With the 2nd fixture of the Three Counties Cross Country League cancelled due to Storm Bert, many squirrels were left disappointed and race-less. However, a few of our members had other races booked that did manage to take place. ​

Silverstone Half Marathon
Daniel Wrigley ran the Silverstone Half Marathon. He commented that the weather was awful with very strong winds and heavy rain leaving everyone soaked and freezing before the race even started!

​Despite the weather Daniel was very happy and surprised to beat his half marathon PB with a time of 1:45:55.

Hatfield 5
Four squirrels defied Storm Bert to run the Hatfield 5 Miles. James Keogh and Clare Holley booked the Hatfield 5 miles quite a while ago and then promptly forgot about it when booking a weekend away this weekend as well.

Fortuitously, where they were staying was even closer to Hatfield than home! They commented that circumstances with training this year mean neither of them went very fast but for Clare it was the furthest she had run since April. The weather held up far better than they thought and stated that it was "actually surprisingly warm, and seemed sheltered from the worst of the head winds except on the finishing stretch!"
​
NHRR times (chip) from the results are:
James KEOGH 00:35:20
Stephen BRENTON 00:36:49
Tracey MCCREATH 00:53:00
Clare HOOLEY 01:10:21

Doncaster 10k
Tom Barclay travelled up North to take part in the Doncaster 10k. He finished in 33rd position in a speedy 34:18. 

Parkrun Roundup ​

The past week has been another great week for our squirrels: a week full of fantastic performances, inspiring comebacks, and plenty of camaraderie. Here’s a roundup of where our members have been showcasing their grit and determination.

St Neots Half Marathon: Strong Runs and Sunshine
The annual St Neots Half Marathon drew 16 NHRR runners to the rolling hills of Cambridgeshire, with blue skies and a downhill finish making it a day to remember. The course, famous for its undulations, challenged legs and lungs alike, but our members rose to the occasion.
 
Leading the club pack, Helen Nuttall stormed through in 1:34:09, securing 8th place in the FV35 category and celebrating her fastest half marathon in eight years. Lucy O’Connor, returning after injury, was thrilled to complete the race in 1:54:23, just two minutes off her course PB from 2021 and earning 10th in FV55-64. Caroline Thrussell put in a fantastic run, taking 4th in FV55 with 1:47:12.
 
The support and teamwork on the day were as strong as ever. Richard Barker paced Meyrick around the course, while Tash Pitman and Helen Cairns crossed the line side by side in 1:48:41. With smiles all round at the downhill finish, it was a memorable day for the club.
 
Full results from St Neots:
Helen Nuttall: 1:34:09
Caroline Thrussell: 1:47:12
Jane Clarke: 1:48:40
Tash Pitman & Helen Cairns: 1:48:41
Dave Braybrook: 1:49:35
Damian Christou: 1:53:23
Lucy O’Connor: 1:54:23
Nick Walker: 1:54:44
Adrian Barnett: 2:01:43
Dawn Power: 2:04:43
Hannah Keeble: 2:14:05
Keith Swain: 2:23:51
Caroline Nobbs: 2:38:15

Trail Adventures: Exploring the Great Outdoors
 For those who prefer their running routes a little wilder, it was all about the trails this week.
Sue Foot tackled the Shillington Shuffle Trail Marathon, a self-navigated course that started and finished in Barton-le-Clay. With perfect weather and solid ground underfoot, Sue enjoyed scenic countryside and conquered the many ploughed fields along the way.

Parkruns the focus for Squirrels, North Herts Road Runners put the focus on training rather than racing this week as they gear up for the next fixture in the Three Counties Cross-country League. 

It was a quieter weekend for racing this weekend with the majority of the fireworks in the sky not on the roads and the frights limited to halloween and not route elevations! 
 
New York Marathon
The final Marathon Major of the year took place in New York and on a beautiful Sunday Mike Bannister took part in the race.  Supporting a friend rather than chasing a PB, Mike came home in 4:42 and enjoyed a fantastic day out soaking up an incredible atmosphere. 
 
Knebworth Half Marathon
Closer to home it was the Knebworth Half Marathon also on Sunday.  Farzana Bhatti was representing the squirrels at this one and completed the course in a time of 3:25 and personally a 5th half marathon completed.
 
Bedford 10k
In Bedford there was a 10k, which Frances Stanton tackled.  This was a return to racing and resulted in a time of 52:11, which Frances said was “pleasantly surprising!” over a “lovely route along the river, highly recommended!”. 

First Saturday of the Month
This Saturday saw North Herts Road Runners' 'First Saturday of the Month' Monthly 5km race celebrate its 15th Year. 
 
As recognition of this milestone and with gratitude for the use of the beautiful Norton Common on the first Saturday of every month for these past 15 years, an award of £500 was presented to the 'fFriends of Norton Common' - a volunteer group who works to preserve the precious habitat of the Common. Graham Frost from the group expressed his appreciation and says that the donation will be used to plant some trees by the Letchworth Outdoor Pool.
 
Twenty Five Squirrels were among those enjoying the Autumnal delights of the Common this Saturday with ttwo club runners on the 1st and 2nd steps of the podium, with Steve McKeown taking first in a time of 19:57 and Mike Phillips second home in 20:07.