Month: September 2025

It was a busy weekend in the calendar for the Peel Road runners

This weekend was the return of Equinox 24 , a 10k circuit round the picturesque setting of Belvoir castle. Entrants are tasked to complete as many laps of the course as possible during the 24 hours entering in either a team or solo . Overnight saw the entrants take on some very tough wind and rain so a fantastic achievement all round. Results are below

Helen and Neal Dempsey completed an amazing 6 laps of the course each and finished 20^th out of 39 teams

Team Sophies Conga consisting of Sophie Galloway , Jo Insley and Andy Pickard who completed 14 laps as a team . Amazing effort

Team Club of the year Allen King , Billy King ,Mark Boffey and Chris Bennett completed an incredible 16 laps

Claire and Lee Guffick ticked off a fabulous four laps each, great work both !

Stuart Hatton braved the course solo completing a fantastic 5 laps

There is also an option at Equinox to do a lap of the course one in the day and one on the night . Alison Dolphin ,Wendy Bowyer , Roger Eastaff, Sarah French and Steve Andrews all smashed this challenge and of course had a great laugh whilst doing so.

Well done to you all ! Lets see if we can get a record number of entrants for the club next year.

Park runs as always were well attended . Tourist and local park run results are listed below

Shipley Country parkrun

Emma Pick 20:30

Kingsbury Water parkrun

Richard Satchwell 23:34,Ashley Goodman 24:29 ,Katie Stretton 25:47,Lisa Stretton 25:48,Sarah Boffey 29:15,Chris Taylor 31:31

Ludlow parkrun

Ian Orton 25:23

Warwick Racecourse parkrun

Michael Stevenson 39:14

Brixworth Country parkrun

Michael Hughes 37:00

Beacon parkrun

Mike Shelton 21:02,Garth Cox 22:37,Anne Whitby-Smith 26:19,Joanne Sharman1:04:05,Stephanie Attenborough 1:04:11

Flegg High parkrun

Tim Mudd 28:32

Tamworth Castle Grounds parkrun

Martin Hollamby 19:15,Matt Salisbury 20:23,Luke Collins 21:40,Lee Rickards 23:24,Christie Rosser 26:07,Lydia Trenfield 27:37,Lisa Barnes 29:57

Vicar Water Country Park parkrun

Tracy Ford 25:50,Jacqueline Tierney 31:53

This weekend also saw the final race of this year’s Burton and District Summer league -Tamworth 5 . The course starts and ends at the Tamworth Athletics club with some challenging hills. There has been amazing attendance throughout this Summer league and this race was no exception with 20 club members running the course.

Emma Pick completed the course as 1^st female in a phenomenal 28:12 , which was a 3 minute course PB and a new record for the 5 mile course.

Full Peel road runners results below –

Scott Chapman 32:48,Matt Salisbury 33:22,Mike Shelton 34:02,Ian Orton 35:01( this was also a PB by 3 minutes 37 seconds ),Adrian Jelley 36:57 ,Roger Lloyd 38:55,Mark Boffey 40:09,Lisa Stretton 40:20,Katie Stretton 40:40,Simon Gordon 41:22,Tracy Ford 41:22,Tracey Lattimore 44:04,Anne Whitby-Smith 44:11,George Hope 45:26,Gemma Pritchard 45:29,Lydia Trenfield 45:30,Sarah Boffey 48:33,Jackie Tierney 48:57,Sandra Ingram 49:44

Theres a small break in league races now with the Cross country seasons first race on the 2^nd November. In the meantime we shall continue with our Winter routes armed with our head torches. If you are interested in joining/trialling some sessions please message us via our Peel road runners beginners Facebook page or email us on membership@peelroadrunners.co.uk

For those runners seeking a flat, fast half-marathon course, the Cheshire half-marathon is the perfect opportunity to achieve a personal best.  The Cheshire Half starts and finishes outside the stunning Capesthorne Hall and runs around the flat and rural closed roads of Cheshire.  Ashley Baldwin took on the challenge this weekend and smashed it in 1:13:00 with Rachel Naylor running the race in an impressive 1:50:00. 

Wayne King took on the challenge of the Stratford half-marathon.  The route shows everything that Shakespeare’s Stratford-Upon-Avon has to offer with a finish coming past the Bards RSC Theatre.  Wayne achieved an awesome result of completing the course in 1:21:00.  Peelers on top form this weekend!

