As ever, many of members of team NHRR laced their running shoes and took to the trails and roads this weekend, continuing to support and inspire each other on their running journeys. We all know that, whether it's a challenging race or a leisurely Parkrun, every step brings us closer together as a community. Stamford St Valentines 30k: A Heartfelt Adventure A group of intrepid squirrels embarked on a journey to Stamford to take part in the 30th anniversary of the St Valentines 30k race, and what an adventure it was! It was heart-warming to support this milestone event and witness the dedication of our fellow runners.
Parkrun Roundup: Conquering Challenges, One Parkrun at a Time In addition to the Stamford adventure, our squirrels have been busy conquering Parkruns across the country. From Arrow Valley to Wimpole Estate, our members have been lacing up their shoes and hitting the trails with gusto. Here are the squirrels who completed Parkruns this week:
Bravo to each and every one of them for their dedication and determination in tackling these Parkruns.
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North Herts Road Runners have made history by becoming the first club to win the Three Counties Cross-country League in five consecutive seasons. They clinched the title in the final fixture of the winter season – a demanding 4.8-mile race at Dunstable Downs, doing just enough just enough on the day to clinch top spot in the 14-club league ahead of close rivals Rugby and Northampton AC. ‘The ladies retain their championship and are now 4 times consecutive winners. Bedford Harriers actually won this 5 times consecutive from 2010-2014. So we can try to equal this next year!‘ There were plenty of individual awards for NHRR:
NHRR finishers at Dunstable:
Parkrun Results Our friends at Letchworth Parkrun celebrated their 6th Birthday this Saturday which saw 114 runners flock to tackle the famously muddy course. Their efforts were rewarded with birthday cake, hot drinks and a fabulous party atmosphere. Finishers from the club were; Ian Datlen (22:13), Rhiannon Botha (24:00), Ian Harvey (25:15), Steve Brenton (25:40), Laura Fairbanks (27:07), Jennie Fraser (29:37), Viv Lucas (30:02), Jo Harbon (30:34), Alan Hazlehurst (30:55), Andrew Robson (32:13), Nick Walker (32:17), Philip Flack (34:54).
Sixteen determined North Herts Road Runners headed south down the A1 in blustery conditions on Sunday morning, to kick off the 2024 road race calendar. St Albans Striders host the sell-out annual Fred Hughes 10-mile event and top athletes from surrounding counties and London travel to race around the quiet hilly country lanes bordering St Albans. North Herts Road Runners Men’s team started the year in sparkling form with Tom Webb setting an incredible personal best time of 53 minutes and 9 seconds to finish fifth overall and lead the Squirrels team to top spot. He was followed closely by team mates Mike Roberts in 13th (after a 7 mile warm up as part of his London Marathon preparation), Matt Sayers in 27th and Shahab Ahmad in 29th.
Further afield in Norfolk, Jennie Fraser ran her first 50 miles event, the Peddars Way Ultra on a picture- perfect crisp, bitingly cold winter’s day. A low-key trail event, Jennie found herself running alongside wild ponies, through nature reserves, with Finnish Lapphunds and Siberian Huskies until night dropped and she then had the pleasure of Lapwings and Tawny Owls until arriving at the seaside village of Holme-Next-The-Sea. Of her first 50 miler, Jennie said it was only made possible due to the logistics and checkpoint support from fellow Squirrels Paul Bowal and Michelle and Andy Grudzinkski. The Park Run round up for Saturday 20 January is as follows:
Forty six North Herts Road Runners stormed to victory in the team competition on Sunday in the fourth race of the five series Three Counties Cross Country League. This race was hosted by Stopsley Striders on a notoriously hilly course in the beautiful countryside to the north of Luton and included a section of the historic Icknield Way. However the course is not without its challenges with the final hill one of the most feared ascents in the league, and coming at the end of the race, some runners commented "felt like cement had been poured into my legs, just couldn't pick them up"! The team needed a great performance to give them a chance of winning the league title for a fourth consecutive year at the final race in Dunstable next month and they did not disappoint. Both women's and men's teams displayed strong racing, with the women's team finishing first, well ahead of second placed Bedford Harriers. The men's team were just pipped to second place by Rugby and Northampton Athletic Club. In the women's event Katie Harbon crossed the line with a clear lead and this has guaranteed she will be crowned League Champion for a second year. Rhia Botha had her best cross country race to date and finished fourth overall, first female 35-39 and also looks set to win her age group in the league. Other notable age group performances came from: Caroline Thrussell first female 60-64; Hannah Ridley second female 25-29 and Astrid McKeown second female 50-54. In the men's event Tom Webb was third overall and first in his 35-39 age group. Other great age group performances from: Andrew Leach first 55-59; Rob Jowett second 30-34 and Pete Sibbett second 60-64.
Parkrun roundup 28 Squirrels in action at 7 different parkruns:
The Hertfordshire County Cross Country Championship took place at Verulanium Park, St Albans on Sunday. The recent weather meant that the course was changed to avoid damage to sensitive parts of the park. The new course was described as “tough with very few flat sections and over 750 ft of elevation - it was either up or down and all on either tough grass or pure mud. The whole course was very strength sapping. The temperature was cold with a bit of wind - but at least it wasn’t raining!” Lindsay Cook was the only female squirrel competing. The men had a scoring team of 6 and a total of 7 participants. Tom Webb was 5th overall. The rest of the scoring team was Nathan, Matt, Shahab, Mike and Ian finishing 28th, 39th, 50th, 59th and 68th respectively. Lindsay and Barbara Sayers were on the course providing well needed cheers. Runners praised the organisers commenting “It was a really good event and credit to the organisers for persisting to keep the event on in challenging circumstances after concerns from the land owners.” First Saturday of the Month An intrepid 53 runners had great fun in the mud and puddles at the First Saturday of the Month on Letchworth’s Norton Common. First male home for the club was mud-loving Captain John Auld with Squirrel Alice Carty as first lady. Welwyn Half Rachel Arnott was the only squirrel competing in the Welwyn Garden City Half Marathon. She completed the course in a superb 1:32:45 and was rewarded with 2nd Lady. Rachel described the race as “geat winter weather conditions made up for the muddy parts of the course on the Cole Green Way!” Parkrun The recent relentless rains caused flooding resulting in cancellations at many of the country’s Parkrun courses but some squirrels still managed to complete their weekly 5k Parkrun!
