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Last Friday of the Month 5K, Hyde Park Andrew Leach and Tash Pitman took the opportunity to race at the Last Friday of the Month 5k in London's Hyde Park organised by Serpentine Running and Triathlon Club. Tash said the park was showing the first signs of Spring with daffodils in abundance and fresh blossom on the trees. Andrew finished in 11th place overall and first in his age category in 17 minutes and 7 seconds while Tash finished third in her age group in 22 minutes and 1 second!  Jones o Gymru Anglesey Half Marathon Kat Burr, Caroline Thrussell and Adam Wilson travelled to a rain‑free but blustery Anglesey to take on the stunning coastal half marathon. Kat finished in an impressive 1:43:04, closely followed by Caroline in 1:43:29, earning her first place in her age category, just seven days after securing the same achievement at the Baldock Beast Half Marathon. Adam delivered a strong run, completing the course in 2:13:29. RomaOstea Half Marathon Renowned as Italy’s most popular half marathon, the RomaOstia attracts around 13,000 runners each year to its famously fast, flat course. Having sustained an injury only 12 days ago, Daniele Socci still managed to deliver an excellent performance at the event’s 51st edition, completing the race in an impressive 1:38:48. Great Yarmouth Half Marathon Isaac Mateu delivered an outstanding performance at the Great Yarmouth Half Marathon, running a huge three‑minute personal best in challenging, windy conditions on the otherwise flat course. He crossed the line in an excellent 1:32:45 and expressed his thanks to Karen and Dave for their invaluable support throughout his training.  Burghley 7 Hannah Gardner made the trip up the A1 to Stamford to take on the Burghley 7 Miler. A route that begins with a sweeping downhill through the town’s picturesque streets before looping around the perimeter of the Burghley estate and back into its impressive grounds. She delivered a strong run, finishing in 56:59. Parkrun Roundup
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Sunday saw the very popular but challenging Baldock Beast Half Marathon take place on the rolling countryside to the east of Baldock. 23 squirrels from North Herts Road Runners were up for the challenge in a field of nearly 300 runners. In excellent running conditions, there were some amazing performances. First home for the local running club was James Deneslow in an excellent 1:23:27, first male vet 40 and 5th overall. First lady home for the squirrels was Katie Harbon in 1:29:06 and 2nd lady overall. Also taking home a prize was Sue Foot who was first vet 70 female in an amazing 2:15:38. However, the Beast is much more than the prizes. For many, it's just about finishing and having the bragging rights to having tamed the Beast. Others take part for a variety of reasons. Many ran the Beast for the first time. Paula Holm was celebrating her birthday and chose to run with her friends, all crossing the finishing line together. Others such as Caroline Thrussell and Lindsay Cook ran the event in the buildup to the London Marathon in April. Both ran excellent times of 1:49:03 and 2:36:08 respectively. All in all, it was another great day for both North Herts Road Runners and the Baldock Beast, where all the monies raised go towards putting on events for the communities of Baldock. Photos courtesy of Dave Braybrook NB:- If you look closely at the First photo. There is a deer in mid air between the runners. They were buzzed by a large herd in Roe Green.
Baldock Beast Results
Parkrun Roundup
Wet Welwyn 10k Tim Levitt ran the Welwyn 10k in 39:37 and achieved broke the 40min barrier for the first time, so an impressive PB of . He also recorded a 5k PB with a time of 19:22 for the back 5k! Some other squirrels also ran with: David Edwards clocking 42:39; Rhia Botha 4th female and first FV35 age group 42:52; Phil Seddon 53:23; Jim Marvell 1:14:03 and Ali Mottram 1:25:08. Cancer Research London Winter 10k Vicki, Judith, Meyrick, Geoff and Nikki headed to the start at Trafalgar Square to run the Cancer Research London Winter 10k which takes in many of London landmarks, before finishing in Whitehall with views of Big Ben! Really great event, however the weather was pretty brutal! Vicki said she was 'Super pleased I managed a PB….53.37 chip time (52.41 on my Garmin). Celebrated (and thawed out) over a pub lunch!' Parkrun: James and Frances reported on their trip to Valentine's parkrun in Ilford on Valentine's Day along with 2,329 others. Normal attendance is around 400, but the marshals were well prepared for the huge number of tourists. The queue into the finish funnel was around 500m and took around 10 minutes to get through. Very enjoyable and good atmosphere amongst the runners!
