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:
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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.”
Stellar Performance by Both Men’s and Women’s Teams A whopping 47 squirrels participated in the Three Counties XC League at Delapre Abbey, Northampton, hosted by Wootton Road Runners. The course was refreshed with a new route in the reverse direction to the usual one, adding an extra layer of challenge as all the ups became downs and vice versa. The weather may have been cold, but the sun shone bright, creating a fabulous morning for cross country. Women's Team Triumph Our women's team emerged victorious, beating both Rugby and Northampton A.C. and Wootton Road Runners on their own turf. Katie Harbon led the charge, securing the first position, followed by Hannah Ridley (8th), Rhia Botha (12th), and Tash Pitman (15th), who all played crucial roles in the triumph. Men's Team Excellence The men's team showcased their strength, securing a commendable 2nd place behind a superb Rugby and Northampton A.C. The combined team results placed NHRR 2nd overall, narrowly trailing behind Rugby and Northampton A.C. Scoring for the men were: Sam Coxon (7th), Mike Roberts (8th), Darren Sunter (9th), Ben Sewell (21st), Stewart Overton (23rd) Vince Wright (25th), Rob Jowett (27th) and Shahab Ahmed (30th). Current Standings After two races, our women's team unsurprisingly stands strong at the top, leading by 2 points. The men's team is holding 2nd place, trailing by 2 points to RNAC but leading AFF by 2 points. In the combined team competition, NHRR is in 2nd place, level on points with RNAC. The next event is our home race, so as team captain John Auld puts it, let's embrace the mud and kick off the festive period with some fantastic running!
The Joker (a.k.a Paula Holm) fled from Batman and Robin to achieve 1st ‘Masked’ Lady while Mike and Natalie Phillips achieved their Parkrun PBs in 19:36 and 23:01 respectively..Here are the results:
Full list of results; Richard Springall 1:29:12, Rachel Arnott 1:32:47, Paula Holm 1:37:05 Dave Braybrook 1:44:22 Phil Hunt 1:50:33, Laurie Scott 1:55:57, Anna Gibson 2:01:19, Gregor Bowie 2:03:26, Jenna Manggos 2:07:52, Richard Barker 2:07:53, Nick Walker 2:11:14, Ruth Summers 2:11:15, Alan Hazlehurst 2:17:39. MK Wolverton 5 Miles Steve and Astrid McKeown, Karen Dodsworth and Linda Aird ran the Wolverton 5 on Saturday. This is known as a fast, one and a half lap race around Willen Lakes in Milton Keynes. The trees were looking beautiful in their autumn colours, and they were looking forward to running around the lakes, despite the drizzle and a strong breeze blowing. Aird comments “we could see during our warm ups that this was a competitive field, with many speedy looking runners getting ready to race (results show the first man home finished in 23:29, impressive for a 5 mile race.)” Those at the slower end soon found themselves running mainly on their own. Aird would have liked more lakeside running and less roadside, but comments that it was a pleasant, traffic-free course around the redways and underpasses of MK. Steve McKeown was first Squirrel home in 32:23, followed soon after by Astrid in 34:05 (1st V50 and a new club FV50 record) Linda Aird finished in 45:18, closely followed by Karen Dodsworth in 45:35. Brighton 10km Two squirrels headed to Brighton to compete in the Brighton 10k on Sunday. An out and back course along the sea front should have made for a fast, flat race but the 40mph winds meant a great tailwind on the way out for the first 5k, but a brutal headwind on the way back towards the finish. Pete Sibbett finished in 41:30 and Katie Harbon who was racing for Hertfordshire, finished 4th female in a time of 36:42. Katie commented “the crowds and marshals were great and it was, as always, an honour to wear the county vest!”
