The temperatures at the end of May started to soar, which is usually the case at the beginning of the Friday 5 series. This popular series of 5 mile races and accompanying junior races are held on Friday evenings between May and July.

Kicking off on the 22^nd  May at Kirton near Felixstowe. We hoped that being nearer the coast there might be some relief from the heat, but sadly not. We had nine Club members taking on the challenge with a strong men’s team consisting of Kevin Long, Kevin Carpenter, Tom Cowley, Alli MacLean and James Watson. The two Kevins finishing 2^nd in their respective age categories, Tom and Alli finishing in just over 30 mins and James putting in a great performance despite struggling with the heat. Nathalie Hooper, Nikki Vince, Belinda Godbold and Joanne Sargent made up the ladies team and all ran keenly with Belinda also finishing 2^nd in her age category.

It was wonderful to have some of our juniors taking part with Lydia Farmer, Rosalie Van Aswegen and Grace Watson making up the U11 team, Alex Long for the MU09 and Elsie Price FR13. They all ran fantastically and full on enthusiasm.

The 29^th May was the next event in Framlingham. More of an undulating course than anticipated and the heat of the day to contend with. Stuart Price, Kevin Long, Tom, Kevin Carpenter, Alli, Richard Cowley, James Watson and Andrew Cross took on the challenge. Kev Long yet again finishing 2^nd in his age category as well as Stuart and Kevin Carpenter smashed it coming 1^st in his age. This put our men’s team into 6^th overall out of 61 teams after two races. Nathalie was the only runner representing the ladies this evening and ran hard finishing 6^th overall in her age group.

With four juniors taking part, Rosalie, Elsie, Felix Clover and Polly Price ran superbly despite the heat.

Sudbury was the venue for the third race in the series on 5^th June. There was plenty of pre-race discussion about the infamous “never-ending hill” at mile two, which had some of the first-time runners feeling a little apprehensive. However, as they say, what goes up must come down, and our members certainly made the most of the downhill sections with some excellent performances.

The men’s team continued to go from strength to strength, with James Woodley, Stuart Price, Kevin Long and Tom Cowley all completing the five-mile course in under 30 minutes. Alli MacLean was not far behind, while Andrew Cross and James Watson both conquered the challenging hill and produced excellent times. These strong performances have propelled the men’s team into third place after three races. With three races still to come, there was every chance they could continue to climb the standings.

Representing the ladies and putting in superb efforts were Nathalie Hooper, Belinda and Julia Bilotta, all of whom tackled the challenging course with determination and enthusiasm.

It was great to see Lydia, Felix, Elsie, Polly and newcomer Marta Slinger-Akers participating in the junior races with Lydia finishing in 4^th place in her age category.

With temperatures continuing to rise, the Friday 5 Mile Series moved on to its fourth race at Nowton Park, near Bury St Edmunds, on 19 June. This mixed-terrain course takes runners through the park before heading out onto local roads, with welcome stretches of tree cover and even a cut-through farmyard helping to break up the route.

The men's team continued its impressive run of form, with James Woodley, Stuart Price, Kevin Long, Tom Cowley and Richard Cowley all producing strong performances. Their efforts lifted the team to second place overall in the series standings after four races, while also securing third place in the team competition on the night.

Representing the ladies were Nathalie Hooper and Joanne Sargent, who both delivered determined runs despite the challenging conditions.

The junior races saw Alex Long compete in the MU9 category and Rosalie Van Aswegen in the FU11. Congratulations to both young runners for taking on the hot conditions and producing excellent performances. Well done to everyone who took part.

The following week, on 26th June, the series moved to Haughley Park for the penultimate race, hosted by Stowmarket Striders. Mother Nature decided that the previous week hadn't been hot enough, and competitors were met with the hottest day of the year. Kevin Long, Kevin Carpenter, Allie MacLean and Nathalie Hooper all chose to brave the extreme temperatures, sensibly adjusting their pace to cope with the conditions.

The opening three miles were pleasantly flat, but the return journey included a series of deceptive climbs, including the drag over the A14 bridge. Kevin Long's consistent efforts throughout the series paid off with a superb first place in his age group, finishing in an impressive 30:37. Kevin C, Allie and Nathalie also produced excellent runs, all finishing in the top five of their respective age groups.

After six weeks of racing in exceptionally hot conditions, the Friday 5 Mile Series concluded on 3 July with the traditional "flat and fast" finale, offering runners one last opportunity to chase personal bests. Representing the men's team were James Woodley, Stuart Price, Kevin Long, Tom Cowley, Kevin C and Allie MacLean. James, Stuart and Kevin Long all broke the 30-minute barrier, with Stuart winning his age group and James finishing fifth overall in a superb 26:39—just three seconds outside the Hadleigh Hares club record. Tom, Kevin Cowley and Allie all crossed the line in under 35 minutes, rounding off an excellent evening for the team.

The ladies were represented by Nathalie Hooper, Belinda and Joanne Sargent, all producing strong performances to finish the series on a high.

In the junior races, Alex Long competed in the MU9 event, while Felix Clover represented the club in the MU15 category. Both ran well in highly competitive fields.

The overall series results were outstanding. Kevin Long finished first in his age group, Kevin C and Stuart Price both secured second place, Allie MacLean finished sixth and Tom Cowley tenth. For the ladies, Belinda claimed second place in her age group, Nathalie Hooper finished sixth and Joanne Sargent ninth in their highly competitive categories.

The club also enjoyed an excellent overall team result, finishing ninth out of 61 clubs. For a relatively small club, this was a tremendous achievement and a fitting reward for six weeks of hard racing, commitment and teamwork. Congratulations to everyone who took part and represented Hadleigh Hares so brilliantly.