Carla Green was the second female finisher at the Ruthin Memorial Playing Fields parkrun, on Saturday, but she won her VW50 age cat in 20.54 finishing in 5th place overall. *Llangollen: Karl and Rachel Morris went on tour to the Old Railway Trail parkrun at Llangollen last Saturday after their run at Oswestry was cancelled. They both performed well with Karl finishing 12th overall out of 96 entrants, and he was 2nd in his VM40 age cat in 22.37, whilst Rachel celebrated her first 3rd placed parkrun finish in her VW40 age cat, and she was 87th in 37.17. *Erddig: Ben and Sarah Hudson also hit the road running, and they made their debuts at the Erddig Hall parkrun, near Wrexham, with Ben finishing 17th in 22.40, and he was 2nd in his VM45 cat, with Sarah 27th overall, the 5th female finisher in 24.22, and she won her VW45 age cat. *Prestatyn: Nia Lister was another parkrun tour debutant, and she finished 2nd in her VW35 age cat at the Nova parkrun at Prestatyn, finishing 47th overall in 28.29.

*Michael Finnie (above) came to the rescue as an ice-breaker at Conwy parkrun last Saturday. Ice-breaker Michael Finnie and his stick created a safe passage for parkrunners at Conwy. Report by Don Hale. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk North Wales Road Runner Michael Finnie had to use a large stick to break up all the icy puddles at Conwy parkrun last Saturday to eventually allow the event to start safely on another very cold and frosty morning. Michael's innovative idea, came as a huge relief to 176 eager and enthusiastic entrants, who feared the worst over this very challenging, muddy, and puddle-filled 5k course. And his unique plan, backed by run director Sharon Hughes, confirmed a determination to provide a safe route following last week’s late cancellation due to similar problems. Steve Poupart (above left), with Joe and Stuart Culverhouse (below). Joe also celebrated his 100th parkrun this week with another promising run. Nine Road Runners took part in this week’s parkrun, and they were led home by Steve Poupart, who finished 19th overall in 22 minutes and 36 seconds, and he was 3rd in his VM45 age cat. Youngster Joe Culverhouse and his dad Stuart ran the route together with Joe finishing 4th in his JM11-14 age cat in 23.12. This was Joe's 100th parkrun, and Stuart was just one place, and second behind, and he was 2nd in his VM50 cat. Daniel Hennell enjoyed another good run despite a slight knee problem, and he finished 34th in 24.01, whilst master vet Don Hale celebrated his best parkrun time since last November, to win his MV70 age cat in 51st place in 25.27. Three other club vets also celebrated good performances in their respective VM65 age cats, with Rob Fryer improving each week in 62nd place in 26.22, and he was 3rd in his cat, with Len Jackson making a rare parkrun appearance, and finishing 90th in 28.08, and John O’Shea was 112th in 30.30. Steve Mason was a tail walker again with his lively dog Coco in 171st place in 49.30. **Welsh Master veteran Rob Fryer (*above). *The first male finisher was Sam Liddell VM35 in 19.35; with Paul Hulland VM45, 2nd on his debut in 19.45; and Billy Thomas (GOG Triathlon) SM25 was 3rd with a new course PB in 19.54. *The first female finisher was Anna Drinkwater (Eryri Harriers), who was 4th overall in 20.01; with promising youngster Rosie Parsley 21st overall, the 2nd female finisher, and the winner of her JW11-14 age cat in 22.53, with Josie Morgan3rd, and 45th overall in 24.52. *Praise was given to the run director Sharon Hughes and to all the volunteers and marshals and particularly on such a cold morning. These are the provisional results: https://www.parkrun.org.uk/conwy/results/latestresults/ Other results: Ruthin: Carla Green was the second female finisher at the Ruthin Memorial Playing Fields parkrun, on Saturday, but won her VW50 age cat in 20.54 in 5th place overall. *Llangollen: Karl and Rachel Morris went on tour to the Old Railway Trail parkrun at Llangollen last Saturday after their run at Oswestry was cancelled. They both performed well with Karl finishing 12th overall out of 96 entrants, and he was 2nd in his VM40 age cat in 22.37, whilst Rachel celebrated her first 3rd placed parkrun finish in her VW40 age cat, and she was 87th in 37.17. *Karl and Rachel Morris (above), at the Old Railway Trail at Llangollen. *Erddig: Ben and Sarah Hudson also hit the road running, and they made their debuts at the Erddig Hall parkrun, near Wrexham, with Ben finishing 17th in 22.40, and he was 2nd in his VM45 cat, with Sarah 27th overall, the 5th female finisher in 24.22, and she won her VW45 age cat. *Ben and Sarah Hudson (above) at the Erddig Hall parkrun near Wrexham. *Prestatyn: Nia Lister was another parkrun tour debutant, and she finished 2nd in her VW35 age cat at the Nova parkrun at Prestatyn, finishing 47th overall in 28.29.

