Author: Sara Sherwood

On Saturday 10th July, Nick Wilson, a member of Hambleton Athletics and Running Club, completed the demanding 100 km “Race to the Stones” endurance event. This was part of the 2021 Threshold Trail Series, which offers a number of races for experienced entrants. Nick’s choice was the 100 km course along the Ridgeway, Britain’s oldest path, that navigates Wayland’s Smithy, the famous Uffington White Horse, and Barbury Castle, before finally reaching the iconic Avebury Stone Circle. The route follows in the footsteps of travellers from more than 5,000 years ago and takes in some incredible scenery, including views of Bronze Age hill forts, Neolithic burial chambers, and Roman river crossings. Nick completed the 62 mile course in an impressive time of 14:43:32, placing him 452nd out of 1,281 finishers. Hambleton Athletics and Running Club would like to congratulate Nick on completing this hugely demanding and challenging ultra-marathon. We can’t wait to see what he takes on next!...

? FLEETHAM CUP ? On Saturday 19th June, 15 members of Hambleton Athletics and Running Club took part in the Fleetham Cup, a series of regular road time trials organised by Yorkshire Race Walking Club. Participants may choose to run or walk any multiple of 5km in these events. Our 5k runners were simply fantastic and achieved the following times: Craig Keedy – 19:42 (2nd place in the 5k event)Chris Lees – 22:42Rich Schofield – 22:45Kay Kelly – 25:01Charlie Villers – 28:45Andrea Lingwood – 29:24Sarah Hill – 32:06Lisa Kirby – 32:34Lauren van Buuren – 34:58Tony Jowett – 35:32Alice Inglis – 35:32Denise Spence – 37:17Jackie Glass – 38:21Sarah Milford – 41:11Jo Hill – 43:30 Special mentions… • Craig went on to complete a second lap and finished his 10k run in 39:15 – the fastest 10k time recorded at the event! • Rich also took on an extra 5k, finishing in 45:53 which gave him 3rd place in the 10k. • Charlie just kept on going and completed...

On Wednesday 9th June, members of Hambleton Athletics and Running Club attended the Kiplin Hall & Gardens 10k Trail Event organised by local group MAD Races. This event, which was run in a Covid secure manner, was another welcome return to the race experience for the athletes. The course was laid out over two 5k laps taking in the formal gardens, grassland and lakeside views set within the estate of the beautiful Jacobean historic house. The sunshine highlighted the splendour of the setting but the heat and humidity made it a tough run for the participants. Kay Kelly came 5th in her category with a time of 55:15. Sara Sherwood and Anna Bonner, competing in only their second ever trail race, crossed the line in 1:13:43. Although not running, Alasdair McWilliam made his contribution to the event by marshalling. Another HARC member, Michael Bonner, kindly took photographs and cheered the runners on at checkpoints and at the finish line. Anna said “This was a...

HARC Runners at Lakeland Trails Coniston Marathon Event Weekend Lakeland Trails hosted their annual ‘Marathon Event’ in Coniston on Sunday 6th June. Three runners from Hambleton Athletics and Running Club took part. The marathon and half marathon courses wound their way through the foothills below Coniston Old Man, before taking in a lap of the extraordinarily beautiful Tarn Hows. The half-marathoners then headed back down to the village while the marathon runners ran all the way around Lake Coniston. Alasdair McWilliam took on the full marathon – 26.2 miles of challenging hills and terrain – a fantastic achievement, especially in the scorching heat. Gemma Birtles faced her first ever half marathon with support from Head Coach, Chris Lees. They finished the course despite a comic book head injury and celebrated with a paddle in Lake Coniston after crossing the line. Alasdair and Gemma are both qualified run leaders and have recently assisted the rest of the coaching team in delivering a Couch to 5k...