Some stunning results, a popular annual club tradition plus plenty of Parkruns, near and far, made for a busy week for the North Herts Road Runners.

“It was a perfect way to end the racing year,” said speedy Squirrel Stewart Overton at the end of Sunday’s 10-mile road race in Buntingford. The race is now a well-established part of the local running calendar, and knowing that this challenging course is on the horizon has helped many a road runner to stay on the straight and narrow over the festive season. But it proved to be no trouble for the North Herts Road Runners, as they won the overall men’s team prize, and came away with three age-category podium finishers.

Caroline Thrussell was the first Vet 55 Woman, continuing an impressive run of recent results to finish in a time of 1 hour and 13 minutes (beating her own club record for the 10-mile distance by five minutes). Adrian Sherwood ran 64:43 to finish as second Vet 50 Man, while Mark Vaughan was the third Vet 40 and finished in 58:17. Joining Adrian and Mark in the winning men’s team were Overton and Matt Sayers, who both also ran the 10-mile distance in under an hour. The team just finished ahead of rivals Trent Park, who had taken the top spot by a small margin the year before. Another fourteen Squirrels took part at Buntingford, including Lucy O’Connor, who was running this race for the first time, and was pleased to finish in 1:27:53, and David Weston who ran 69:32, knocking no less than six and a half minutes off his previous best for the distance.

The exertions at Buntingford capped off a week that had started with the Letchworth-based club’s annual ‘Mulligatawny Run’. This is a club tradition, in which a group of club members run together over the hills at Pegsdon before enjoying some festive cheer (and some actual Mulligatawny soup!) back at Lilley. “Super muddy but beautiful views,” was long-standing club member James Walsh’s summary, adding “the views at the top were worth it.”

Sue Foot ran the Great Barrow Triple Tipple Marathon on Friday 28th December. This was the first day of a three-day event held each year in Barrow Suffolk. “The event is famous for its checkpoint at mile 20 where you can choose from a very welcome selection of liqueurs!” said Sue, who nevertheless managed to finish in an impressive time of 4.45.

Christmas week also saw the Squirrels test their mettle at Parkruns aplenty across the UK. Close to home, club coaches Karen Dodsworth and Pete Sibbett, along with Mark and Sue Vaughan, ran the Great Denham Parkrun on Christmas Day – and all achieved significant results! First to finish for the club was Mark Vaughan who was third in the race, winning the V45 age group in 17.19. Pete Sibbett went sub-20 for the first time this year clocking 19.46 to win the V55 age category, and Sue Vaughan ran 26.27 to win the FV50 age group. Coach Karen Dodsworth also finished third lady in 25.01 and won her age group, FV55. Also in Bedfordshire was Hayley Cocks, who ran Luton Parkrun and was pleased to finish fifth in her age category.
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Further afield, Ellie and Tom Webb took on the sandy Exmouth park run in Devon. Despite having to deal with the sand which had been washed up along the course by waves and wind, Ellie ran the course in 22:28, while Tom finished in 16:25. Lindsay Cook took advantage of a Christmas trip to the Peak District to take part in the Parkrun at Bakewell. “You can really feel the downhill and it makes for a nice fast finish,” said Lindsay, “I was 230th in 30:23 which I was pleased with.” Meanwhile, spurred on by his exertions at the Mulligatawny Run, James Walsh travelled to North Wales, and took part in the Penrhyn Parkrun in Bangor, running the course in 20.59. “Held in the impressive setting of Penrhyn Castle,” said James, “the run has its start and finish line immediately under the castle's portcullis!” 

North Herts Road Runners completed Parkruns in almost every corner of Great Britain as members of the Letchworth-based club combined Christmas visits to family and friends with participation in the popular 5k events.

Parkrun has become an international phenomenon over the past 14 years, with 577 venues in the UK – plus many more in a further 19 countries - hosting the free weekly events at 9.00am every Saturday. These include local events in Letchworth Garden City and Stevenage.

This weekend 23 Squirrels turned out at 10 Parkruns in England, Scotland and Wales with Lucy Hurley in South Wales for Aberbeeg Parkrun, where she completed the course in 23.43.

Steve Williamson travelled north of the border to take part in Falkirk Parkrun and finished in 22.26, while Brian Judkins took on what he described as ‘one of the tougher Parkrun courses’ at Wakefield Thornes, finishing in 33.06

After plenty of rain over the previous few days, Clare Hooley reported an ‘absolute mudfest the whole way – not a day for a fast one’ at Cambridge Parkrun, where she finished in 38.56 and James Keogh recorded 20.24.

Lee Hayes attributed his impressive second place in similar ‘Glastonbury-style’ conditions at Letchworth Parkrun to the ‘correct footwear – a few people were running in plimsolls, I reckon!’ Hayes recorded 20.23, with Emily Hutchinson next and first female finisher in 20.38. Chloe Lucas continued her return to regular training after time overseas with a finish time of 24.35 on what she described as a ‘very muddy’ course and Andrew Underhill completed the run with daughter Gracie in 33.58. ‘Not bad for an 8-year-old, he said. ‘She smashed it!’.