To appear in the Parkrun roundup - your Parkrun registration should have North Herts Road Runners as your running club. You then appear in the consolodated results for the club. These are picked up from the following link.
https://www.parkrun.com/results/consolidatedclub/?clubNum=867   North Herts Road Runners saw their efforts in this winter’s Three Counties Cross-country League rewarded with a host of individual awards after the last fixture of the season. Lucy O’Connor , Astrid McKeown and Matt Sayers all won gold medals by topping their age categories over the five races. The prizes were awarded after a muddy 5.4-mile race at Wing in Buckinghamshire, on what NHRR Cross-country Secretary John Auld described as ‘a brilliant course that is very challenging - proper cross-country’. Other NHRR medal-winners were James Warner-Smith (silver) and Brian Judkins and Vince Wright (both bronze). Auld paid tribute to the 70 Squirrels who participated across the season., with seven completing every race. He highlighted Astrid Mckeown and Matt Sayers as ‘absolute legends’ for being part of the NHRR scoring team at each fixture. He also thanked all the club members who had contributed across the season: ‘Thank you very much to all that took part this season - runners, supporters, photographers and drivers.’ The North Herts club finished second behind Bedford Harriers in the final league standings. The NHRR ladies were also second and the men third.
NHRR finishers and positions at Wing Cross-country Ben Hadman (3), Wayne Bell (7), Matt Sayers (17), Vince Wright (20), Kris Whitmore (25), James Warner-Smith (31), Craig Cartier (33), Mike Banister (36), Ian Datlen (42), Steve Mckeown (43), David Edwards (65), Rhia Botha (73), Michael Over (93), Astrid Mckeown (103), Mile Phillips (112), Hannah Ridley (114), Daniele Socci (116), Andrew Wallis (144), Laura Fairbanks (146), Natalie Philips (148), Hannah Gardner (173), Lucy O’Connor (200), Victoria Markham (206), Dawn Power (226), John Auld (228), Clair Power (248) Parkrun roundup
Through Snow and Darkness: Anna Gibson Conquers 108 Miles at the Spine Challenger South An absolutely outstanding achievement from Anna Gibson, who completed the Montane Spine Challenger South in an astonishing 51 hours and 5 minutes, spending two full nights out on the trail in some of the most demanding winter conditions the race has seen. The race covered 108 miles along the Pennine Way, from Edale to Hawes, and was entirely self-supported, meaning competitors had to carry and manage all their own kit, food, navigation, and safety equipment. With deep snow, ice underfoot, and prolonged exposure to cold and darkness, this was a true test not only of physical endurance but of resilience, decision-making, and mental strength. The difficulty of the conditions is reflected in the statistics: just 82 of the 152 starters completed the race, giving a finish rate of 53.9%. The Spine Challenger is widely regarded as one of the toughest endurance races in the UK, demanding sustained effort, self-sufficiency, and exceptional mental strength, and completing it in such harsh winter conditions makes this an extraordinary performance and one of the most impressive endurance achievements the club has seen. For those familiar with the ultra-running world, the scale of this achievement is underlined by the fact that even John Kelly, famous for completing the notoriously difficult Barkley Marathons, was forced to withdraw due to the conditions. Huge congratulations to Anna on an exceptional and truly inspiring achievement that reflects the very best of endurance, courage, and determination. Flying the Squirrel Flag Abroad: Vanessa Rolfe storms Santa Pola Half Marathon Vanessa Rolfe took on the Santa Pola Half Marathon in Spain and finished in 2:41:39, placing a fantastic 4th in the FV70 category. Racing overseas always brings its own challenges, from travel and climate to unfamiliar courses, making this an especially impressive achievement. A wonderful example of age-group excellence and consistency on the international stage, this result reflects both dedication and strength of performance, and is a proud moment for the club. Fred Hughes Fever: Squirrels shine at January’s Run of the Month A small but mighty crew headed to St Albans for the Fred Hughes 10 Mile, run this year on closed roads and a flood-friendly alternative course – which many declared even better than the original! Conditions were perfect, spirits were high, and the squirrels delivered:
A special shout-out to Richard Barker, who combined racing with coaching – helping his friend Tony take over 5 minutes off his 10-mile PB. That’s squirrel spirit right there!  Birthday Hills and Finishers’ Vests: Lucy O’Connor celebrates in style at Folksworth 15 Marking her final day in the F60–64 category, Lucy O’Connor chose the Folksworth 15, a scenic but demanding double-loop course on country lanes, featuring long hill climbs and a particularly cruel ascent at mile 14. It was a fittingly bold way to celebrate a milestone, taking on a race that tested both stamina and determination right to the finish. Lucy recorded a chip time of 2:25:32, a strong and well-earned result on such a testing course. As a finishing reward, runners received a running vest instead of the usual T-shirt, a very welcome and much-appreciated upgrade that added an extra touch of celebration to the day. A lovely blend of challenge, celebration, and resilience, this was a memorable way to close out an age category and a strong performance to carry forward into the next one. Parkrun Round-Up: From Sub-19s to Strong First Timers: Our squirrels were out in force across the country:
A quiet week on the racing front which was dominated by Race 4 of the Three Counties Cross Country League, hosted by Dunstable Road Runners. Below is an update provided by John Auld  Dunstable 3 Counties Cross Country Race First of all, well done to everybody that ran today. The course was indeed challenging - but I know everybody that ran took pride in toughing it out for the team. 32 squirrels ran. Thanks also to Jo Sopala for taking our scores in - standing in freezing wind and James and Pete for on-course support! I’m delighted with this result as we did have some circumstances leading to athletes not being able to run. Luckily, we have a good strength in depth and fantastic team spirit. The course was brutal on the hills of the Blows Downs Nature Reserve. There were many challenges including hills, slippery surfaces, kissing gates and cows. These results are provisional as they have an unknown runner at position 23… So they need to find out who has that token… Team 1st, Women 1st, Men 3rd The top 3 in each competition as below; Team: NHRR, BH, SS Women: NHRR, BH, SS Men: BH, WRR, NHRR Scoring for the women was Katie Harbon, Rhia Botha, Hannah Ridley and Astrid Mckeown. Scoring for the men was Shahab Ahmad, James Warner-Smith, Matt Sayers, Craig Cartier, Vince Wright, Mike Bannister, Ian Datlen and David Edwards. The men were only 2 points behind WRR - it was really close. The women absolutely smashed it! Which meant in the combined team - we still won quite comfortably. League results… Not compiled at the venue. But by my calculations this places the men on the podium for the league. WDAC had an awful result today. BH 55pts, WRR 50pts, NHRR 45pts The women are comfortably 2nd. In touching distance of the lead - but realistically BH would have to have a bad result in the final race. It is very possible however! Another result like we did today will have BH worried! SS are running well too - so it’s very possible for them to get in-between us. BH 54pts, NHRR 52pts, SS 48pts Team are also 2nd in the league. BH 54pts, NHRR 51pts, WDAC 38pts ParkRun Roundup
Ely NYE 10km At 11am on New Years Eve, there was the Ely NYE 10k, which started and finished in the village of Little Downham, 3 miles north of Ely. Though it was bitterly cold and icy underfoot, the sun was shining in a cloudless sky when five North Herts Runners joined around 600 other competitors attempting to conquer their Christmas cobwebs. At first, the freezing air took its toll, numbing faces and making for challenging conditions, but once warmed up, life became a little easier. It was a relatively flat race, with only a shallow downhill drop near the start and a gentle climb at about the 8.5km mark, so the route made for a good, fast event. The pleasant countryside provided a nice backdrop, and the local villagy feel made for a most agreeable event – the lone bagpiper at the start and mid-race was somewhat unexpected, but welcome none the less. They even gave each runner an ale of their choice upon finishing, which was most welcome for New Years Eve. The results were as follows: Richard weber (00:46.52) Lucy O’Connor (00:55.01) Meyrick Jenkins (01:03.31) Greg Bowie (01:08.49) Brian Judkins (01:16.32) First Saturday of the Month - Results
Parkrun Roundup It was a cold and frosty start to the new year, but that proved no deterrent to North Herts Road Runners, who went out in their droves to attend the New Years Day Parkruns, the First Saturday of the month around Norton Common, and the Ely NYE 10k. Despite the Icy conditions and challenging terrain, there were some tremendous performances on display:
  Bounty of county medals for North Herts Road Runners in Buntingford. Fueled by roast potatoes and Christmas pudding, 26 squirrels embarked upon one of, if not the final race of 2025. Conditions were ideal for racing and the team's carb loading game was strong. Sam Coxon was first squirrel home for the club, taking third on the podium in a blistering 54:51. The race played host to the Hertfordshire Masters County Championship, and the NHRR female 35 team were crowned champions led home by Tracy Pitcairn in a personal best time 1:08:44, closely followed by Rhia Botha in 1:09:03 and Rachel Arnot in 1:13:04. Tracy and Rhia took the individual country gold and silver medals respectively. Caroline Thrussell claimed bronze in the county female 55 category and was delighted to break the club record by 22 seconds in an impressive 1:14:41. Matt Sayers won both his age category overall and the County Champs mens 50 category. He led the men’s 50 team to a county team bronze medal with Dave Brewer who ran his best time 1:09:24; Kris Whitmore 1:06:00 and Ian Datlen 1:08:11. Full results: 
Record breaking Stevenage Christmas Day parkrun 22 NHRR took part in Stevenage parkrun which saw a record breaking 911 runners racing round Fairlands Valley Park. It was a perfect morning for running, and a nice appetite builder for the big day!
