Peel Road Runners made an excellent start to the Burton & District Summer League (BDSL) season at the opening race, Run in the Forest, held at the popular Conkers venue. The well‑supported 5‑mile event attracted a strong field and provided a scenic but testing course to kick off the league campaign.
Leading the Peel Road Runners home was Matt Salisbury, who finished strongly in 40th place overall with a time of 32:54. He was followed by an impressive run from Lorna Al‑Ani, who finished 65th overall, placing 3rd in the Female Vet 45 category with a time of 35:38.
Veteran performances were a feature of the day, with Phil Neale finishing in 36:10 to secure 5th place in the Male Vet 60 category, while Dave Fern completed the course in 51:56, placing 5th in the Male Vet 70 category. Adrian Jelley (38:04) and Roger Lloyd (38:52) both recorded solid runs in the Male Vet 50 category, while Wayne Richardson and Stuart Hatton finished in 38:21 and 45:53 respectively.
In the senior ranks, Tom King (36:28), Ash Goodman (36:56), Daniel Bird (37:20) and George Hope (42:24) all put in strong performances on the challenging course.
There were plenty of notable performances from the women’s contingent, with Katie Stretton (39:35) and Lisa Stretton (39:47) finishing close together, while Lorna Carlin crossed the line in 40:33. Tracy Ford continued her consistent form, finishing in 41:06 to place 3rd in the Female Vet 55 category.
Further down the field, Jo Bovington (45:11), Cheryl Flint (45:42), Sandra Ingram (46:47), Val Lawson (52:13) and Helen Manton (53:40) all completed the course, contributing to a strong club turnout. With runners represented across multiple age categories, Peel Road Runners enjoyed a positive and encouraging start to the BDSL season.
Away from league action, Peel Road Runners were in action at several major road races over the weekend. At the Brighton Marathon, Carolyne Browne completed the iconic coastal course in 4:59:53, with Tim Mudd also tackling the marathon distance and finishing in 5:08:14. In London, Samie Futrill took on the hugely popular London Landmarks Half Marathon, finishing the scenic city-centre route in 2:24:02. The club was also well represented at the Boston Marathon (UK), where Sam Cart was the first Peeler across the line in 4:05:31, followed by Sophie Galloway in 4:29:22 and Simon Gordon in 4:43:34, all completing the flat but often wind‑affected Lincolnshire course.
Despite a packed race calendar, members also turned out in force at parkruns locally and further afield.
At Tamworth Castle Grounds parkrun, with 351 runners taking part, Tracy Ford led the Peel Road Runners home, finishing 73rd overall and 5th female in 24:45. She was followed by Wayne Richardson (25:28), Chris Bennett and Allen King (both 25:57), with further strong runs from Tony Bryan (29:36), Owen Slater (30:16), Jo Insley (34:00), Jo Bovington (34:42), John Vann (35:20), Cheryl Flint (41:34), Dan Bird (42:43), Sophie Galloway (52:52) and Sarah Boffey (52:56).
Elsewhere, Emma Pick continued her excellent form at Haughmond Hill parkrun, finishing third overall and first female in 19:36. At the smaller but scenic Lukens parkrun, Michael Hughes placed 4th in 25:38.
A number of Peelers chose Kingsbury Water parkrun, where Ben Dorkins led the club home in 24:38, followed by Mike Shelton (26:22), Claire Guffick (30:48), Lee Guffick (34:56), Stephen Andrews (35:02), Wendy Bowyer (35:06), Ann Hill (41:16) and Nicola Bannister (42:17).
At Lichfield Graham Lane (28:59) and Garth Cox (1:00:02) completed Beacon parkrun, while Ian Orton enjoyed a standout run at Withernsea Promenade parkrun, finishing third overall in 22:08. In Nottingham, Joanne Sharman and Stephanie Attenborough ran side‑by‑side at Victoria Embankment parkrun, finishing in 44:21 and 44:22 respectively, while Jacqueline Tierney represented the club at Jubilee parkrun in Bedford, completing the course in 30:55. With runners competing across league races, marathons, half marathons and parkruns, it was another excellent week showcasing the depth, commitment and friendly spirit of Peel Road Runners.