Category: Weekly round up

With the country basking in a bank holiday heatwave, there were few races in the calendar over the weekend for the Peel Road Runners, however second claim member Mark Harriot took on the spectacular Cape Town Marathon in South Africa, producing an excellent performance to complete the challenging course in 3 hours 51 minutes and 09 seconds. Running against the stunning backdrop of Table Mountain and the Cape Town coastline, Mark showed great determination and endurance in one of Africa’s most iconic marathon events.

The club were represented across a wide range of parkrun events this weekend, with Emma Pick leading the way once again by finishing as first female at Conkers parkrun in an impressive time of 20:41. Another notable milestone came at Kingsbury Water parkrun, where Mike Shelton celebrated his 350th parkrun, completing the course in a strong 20:58.

At Tamworth Castle Grounds parkrun, Wayne Richardson was the quickest Peel Road Runner home with 22:02, followed by Iain Downie in 23:26. Cheryl Flint recorded 27:23, and Graham Lane finished in 27:44. Tony Bryan and Richard Satchwell both clocked 28:49, while Jo Insley completed the course in 33:47, Dan Bird in 40:23 and Jo Bovington rounded things off with 47:43.

Kingsbury Water parkrun saw a good turnout from the club. Alongside Mike Shelton’s milestone run, Anne Whitby-Smith finished in 25:02, Simon Gordon in 27:05 and Claire Guffick in 29:16. Amy Davis completed the course in 31:19, Ann Hill ran 35:21, and Lee Guffick followed closely in 35:35. Nicola Bannister completed the event in 52:03.

Elsewhere, Allen King and Chris Bennett ran at Isabel Trail parkrun, recording times of 25:48 and 25:54, respectively. Ben Dorkins took on Queen Elizabeth parkrun and finished in 25:28, while Roger Lloyd posted 24:19 at Millfield parkrun. Sophie Galloway continued her good form with 24:27 at Whiteley parkrun, and Shane Lewis completed St Mary’s parkrun in 26:14.

Mark Boffey ran 25:33 at Fletcher Moss parkrun, with Sarah Boffey finishing in 41:22. At Worcester parkrun, Wendy Bowyer crossed the line in 37:27.

Further afield, Jonathan Allen completed Lousberg parkrun in 32:03, while Michael Hughes finished Frank’s Farm parkrun in 52:47. Joanne Sharman and Stephanie Attenborough ran together once again at Nobles parkrun, finishing in 52:12 and 52:13 respectively.

Ian Orton and Jacqueline Tierney represented the club at Sutton Park parkrun, recording times of 53:13 and 58:53. Michael Stevenson completed Warwick Racecourse parkrun in 43:08.

The Peelers meet every Tuesday evening at the skate park car park at 6.45 pm for a 7 pm start with a choice of different-paced running groups and a walking group.

Sunshine and summer warmth set the tone for the 43rd Annual Royal Sutton Fun Run on Sunday, with temperatures peaking at 24°C and crowds lining the streets. Twenty Peelers took full advantage of the fine conditions on the 8.5‑mile course, which starts and finishes in Sutton Coldfield town centre, sweeps through the beautiful Sutton Park, and tackles the renowned Cardiac Hill.

First Peeler home was Dan Bird in a superb 1:04:21, followed by a strong sequence of finishes: Ian Orton 1:06:09, Wayne Richardson 1:07:10, Ash Goodman 1:10:06, Georgie Mead 1:10:18, Lisa Stretton 1:11:54, Chris Bennett 1:12:30, Katie Stretton 1:13:00, Simon Gordon 1:13:17, Carolyne Bowne 1:19:09, Jo Bovington 1:21:51, Lisa Ellen 1:29:33 (PB), Claire Guffick 1:30:42, Val Lawson 1:38:31, Alison Upton 1:40:24, Roger Longstaff 1:40:56, Lee Guffick 1:48:23, Wendy Bowyer 2:00:54, Nicola Bannister 2:00:52, and Ann Hill 2:00:51.

The Royal Sutton Fun Run has been a favourite on the local calendar for over four decades, bringing thousands together to celebrate fitness, community, and togetherness, this year was no exception.

