PBs and Standout Runs:

A Successful Weekend for North Herts Road Runners
It was another lively weekend for the North Herts Road Runners, with squirrels racing across road and trail events both in the UK and abroad. From personal bests and age-group honours to international racing and marathon preparations, the club delivered a wide range of strong performances.

Fast Running and PBs: Squirrels Shine at the Cambridge Half Marathon
A large contingent of squirrels headed to the Cambridge Half Marathon, where ideal running conditions helped deliver fast times around the historic city course. Leading the North Herts finishers was Thomas Barclay, who placed an impressive 20th overall in 1:08:53, followed by Michael Roberts (1:10:02) and Benjamin Hadman (1:11:53).

Several squirrels reported particularly memorable runs. Shaun Allin celebrated a superb four-minute personal best, finishing in 1:17:21, describing the race as “a well-organised event on a fast course” and saying it was a pleasure to run alongside fellow squirrels. Matt Sayers also enjoyed a strong race, finishing in 1:17:24 to secure 3rd place in the MV50 category. Matt said the conditions were perfect with “no wind or rain”, and that running with what he called “a squadron of squirrels” helped the miles pass quickly as he delivered his best-paced half marathon to date. For Conor O’Hara-Barrett, the race marked a major milestone. He broke the sub-80 barrier for the first time, finishing in 1:18:04, crediting the support of fellow squirrels along the course. Kris Whitmore ran 1:24:11, successfully sticking to his pacing plan and describing the run as “mission accomplished”, before celebrating afterwards with friends in a Cambridge tap room.Running the race as part of his preparation for an April marathon, Oliver Parsons finished in 1:26:11, joking that cancelled trains meant he missed his warm-up — something that might be “best not to tell the coaches.” Oliver also praised the event as an enjoyable return to form after last year’s starting issues. Another standout run came from James Godfrey, who recorded a personal best of 1:33:31.

Among the women, Rhia Botha delivered an excellent run of 1:25:58, placing 6th in the FV35 category, while strong performances also came from Sophie Thrussell (1:27:12), Rachel Arnott (1:34:51), Saskia Thompson (1:39:51) and Alice Carty (1:44:53).

With large numbers of runners and plenty of club supporters lining the route, Cambridge once again proved a highlight of the spring racing calendar for the squirrels.

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Full Cambridge Half Results

Thomas Barclay – 1:08:53 (20th overall)
Michael Roberts – 1:10:02
Benjamin Hadman – 1:11:53
Abdullah Athar – 1:15:06
Shaun Allin – 1:17:21 (PB)
Matthew Sayers – 1:17:24 (3rd MV50)
Elliot Jackson – 1:17:31

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Conor O’Hara-Barrett – 1:18:04 (PB)
Mike Banister – 1:22:45
James Ma – 1:23:38
Kris Whitmore – 1:24:11
Rhia Botha – 1:25:58 (6th FV35)
Oliver Parsons – 1:26:11
Sophie Thrussell – 1:27:12
Greg Smith – 1:29:06
James Godfrey – 1:33:31
​James Dalton – 1:34:04
Rachel Arnott – 1:34:51
Baljeet Sandher – 1:34:48
Saskia Thompson – 1:39:51
Ben Ryan – 1:42:10
Tom Bennet Makin – 1:43:52
Alice Carty – 1:44:53
Daniel Wrigley – 1:46:11
David Edwards – 1:47:21
Jane Clarke – 1:50:00
Joanne Hoare – 1:56:18
Hayley Ward – 2:05:11
Andrew Robson – 2:17:18
Rob Clarke – 2:22:14
Vanessa Rolfe – 2:45:37 (FV70)

Trail Podium: Mark Larwood Excels at the Howard-Odell 25km
Switching terrain from road to trail, Mark Larwood delivered an outstanding performance at the Thunder Races Howard-Odell 25km trail race. Mark finished 3rd overall, 2nd male and 1st in his age category in 2:01:11, describing the event as “a great course and a good test moving from the road.” He added that he would “recommend Thunder Races to any other squirrels wanting to try a trail race.”

International Racing: PB in Lisbon for Georgina Quayle
Further afield, Georgina Quayle travelled to Portugal with her mum Carina Quayle to compete in the Lisbon Half Marathon, one of the races in the international SuperHalfs series.Georgina ran a superb personal best of 1:44:53, benefiting from the race’s famously fast route, which she described as “a nice downhill and flat course.” The running weekend began the day before the race with the pair also taking part in Lisbon’s unofficial parkrun, held on the first Saturday of each month.

Strong Running at the Kettering Half Marathonfor David Brewer
At the Kettering Half Marathon, David Brewer tackled the undulating course and finished in 1:35:19. David was pleased with the result, saying he was “very happy with this time on a somewhat undulating course,” and praised the atmosphere, adding that there was “great support all round.”

Hills in Nottingham: Tim Levitt Takes on a Tough 10k
Meanwhile, Tim Levitt travelled to the Run For All Nottingham 10k, a race well known for its challenging hills.Tim completed the course in 40:01, describing himself as “very happy with the time on a tough route.”