Herts Hobble: A Trail Marathon Close to Home
Sue Foot had once again ran the Herts Hobble Marathon Challenge—a low-key, self-guided trail event starting from Baldock. The route wound its way through picturesque Weston, Benington, Walkern, and Cromer, offering a mix of peaceful paths, scenic countryside, and a generous helping of hills.
Without the pressure of timing chips or crowds, it was a great chance to enjoy the surroundings and clock up some off-road miles. Sue finished in 6 hours and 32 minutes, taking it steady and soaking up the calm, rural atmosphere. A tough but satisfying outing through our local landscape.
Rochdale Harriers 3-Day Challenge: Road, Trail & Fell
Dawn Power travelled north to join Rochdale Harriers for their 3-Day Event—a brilliantly organised and friendly series of six-mile races across three terrains.

• Day 1 took them onto the roads with a rolling course to get the legs moving.
• Day 2 featured a multi-terrain route that kept everybody on their toes.
• Day 3, however, was the real test--Dawns first ever fell run, and an instant highlight. With gradients steep enough to justify a bear crawl and views that made every climb worthwhile, it was a thrilling (and humbling) introduction to fell running.

The whole event had a fantastic, welcoming atmosphere, and to top it off, Dawn even came away with a T-shirt—a well-earned souvenir from a brilliant few days of running.
From international bridges to local trails and northern hills, these events offered completely different experiences—but all reminded me of the joy of running in new places, the resilience we build with every mile, and the warmth of the running community.

North Herts Road Runners are now favourites to take second place in the Midweek League, after a strong set of performances in the latest fixture on Wednesday evening.
 
NHRR travelled to the Epping Forest venue in force, with 54 of their members turning out to compete against other local clubs in Division 1 of the Midweek League.
 
Despite the course featuring a challenging 140m of elevation, NHRR’s first eight women all finished in less than 50 minutes and the twelve scoring men were all under 41 minutes, with Katie Harbon and Mike Roberts respectively leading the Squirrels home.
 
The season is now at its halfway point, with NHRR looking forward to hosting the third fixture in Stevenage on 18th June. 

Sweet sixteen for First Saturday
NHRR celebrated the sixteenth birthday of their iconic ‘home’ event – the First Saturday of the Month 5k, with 38 members enjoying the Norton Common course in unseasonably damp conditions.
 
NHRR finishers at the FSTOM:
1: Mike Banister (19:48), 2: David Edwards (20:09), 4: Michael Over (20:41), 5: Mike Phillips (20:54), 8: John Auld (22:10), 11: James Dalton (23:14), 13: Kat Burr (23:30), 14: Matt Ankers (23:38), 15: James Godfrey (23:45), 17: Mark Larwood (23:55), 18: Paula Holm (24:01), 19: Laura Fairbanks, (24:27), 21: Jillian Tooley-Boys (24:39), 24: Natalie Phillips (25:41), 27: Andrew Robson (26:44), 29: Viv Lucas (27:13), 30: Joanne Hoare (27:14), 32: Lucy O'Connor (27:25), 34: Tracey Pitcairn (27:30), 35: Rhia Botha (27:31), 37: Ian Datlen (27:34), 38: Alice Noakes (27:37), 39: Andrew Coates (27:38), 40: Adam Wilson (27:41), 41: Mel Flynn (27:47), 42: Frances Stanton (29:08), 43: Lorraine Nugent, (29:26), 45: Dawn Power (29:35), 46: Richard Barker (29:36), 50: Eugene Concannon (30:51), 51: Philip Flack (31:12), 54: Jane Morgan (33:21), 55: Julie Taylor (33:21), 56: Ian Sutcliffe (33:49), 61: Brian Judkins (37:44), 62: Jo Sopala (38:10), 63: Gill Hughes (39:03), 68: Farzana Bhatti (44:01)

St Albans Lollypop
David Brewer was delighted to record a new half-marathon personal best ‘by some distance’ at the St Albans Lollypop Run. David completed the 13.1 miles in 1:33:54. 

