 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. List of finishers as below;
Parkrun roundup
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 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)
Parkrun round-up The Easter holidays saw Squirrels fanning out across 21 Parkruns this week, with two first finishers – Matt Sayers at Penrhyn (18:19) and Jim McConnel at Longrun Meadow (17:12).
 Olly Parsons Conquers Milan Marathon with Boston Qualifying Time Olly Parsons ran the Milan Marathon which he described as a “lovely well organised race, on a pretty flat and scenic course, and possibly the prettiest start finish line I've experienced right in front of the Duomo”. Olly crossed the finish line in a time of 3:03 on a day that slowly rose to 20 degrees for the final 10k. Having reached 30k Olly said he found it “a bit of a slog” but managed to regroup and discovered his form again and was able get back to his target pace. Olly’s finish time was also a qualifying time for the Boston Marathon.
Richard Thackery Showcases Endurance and Skill in Dales Traverse Ultra Richard Thackery tackled ran the Dales Traverse Ultra, following Wainwright’s coast to coast route between Kirkby Stephen and Richmond in a magnificent time of 8 hours 2 mins and was 4th in his age category V60. The Dales Traverse “passes through the North Pennines Area of Outstanding National Beauty, over the iconic Nine Standards, and into the heart of the Yorkshire Dales National Park weaving through Swaledale to a stunning finish below Richmond Castle”.  Rhia Botha Impresses in Ibiza Half Marathon, Battling Heat and Tough Terrain, Rhia Botha and David Edwards headed to Ibiza to run the Ibiza half marathon which she described as a gorgeous run on a gorgeous day”. Although the course as surprisingly tough, especially given the heat Rhia crossed the line in 1:30:27, and was 15th lady and 2nd in her age category. First Saturday of the Month 5k - results 5/4/2025
Park Run Roundup
Parkrun roundup  James Dalton celebrated his 200th Letchworth parkrun on Saturday morning. He attends the event at 9am each Saturday come rain or shine and is delighted to have clocked 1000km running round the fields on the Letchworth/Norton border and safely navigating the infamous ‘carnage corner’ 400 times. He is also a regular volunteer at the event, often doing the pre-course check.
It was a grey drizzly Spring Sunday, but that didn’t stop a slew of spectacular performances & PBs from North Herts Road Runners across the region in no less than 7 different races. Keith Hall Memorial 10K Three squirrels headed north to the town of Thorney in Cambridgeshire to compete in the 40th anniversary Keith Hall Memorial 10k - a fast, flat, out and back race, with a qualifying opportunity for England Age Group Masters. First in was Rhia Botha, who finished in a spectacular time of 40:07, securing her England Masters position. Also competing Lucy O’Connor with highly impressive 50:20. Lucy noted that although there was an almighty headwind during the 2nd half of the race on the way back, she still managed to secure her masters qualifying position with just over a minute to spare. Also competing was Peter Sibbett, who finished in an amazing 43:15.  Oakley 20 Elsewhere, several squirrels headed to North Bedfordshire to take part in the hilly but picturesque Oakley 20. Completing the 20-mile race was Ian Datlen, finishing in a spectacular 2:21:08, coming 52nd overall and third in his age group. Also putting in amazing performances were Rachel Arnot with 2:36:52, Natasha Pitman 3:05:28, Tom Kingham 3:10:58, Alice Noakes 3:17:08, Grace Cleary 3:36:35, Jennie Fraser 3:36:35 and Michele Grudzinski with 03:19:09. Wymondham 20 Running in the Wymondham 20-mile race was Baljeet Sandher, competing in his first race over half marathon distance. Baljeet had been unsure what to expect, but was very happy with his time of 2:37, which was 3 minutes inside his target. It was noted that the event was extremely well organised and took in some beautifully picturesque (and relatively flat) Norfolk countryside. Lee Valley Run Fest 10k Competing in the Lee Valley 10k on Sunday was Tracy Pitcairn, who was delighted with an outstanding PB of 41:30, achieving a podium position as 3rd Female, 1st in her age category and 18th out of 363 runners overall. Hillingdon 20 As part of his Marathon Training, Matt Sayers took part in the Hillingdon 20, which also incorporated the Herts 20-mile county championship. Completing the four-lap course with hill, Matt was really happy to finish in 2.02, 2nd MV50 overall and 2nd MV50 in the county championship. Muddy Mayhem Competing in the annual 5km obstacle race on Sunday in the beautiful Woodhall Estate was Andrew Robson. Raising money for Garden House Hospice and Isobel Hospice, Andrew ran purely for the joy of it, running, clambering, crawling, and wading his way through the course along with his daughter Elizabeth and a fantastic group of friends known as Team Scaplegoats, in memory of his friend Andy Scaplehorn. Hampton Court Half Finally, further afield in the historic Royal Home of Hampton Court Palace, Jeff Salter ran in the official Half Marathon, along with an old friend running his first half, finishing in an impressive 2.24. Jeff was very happy with his performance, which was his first race for 10 months after injury. He noted that it was a beautiful course, with just the right conditions. Parkrun Roundup