Colwyn Bay Metric Marathon & Metric Half Marathon on Sunday 24th March 2024. T-shirts and medals still available! Sunday 24th March 2024. Report by Don Hale. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk Both races start at the Athletics track in Colwyn Bay, from here they head along to the promenade and head East along the coastline where both races have their turning points for you to retrace your steps back to the athletics track. There is currently a discount available by using this reference on your entry: DONHALEBLOG24 www.runwales.com https://www.runwales.com/e/colwyn-bay-metric-marathon-8641 Both race routes are mainly very flat with just a couple of short hills. The Metric Marathon distance 26.2km (16.3 miles) is an ideal stepping stone for runners to progress from a half marathon through to a full 26.2-mile marathon. The Metric Half Marathon distance 13.1km (8.13 miles) is an ideal stepping stone for runners to progress from a 10k to a 13.1-miles half marathon. Or you could use the metric marathon to test your pace on this flatish fast route for an upcoming spring marathon? Metric Marathon cost: Affiliated £40, Unaffiliated £42. (YOU MUST BE AT LEAST 18 YEARS OLD ON RACE DAY)Metric Half Marathon cost: Affiliated £36, Unaffiliated £38.  (YOU MUST BE AT LEAST 18 YEARS OLD ON RACE DAY) Includes a quality bespoke medal and Technical T-shirt. The last date for your name printed on your race number is 4 weeks before race day. ROUTE:  https://www.plotaroute.com/route/2149943?units=km --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Race Day Information Start Time: 9am Race HQ / Enquiries: Opens at 7.30am at the athletics track. Number and chip: Pick up at race hq. Drink Stations: There will be a drink station at approx every 3 miles, also at the finish. If you require lots of water whilst running we would recommend you bring your own water bottle. Toilets / Changing: Toilets are located with the buildings at the athletics track. Parking:All parking is located close to the Athletics track at Eirias park, Colwyn Bay, as follows: Stadium car park (off Abergele Road): 200 Eirias High School: 120 Astro Turf car park: 70 Bowling Green car park: 50 Sat Nav: LL29 8HF First Aid: First Aid cover will be provided by a professional medical team. First Aid station will be located at the start and finish and on course. In order to help our medical team, help you it is critical you fill out the medical history information on the back of your race number. If you are injured or unwell to carry on at any stage please notify the nearest marshal who will call for First Aid assistance. It will be the discretion of the medical team if they transport you back to the finish. Pulling Out: If you retire from the race please return your timing chip to race HQ. (PLEASE AVOID THE FINISHING LINE AREA).  If you plan not to return to the finish, it’s really important that you let the nearest marshal to you know and give them your race number. This is so we can account for you at the end of the race. It is your responsibility to arrange transport back to the start. T-shirts / Medals / Prizes: There will be a Technical T-shirt and bespoke medal for all runners to collect at the finish. Presentation of prizes will be made at approx 11:30am Prizes for Male/Female 1st, 2nd, 3rd overall and 1st in each age category.Prizes consist of vouchers and mementos, there are no cash prizes. Baggage: Located next to the start and finish, you may leave a small bag at the baggage area during the race, although every effort will be made to securely store your baggage, Please DO NOT leave any valuables, cash. Jewellery etc in your bag as we cannot be held responsible for any loss or damage. Items not in a bag maybe refused or left at your own risk. Merchandise: Opens at 7:30am If you ordered a hoodie online, this can be picked up from the merchandise tent before or after the race, we will also have race day merchandise available to purchase. We will have a huge jumble sale of old stock from past races (cash only) Road Closures: There are no road closures at this event, it is mostly run on paths and the promenade. Results: Will be available on runwales.com later in the day. Photos: Are available at www.mickhall-photos.com Headphones: Headphones are not allowed during this race in accordance with UK Athletics rules as the course does not have a full road closure with the exception of bone-conducting headphones. http://www.britishathletics.org.uk/competitions/rules/ and is Rule 240 S 5 UKA SUPPLEMENT HEADPHONES. Litter: Please be mindful and respect local residents and DO NOT throw your bottles, energy gels in gardens or over walls etc. Please leave your litter at the nearest water station or with the nearest marshal.  