    Parkrun Events

Peel Road Runners were also out enjoying the sun on Saturday too, with club members taking part in Park runs across the country and producing some impressive performances.

At Tamworth Castle Grounds parkrun, which attracted a field of 373 runners, Wayne Richardson led the Peel Road contingent home with an excellent 25th-place finish in 22 minutes 21 seconds. Mark Boffey followed in 75th position in 25:40, while Richard Satchwell completed the course in 26:43.

Cheryl Flint was the club’s leading female runner at Tamworth, finishing 15th woman overall in 27:00. Other strong performances came from Stuart Hatton (28:18), Chris Bennett (28:45), Tony Bryan (29:02), Jo Bovington (29:19), Owen Slater (30:10), Sarah Boffey (38:48) and Jacqueline Tierney (54:59).

The standout performance of the weekend came at Isabel Trail parkrun, where Emma Pick produced a superb run to finish seventh overall and claim first female place in a remarkable time of 18:11.

There was further success at Kingsbury Water parkrun, where Sophie Galloway secured third female position and 33rd overall with a time of 24:09. Iain Downie was the first Peel Road Runner home there, finishing 26th overall in 23:29. Also representing the club were Chris Taylor (31:14), Stephen Andrews (35:35), Nicola Bannister (48:38), Ann Hill (48:39) and Garth Cox (57:04).

Katie Stretton continued her excellent form at Rosliston parkrun, finishing seventh female and 35th overall in 24:43.

Elsewhere, Ian Orton recorded a strong run at Peter Pan parkrun, finishing 21st overall in 22:22, while Roger Lloyd and Tim Mudd represented the club at Battlestead Croft parkrun, posting times of 24:17 and 27:29 respectively.

At Beacon parkrun, Graham Lane crossed the line in 27:11, while Carolyne Browne finished in 28:07. Joanne Sharman and Stephanie Attenborough took on the challenge of Haigh Woodland parkrun, recording times of 32:33 and 50:02.

Further afield, Michael Stevenson represented Peel Road Runners at Northallerton parkrun, completing the course in 41:21.

In total, 26 Peel Road Runners took part across nine different parkrun events, once again showcasing the club’s enthusiasm, commitment and love of parkrun tourism.

Congratulations to all who took part.

Peel Road Runners

Peel Road Runners meet every Tuesday evening at Tamworth Castle Grounds Skate Park at 6.45pm.  Come along and give it a try.

The Chester Half Marathon saw a brilliant set of performances from Peelers. Allen King ran 1:41:41 for a course PB, while Matt Salisbury smashed out a superb 1:34:15, taking 4 minutes 31 seconds off his previous best. Helen Dempsey and Neal completed stage two of their triple challenge in 2:51:44 and 2:46:17. Tracy Ford finished in 2:00:20, Samie Futrill in 2:00:39, Lisa Ellen in 2:18 and Ian Orton delivered another standout run with 1:43:41, taking 12 minutes 6 seconds off his course best.

At the Cannock Chase Half Marathon, Tom King ran 2:08:31 for a course PB, with Billy King finishing in 2:11:22.

In London, Nicola Bannister completed the Moonwalk Marathon in 7:44:02, a huge effort over a long night. And at the Tamworth 10k, Lydia Knight delivered one of the performances of the weekend, running a 10k PB and finishing 2nd female — a fantastic achievement.

Parkrun Round‑Up

Kingsbury Water Park was once again the heart of the club this weekend, with a strong turnout and some excellent running. Leading the way in superb form was Emma Pick, who powered round in 19:38, taking 3rd place overall and 1st female. Mike Shelton followed with a strong 22:39, while Ben Dorkins ran well for 24:02 and Katie Stretton continued her consistent streak with 24:56. Jo Insley completed her run in 31:42, with Roger Eastaff finishing in 33:46, Ann Hill and Claire Guffick, who crossed together in 33:47, followed by Chris Taylor in 34:38 and Alison Dolphin in 41:00.