Other NHRR Parkrun ‘tourists’ over the weekend included Nick Malpeli at Markeaton , Derby, Chris Poole at Houghton Hall and Naomi Parkinson at Great Denham (both Bedfordshire), Jodie Brumhead at Mole Valley and six Squirrels at Stevenage Parkrun.

This week a large number of squirrels were out and about on various runs using up some of those pesky calories, to make more room for extra ones over the festive season.

Sunday saw the NHRR host their home cross country race at Standalone farm.  Once again the club proved just what great race hosts they are.

As well as providing all the race officials and catering the club was also able to field an impressive 41 out of the 400 runners.  The men and women both came in second giving a combined top billing for the club.  With 3 races complete the overall positions are tight with just a point or twos difference but the men and women both showing in second position leaving them in a combined top spot overall with just two more races to go in the series.

In 4th place overall Tom Webb was the top placed male squirrel and Natalie Lawrence the first lady to cross the line.

Four squirrels ran the Waterside 10k at Grafham Water. It was a chilly start but the sun shone but the last couple of kilometres along the dam and back seemed to go on forever but the excellent cake afterwards in the visitors Centre had a positive restorative effect, and lets face it after a 10K run who’s worrying about calorie counting? As one runner in the Standalone 10k once told me I eat cake therefore I run!!!

The runners/cake eaters were Helen Govey 0:58:43, Carina Quayle 1:02:28 (coming first in the Female over 55 category in full fancy dress), Ali Mottram 1:10:45 and Jim Marvell 1:15:38.

With eyes on the cross country on Sunday there were a limited number of squirrels running in Park Runs this week, it was also bitterly cold, dull and threatening to rain!  Jodie Brumhead made the greatest journey running in, in Edinburgh in 28:03.  Next most distant park run completed was in Kettering with Steven Williamson finishing in 22:48.

In Luton’s Wardown park Stephen Lummis and Chris Poole completed the course in 23:03 and 24:54 respectively.  The Letchworth Park Run attracted 5 of our runners with Helen Wilson coming in in the fastest time of 29:32 she was followed by Adam Wilson, Naomi Parkinson, Lucy Hurley and Patrick Norris in 29:34, 30:50, 30:51 & 33:48 respectively.
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Stevenage saw NHRR’s best result with Eva McCabe the first lady home in just 23:06.  James Dalton finished in 7th place overall ahead of her though in 20:19.  Phil Hunt finished in 25:02 and Jennie Fraser in 27:42.
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Personal bests, grit, determination and plenty of festive cheer mark another extraordinary week for the thriving Squirrels.
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 “The experience of running in the centre of a major European city on closed roads with lots of support is a fantastic one,” said North Herts Road Runner Stewart Overton, who took part in a 10k race, which was part of Valencia’s marathon weekend. “It really does give you that bit extra.”

In Overton’s case, it certainly did. His finishing time was 34:52 ­ a massive 45 seconds off his personal best, and a well-deserved end to a year of hard training and steadily improving results. “If anyone ever wants to visit Valencia I recommend the marathon weekend,” he added. “The whole place buzzes with runners from across the globe but you can also take in the city and everything it has to offer at the same time.”

Stewart Overton wasn’t the only Squirrel running in the Spanish city at the weekend. Michelle and Andy Grudzinski both ran the full marathon. Despite having been unwell the week before, they ran together and finished their last marathon of the year in 5.11.26.

There was also plenty of action closer to home, as Saturday saw scores of Squirrels amongst the 199 runners who took part in the Santa Canta 5k at Letchworth’s Norton Common. Held every year, this fundraising 5k event is the festive edition of the popular First Saturday of the Month 5k series, which is organised by North Herts Road Runners. This year the event raised over £600 for Tracks Autism, a Stevenage-based early years centre for children with an autistic spectrum condition.

The runners didn’t let the rain or the muddy conditions dampen their spirits and ran, sang and cheered their way around the course. Hayley Cocks described herself as ‘super chuffed’ to take four minutes off her previous best time on the course to finish in 32:26. North Herts Road Runner Astrid McKeown was the first female finisher in a time of 20:51, while teammate Tom Webb took first position overall, just dipping under the 17-minute mark.

Meanwhile, John Auld returned to his native Yorkshire to resume his assault on the challenging Silkstone Shuffle series. The weekend’s race was the final event of the series, and Auld went into it with a two-and-a-half-minute lead over his rival in 4th place, but knowing that he was going to have a battle to secure a place on the podium. In tough conditions, it was neck and neck between Auld and his main rival. Things were going well, “I said to myself, nothing can stop you now apart from a fall...” said Auld, and then, disaster: he slipped at a stile and hit the ground hard. Despite a bloodied knee and elbow and some nasty bruises, Auld got back up and showed grit and determination to get through the rest of the race. Not only did he finish tenth overall on the day, but his strong finish guaranteed him third in the series – a podium finish for the second year running.
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​Bedford was the setting for a testing half marathon in which eight North Herts Road Runners ran. Niccolo Bassani’s time was 1:34:30. “Slower than I hoped,” said Niccolo Bassani, “but all things considered a good time given the beating wind and the long uphill sections.” Suzy Trott (1:37:54) was the second V40 woman, and Darren Sunter (1:17:17) finished in fifth place overall, and third V35 man. Also running were Martyn Annetts, Chris Poole, Tom Brownlee and Luke Callan.