Runners will now be disqualified and taken off the results if seen deliberately discarding their rubbish outside of a water stop or not with a marshal. Cut off times: Time limit – We ask runners to be able to keep a pace of 12- 15 min a mile and complete a half marathon in 3 - 3:30hours. If you are running slower than this pace, you will still be able to finish, however, when directed to do so you will need to run on pavements and run as a pedestrian obeying all signals and the highway code. We cannot guarantee volunteer marshals will continue to be on course and therefore it is your responsibility to look at the route and follow the course signs. Where there are any road closures these will re-open to vehicular traffic on a rolling basis at an approximate pace of 15min mile. The Run Wales team wish you a successful and enjoyable race. https://www.runwales.com/e/colwyn-bay-metric-marathon-8641

British Masters Cross Country championships https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk RHUG FARM, CORWEN, DENBIGHSHIRE, NORTH WALES LL21 0EH, CORWEN 16 MAR 2024. BMAF Cross Country Championships -Rhug Estate 16 March, 2024. Bernie Jones, the secretary of the NW Cross-country league, is urging local runners to enter the British Masters championships at Rhug, near Corwen. The BMAF Cross Country Championships are being held at Rhug on 16 March and is a great opportunity for all North Wales athletes over 35 years old to try and win a medal in their age group at these British Championships which are being held on our door. You DO NOT have to be a Masters member; anyone over 35 is eligible to enter. Let’s see some North Walians get amongst the medals. Entry via the following link: https://data.opentrack.run/en-gb/x/2024/GBR/bmaf-xc/ Contact Details: bmaf@opentrack.runPlease contact the organiser, not OpenTrack, for all queries. https://data.opentrack.run/en-gb/x/2024/GBR/bmaf-xc/?fbclid=IwAR1CQs0PMw42p8Q-5XITgeSmIn_LQC-kZabEWjC6MOxDq8Dh6710OdozVwQ Start Lists Medal Table Enter Here10 days, 9 hours, 50 min to go Competitors   (122) Scores Race 1 – 12.00, approximately 6k - all ladies and M65+Race 2 – 13.00, approximately 8k - M35 to M60 Entry fees:- BMAF area club members - £12Non-BMAF area club members - £15 Closing date for entries is Saturday March 9th 2024. All UKA-registered athletes 35 or over are welcome.  Individual medals will be awarded to the first three finishers in each five-year age category from 35 to 100+. Team medals will also be awarded to the first three men's and women's teams in each ten age group (35-44, 45-54, 55-64, etc.). Team compostion is first clam members of UKA-registered clubs. Each team consists of 3 men or three women, but only one one team per club in each age group can win a medal. Team declaration not necessary initially since the system will configured to assign the first three runners per club in each team age group or the team age group above to form the club team for that age group. Runners would still be competing in their individual age group, even if they were competing in a  younger age group for their club. However because men 65 or older run in shorter race that the younger men, they will not be able to compete in a younger team age group, unless they are also prepared to run the longer distance and compete for individual medals in the lower age group as well. Once entries close we will display the resulting list of teams entered and invite clubs to specify if they wish more down-ageing to be done e.g. if the club has three male runners, aged 40, 50 and 60, the club would need to confirm to us that they would like them to be counted as an M35 team, or if the club has two women aged 40 and four women aged 50, the club would need confirm to us which, if any, of the older runners they would wish to down-age to create a W35 team, leaving the other three women to make up an W45 team. The event will incorporate the England Masters Athletics Association Inter-Area Cross Country Challenge. The inter-area challenge will consist of a separate men’s and women’s team from each BMAF area club. Each team will consist of a minimum of 6 runners. If there are more than 6 men/women of an area club competing, the first 6 men/women with the best age-graded results will count for the men's/women's team respectively. This event is scored based on the average age-grading achieved by the six men and six women in each club team.  Each member of the winning team will be awarded a certificate and the winning club will be given a trophy to hold for the following year. Queries regarding entries should be addressed to OpenTrack via the email address given above but queries about the race itself should be sent to: Harry Matthews, BMAF Cross Country Secretary Email: hmatthews@bmaf.org.uk