 MK festival of Running 11 squirrels ran at the clubs run of the month - the MK festival of running. The event starts at the Xscape city-centre venue and the festival consists of four great events so there really is something for everyone. There is a super-swift 5k event, a classic 10k distance race, a big Half Marathon and a 20 miler for those who like to go long or are preparing for a spring marathon. Hannah Ridley won the 5k event - she was very pleased to finish first female with a time of 19:44. Sheila Leavy and Clare Hooley both ran the 10k finishing in 1:19:50 and 1:27:04 respectively. Rachel Arnott was 2nd in her age category in the half marathon with a time of 1:37:44. Three others ran the half, James Keogh was first home for the club in 1:31:02. Mark Larwood and Andrew Liddle finished in 1:57:44 and 2:02:09 respectively. In preparation for Newport marathon - Sam Coxon finished 4th in the 20 mile race with a time of 1:54:32. Sam said that the course wasn’t as flat as he’d hoped - finishing on ‘the biggest hill’. Alice Carty, Ben Ryan and Matt Ankers finished the 20 miles in 2:35:09, 2:36:31 and 02:48:48  Rome Marathon Caroline Thrussell achieved all her targets at the Rome Marathon with a time under 4 hours and ‘good for age’ time of 3:48:31 and new club record for over 60 female. High Lodge half marathon Mel Flynn really enjoyed the nice, fairly flat trails through Thetford Forest at the High Lodge half marathon. Mel finished in a time of 2:09:16.  Great Welsh Marathon Elwyn Howell completed his 2nd marathon - finishing 2nd in his age category at the great Welsh in a new over 65 club record of 3:50:32. I took 7 minutes of my time for a PB. Parkrun roundup
 North Herts Road Runners turned out in force at the sun-drenched Cambridge Half-marathon and delivered a set of sparkling performances to match the glorious weather. Mike Roberts led the Squirrels 31-strong contingent home, crossing the line in a superb 1:11:35, while Rhia Botha was the first female finisher for North Herts in 1:28:46. Other notable performances on the famously fast and flat Cambridge course included Natalie Phillips, whose 1.45:22 left her ‘delighted to shave two minutes off my personal best’ on a ‘sunny and rather warm Sunday’. She said ‘There is something rather special about running through the beautiful grounds of some of the University colleges.’ Shahab Ahmed joined the PB party with a rapid 1:15:26 and praised the ‘exceptional NHRR support on course’, adding that the ‘beautiful (but slightly warm) conditions made it a bit of a challenge after training through a miserable winter’.  Other NHRR results at the Cambridge Half: Tom Barclay (1:12:30), Rob Jowett (1:13:27), Ben Hadman (1:15:02), Ben Sewell (1:15:13), Shahab Ahmed (1:15:26), Matt Sayers (1:16:51), Rob Harris (1:23:!:376), Peter Sibbett (1:31:01), Mike Phillips (1:32:49), James Dalton (1:34:48), Rachel Arnott (1:37), Michael Over (1:39:06), Alice Carty (1:39:47), Claire Fisk(1:42:37), Jane Clarke (1:42:38), James Godfrey (1:44:09), Jennifer Wilkinson (1:45:49), David Weston (1:46:01), Helen Cairns (1:47:14), Daniel Wrigley (1:53:50), Ian Harvey (1:57:57), Dave Braybrook (2:00:08), Andrew Robson (2:21:42), Geoff (2:34:49), Tracey McCreath (2:43:07), Rob Bell (2:47:56), Ellie Frid (4:34:23) Granite Way Elwyn Howell stuck to a ‘nice and steady pace’ as he finalised his preparations for the coming weekend’s Great Welsh Marathon by completing the Granite Way 10-mile race in Oakhampton. Elwyn finished in 1:37:24. Parkrun round-up
 Tokyo Marathon Two adventurous Squirrels with their eye on running the Six Marathon Majors toed the line at Tokyo Marathon on Sunday. Despite the hot weather Tash Pitman and Nicola Withington both enjoyed the run and although they didn’t score personal best times, they loved the event atmosphere as the Japanese cheer squads made a big effort to dress up with groups of Godzillas, Pikachus and Kermit among the most popular outfits. Nicola described the marathon as ‘hot, tough with an awesome atmosphere.’ Tash finished in 3:50:40 and Nicola in 4:23.  The Jones O Gymru Anglesey Half Marathon Seven Squirrels headed north-west to run the Jones O Gymru Anglesey Half Marathon in Wales. Described as a challenging race with breathtaking scenery and views of Snowdonia and the Menai straight. The course stretches along the scenic coastline and over the Menai suspension bridge. Dervla Downing finished in 1:46:50, Caroline Thrussell in 1:49:08 (and was 1st in her age category FV60), Michelle Grudzinski in 1:57:57, Jennie Fraser in 1:59:12, Paul Bowal in 2:10:53, Andy Grudzinski in 2:13:38 and Adam Wilson 2:17:16. First Saturday of the Month
Parkrun Roundup
 There was a strong NHRR turnout of 25 North Herts Road Runners at a gusty Baldock Beast half-marathon on Sunday. Many of the runners not satisfied with a challenging 13.1 mile course added extra miles to get the training in for their spring marathons. Tracy Pitcairn was first female squirrel home, setting a personal best time and scooping first female veteran 35 in a time of 1:36:39 despite having just returned from a week’s ski-ing. Rhia Botha was just behind in 1:42:07 to take 2nd place in the same category. Rachel Arnott made a strong return from injury to take 2nd in her veteran 45 category, with Dervla Downing 3rd, while Caroline Thrussel was second veteran 55 and Lucy O’Connor 3rd veteran 60. Lucy commented, ‘It wasn’t particularly windy when I left home but it was blowing a hooley by the time I got to Baldock. I thought it was too good to be true. The hardest mile was the last; I had to turn my head sideways in order breathe properly it was that windy.’ First male home for the club was Oli Babik in 1:30:29 who was 10th male. Richard Thackery was the only male squirrel to take a podium spot, bagging 3rdposition in the veteran 60 category.
Parkrun Round-up
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