A big group headed to Tamworth Castle Grounds, where eight Peelers took on the familiar course. Samie Futrill led the charge with 24:14, closely followed by Tracy Ford in 24:44 and Sophie Galloway in 24:54. Jo Bovington ran well for 25:48, with Wayne Richardson finishing in 26:08 and Stuart Hatton in 27:25. Lydia Trenfield added a strong 27:45, Owen Slater 29:37, Dan Bird 40:16, Cheryl Flint 43:10 and Sandra Ingram 54:56.

Elsewhere, Peelers were scattered across the country. At Beacon, Garth Cox completed in 51:20, while at Beacon Hill Country Park, Sarah Boffey handled the hills well with 49:39. Graham Lane ran a steady 27:26 at Conkers, and Marie Llewellyn finished in 35:40 at Gadebridge. One of the standout performances of the morning came at Greenfield Valley, where Ian Orton flew round in 22:18, earning himself a superb 6th‑place finish.

At Northallerton, Michael Stevenson completed his run in 42:02, while at Rosliston, Roger Lloyd produced a sharp 25:04. Tim Mudd had an excellent outing at Vermuyden Way, running 26:35 and finishing 16th overall. Over at Walsall Arboretum, Lee Rickards delivered the fastest Peel time of the day with 17:47, taking 3rd place. Finally, at York Community Woodland, Joanne Sharman and Stephanie Attenborough finished close together in 59:00 and 59:03 respectively.

From first‑female finishes to course PBs, from long‑distance challenges to local parkruns, Peelers once again showed what the club is all about: effort, encouragement and community. A brilliant weekend of running all round.

If you would like to join us, please see www.peelroadrunners.co.uk for details. We meet every Tuesday and Thursday at 6.45 for 7 at the Skate Park / Castle Grounds.

The Pennine Barrier 50 is a 50-mile ultra marathon which takes in some of the best trails in the Yorkshire Dales National Park with 2593m of ascent. The race starts in the beautiful village of Malham and takes trails through Malham Cove, the Dry Valley of Watlowes, Malham Tarn, Fountains Fell, Janet’s Foss and the Yorkshire 3 peaks of Pen-y-Ghent, Whernside and Ingleborough. Lorna Al-Ani took on the challenge and completed the race in 12:24:23, well under the 18-hour cut-off.

This weekend also saw the Prague marathon take place. A 26.2-mile loop that starts and finishes at the historic Old Town Square. Known for being flat and scenic, the route winds through the city centre, running along the Vltava River banks, crossing bridges, and passing landmarks like Charles Bridge and Vyšehrad Castle, largely in the UNESCO-listed area. Ash Baldwin completed the marathon in an incredible time of 02:41:57, and Rachel Naylor completed in 04:47:49.

On Sunday, the Great Birmingham run took place. Winding through the streets of Birmingham, the race offers 10k and half-marathon distances, with a few peelers taking part across both. Ian Orton and James O’Connell both raced in the half-marathon, with both achieving PB’s. Ian completed in a quick time of 01:36:35 (just over 3 minutes knocked off his previous PB time), and James finished in a very respectable time of 01:43:46.

In the 10K, Jamie Abbiss and Daniel Bird both competed. Jamie was first back 38:50, closely followed by Daniel in 44:25.

Peel Road Runners were out in force on Parkrunday (otherwise known as Saturday) with Kingsbury Water Park and Tamworth Castle Grounds both well attended.

At Kingsbury Water Park, Phil Neale was first back for the club in 22:00, followed by Ash Goodman (23:05), Anne Whitby-Smith (24:59), Ben Dorkins (25:22), Simon Gordon (26:33), Roger Eastaff (29:45), Dave Fern (31:00), Jo Insley (33:00), Jackie Tierney (33:39), Emma Whorwood (33:41), Alison Upton (33:52), Claire Guffick (33:53), Wendy Bowyer (33:59), Lee Guffick (34:06), Ann Hill (34:23) and Mike Shelton (46:34).

At Tamworth Castle Grounds, first back was Matt Salisbury in 19:51. Hot on his heels was Danny Beardmore in 20:17, followed by Allen King (23:13), Chris Bennett (23:39), Samie Futrill (24:56), Wayne Richardson (24:57), Daniel Bird (26:28), Jo Bovington (26:43, new PB), Roger Lloyd (26:52), Cheryl Flint (43:36) and Sarah Boffey (01:01:24).

