Across Borders, Fields, and Fells – A Trio of Summer Running Adventures

It’s been a busy and memorable few weeks of racing, with club members taking part in a diverse set of events—from international half marathons to local trail marathons and everything in between. Here’s a round-up of some of the standout adventures on road, trail, and fell.

From Copenhagen to Malmö: The Øresund Bridge Half Marathon
Miranda Morgan and Linda Aird (joined in spirit and logistics by the heroic Jo Kenlin) took on the Bridge Run Half Marathon, a rare chance to run from Denmark to Sweden across the iconic Øresund Bridge. With 40,000 runners, the scale of the event was immense—and so was the toilet queue, clocking in at over an hour! Jo, unable to run due to injury, saved the day by handling our drop bags while we waited.
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The route was truly unique: beginning near Copenhagen, descending into a 4km tunnel, rising over the manmade island of Peberholm, then crossing the vast sea bridge itself, finishing just outside Malmö. While the early sunshine threatened to make it a scorcher, welcome cloud cover kept the conditions manageable until the final few kilometres.

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Linda was relieved to finish in 2:26:15 after a stretch of injuries, with no niggles to report. Miranda followed shortly after in 2:41:18, both of them  grateful for the support and stunning views. A fabulous medal and banana awaited at the finish—though the bag reclaim and return logistics were chaotic, reminding us that organising such a massive one-off event comes with its challenges. An incredible experience... but they agreed that once was enough!

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.

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