Sad loss of outstanding Welsh Master athlete Glyn Pugh. Report by Don Hale. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk Rod Davies from Welsh Masters Athletics has confirmed some important news. He has confirmed: “We have a rather sad post for the website. One of our throwing stalwarts, Glyn Pugh, has passed away. This is our statement from WMAL.” Welsh Masters Athletics are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Glyn Pugh of Rhondda AC on Tuesday 20th February. As well as a dedicated supporter of WMAL. including representing the club in inter area matches over the years, he was a well-respected lynchpin of Rhondda AC and of Welsh Athletics in general, especially the throws. He will be greatly missed by his many friends in Masters Athletics. Somehow the throwing events will not be quite so much fun. Our thoughts go out to his many friends, his family, and those at the King George Track for which he worked so hard. *A full obituary can be found on the Welsh Athletics site: https://www.welshathletics.org/en/blog/post/glyn-pugh-obituary 23/02/2024 00:00, In Blog / Club Notice Board / Statement from Welsh Athletics. Welsh Athletics is saddened to hear of the passing of Rhondda AC Coach, official, athlete and stalwart Glyn Pugh. It is with immense sadness we share the news that Glyn Pugh, a stalwart of Rhondda Athletic Club and Welsh Athletics has suddenly passed away on Tuesday 20 February 2024 aged 62. Glyn’s love for athletics began when he was just 13.  He was spotted at a school event by the Rhondda Athletic Club coach Bill Kingsbury.  Bill told Glyn that he could see the potential in him becoming a great shot putter and in the following few days he turned up for training.  Glyn became an outstanding athlete, and won countless medals at Regional championships, Welsh championships and British Masters Championships. He represented Wales at Junior, Senior, and Masters age groups and he was also a former British Masters Hammer Champion.  Bill always insisted that Glyn was the best athlete and competitor he had ever trained – and Bill had coached hundreds of athletes! When Bill and John Loney (another Rhondda AC coach) passed away, it was the turn of Glyn to step up to the mark and become the next throws coach at the Rhondda club. Glyn certainly did step up to the mark – the medals, championships wins and internationals that he had input to throughout his time at the club are just too many to mention. He was a tremendous coach, a great mentor and selfless with his time. He had a magical way of building people up for competitions and bringing out the best in them – whether it was winning a Welsh Championship or getting a personal best in a league meeting.  He thought the world of his athletes and in turn, each and every one of them thought the world of him too. Glyn wasn’t just an athlete and coach at Rhondda AC.  Glyn was also Chairman of the club and he did a tremendous amount of work outside of club hours. He spent hours of his time on phone calls to local councillors and Welsh Athletics to make sure the Rhondda club had the best of everything.  King George Track at Clydach Vale was very much achieved through the time, hard work and persistence of Glyn.  The track will certainly be a lasting legacy on his behalf. He was a larger than life character, and will be missed by so many.  Over the 50 years that he was competing, he brought so much fun to every competition he took part in.  He will be a huge loss to all of the masters athletes he competed with.  This has been evident from the hundreds of messages received from his fellow competitors across the U.K. since his passing. Welsh Athletics has also lost a great field official in Glyn as he would never fail to be present at any track and field competition.  He would literally spend hours on the field at every competition, and just like when he was competing, he would bring fun to every event he officiated at. Glyn is without doubt one of the Rhondda Athletic Club legends and he will never be forgotten.  He has left the club with so many wonderful memories over the years and will he will be talked about for years to come. Our loss is most definitely Heaven’s gain. Our thoughts go out to his partner Pauline, step-son Rob and the rest of his family at this very sad time. We do not have details of funeral arrangements at this time, but these will be announced when known. *Further information on Glyn’s funeral will be posted in the coming days.