Brighton 10-mile
Vanessa Rolfe took on a 10-mile challenge in Brighton, crossing the line in 2:06:51.

This Sunday saw the return of the legendary Hitchin Hard Half and the equally formidable Hitchin Tough 10 Miler - races that are as notorious for their punishing hills as they are for their stunning countryside views. Undeterred by the challenge, eight fearless Squirrels tackled the Hard Half, while three more took on the Tough 10 Miler, proving that grit and determination run deep.

In the Hard Half, Rhia Botha powered across the finish line in 1:35:58, securing a podium spot as the 3rd lady and claiming 2nd place in her F30 age category. Close behind, Ian Datlen finished in 1:36:59, taking 4th in the M50 category. Rachel Arnott followed as the 4th lady home, earning 1st place in the F40 age group with a time of 1:37:19.

James Warner Smith crossed the line in 1:37:21, followed by Daniel Socci (1:44:15), Tom Bennett Makin (1:44:49), and Katrina Slisane, who clocked 1:47:16 to secure 4th place in the F40 category and 9th lady overall. Adrian Barnett rounded out the squad with a solid 2:12:15 finish.

Hitchin Tough 10 Miler, James Dalton led the Squirrels home, taking 2nd in the M50 category with an impressive 1:21:14. David Weston followed with a strong 1:25:43 finish, securing 3rd in the M40 category. Meanwhile, Joanne Hoare returned to racing after breaking her ankle seven months ago, delivering an impressive performance to finish 3rd in the F40 category in 1:36:01.

Milton Keynes Marathon Masters Qualifier
Congratulations to Claire Fiske who qualified for her Masters England vest at the Milton Keynes Marathon on 5th May by coming 3rd in her Masters age category.  In 3:43:59.

Wednesday 21st May saw the start of this year’s Mid-Week League in Highfield Park, St Albans. 70 runners turned out from NHRR for this fast and flat 10K, giving us a super start to the 2025 MWL season with both ladies and men’s teams coming 3rd which put us 2nd overall after race 1, behind a strong start from the hosting team St Albans Striders.
​
Katie Harbon was first lady home for the Club with Karen Townsend, Rhia Botha, Tracey Pitcairn, Rachel Arnott, Alice Carty, Paula Adams and Paula Holm completing the scoring team.
Scoring for the men were Mike Roberts, Ben Hadman, Sam Coxon, Ben Sewell, Andrew Leach, Shahab Ahmed, Matt Sayers, Abdullah Athar, Ian Datlen, Kris Whitmore, Mike Bannister and Oliver Parsons,.

Midweek League Rep Rhia Botha said “I'd like to extend a heartfelt thank you to each and every one of you that came to run or support last night. We were definitely the best team there, if you ask me. It was great to see so many squirrels turn out and there were plenty of runners taking part in their first race for the club”.  Everyone was really grateful to Rhia for organising the mini-buses to take us to St Albans and as Carina Quayle said “It was great to chill and chat with fellow squirrels”.

​Full results for club are below:-

Run The Wade 5K
Now in it's second year, this friendly, well organised 5k race starts in Biggleswade town centre and heads to Jordan’s Mill via twisty road and track before heading back into town. It has a nice finisher medal and a goody bag and all for only £10!  Out of 412 runners 9 Squirrels took part.  Rob Harris was overall 4th in 18:11, Hannah Ridley was 3rd lady in a time of 20:49 and feeling very happy with her time given that she’d had a month off due to injury.  Michael Over was 15th and 1st in his MV55 age category with a time of 19:57 and Lucy O’Connor was 1st in her FV60 age category in a time of 24:36. Despite having a tumble at 4km Rosie King valiantly carried on to the finish line after being seen by the St John Ambulance.

The Great Annual Bird Run - Oughtonhead Common
Thanks to James Walsh, Astrid and Steve McKeown who host this lovely event.  A 5k run/walk around Oughtonhead Common.  James with his expert eyes and ears spotting various birds en-route and Astrid for her delicious home-made breakfast afterwards.  It is always a delight to attend.