Cross Country Championships John Auld was the only Squirrel to run at the Eastern Athletics Association (EAA) and Eastern Masters (EMAC) Cross Country Championships on Saturday held at Horseheath Racecourse. Designed for horses, Auld says that the course is fantastic - a proper cross country course! Up and down hills for no reason other than to make it difficult. The ground was very soft from all the rain. The route takes runners over some of the obstacles for the horses and includes some very short sharp hills and bits through the woods. Another part went up a hill to turn round a cone at the top to come straight back down to another cone - and head straight back up again! Auld’s best part was a huge water feature that you had to run through 3 times! The course climbed a hill into the wind, just to bring competitors back down to go through the water, only to head straight back up the hill again - this time with wet, cold legs! Auld set off dead last but ran his way up and past 3 people to finish 33rd/36. He ran 2 laps tempo then pushed on in the last lap and had a battle with someone which was satisfying to win. Conwy Half Marathon Jo Sopala travel to Conwy to take part in the Conwy Half Marathon in what can only be described as atrocious conditions! Sopala said they were drenched before they even started and the wind gained in strength as the miles ticked (dragged?) by. Describing the course, Jo said, the advantage of the two mile uphill climb on the Orme is usually the two mile downhill run where you can make up a lot of time. But that was not the case this year. Having fought their way to the summit, they rounded the bend to be hit by brutal winds and even more driving rain. The runners could barely stand, let alone run. Sopala commented that for once she was grateful of her very short stature as she could see a lot of tall guys struggling even more! Sopala finished in 2:36, a long way off her planned time, but a course PB. She gave kudos to the marshals on the course, the real heroes of the day, who withstood the storms to keep the runners all safe.
On Saturday, six North Herts Road Runners headed to the heart of running, Battersea Park in London to take part in the Sri Chimnoy 10k. Ben Sewell explained that the conditions were perfect, and the flat course made for perfect PB potential. And they certainly achieved that! Sophie Thrussell was NHRR’s first lady over the line in a superb time of 40:59, followed by Emma Sandham who got a huge 1 minute 40 second PB of 46:21 following an extremely successful new training plan. In the men’s race, Stewart Overton led the pack out for the first 4km, ultimately assisting three runners to huge PB’s. Ben Sewell crossed the line first, dipping just under 34 and a half minutes, in a time of 34:28, closely followed by Tom Barclay with a 35 second PB of 34:37. Shahab Ahmad followed with another PB coming home in 34:43 and Stewart Overton powered to the finish in 35:03. A shout out to Stewart for controlling the pace and leading the guys out for the first half! Age Group Success By Nightlight Elsewhere, six squirrels headed to Rutland Water to take part in the Rutland Water Nighttime 10k. Lucy O’Connor, Linda Aird, Miranda Morgan and Georgia Barker all achieved age group placing, with Lucy in 2nd place, Linda 1st, Miranda in 3rd and Georgia in 4th. Jo Kenlin and Richard Barker also took part in the event. Lucy said it was a fab event and very popular with around 450 runners taking part. Plenty of runners choose to wear fairy lights and due to the out and back design of the course, many runners see a stream of lovely colourful lights as runners make their way back to the finish. Parkrun round up North Herts Road Runners turned out in huge numbers at the Run Around Garden event, held on their doorstep in the centre of Letchworth Garden City on Sunday. An amazing 62 Squirrels tackled the 5k race and a further 21 took on the one mile challenge, with some doubling up and doing both races before joining their families in the follow-up Fun Run. The festival of running was organised by Love Letchworth and supported by local businesses, with NHRR providing many of the marshals and helpers. Andreea Weisl-Shaw spoke for many when she said she said ‘ It was a lovely experience on a crisp sunny morning - fantastic to spend time with our club mates and to see so many of them get personal bests and generally do a brilliant job. I felt very proud to wear the club vest for sure!’ Tom Webb stormed to victory in the 5k, his 16:10 finish putting him more than two minutes clear of the 231-strong field. Ian Datlen was third in an excellent 19:08. Hannah Ridley made it a North Herts double by taking the ladies’ title in 19:36. Rhia Botha and Sophie Thrussell ensured an all-NHRR female podium with 19:39 and 19:43 respectively. Shahab Ahmad clocked a superb 5:17 to take gold in the mile race, with Michael Over and Ian Datlen close behind in 5:39 and 5:41. Rhia Botha went one better in her second race of the day; finishing as first lady this time in 6:00, with Tracy Pitcairn second in 6:19. Other NHRR finishers: 5k: Michael Over, 19:23; Nathaniel Rosa, 19:33; Mike Phillips, 19:36; Ian Harvey, 19:52; Pete Sibbett, 20:02; Oliver White, 20:05, David Edwards, 20:12; James Dalton, 20:10; Will Harrison, 20:14; Alex Robinson, 20:24; Andrew Wallis, 21:11; Tracy Pitcairn, 21:35; Aaron Gillich, 21:49; Simon Clapham, 21:55; David Weston, 22:24; Laura Fairbanks, 22:28; Dan Mallett, 22:42; Stuart Cocks, 23:05; Natalie Phillips, 23:21; Andrew Coates, 23:36: Matt Ankers, 23:44; Nicola Withington, 24:11; Phil Hunt, 24:06; Barbara Sayers, 24:10; Eve Surridge, 24:10; Georgina Quayle, 24:41; Laurie Scott, 24:51; Ellie Frid, 25:13; Lucy O’Connor, 25:24; Anna Gibson, 25:32; Tim Banting, 26:17; Stuart Braid, 26:15; Jane Molloy, 26:40; Andreea Weisl-Shaw, 27:02; Grace Cleary, 26:53; Linda Aird, 27:31; Jillian Tooley-Boys, 27:47; Natalie Fiddy, 27:56; Andrew Robson, 28:18; Alan Hazelhurst, 28:54; Lucia Perez-Alonso, 29:13; Victoria Markham, 29:26; Geoff Davis, 29:56; Aimee Flack, 29:56; Philip Flack, 30:20; Neill Withington, 30:37; Anna Priestley, 30:49; Julie Taylor, 30:52; Amanda Greig, 31:08; Helen Giffin, 31:14; Carina Quayle, 33:01; Brian Judkins, 33:59; Caroline Nobbs, 34:05; Farzana Bhatti, 34:31; Eleanor Hill, 34:35; Hayley Cocks, 39:18 1 mile: David Edwards, 5:53; Nathaniel Rosa, 5:57; Simon Clapham, 6:12; Stuart Cocks, 6:30; Phil Hunt, 7.03; Laurie Scott, 7.12; Andrew Coates, 7,17; Natalie Phillips, 7,24; Georgina Quayle, 7:29; Andrew Robson, 8:32; Alan Hazelhurst, 8:45; Andreea Weisl-Shaw, 9:56; Farzana Bhatti, 10:43; Sheila Leavy, 12:21 First Saturday of the Month 5k There were 43 finishers on a very wet and muddy Norton Common in the November First Saturday of the Month 5k. Matt Sayers was first across the line in 20:09 and Astrid McKeown was first lady in 23:48. Other NHRR finishers: John Auld, 21:05, Steve McKeown, 21:17; Mike Phillips, 23:04; Dave Braybrook, 23:13, Richard Harbon, 23:54; Ian Datlen, 23:56; Andrew Coates, 26:24; Matt Roberts, 26:27; Jillian Tooley-Boys, 26:30; James Dalton, 26:53; Anna Greetham, 27:04; James Walsh, 27:06; Ian Harvey, 27:47; Rhia Botha, 28:39; Natalie Phillips, 28:40; Michael Over, 28:41, Alan Hazelhurst, 30:45; Amanda Greig, 33:40; Helen Harbon, 35:10; Farzana Bhatti, 41:57 Hertfordshire Half-marathon Yet more Squirrels headed to Knebworth for the Hertfordshire Half Marathon. Georgia Head made her 13.1-mile debut in fine style, clocking 1:53:55, despite having to stop for a herd of deer crossing the course at mile nine! Caroline Thrussell was first in her age category with 1:47:36 and Dervla Downing recorded her best time on this course with 1:47:26 in what Georgia described as ‘perfect weather for the race, if a bit of a headwind in places’. Adam Wilson finished in 1:58:37. Parkrun round-up Saturday 4 November
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