 Squirrels head to the jungle! Mother and son Paula and Jonah Holm travelled to Bo, Sierra Leone at the weekend, to participate in the Sierra Leone Street Child Marathon—an event that combines endurance with purpose. In the days leading up to the race, they visited schools, small businesses, and community projects funded by the charity, witnessing firsthand the impact of its work. The marathon began at 6am in intense humidity and rising temperatures. The route took runners through vibrant villages and rugged terrain, where locals cheered, children joined in, and aid stations offered coconuts, bananas, and honey. Paula paced her youngest son, Jonah, to complete his first half marathon in an impressive 1:59 before continuing solo for the second lap, supported by the local army for safety, and crossed the finish line in 4:05—becoming the first international runner to complete the course. She described the experience as the most extraordinary, challenging, and rewarding event she has ever undertaken.  Cross Country Season Opener Twenty North Herts Road Runners (NHRR) took part in the first race of the new Three Counties Cross Country season under glorious sunshine, which added to the vibrant atmosphere of the event village. The NHRR women’s team placed 4th, while the men’s team finished 8th. The combined team secured an impressive 4th place overall, behind Stopsley Striders, Rugby & Northampton Academy, and Bedford Harriers. Ben Hadman led the team with a strong 2nd place finish, followed by Wayne Bell in 8Th, Vince Wright 48th, Steve Mckeown 52nd, Matt Sayers 67th, Mike Phillips 68th, Pete Sibbett 92nd and Dave Weston 150th. Also pushing other clubs runners down the pecking order were Richard Webber 178th, John Auld 259th, and Brian Judkins 380th. The women’s scoring team featured standout performances from Hannah Ridley, Astrid McKeown, Natalie Phillips, and Emily Taiano and good races from Lucy O’connor 247th, Mel Flynn 285th, Victoria Markham 299th, Clair Power 300th and Linda Aird 308th. Cross country secretary and men’s team captain John Auld thanked all who turned out for the club.  Marathon Eryri – Britain’s Toughest Road Marathon Several hardy North Herts Road Runners braved the elements to take on Marathon Eryri, widely regarded as the UK’s toughest road marathon. Covering 26.2 miles and over 2,500 feet of ascent and descent, this year’s race was made even more memorable by freezing temperatures, hail, rain, and high winds. Despite the brutal conditions, the squirrels delivered strong performances with Caroline Thrussell – 4:32 (a few minutes faster than last year), Richard Barker – 4:52 and Gregor Bowie – 5:13 (just six days after completing the Abingdon Marathon)!
She was one of 60 runners to descend 1,120 metres below sea level to run 26.2 miles which comprised 11x1.92k out and back repeats in darkness! Sarah said she finished in a 'humbling 4.42 and that mine tunnels aren't flat so it was a brutal 2% incline and 550m of elevation!' She had to wear a protective hard hat with a torch to light up the tunnel!  Stroud Half Marathon and 10k The family trend continued in Stroud where father and son, Kris and Sam travelled to Gloucestershire for Kris's annual half marathon visit to run the 43rd edition and Sam took the opportunity to run in a new 10k edition. Kris reported, 'A challenging course around the Stroud valleys with a few cheeky hills out was my first half marathon race since injury and only the second time doing the distance when in training since the same event last year. Not really knowing what I was capable of, I went out gung ho and held on for a course best of 82:41. Sam in the 10k also chose assertiveness at the start (clearly the Whitmore way) coming in 13th place overall in another consecutive personal best time of 43:01.' Frankfurt Marathon
Rochelle Smith headed to Frankfurt for her debut marathon and reported a great time of 5:35!
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Stevenage Half Marathon This past weekend was the Stevenage Half Marathon, which took place on Sunday. A few squirrels were present for the race with some excellent results and universal praise for the organisers Fairland Valley Spartans. Sue Foot came first in her age category in 2:16:07, David Brewer came home in a time of 1:35:57 and Mark Larwood clocked a 1:38:23. Sue said of the race, “A really good event along the ups and downs of the Stevenage cycle paths!”. Toronto Waterfront Half Marathon Elsewhere Laurie Scott took on a tough run at the Toronto waterfront half marathon. Clocking 1.57.58 on a windy humid day. Laurie commented “Although not the time I hoped for and I kinda crashed after 10k I managed to hang on ! Lovely well supported race and finished in top 40% for age, gender and overall so not too disappointed”. One Mile at a time! A pair of Whitmores (Kris & Sam) took on the Welwyn Garden City invitation 1 mile time trial at the Gosling track on Thursday night. It was a competitive night under the lights, with Kris and Sam the only squirrels among mostly Garden City Runners and everyone managed under nine minutes. Both ran in the second race Kris coming 10th in 5:33 and Sam 11th 5:43. Looks like the family rivalry is heating up, with Sam ready to usurp Kris and gain the familial bragging rights!  Parkrun Action Richard and Georgia Barker headed to Stanborough parkrun in Welwyn Garden City to celebrate Georgia’s 150th parkrun. Amanda Greig and Andrew Coates were also there, they all shared the obligatory coffee and cake afterwards in Old Welwyn! Georgia said “despite being only Stanborough’s 3rd event but it was well organised with a waterproof mat area to store bags, jackets, etc and friendly support. It’s a 3 lap off road course with a hill at the start that you encounter 3 times and may get muddy in wetter months unless they have a winter course planned but I would definitely revisit.” Ripe for more squirrels to pay a trip to support the new event.