The Burton and District Summer League is down to its final two races of the year.  Peelers were out in force this weekend at Lichfield – a hilly 10k course.  The route takes the runners out of Lichfield into a series of rural lanes which wind up in Chorley village.  This is where runners find a series of five hills before heading to a fast downhill to the finish.  The race is a race for runners organised by runners and this year attracted over 700 runners.  Leading the pack in an impressive time of 39:16 were Nathan Cox and Jamie Abbiss, both crossing the line at exactly the same time!  Scott Chapman came in next 42:02, followed by Mike Shelton 44:52; Adrian Jelley 45:41; Mark Boffey 49:33; Roger Lloyd 49:51; Sophie Galloway 53:10.    Anne Whitby-Smith ran her first race for the Peelers, completing the 10k under the hour in 56:27; Gillian Jelley followed in 59:09; Sarah Boffey 1:02:16.

Weekends for Stephanie Attenborough and Joanne Sharman mean one thing only – parkrun somewhere in the world! This weekend they chose to fly to Katowice, Poland.  The parkrun itself is one lap through woodland.  Steph and Jo ran alongside 59 other runners with a great set of volunteers supporting them along the way.  Jo completed the run in 31:35 and Steph in 31:40.      .As well as running Steph and Jo also volunteered; Steph completing her 5th volunteer alphabet and Jo her forth!  The weekend of volunteering did not stop there – an early flight back to the UK meant they were able to hand out finish tokens to all the juniors who ran the Verulamium junior parkrun, St. Albans.  Steph and Jo certainly give back to the parkrun community! Weekends usually start with a parkrun for many Peelers.  Mike Shelton completed Beacon Park, Lichfield course in 21:20; Emma Pick ran an impressive 19:27 at Brierley Forest; Tracey Ford ran Brueton in 24:47; Ian Orton completed Hereford in 21:14; Jacqueline Tierney travelled to Jersey and finished in 29:33.  Kingsbury Water Park was the choice of many – Richward Satchwell 24:58; Lisa Stretton 24:59; Ashley Goodman 25:01; Katie Stretton 26:41; Darren O’Leary 27:29; Sarah Boffey 29:10; Neal Dempsey 30:11; Roger Eastaff 31:09; Claire Guffick 31:09; Lee Guffick 33:02; Helen Dempsey 33:47; Alison Upton 33:49; Emma Whorwood 33:53; Jo Insley 34:10 and Wendy Bowyer 37:58.  Melton Mowbray was the choice of Michael Hughes completing the course in 38:43; Garth Cox ran at Rushcliffe in 23:31, Chris Taylor travelled to Penalta, Caerphilly and finished in 32:04.  Back home in Tamworth Castle Grounds – Sophie Galloway 24:53; Allen King 27:18; Chris Bennett 29:12 and Lisa Barnes 30:35.

Peel Road Runners ladies club record holder at all distances, Emma Pick, should have been on the Elite start at the Great North Run this weekend.  However due to an injury incurred since her sub-3 hour London marathon, Emma’s training had not been sufficient to enable her to perform at her best over the half marathon distance. Undeterred she ran the shorter distance of the Wilne 10k race near Derby instead.  “Lining up in the elite pen, my competitiveness kicked in.  I was the first woman through 5k in 17:09 (with a £50 bonus!) and crossed the line in 1st place in a time of 35:00, a 58 second personal best (and £175 prize money!)” Emma said.  A brilliant comeback, we say!

On a day of personal bests, Ian Orton joined an estimated 60,000 runners in Newcastle to race the iconic Great North Run beating his own personal best time to finish in 1:39:19, knocking 3 minutes and 5 seconds of his previous fastest time at the distance.

Running a little closer to home, Lee Rickards took on the South Cheshire Harriers 20 mile road race finishing in 2:20:00.  The club organised race attracted a strong field of runners and followed an undulating course along country lanes and is seen as perfect preparation for runners taking on an autumn marathon.

Meanwhile, Steph Attenborough and Jo Sharman travelled to the capital city to run the London Big Half half marathon. The race, which is billed as a vibrant and inclusive half marathon celebrating the diversity of London, passed through Tower Hamlets, Southwark, Lewisham and Greenwich.  Steph and Jo crossed the finish line together in a time of 2:27:55.

