Hitchin and MK

It was a busy and successful weekend of racing for the Squirrels, with strong turnouts and impressive performances at both the Hitchin 10k and the Milton Keynes Half Marathon.

Hitchin 10K
A fantastic 31 Squirrels lined up at the Hitchin 10k on Sunday morning, greeted by much sunnier conditions than forecast. The event saw a sea of club vests and a great atmosphere throughout, with runners supporting each other from start to finish.
 
Leading the way for the men was Darren Sunter, first Squirrel home in an excellent 37:02. Kris Whitmore followed as second Squirrel, not only clocking a superb 38:50 but also taking victory in the V50 age category. The men’s team of Darren Sunter, Kris Whitmore, David Brewer and Daniele Socci combined strongly to secure second place in the county team championships — a brilliant achievement for the club.
 
There were also some notable individual performances. David Brewer ran an impressive 41:03 to secure a new personal best, while Daniele Socci was delighted to return to form with a 10k PB of 42:41 — his fastest time at the distance in over a decade. Daniel Wrigley also celebrated a personal best of 45:40, overcoming early shoe trouble to deliver a strong run.
 
Greg Rose enjoyed his debut outing in a Squirrels vest, finishing in 53:07 to comfortably beat his sub-55 target, and spoke of the boost from seeing so many teammates out on the course.
 
In the women’s race, Lucy O’Connor produced a fantastic run to take 2nd place in the F60 category in 54:04. Reflecting on the race, she praised the course and the crowd support, noting the welcome timing of the sunshine holding off until later in the race.
 
The race wasn’t without its lighter moments either, with Kris Whitmore successfully catching a beer thrown to him in the final kilometre — a skill as impressive as the running itself!

Milton Keynes Half Marathon
Meanwhile, at the Milton Keynes Half Marathon, Isaac Mateu Soler delivered a determined performance, finishing in 1:32:48. Despite tired legs from a busy weekend, he pushed through to edge his personal best by 10 seconds, showing great resilience and setting himself up for further progress in the months ahead.

Overall, it was a weekend full of personal bests, team success, and strong club spirit — a great reflection of the Squirrels’ continued momentum this season.

Parkrun Roundup ​

Bug Hunter Waters: Tracey Palmer (45:00)

Great Denham: Andrew Leach (17:15), Emily Taiano (24:50)

Henlow Bridge Lakes: Ben Snowden (21:36), Verity Hague (25:00), Phil Seddon (25:50), James Poulton (27:50), Scott Reed (28:06), Bob Davis (29:25), Inari Saarinen (30:03), Matthew Sayers (30:06), Lois Lacy (33:29)

Houghton Hall: Richard Barker (23:32), Georgia Barker (33:01)

Jubilee bedford: Kris Whitmore (18:51)

Leavesden Country: Joseph Barker-sherry (26:45)

Letchworth: Isaac Mateu (), Martin Jackson (22:06), Steve Brenton (30:57)

Luton Wardown: Julia Toffa (36:02)

Pocket: Simon Hawes (28:00)

Rickmansworth: Chris Powell (25:18), Craig Snowden (25:19)

Rothamsted Park: Daniel Wrigley (25:42)

Sizewell: Oliver Babik (20:49)

Southall: David Brewer (20:05)

Stevenage: Jon Hunt (25:27), Vanessa Rolfe (44:46)

The Pastures: Bev Shone (50:49)

Thurso: Brian Judkins (38:21)

Woodhouse Moor: Matthew Ronayne (19:00)