​Gosling Stadium Welwyn Garden City was the venue of an extraordinary event last Thursday evening. The event was the inaugural 4 X 400mtr Relay Race. 
 
It was an amazing evening, a fabulous atmosphere with lots of cheering from everyone, even the spectators enjoyed themselves. Thank you to the supporters who came along!! 
 
Bearing in mind most of us have never run a 400 metre race, this was an eye opener!! Nevertheless, the spirit was there to compete and have fun. Despite the 400 mtrs being a tough race, the runners enjoyed it so much they would love to do it again. 
 
Taking part were 26 teams from Hertfordshire, 4 of which were from NHRR.
 
Senior Female Team - Kardasheruns
Katie Harbon, Tracy Pitcairn, Rhia Botha and Hannah Ridley. 
 
Senior Female Team - Les Ecureuils
Alice Carty, Natalie Phillips, Lucy O'conner, and Karen Dodsworth.
 
Senior Male Team - Quads of Fury
Stuart Cocks, Mike Phillips, John Auld and guest Nile Odejimi-Riley. (Ringer) LOL!!
 
Vet Male Team -  Chafing the Dream 
Mike Banister, Darren Matussa, Ian Datlen and Mike Over. 
 
Results
Kardashsheruns - 1st in group 7th overall
Les Ecureuils - 4th in group, 21st overall
Quads Of Fury - 3rd in Group, 5th overall
Chafing the Dream - 1st in group, 2nd overall. 

As Nature Intended - Brocken Hurst Naked 5k
Elsewhere, Kris Whitmore ran the Brocken Hurst Naked 5k in Orpington, Kent, finishing third overall and second (over 50) veteran with a fantastic time of 19:23. The course was a tough but enjoyable three lapper through a mixture of woodland trail and a campsite, where the campers were waving (their hands) and supporting the runners. 
 
Kris noted that it was an unusual and interesting experience that you can't get at parkrun, however, he didn’t believe it was wise to share the race photographs! He was also glad that race numbers were drawn onto the runners rather than the more standard safety pin style attachment and that chip timing was achieved by virtue of an ankle bracelet. Enough said.

John Archer of Headway Herts, the North Herts Road Runners Charity of the Year in 2024/25, started off 145 runners as they took on the beautiful Greenway Challenge on Sunday with funds raised being donated to this brilliant local charity. There was a very touching moment with Sarah Chalmers expressing ‘delight to complete the course after herself being a benefactor of Headway Herts back in 2012.’ Headway Herts work to improve life after a brain injury for adults who have been immediately affected and the loved ones who care for them.

Phoenix 5mile Race​
​Stevenage Phoenix Running Club held their second five mile race. A number of squirrels participated in hot conditions on a course with little shade. Kris Whitmore was the first squirrel home in13th place with a time of 32:09 and said ‘fortunately there were two points to take on water en route and the event village had plenty more plus a very welcome ice cream van!’

Stellar Performances from Club Runners at London and Manchester Marathons 2025
It was a day of fantastic achievements for North Herts Road Runners at the 2025 TCS London Marathon, with outstanding performances across the board. Congratulations to the scurry of squirrel runners for representing the club so proudly  – what an inspiring day!
 
Leading the way was Tom Barclay, who delivered a truly exceptional run, crossing the line in an incredible 2:28:41 - a time which was teasingly close to the club record. He was closely followed by Mike Roberts, finishing strongly in 2:31:50, and Ben Sewell, who posted a superb personal best of 2:36:03.
 
Matt Sayers continued the strong showing with a determined 2:41:53, while Travis Kruger and Rob Jowett battled to the line together, finishing just one second apart in 2:44:45 and 2:44:46 respectively.

While not racing in London, Ian Datlen smashed it, with a sub-3 effort at Manchester Marathon, clocking 2:58:18. Ian described it as an unbelievable day that was just amazing. Ian loved the course and the weather just about stayed bearable. Also running Manchester was Sue Foot finishing in 4.42.46.
 
Rachel Arnott was first woman home for the club, leading the charge with a brilliant 3:19:34, closely followed by Darren Matussa (3:21:47) and Alice Carty (3:22:08), both showing immense strength and pacing.
 