Finally, where would Saturdays be without a weekly fix of parkrun?  For many Peelers parkrun has become a ‘must do’ start to the weekend; a chance to catch up with friends, a bit of ‘me time’ away from work or family or an opportunity to push for an improved 5k time.  Peelers travelled far and wide this weekend with Garth Cox at Bestwood parkrun, Nottingham crossing the line in a time of 27:08, whilst at Rosliston Emma Pick finished first female in a time of 19:30 and at Conkers, Roger Lloyd finished in 23:51.  Kingsbury parkrun saw a good turnout of Peelers with Allen King first home for the club in 22:46, followed by Ben Dorkins (24:16), Simon Gordon (25:14), Darren O’Leary (26:02), Lisa Stretton (27:04), Katie Stretton (27:04), Darren Truman (28:27), Sarah Boffey (28:47), Jackie Tierney (29:57), Neal Dempsey (30:45), Claire Guffick (31:55), Roger Eastaff (31:56), Lee Guffick (32:57), Helen Dempsey (33:47), Emma Whorwood (35:47), Alison Upton (36:08), Wendy Bowyer (38:30) and Stephen Andrews (53:28).  Meanwhile running at Tamar Lakes, Bude, Ash Goodman crossed the line in 24:17 and at Leazes parkrun, Newcastle (a warm up for the Great North Run), Ian Orton finished in 50:33.  Mick Stevenson completed Warwick Racecourse parkrun in 39:16 and Club Chairman, Mike Shelton, ran Beacon parkrun Lichfield in 20:53.  At Abbey parkrun, Leicester Mark Boffey finished in 23:15, followed by Chris Bennett in 23:19.  Closer to home at Tamworth Castle parkrun, Tracy Ford was first back for the club in 24:52, followed by Sophie Galloway (25:47), Anne Whitby-Smith (26:07) and Tim Mudd (28:09), whilst at Ingrebourne Hill, Rainham Steph Attenborough finished in 33:19, very closely followed by Jo Sharman in 33:20.  Finally, taking the prize for the Peeler running a  parkrun the furthest away from Tamworth this week goes to Michael Hughes, taking on the Piramma parkrun in New South Wales, Australia crossing the line in 22:53.

Whilst we were all nicely tucked up in bed, Peeler Michael Hughes, having travelled to the other side of the world took on the amazing Sydney Marathon.  The race begins near North Sydney Oval, a place of exceptional historical significance.  The most famous point of the course is a picturesque crossing of the Harbour Bridge with views of the Opera House and the city skyline, with a spectacular finish against the backdrop of the iconic Sydney Opera House. Michael finished in an amazing time of (3 hours and 56 minutes and 38 seconds).  Fantastic job Michael and epic photo!

On Friday evening it was the return of the Mid-Summer Cheshire 5k.  In the heart of the Cheshire countryside, the race is fast becoming a favourite for PB chasers, as it is quite simply one of the fastest 5K road races anywhere in the country.  Peeler Wayne King took on the event and finished in a fantastic (17:21), well done Wayne!

parkrun events 

On the last weekend of the school summer holidays Peelers travelled far and wide to take part in Parkruns.

Traveling to the other side of the world and in preparation from his Sydney marathon, Michael Hughes completed the You Yangs Parkrun in (27:41).

Closer to home at the local Tamworth Castle Grounds first Peeler back and in 2^nd place was Wayne King in an amazing time of (18:14).  Followed by Lee Rickards (18:35), Jamie Abbiss (19:25), Mark Boffey (23:19), Richard Satchwell (24:18), Judith Matthews (25:17), Sam Cart (25:18) which was a fantastic PB, Chris Bennett (25:29), Christine Rosser (26:57), Tim Mudd (27:24), George Hope (28:07), Billy King (29:39), Alan King (29:39), Lydia Trenfield (29:40).  

The Peelers were out also out in force at Kingsbury Water Park with Roger Lloyd first back for Team Peel in (23:56), followed by Ashley Goodman (24:00), Anne Whitby-Smith (25:50), Darren O’Leary, (26:03), Neal Dempsey (30:55), Sarah Boffey (33:01), Alison Upton (33:59), Helen Dempsey (35:34), Emma Whorwood (35:38), Stephen Andrews (41:51), Alison Dolphin (50:39) and Sarah French (60:44).

Travelling to Beacon Park in Lichfield Michael Shelton finished in (21:20) followed by Garth Cox in (23:26).

Emma Pick was the sole Peel at Conkers finishing in an amazing time of (18:00) and the first female home.  At Rosliston first Peeler back was Tracy Ford (25:46) followed by Jacqueline Tierney (30:06).

Travelling to Ross-on-Wye Ian Orton finished in(22:03), Michael Stevenson finished Fountains Abbey in (38:51) and Chris Taylor finished Coed Cefn-pwll-du in (34:21)

Venturing to Tawd Valley Joanne Sharman and Stephanie Attenborough both finished in (59:00).

Peelers walking group Peel Road Runners walking group meets on a Tuesday evening in the carpark by the Tamworth Castle skate park at 6.50pm.  The group walks various routes for around 1 hour each week.  Come along and give it a try, details can be found at www.peelroadrunners.co.uk