Parkrun boss finally makes a belated statement about the latest controversy to remove important record! But is it just a smokescreen to cover up a previous row over transgender athletes? By Don Hale. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk It's taken about a week for Russ Jefferys, the CEO of parkrun global to belatedly make a statement about last Thursday’s controversial decision to remove male and female, first, and fast finishers, plus age grades, and age category records from their website. It is something that has naturally attracted strong debate up and down the country, and no doubt at numerous parkruns across the world! But I still question whether this latest debacle is just a smokescreen to try to hide, and hence remove any existing records relating to transgender athletes! Parkrun came into being many years ago following a great idea by several like-minded runners, who organised a timed 5k run in their local park, and so from a small acorn, a massive tree of goodwill has eventually spread its roots globally. It has since become part of a way of life, encouraging men and women of all ages to either take part in a local event by running or walking a 5k route, and/or helping out as a marshall, or volunteer. It has pulled communities together and gives people a chance to keep active, and to have a chat afterwards in a nearby café. Failed to consult with parkrunners. The parkrun boss, however, has missed a fantastic opportunity, by failing to consult with, and to sound out the opinions of their runners, walkers and supporters first, before making a decision that has since caused considerable controversy, and upset so many people involved in this popular Saturday morning event. I know parkrun is not a race, but whilst ever there is a 5k course, a timed event, and age categories, it becomes competitive to a large portion of entrants. Of course, not everyone either wants to, or is able to run fast, and that is not the aim, but why deprive good athletes, who often travel far to achieve personal best times on a particular course, their ambition to record a course record? It’s also nice for all runners like me in their twilight years to compare age cat times across the UK and beyond with PBs, elsewhere. What’s the harm in that? And of course, it must be admitted that despite aiming for a true 5k course, sometimes they may vary slightly, and the terrain is often very different in comparison with other parkruns. Some are run in parks, other on trails, tarmac, or even on beaches! On the face of it, all parkruns might appear to be the same in distance, but some are obviously more problematic, and more undulating than others. A check on Strava though will provide reasonably accurate data, including the course measurement, route, and elevation etc. Removing barriers? Parkrun claim they are removing barriers to participation, but numbers are already rising at many events, following a couple of years of Covid restrictions, and new parkruns are being created all the time, with a generous number of regular weekly participants, so I don’t really go along with that reasoning. The boss does however admit that some runners are motivated by competition, and that personal stats matter, but says he wants to make the parkrun more inclusive and welcoming. When was the last time that he actually visiting a local parkrun, or took part in one? They have been like that for years, and that was one of the main attractions, particularly for non-active runners. It’s local, it’s free, and people can just come and run, and it's always a welcoming experience! Has he only just realised this? Why not consult with the park running community first? He cites essential changes needed to the way they display performance related stats, yet thankfully, he acknowledges the need for the retention of individual stats, with timings, age cat results, and a comparison list of previous results. I think however, the CEO has made a huge mistake with his actions, and the recent feedback seems to back my opinion. It would seem his decision was based on a relatively small survey of which full details have so far not been fully revealed. Did this survey ask parkrunners or other sports people involved with parkrun? How many were involved? What were the questions asked? Were they fun and social runners, or club and elite runners? Will he publish this data? Despite my reservations about his decision, my concern is that for some unknown reason he didn’t use all the current online email addresses, or text details, of the many hundreds of thousands of runners, volunteers, marshalls, and even sponsors already on their system, to find out what they thought about any proposed changes? Parkrun seem to use this online data when it suits them to promote sports gear and sponsors’ equipment, when it suits them, so why not take advantage of ready-made source, that are actually involved with parkrun every week? I gather that at least one major sponsor has already pulled out due to the decision. Was this because they weren’t consulted - just like all of us? Or did they NOT agree with the decision? And did he face any pressure to act from sponsors? Golden goose getting fatter! Parkrun seems to have become a cash machine