Chris Button completed his third marathon — and his first London Marathon — in an impressive 3:34:01!
He described the day as having incredible support and an unbelievable atmosphere.  Although it was just outside his personal best, Chris noted the warm conditions and lack of shade made it a real challenge. He also credited NHRR’s winter training for giving him the fitness boost he needed to take it on.
 
We had some great performances from Ben Ryan (3:42:43) and Andy Mutton (3:45:06) both broke the four-hour barrier with strong runs.  Matt Ankers (4:07.41), David Weston (4:27:35) and Greg Bowie (4:36:55) fought hard to the finish, embodying true marathon spirit.  With Lisa Cuthbert running her first marathon raising vital funds for Garden House Hospice and finished in an impressive 4:30.01, Hannah Bloomfield (4:53:05) was also running her first marathon having only started running last June and was inspired to run for charity in memory of her Grandad, Philippa Hardcastle (4:56:59), Susan Cadden (5:28:39) and James Dalton (6:20:10) showed incredible resilience and determination to complete the iconic 26.2 miles in the virtual marathon. ​

The Easter weekend kicked off with a very special celebration at Henlow Lakes parkrun, which was the club's April  Run of the Month'. Many Squirrels came together to celebrate Ian Sutcliffe's 80th Birthday. In fact the high number of Squirrels helped to contribute to a record attendance at the event. The 2 and half lap course flew by for most and the celebrationscontinued after the race with tea and cake.

​Happy Birthday Ian!

On Easter Monday, over in Stevenage there was the Spring 10k and Half Marathon taking place. North Herts had some impressive results at the event, with PBs and Podiums aplenty. Rhia Botha won the lady's Half Marathon event and secured 12th place overall in 1hr32. Hearing Rhia describe her day it sounds like a very successful training run - “The plan was a good effort training run with David Edwards, but when I realised that I was in second place, I really had no choice but to put in a little more effort! I even got to run through the winning ribbon and bagged myself a gold medal. David Edwards was not far behind me.” David finished 2nd in his age category.

Further afield, Lucy Robertson completed her first 10km ‘race’ on Friday 18th as part of the Isle of Man Easter Festival of Running. Some 550 runners took to the undulating streets around Port Erin and Port St Mary on a damp and blustery evening. Lucy was hoping for under an hour but smashed out a 50min 57sec PB coming in first in the U17F category winning £20.

On the other side of the Atlantic one of the oldest marathons in the calendar was taking place on its traditional Patriots’ Day, the Boston Marathon. Tash Pitman was representing North Herts and looking to also gain her 6 star medal for completing the 6 Majors. Tash finished in 3hr59 and enjoyed the special course, including the crowd and a helpful bagel at Mile 19 from a spectator which provided a needed boost after the famous Newton Hills.

The journey to get her 6 star medal started in New York 20 years ago - A fantastic achievement!

​​Parkrun roundup:

​​Shahab takes silver for Squirrels at Flitwick
North Herts Road Runners sent an eleven-strong contingent to the Flitwick 10k and turned in some impressive performances on what Lucy O’Connor described as ‘a lovely undulating course which is actually quite fast’.
 
Shahab Ahmad took the silver medal in 34:44, reporting that he ran most of the race in third place, but ‘with a push at 8k and a kick with 100m to go I managed to secure a second place finish.’
 
The Squirrels also took third place in the female team competition, courtesy of Sophie Thrussell (42:05), O’Connor (50:59) and Nicole Whitton (54:23).
 
The Flitwick course is officially described as ‘undulating’, but ‘felt more like hilly to me’, according to Richard Weber, who was ‘pretty pleased with a time of 47:44, especially after a bad fall and rib injury two weeks ago’. His verdict on the race: ‘A nice friendly atmosphere with great organisation – recommended.’
 
Other NHRR results at the Flitwick 10k:
Shaun Allin (39:00), Kris Whitmore (39:36), Michael Over (41:52), Dave Braybrook (50:46), Meyrick Jenkins (61:36), Geoff Davis (63:01)