In parkrun tourism, Tim Mudd ran 26:16 at Coronation Park. Graham Lane, 26:45 at Crewe. Emma Pick, 21:39 at Dalby Forest. Jo Sharman (01:03:46) and Steph Attenborough (01:03:47) at Dewsbury. Michael Stevenson, 40:30 at Northallerton. Katie Stretton, 24:27 at Pont-y-Bala. Ian Orton ran 41:04 at his 250^th parkrun at Sheffield Castle, along with Mike Hughes (43:47). Finally, Lee Rickards ran 19:40 at Walsall Arboretum.

Peel Road Runners meet every Tuesday and Thursday at the Castle Grounds Skate Park car park at 6.45 pm for a 7.00 pm start. We also have our walking group meeting on Tuesdays, at the same time and same meeting place. New members are always welcome.

Sunday, for many Peelers, was all about the bling.  Months of early morning training were over; the big event lay ahead.  From Greenwich to The Mall – the sights, sounds and colours of London on Marathon Day make the 26.2 mile route one of the world’s best.  Roaring crowd support, dozens of cheer zones, live bands and DJs turn the city into one big marathon party.  Throw in famous landmarks and a picture-perfect finish, and it’s easy to see why this is the bucket-list marathon. 

This year saw a record-breaking participation with approximately 59,000 runners taking part.

Kenya’s Sebastian Sawe stunned spectators to become the first marathon runner ever to officially log a sub-two-hour finish at 01:59:30.  In the women’s race, Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa improved her own world record in a thrilling finish to retain her title in 2:15:41. 

Wayne King led the pack for the Peelers.  This was Wayne’s third London Marathon, done and dusted in an awesome time of 2:54:11, a London best time for Wayne.   Danny Beardsmore, who won the club place in the ballot, wasn’t far behind,  completing the course in 3:20:27.  Next to complete was Samie Futrill in an impressive 4:22:15.  This was very much a bucket list tick for Samie; there will be another challenge pending!   Tracy Ford was the next Peeler to cross the line in 4:29:05, swiftly followed by Chris Bennett.  Chris achieved a PB, completing the course four minutes quicker than last year in 4:42:12.  Emma Whorwood, whose time is yet to be officially confirmed, achieved another awesome race in 5:20:00 and possibly had the biggest grin on her face at the finish. 

London wasn’t the only marathon taking place on Sunday.  The Shakespeare Marathon and Half Marathon was the choice of three Peelers.  The route is flat and fast, the majority of the route follows closed roads, with the remainder on the Stratford Greenway footpath, a hard, compact footpath, ideal for PB racing!  This was James Payne’s first marathon, achieving the 26.2 miles in 4:46:13, a great result.  Stephanie Attenborough took on the rewarding role of ensuring everyone got to the finish line, completing the marathon in 6:56:46.   Joanne Sharman completed the same role for the half-marathon with a time of  3:03:49. 

A big shout-out must go to Luke Collins.  Luke had planned to run the Coventry Way 40-miler, but was unable to because his son was playing in a football final, which he didn’t want to miss.  Instead, Luke ran the whole 40 miles solo on Saturday morning.  That’s Peeler’s commitment. 

