March Racing Round-Up: Firsts and Fantastic Efforts

To kick off the month, Kevin Long was the only Hare to make his way up to Great Yarmouth for the Half Marathon on 1 March. This fast-paced course takes runners through the scenic sights of the town. Kev had strong winds to contend with, but stuck to his race plan and was rewarded with a strong finish in 27th place.

Sunday 8th March proved to be a busy racing day, with our runners taking part in three different races. Stuart Price and Kevin Carpenter headed to Colchester to run the Half Marathon. Using the race as part of his marathon training, Stuart put in a solid run in a strong field, finishing 20th overall and 3rd in his age category. He was also raising money for Lymphoma Action, a charity close to his heart.

Samantha Theobald, Tim Ryder, Ben Roper and Matthew Waylett took part in the very popular Cambridge Half Marathon. This sold-out event takes runners through Cambridge’s historic streets and university grounds. With it being a flat and fast course, Sam took full advantage, completing the race in an impressive 1:34.

Meanwhile, a little further afield, Nathalie Hooper was taking part in the Lisbon Half Marathon, her third race in the SuperHalfs series. She was pleasantly surprised to discover that the course avoided Lisbon’s famous six hills and instead offered a much flatter route. The highlight was the spectacular start on the 25 April Suspension Bridge, providing amazing views across the city. Fortunately, there were walk-through showers on the course, which were very welcome as the morning was sunny and hot compared to UK temperatures.

What a fantastic day of running!

Stowmarket Half Marathon and the new 10k took place on 15th March. Both courses are known for being hilly and, to add insult to injury, runners had to battle a persistent headwind that didn’t let up throughout the race.

Braving the half marathon were Nathalie and Jo. Unfortunately, Jo had to pull out halfway through, but she was there at the finish cheering Nathalie in.

Taking on the 10k were Nikki Vince, Fiona and Andrew Cross. For Nikki it was a welcome return to racing after time off due to injury, and she put in a sterling performance, finishing 2nd in her age group. Andrew didn’t disappoint either, finishing 3rd in his age group, while Fiona received a trophy for finishing 1st in her age group. Despite the tough conditions, everyone put in fantastic efforts.

On the 29^th March, Sonia Bates and

Edmund Murphey took on the Brandon Country Park Half Marathon, organised by Zig Zag Running, in the heart of Thetford Forest.The course was made up of four laps of a 5.3 km route, weaving its way through the forest and offering a real mix of terrain. Runners were kept on their toes with long, steady inclines, sandy stretches, uneven dirt tracks and plenty of tree roots underfoot, all set against the backdrop of some stunning scenery.

For Sonia, this marked her first half marathon, and she rose to the challenge brilliantly. She described the course as both enjoyable and demanding, with the varied terrain making it a true test from start to finish, making it a fantastic and memorable debut over the distance.

Edmund also embraced the challenge of the multi-lap course, enjoying both the variety and the supportive atmosphere throughout. Crossing the finish line in 2:22 was a great achievement, comfortably beating his initial target of finishing under 2:30. The event itself was well organised, with a great sense of community among runners, and to top it all off, finishers were rewarded with a medal, along with a well-earned free slice of cake and a coffee at the end.

Finally, the club would like to extend a huge well done to the beginners group. Fourteen participants took on the 9-week running course and successfully completed it by running a 5k route around Hadleigh. Their efforts were rewarded with a well-earned medal, followed by a celebratory drink at The Six Bells.