for attracting sponsors to a regular mass participation event (run by volunteers), and the golden goose seems to be getting fatter each year, which in turn has no doubt also boosted the remuneration of parkrun officials. The CEO is fairly new to this organisation with only a couple of years of experience, and in my opinion, he still has much to learn from grass roots participants, and supporters, who ultimately, help to pay his wages. Parkrun people deserve to have say, and I wonder what the original team who actually created the parkrun idea, have to say about these latest changes? Perhaps they sold the idea with a proviso, not to get involved again, or faced a gagging clause in their contracts? What about transgender runners? With last week’s statement and a report carried with my Blog and via the BBC, I note, as many hundreds of others have also suggested, that the real reason for the removal of these interesting male and female records, is probably more based on their other recent and equally controversial decision regarding the involvement of transgender runners? It seems that some complaints have been made to parkrun HQ about the participation of biological male athletes, and/or transgender athletes, taking part in women’s events and recording PB times. This has quite naturally upset many top female athletes who claim it is most unfair to compare these results. I note there was no mention of this other important matter in either of the two parkrun statements, and so I presume a transgender athlete can still claim a parkrun time record on the day, and/or an age cat record, without dispute according to the weekly current stats? Many have suggested the urgent creation of an open category, but again, I wonder if the parkrun boss has considered seeking any opinion about this other additional but major problem, and whether his latest unjustified action to penalise everyone, was based on his need to eliminate all the records, in order to prevent further potential sexually related complaints? *This is the link to my previous blog about the initial announcement last week: PARKRUN WILL NO LONGER PUBLISH DATA ABOUT FIRST AND FAST FINISHERS, AGE GRADE, OR CATEGORY RECORDS... Report from the BBC online. 8/2/24. *SEE MY BLOG FROM LAST WEEK: Don Hale Blog: Parkrun removes data including speed records in or... https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2024/02/parkrun-removes-data-including-speed.html?spref=tw An open letter from Russ Jefferys, CEO, parkrun Global By Russ Jefferys, Chief Executive Officer. Wednesday 14 February 2024. Dear parkrun community; ambassadors, event teams, and all participants. To the people who come along every weekend to be a part of the feel-good phenomenon that is parkrun, to the occasional parkrunners, and to those yet to experience the magic. When I took up my post as CEO, just over two years ago, I knew I was taking on the best job in the world. Because parkrun matters. It matters to me, it matters to millions of people around the world, it matters every single weekend, fifty-two weeks of the year. What I also knew when I took up this role, is that there would be plenty of challenges that would need to be faced head on. I knew that there would be big calls to make, and I knew that ultimately, I would be the person responsible for making them. With that said, I want to take full responsibility for what has happened over the past week surrounding the changes to the way we display performance related statistics and information on our websites. And I want to take this opportunity to explain to you, the parkrun community, why we took the decision that we did. parkrun only exists to inspire people, from any background, to come together, to be social, and active, in the great outdoors. That’s it. There is no other motive. To do this we have a sharp, unwavering focus on removing the barriers to participation which persist for many people, especially for those whom physical activity may not be the norm, those who may never engage with traditional ‘sports’, or be able to afford gyms or other subscriptions, or find any inclusive and welcoming spaces for movement. I say it again: parkrun only exists to bring people together. It is one of the world’s great levellers, a social health initiative, a sanctuary each weekend, right in the heart of local communities in more than 2,500 locations around the world. People come to parkrun for many reasons. To be part of the amazing community they are welcomed into, to see their friends old and new, to get some fresh air, to catch up in the cafe afterwards. The parkrun barcode does not simply register a time, or log a volunteer credit, it is anyone’s ticket into one of the friendliest and most welcoming communities I believe exists in the world today. And that ticket is free, for everyone, forever. I understand that not everyone feels the same, and that others will attend parkrun motivated by competition. That’s fine; everyone is welcome. But we must remember why parkrun exists, and where its true power lies. We must remember parkrun’s incredible ability to change the lives of those who may need it most: those with long term health conditions and those who’ve never found a place that believed in them