The variety of locations Peelers run on a Saturday morning is rapidly growing – Parkruns are everywhere! Emma Pick chose to run at Alderford Lake, achieving first female over the line in 20:02.  Beacon was the choice of Graham Lane, completing the course in 27:05.  Carolyne Brown ran Bolberry Down, Marlborough, finishing in 28:08.  Across the pond was the parkrun of choice for Michael Hughes – completing Brooklyn Bridge parkrun in 25:07.  Ian Orton ran at Cannon Hill in 23:37.  A warm-up 5k at Grovelands, Enfield,  was the choice of Sammie Futrill 28:37; Tracy Ford 28:42 and Chris Bennett in 45:33.  Closer to home, Mike Shelton completed Kingsbury in 20:11; Ashley Goodman 22:57; Katie Stretton 24:13; Lisa Stretton 25:06; Anne Whitby-Smith 25:09; Simon Gordon 25:20; Roger Lloyd 27:26; Darren O’Leary 28:18; Claire Guffick 29:53; Roger Eastaff 30:19; Alison Upton 33:16; Steve Andrews 33:33  (pb) and Lee Guffick 24:42.  Prior to their half/marathon, Steph Attenborough completed Ludlow in 55:33 and Joanne Sharman in 55:34.  Tim Mudd ran at Market Bosworth Country Park in 26:35; Jacqueline Tierney at Millhouses in 31:12.  Chris Taylor achieved a time of 31:31 at Penallta parkrun, Caerphilly.  Tamworth Castle Grounds is always a popular parkrun.  First over the line was Wayne Richardson 21:56; Trevor Thompson 23:55; Sophie Galloway 26:03; Cheryl Flint 26:47, and Jo Bovington in 43:41.  And finally, Victoria Embankment was the choice of Mark Boffey 25:10; Darren Truman 28:44 and Sarah Boffey 57:38. 

It’s fair to say that the spring season of road racing is fully with us with Peel Road Runners taking on challenges of different distances across the country this weekend.

A brilliant group of 25 Peelers took on the local challenge of the Cathedral to Castle 10-mile multi-terrain race running from Lichfield to Tamworth via Hopwas Woods on Sunday.  A beautiful sunny morning made for great running conditions, and the club was led home by Wayne King (on his birthday!) in a time of 1:03:52, 3^rd in age group and 15^th overall.  Next over the line was Jamie Abbiss in a time of 1:06:25 followed by Phil Neale (1:14:27 and 2^nd in M60 age category); Tom King (1:16:04), Phil Busby (1:17:18), Anne Whitby-Smith (1:26:33), Tracy Ford (1:26:33), Natalie Walker (1:27:31), Helen Chyla (1:30:35), Gemma Pritchard (1:32:06), Lydia Trenfield (1:32:08), Graham Lane (1:36:46), Cheryl Flint (1:37:19), Stuart Hatton (1:40:03), Sandra Ingram (1:43:40), Amy Davis (1:55:56), Kelly Sippitts (1:59:03), Wendy Roe (2:01:49), Roger Eastaff (2:04:33), Wendy Bowyer (2:04:34), Lisa Barnes (2:04:53), Helen Dempsey (2:07:32), Neal Dempsey (2:07:33), Ann Hill (2:16:23) and Nicola Bannister (2:23:57).

Running a marathon seems to be an unofficial rite of passage for many Peelers, and on Sunday, Emma La Planche (5:54:25) and Alison Upton (5:57:24) ran their first marathon at Newport in South Wales.  They were led home by Claire Guffick, who completed her third fastest marathon in 5:15:10. Running the Newport 10k on the same day, Emma Whorwood crossed the line in 1:03:05, followed by Lee Guffick in 1:13:01.

Charlotte Fielding was the sole Peeler running at the Manchester marathon on Sunday, stopping the clock in an impressive time of 4:49:14.  Meanwhile, taking on the very scenic Guernsey marathon, Steph Attenborough and Jo Sharman finished together in 5:41:00, easily beating the 6-hour cut-off for the event!

With the Burton & District Summer League now in full swing, the Uttoxeter half marathon (renowned for its undulating course!) was supported by three Peelers with Matt Salisbury first home for the club in a time of 1:38:46 (knocking 4 minutes 27 seconds off his previous half marathon best!), followed by Adrian Jelley (1:42:55) and Dave Fern (2:54:14).  Running the Uttoxeter 10k, Gillian Jelley crossed the line in 1:00:07 followed by Val Lawson (1:07:22 and 1^st F65).

Taking on the Shropshire Way Festival 26-mile trail run, Lorna Al-Ani completed the very challenging course with over 4000 ft of altitude around Wenlock Edge and the Stiperstones in just over 5 hours.  A great achievement!  Meanwhile, mum and daughter team Lisa and Katie Stretton ran the SSART Trawsfynydd multi-terrain 8.6-mile race around Trawsfynydd lake in Wales, finishing in 1:13:54 and 1:13:59 respectively. 