The North Herts Road Runners rounded off a fantastic year of running with an impressive set of performances at the Buntingford 10 mile race on Saturday. The sold-out race, which was organised by local club Royston Runners, was the final event in the 2023 racing calendar. This year’s race played host to both the British Masters Athletics Federation Championship and the Hertfordshire Masters County Championship, which meant that some of the best age group athletes in the country and county were in action. 37 squirrels made the short journey across the A507 to take on the infamously hilly course in this competitive field, with many using the race to keep them on the straight and narrow over the festive season! The squirrels certainly ended the year on a high, with both the Women’s and Men’s teams winning the Hertfordshire County Veterans competition. The biggest individual medal haul of the day went to Paula Holm, who came second in the British FV40 age category and first in the Herts County FV35, in a personal best time of 1:10:49. Other Herts County medallists were Tracy Pitcairn who finished third FV35 in a personal best time of 1:13:53 and Caroline Thrussell who was first FV55 in an impressive 1:18:06. Matt Sayers smashed the hour barrier in 58:38 to finish third MV40. The winning women’s vets team comprised Tash Pitman, Rachel Arnott and Astrid McKeown, with Astrid shattering the 11-year-old club record best time in the FV50 category (which was also set at Buntingford) by over 4 minutes. The winning men’s team were Matt Sayers, Nathan Pask, Stewart Overton and Rob Harris. Rhia Botha would have led the women’s vets team home, but her number was a transfer from an injured runner and unfortunately the organisers were unaware she was eligible for the county champs. Ladies’ team captain Tash Pitman said “I was amazed to see at least 6 personal best times in Christmas week on a hilly course, so kudos to our amazing coaches and the discipline of our runners!” Men’s captain John Auld also praised the runners, adding “Well done team! Great turn out and performance… great way to end the year!” The full results from the North Herts Road Runners at the Buntingford 10 are listed below:
Parkrun roundup Well done for getting out there over the festive period
A special accolade goes to the men's scoring team for securing NHRR's first victory of the season. The team's depth and resilience were evident throughout the event, emphasizing NHRR's commitment to each member. The ethos of "Everyone matters" was vividly demonstrated as many squirrels ran, while others marshalled, providing unwavering support and securing a fabulous team performance. In the words of team captain John Auld, it was a fantastic morning for Team NHRR, and their continued success in the Three Counties XC league is a testament to everyone’s dedication and teamwork. Congratulations to the entire NHRR community for a stellar performance, setting the stage for more triumphs in the upcoming events. Portsmouth Coastal Marathon Richard Springall completed the Portsmouth Coastal Marathon. He highly recommends the out and back course across beaches and marshes and smashed his PB by 6 minutes, finishing in an impressive 3:06!
The weekend saw squirrels braving the wet and windy weather across the UK this past weekend. Starting in Milton Keynes, where 7 squirrels took on the Winter Half Marathon, a race notorious for its weather, with a flood in 2016 and frozen course in 2017. This year, the 10th anniversary of the race, did not disappoint with a ankle high puddle at mile 12 which left feet wet and chilly heading into the final mile. There were some very respectable results from NHRR. 01:25:45 Kris Whitmore (86th) 01:30:14 Niccolo Bassani (163rd) 01:33:20 Rachel Arnott (218th) 01:39:25 Katherine Burr (367th) 01:46:50 Caroline Thrussell (570th) 01:49:06 Dervla Downing (656th) 02:05:38 Adam Wilson (1242nd)
North Herts Road Runners hosted its annual fund-raising Santa Canta 5km run and 1km children’s fun run on Norton Common on Saturday 3 December. The festive run saw 235 runners of all ages braving sub-zero temperatures. The event, which has raised thousands for local charities over the years, saw almost £1000 donated to ‘Young Carers Crew’, an independent charity that provides respite and support to young carers aged between 8-18 living in Stevenage and North Hertfordshire who are the primary or secondary carers for members of their family. Volunteers turned up with delicious seasonal baked goods and runners turned out in their best festive fancy dress, many accompanied by their canine companions, also in festive attire to run the tough two lap course. Prizes were awarded for best fancy dress, best children’s fancy dress and best dressed dog. British Masters 5km Championships Five North Herts Road Runners headed into London on Sunday to take part in the British Masters 5km Championships in a beautiful Battersea Park. They set off in perfect conditions to race round the flat, two and a half lap course and Shahab Ahmad was first squirrel home, finishing sixth in his veteran 40 age category in a personal best time of 16 minutes and 44 seconds, 15 seconds faster than his previous best time. Next back was Mike Over in 18 minutes and 42 seconds, his second best ever 5km time. Then our ladies Jane Clarke and Tash Pitman, were both delighted to dip over the line in 19 minutes and 46 seconds with Jane taking almost a minute off her previous best time. Karen Dodsworth completed the team, well ahead of her target time in 26 minutes and 48 seconds. Tash Pitman said she “thoroughly recommends Battersea Park if you're looking for a fast, flat course.”
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