Parkrun - 39 squirrels ran off the mince pies and Xmas pud on Saturday! Ladies Captain Natalie Phillips reported 'On a cold and frosty Saturday morning we left our festive bubble and headed to Gunpowder Park for the final Parkrun of 2025. A lovely 2 lap route, mainly flat, with one slight incline. Definitely one to do again!'
Letchworth’s Norton Common was transformed into a winter wonderland on Saturday as North Herts Road Runners hosted their much-loved Santa Canta event. A record 356 participants tackled the 5k course, all embracing the Christmas spirit in spectacular style and raising £400 for the Club’s Charity of the Year – GRIT, which works to improve the mental health and wellbeing of young people across North Herts.
The runners included three wise men, four sparkling baubles, five Wizard of Oz characters, six Christmas trees, seven snowmen and women, eight parcels and too many Santas to count! North Herts Road Runners Chair Tash Pitman said ‘The event wasn’t just about running - it was a celebration of community and fun, and an opportunity to raise funds for our Charity of the Year, GRIT. It was a pleasure to have our GRIT friends with us and thank you to them for judging the most impressive costumes in various categories’. Santa Canta results breakdown in full
North Herts Road Runners were out in force across Europe this weekend, taking on races ranging from sun-drenched coastal marathons to the challenging winter hills of Baldock and Stevenage. Squirrels delivered strong performances, personal bests and even a new club record. From blazing sunshine in Málaga to breezy climbs in Baldock and Stevenage, NHRR athletes continue to shine as the winter racing season approaches. Congratulations to everyone who raced this weekend, especially to Mark Larwood on his marathon PB and Vanessa Rolfe on what may be a new FV70 club record.  Three counties XC The third event in the Three Counties XC league was was hosted by North Herts Road Runners on the fields between Baldock and Weston. 49 Squirrels ran the home race on a glorious morning for proper grass routes cross country. The results were a clean sweep of victories for NHRRs women, men and combined team. After 3 races NHRR are now 2nd as a team in the league. The women are 2nd and the men are 4th. Scoring for the women were Katie Harbon, Rhia Botha, Astrid Mckeown and Tracey Pitcairn. Scoring for the men were Tom Barclay, Ben Hadman, Andrew Leach, Ben Sewell, Shahab Ahmad, Matt Sayers, James Warner-Smith and Nick Malpeli.
 Malaga Marathon – Marathon PB for Mark Larwood Mark Larwood travelled to Spain for the Malaga Marathon and was rewarded with a superb PB of 3:17:49, cutting a remarkable 11 minutes and 39 seconds from his previous best set more than six years ago. Mark enjoyed near-perfect running conditions, with temperatures around 15°C and a scenic route that wound through the historic city centre and along the coast. He praised the race for its excellent organisation and enthusiastic local support, recalling “lots of shouts of Vamos!” helping drive him towards the finish. Stevenage Half Marathon – Strong Runs & a Club Record A hardy group of Squirrels took on the undulating Stevenage Half Marathon, where breezy conditions made the course even more challenging.
Stevenage Winter 10k – Squirrels Out on the Hills
In the companion event, the Stevenage Winter 10k, more Squirrels put in excellent performances on the same testing terrain.
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February 2026
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