Finally, as if all this racing wasn’t enough, lots of Peelers also took part in Saturday’s parkruns! Running at Beacon Park in Lichfield, Lee Rickards crossed the line in 20:19 followed by Mike Shelton (20:22) and Graham Lane (26:52).  At Kingsbury Water Park, Luke Collins was first back for the club in 22:27, followed by Ben Dorkins (24:48), Tracy Ford (25:00), Darren Truman (29:14), Jo Insley (33:09), Jackie Tierney (33:10), Sophie Galloway (33:11), Stephen Andrews (34:52), Lee Guffick (35:37) and Alison Dolphin (42:31). At Ashbourne, Jonathan Allen ran 35:22 while a back on form Emma Pick stopped the clock on 18:57 at Markeaton Park.  Winning the prize for ‘parkrun tourist of the week’ this week was Michael Hughes, who ran the Roosevelt Island, Arlington, USA parkrun in 26:05!  Closer to home at the Victoria Embankment, Nottingham parkrun, Allen King ran 25:16, followed by Chris Bennett (25:20) and Samie Futrill (25:31). With their first run back after last week’s marathon, Tim Mudd and Carolyne Browne ran the Market Bosworth parkrun, finishing in 27:05 and 27:14 respectively.  Running at Brunswick Park, Wednesbury, Sarah Boffey finished in 48:21, whilst at Guernsey parkrun, Jo Sharman (36:08) and Steph Attenborough (36:13) crossed the line together.  Crossing the border into Wales, Ian Orton ran at Flint parkrun in a time of 34:41, and Roger Lloyd celebrated running his 100^th parkrun at the Isobel Trail in Stafford in a personal best time of 22:45!

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.

This Easter Bank Holiday weekend marked the season finale of the Canicross Midlands competition for Peelers Neal Dempsey, Helen Dempsey and Rob Mace. To complete the full series, competitors must run seven races in the same class, no small feat.

Held at the beautiful Catton Park, the team delivered fantastic performances alongside their four-legged partners. Neal Dempsey secured 2nd place in the two dog long course with Elvis and Lilian, and another 2nd place in the short course with Banana and Pine. After an incredible ten seasons, Banana has now officially hung up her trainers for a well-earned retirement.

Rob Mace also impressed, taking 3rd place in the masters short course with Murphy, an outstanding achievement in his debut Canicross season.

Helen Dempsey successfully completed the full series in both the short and long courses with Patch and Sydney, rounding off a brilliant season for the Peelers team.

Parkrun Events

Peel Road Runners were out in force on Saturday morning, with members taking part in 16 different Parkrun events across the country.

• Black Swan Lake: Athena Mansell finished in 25:22.
• Bournemouth: Mike Shelton crossed the line in 20:55.
• Brighton & Hove: Jacqueline Tierney completed her run in 35:51.
• Crewe: Graham Lane finished in 27:10.
• Eden Project: Danny Beardmore ran an impressive 19:45.
• Exmouth: Tony Bryan finished in 29:33.
• Keswick: Michael Hughes completed his run in 25:25.
• Ormskirk: Joanne Sharman finished in 31:27, followed by Stephanie Attenborough in 34:52.
• Rogiet: Ian Orton crossed the line in 23:51.
• Rutland Water: Tracy Ford finished strongly in 24:24.
• Sence Valley Forest Park: Tim Mudd ran 26:15, followed by Carolyne Browne in 26:54.
• Y Promenad, Llandrillo-yn-Rhos: Mark Boffey finished in 25:03, with Sarah Boffey completing her run in 43:03.

Closer to home:

Kingsbury Water Park

Ben Dorkins was the first Peeler back in 23:52, followed by: Darren Truman (30:38), Roger Eastaff (32:14), Chris Taylor (33:10), Emma Whorwood (34:57), Claire Guffick (34:57), Alison Upton (35:00), Stephen Andrews (35:56), Ann Hill (41:53), Nicola Bannister (42:16), Alison Dolphin (43:04), Jo Insley (47:49) and Christine Norris (67:19).

Tamworth Castle Grounds

Wayne Richardson led the Peelers home in 23:07, followed by: Dan Bird (23:49), Sophie Galloway (26:46), Jo Bovington (27:10), Marcus Fairburn (28:23), Owen Slater (30:02), Lee Guffick (36:34) and Cheryl Flint (40:38).

