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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:
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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:
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February 2026
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North Herts Road Runners 26 Lindsell Ave Letchworth Garden City Hertfordshire SG6 4DQ North Herts Road Runners
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