before. Those struggling with loneliness, or many of the other myriad of challenges modern day life throws at us. Those who truly need free, regular access to physical activity, to community, to healthy habits, but may not have found it yet. And those who may feel intimidated, or afraid, or be convinced that places like parkrun aren’t for people like them. We have dedicated parkrun’s more recent years to showing more and more people that they do have a home at parkrun. Analysing data, conducting surveys and focus groups, gathering insight, doing everything in our power to become as inclusive as possible. Adding in tail runners that later became tail walkers, introducing parkwalkers, and recognising volunteering as an equal form of participation. Arguably, parkrun has succeeded in changing the wider narrative about what it even means to be physically active, what you have to wear, or look like, who you need to be. At parkrun you can be anyone. You are welcome. Everyone is welcome. I truly believe that we have an obligation to continue identifying and removing the barriers that stand in the way. Records were one such example. The fear of finishing last, of being the ‘slowest’, of not being celebrated, of not being as good as everyone else, or not even able to finish at all. None of these things should be a barrier to joining parkrun, but it certainly wasn’t helpful that we were providing prominent links to a considerable amount of data from our home pages that was clearly performance related. I have never advocated taking the easy option if it isn’t the right thing to do. In this instance, it was obvious we needed to modify our websites if we were to be true to our mission and values. It is as simple as that. There is no hidden agenda at play. I want to be extremely clear on that. We know that personal statistics matter, that they can be huge motivators. Many of you will have seen already that this data has not gone away. The information we email out every week, to hundreds of thousands of parkrunners, remains the same. Volunteers will still time the course, you still have the chance to record a personal best (I envy those of you who still might!), and you can still see your age grading if it matters to you. We recognise everyone. Everyone matters at parkrun. I hope you, the parkrun community will be able to understand why we have chosen to take this action. Being responsible for an organisation that changes the lives of millions, means being at risk, every time we make a change, of hurting people we care about. The strength of feeling in response to these changes is evidence of how much people care about parkrun. But we must bring it back to why parkrun exists, all it has achieved, all we have learnt, and all we must do to put the charity in the best possible position to truly unleash its potential as we continue along our ambitious five-year strategy - more parkruns, more people, more lives changed, more lives saved. I hope this offers you, the parkrun community, the explanation you deserve. That far from marginalising groups with this action, the idea was only ever to continue on the road to becoming a more inclusive and welcoming community for everyone, forever. Russ Jefferys CEO parkrun global.

WELSH MASTERS ATHLETICS TEAMS FOR INTER-AREA INDOOR T&F CHAMPIONSHIPS AT LEE VALLEY on 25th FEBRUARY. https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com www.welshmastersathletcs.co.uk The latest updates have Now been revealed for both the male and female T&F teams to represent Welsh Masters Athletics at the forthcoming Masters Inter-Area (Indoor) challenge championships at Lee Valley on Sunday 25th February. WMAL director Brett Davis confirmed: “This is the current list for the Welsh Masters Athletics men’s team for the Inter-Area male team as they currently stand. Any gaps shown are still available for people to approach myself, Eleri Jones, or Louise Kirby about. “In addition, the M35-49 age group 400m slot may become available due to an injury that is being assessed.” WMAL MALE TEAM MEMBERS: 60m hurdles: M50 Glyn Price. M60 Iain Moody. 1500m: M35 Oli Williams. M50 Adrian Lewis. M60 Dave Watson. M70 Paul Allen. 400m: M35 Jonathan Williams. M50 Adrian Lewis. M60 Brett Davis. M70 Barrie Roberts. 60m: M35 Samson Chinaka. M50 Russell Whiting. M60 Martin Weetman. 800m: M35 Pete Watkeys. M50 Steve Roberts. M60 Sean Price. M70 Paul Allen. 200m: M35 Samson Chinaka. M50 Russell Whiting. M60 Ian Broadhurst. M70 Barrie Roberts. Long Jump: M35 Samson Chinaka. M50 Joe Horner. M60 Iain Moody. Shot put: M35 Samson Chinaka. M50 Glyn Price. M60 Andrew Rushbrook. Pole Vault: M50 Glyn Price. Triple Jump: M35 Dave Shields. M50 Joe Horner. High Jump: M50 Glyn Price. M60 Paul Yeoman. *Relay squads: M35: Samson Chinaka, Jonathan Williams, Pete Watkeys, and Oli Williams. M50 Russell Whiting, Adrian Lewis, Glyn Price, Joe Horner, and Steve Roberts. M60 Ian Broadhurst, Brett Davis, Martin Weetman, Sean Price, Iain Moody, Andrew Rushbrook, and Paul Yeoman. **WMAL MALE TEAM MEMBERS: See blog link below: Don Hale Blog: Welsh Masters Athletic teams for Inter-Area Indoor... https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2024/02/welsh-masters-athletic-teams-for-inter.html?spref=tw