Beacon Park

First Peeler back was Lee Rickards in a rapid 18:07, followed by: Tom King (21:53), Billy King (22:44), Allen King (26:20), Sam Futrill (26:30) and Chris Bennett (26:55).

Market Bosworth

Emma Pick delivered a standout performance, finishing in an excellent 19:38.

Cannock Chase

Roger Lloyd travelled over and completed his run in 23:15.

Peel Road Runners meet every Tuesday evening at Tamworth Castle Grounds Skate Park at 6.45 pm.  Come along and give it a try, details can be found at: www.peelroadrunners.co.uk

Peel Road Runners were once again out in force across the UK and beyond, with members taking part in a wide range of parkrun events on Saturday morning. From local favourites to more far-flung locations, including Glasgow, Gibraltar and Abermaw, the club’s presence was felt across multiple venues.

At Kingsbury Water, Ben Dorkins led the Peel contingent with a time of 23:17. Lisa Stretton and Katie Stretton followed closely in 26:01 and 26:02, while Claire Guffick completed the course in 30:00. Roger Eastaff finished in 34:00, with Lee Guffick and Wendy Bowyer recording times of 35:25 and 35:42. Stephen Andrews crossed the line in 39:56, while Nicola Bannister and Ann Hill both finished in 42:27, with Christine Norris completing a parkwalk in 1:08:11.

At Tamworth Castle Grounds, Charlotte Fielding finished in 27:40, with Allen King finishing in 55:58. At Market Bosworth Country Park, Iain Downie recorded a time of 25:08. Over in Scotland at Queen’s parkrun, Glasgow, Jonathan Allen completed his run in 30:02.

A standout performance came at Y Promenâd, Abermaw, where Emma Pick ran an excellent time of 19:21. Further afield, Michael Hughes took part at Gibraltar Botanical Gardens, finishing in 28:14. At Millom, Tim Mudd finished in 25:39, while Carolyne Browne recorded a time of 28:06.

At Beacon Hill Country Park, Garth Cox volunteered as tailwalker to finish in 54:30. At Sale Water, Joanne Sharman and Stephanie Attenborough ran together, finishing in 52:15 and 52:16 respectively.

At Graves, Jacqueline Tierney completed her run in 33:31, whilst at Victoria Embankment, Nottingham, Ian Orton ran a strong time of 22:10. At Markeaton, Roger Lloyd finished in 24:25 and at Beacon, Graham Lane completed the course in 26:52. Finally, at Rosliston, Wayne Richardson recorded a time of 24:24, followed by Cheryl Flint in 29:13 and Jo Bovington in 44:37.

On Sunday, the Peelers took part in the final cross-country race of the season at Sinai Park in Burton upon Trent. 6 women and 8 men represented the club on the challenging and hilly course, which benefited from a rare downhill finish. First of the men’s team to finish was Wayne King in a fantastic 6^th place. Matt Salisbury was next to finish in 26^th place, followed by Luke Collins in 35^th, Tom King 41^st, Wayne Richardson 63^rd, Ben Dorkins 73^rd, Mark Boffey in 78^th and Lee Guffick completing the scoring in 92^nd place.

First woman home for the club was Katie Stretton in an impressive 13^th place, closely followed by Lisa Stretton in 14^th, with Lorna Carlin completing in 21^st place and Tracy Ford in 23^rd. Jo Bovington, making her cross country debut, finished in 27^th place with cross country captain Sandra Ingram crossing the line in 41^st place. The race was followed by the end-of-season presentation at The Albion in Burton upon Trent, where Peel men Wayne King and Lee Rickards picked up prizes in the Vet 45 category, finishing overall in 2^nd and 3^rd place respectively. Congratulations to them both for a fantastic achievement.

The club would like to thank team captains Sandra Ingram and Simon Gordon for their support and all the other volunteers, supporters and cake bakers who have helped the club achieve another successful season. The Peelers meet every Tuesday evening at the skate park car park at 6.45pm for a 7pm start, with a choice of different-paced running groups and a walking group