Great Eastern Half, Peterborough With a record turnout of nearly 6,500 runners and a revamped, fast and flat course, our club runners brought the heat to the Great Eastern Half Marathon, and the results speak for themselves!
 Manchester Half Marathon Taking part in the largest half marathon in the northwest, our runners joined a record-breaking 28,000 participants on Manchester’s famously fast and flat course and delivered some truly superb performances! Mike Roberts stormed home in a phenomenal 1:10:05 Rob Jowett followed with a brilliant 1:15:57 Dave Edwards powered through to finish in a strong 1:34:17 Oxford Half Marathon Thousands of runners took to the streets for Oxford’s largest-ever half marathon, soaking up the energy of a buzzing crowd and a stunning new route. The updated course treated runners to views of Oxford’s most iconic landmarks including the Sheldonian Theatre, Radcliffe Camera, Bodleian Library, and the Bridge of Sighs, all under glorious autumn skies. Adrian Barnett powered through in 2:15:59 saying that the streets lined with supporters kept the motivation high and the entertainment flowing all the way to the finish line. Royal Parks Half Marathon And last, but by no means least, a huge shoutout to Steve Tracey who took on the stunning Royal Parks Half Marathon to raise money for Alzheimer’s Society and crossed the finish line in a brilliant 1:50:45 Parkrun Roundup
 The 38th Standalone 10K filled the Hertfordshire countryside on Sunday as 1,325 runners took on one of the region’s most popular autumn races. The event is created and delivered entirely by North Herts Road Runners (NHRR) — from course planning to marshalling, registration, results and refreshments — and once again showed why the Squirrels have a reputation for staging a first-class race. Race Director Mike Phillips said the club was “blessed by beautiful sunny weather after the wind and rain of the previous couple of days” and loved seeing “so many smiling faces on the course and around Standalone Farm afterwards.He thanked the 100+ marshals, the race committee and event sponsors — Letchworth Garden City Heritage Foundation, Sigma Sports, Vutie Beets, E H Crouch, Pinehill Hospital and Lane & Bennetts — for making the day possible and said the incredible feedback from runners captured “what the race is all about.” Almost the whole club was on duty, volunteering at every stage. Only a select group of NHRR’s fastest were invited to run, while the rest ensured a safe, brilliantly organised day. This year’s race shirts turned the field into a striking wave of electric orange, brightening even the breezy bypass. Matt Sayers, who combined racing with helping promote the event, reflected that the bypass “must be brutal for marshals” but said runners felt “kept safe” thanks to their effort. Fellow Squirrel Kris Whitmore added that although it was “bloody windy up the bypass,” the sight of so many teammates out supporting “gave a massive boost and helped make the event safe and fun,” even as athletes produced “blistering times despite the wind” and the club celebrated “a magnificent set of results in the county championships.”
 Racing at the sharp end On the men’s side, Benjamin Hadman led the Squirrels home in 33:25 for 4th place overall, followed closely by Sam Coxon (33:44, 5th) and Thomas Barclay (34:17, 7th). Up front the podium was taken by Oluwatosin Adedeji (Newham & Essex Beagles AC) in 32:04, Mohammed Elbayan (Luton AC) 32:13 and Michael Waddington (Ware Joggers) 32:25. For the women, Freya Weddell (St Albans Striders) took the win, with NHRR’s Katie Harbon a strong 2nd in 36:32, and Stacey Ormerod (St Albans Striders) 3rd with 37:27. The club’s masters impressed too: Andrew Leach and Shahab Ahmad dominated the MV60 field with 35:48 and 35:49, both age-grading over 92%. Matthew Sayers was 2nd MV50 in 36:49 and Kris Whitmore 4th MV50 in 38:49. A special highlight came from Rhia Botha, who ran the 10K at the end of a long training run yet still managed a two-second personal best, finishing 5th woman overall in 39:49. She said it was hard not to give it your all when you have the power of the whole NHRR club behind you, and the superb support along the course helped her PB and powered the NHRR women’s team to silver in the Herts Senior County Championships, while the men’s team claimed both gold and bronze.  Community spirit and charity Post-race, Jo from The Studio, Letchworth provided sports massages for donations to NHRR’s charity of the year, GRIT – Growing Resilience in Teens. Greg Rose, one of the few club members running rather than volunteering, described the Standalone as “a well-organised, fun and friendly event as always,” although he ruefully admitted he “realised too late” he might have broken 55 minutes after finishing in 55:03. Celebrity surprise Adding a touch of showbiz sparkle, EastEnders stars Adam Woodyatt (Ian Beale) and Jake Wood (Max Branning) joined the field and both dipped under the hour — Woodyatt in 58:55and Wood in 59:31 — delighting runners and spectators. A race built by volunteers The Standalone 10K isn’t just about fast times — it’s a celebration of teamwork and community. From the first road sign to the last results upload, NHRR members create a safe, welcoming and brilliantly run event year after year. Here’s to another year of Standalone magic — and to every volunteer who made the 2025 edition, with its sea of electric-orange T-shirts, truly unforgettable. Squirrels on marathon duty in Chester
While most members were busy hosting Standalone, several Squirrels headed north for longer challenges: Metric Marathon (26.2 km):
Full Chester Marathon (42.2 km):
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November 2025
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