Category: Weekly round up

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

This weekend was Peel spirit at its finest: miles everywhere, smiles everywhere, with thirty‑four Peelers at twelve different parkruns, a huge turnout at Ashby 20, and adventures stretching from Wilmslow to the Netherlands, the black and yellow made its presence known.

🟦 parkrun Round‑Up

At Kingsbury Water, Phil Neale led the Peel contingent with a sharp 22:09, followed by Ben Dorkins in 23:37. Katie Stretton ran an excellent 24:48, closely followed by mum Lisa in 24:50. Darren Truman continued the strong showing with 28:47, while Stephen Andrews and Ann Hill crossed the line together in 42:23 and 42:24. Nicola Bannister rounded off the group with a determined 44:35.

Over in Shrewsbury, Emma Pick delivered the standout parkrun performance of the entire weekend. Her superb 19:16 earned her second female and sixth overall, a truly outstanding run that continues her excellent form.

Tamworth Castle Grounds saw a huge Peel turnout and a wide spread of times. Ashley Goodman opened strongly with 22:02, followed by Wayne Richardson in 23:21. Sami Futrill ran well for 24:51, while Chris Bennett and Allen King were separated by just one second in 25:23 and 25:24. Cheryl Flint continued the steady flow of Peelers with 27:09, followed closely by Stuart Hatton in 27:22. Marcus Fairburn clocked 27:49, with Owen Slater finishing in 29:19. The later runners showed just as much determination, with Jo Bovington completing her run in 39:53, Sarah Boffey in 41:23, and Tracy Ford finishing in 56:37.

Elsewhere, Peelers were scattered across the country and beyond. At Beacon, Roger Lloyd ran 23:41, Mike Shelton produced a strong 21:26 and Garth Cox finished with a 61:12. At Birchall Playing Fields, Tim Mudd completed his run in 26:18, while at Doddington Hall, Jacqueline Tierney recorded a solid 30:26. Milton Keynes saw Graham Lane finish in 35:18, and at Park in the Past, Ian Orton ran 33:44. Peel tourism even extended to the Netherlands, where Michael Hughes ran 25:03, and Mark Boffey followed in 25:19 at Zegerplas.

🟨 Ashby 20

Ashby 20 once again delivered everything we love about it: atmosphere, camaraderie, sunshine, grit, and — this year — a Peeler being chased by a gorilla. It was a classic edition of the race, and Peelers rose to the challenge in style.

At the front of the pack, Wayne King produced a superb run, finishing in 2:12:35. Ian Orton followed with a strong 2:48:17 and Mike Shelton with a 2:55:36 finish. Georgie Mead rounded out the leading group with a smooth and controlled 2:58:35.

The middle of the pack was filled with determined and impressive runs. Lorna Carlin finished in 2:58:48, followed by Simon Gordon in 3:06:52, while Lydia Knight completed her first-ever Ashby 20 in an excellent 3:07. Tracy Ford continued her consistent form with 3:11:20, and Gemma Pritchard followed in 3:14:52. Sophie Galloway celebrated a well‑earned personal best with her 3:15:21 finish.

Claire Guffick completed the course in 3:54:51, while Emma Whorwood finished in 4:06, Emma Petricca completed her first Ashby 20 in 4:08, closely followed by Emma La Planche in 4:08:27. Alison Upton rounded out the Peel contingent with a hugely significant 4:19:56 — her longest ever run and her first time tackling the event. Every single runner earned their famous Ashby hoody the hard way, and the smiles in the group photo said everything.

Away from Ashby, Peelers were busy elsewhere, too. At the Wilmslow Half Marathon, Lee Rickards delivered a superb performance, finishing in a personal best time of 1:21:20 — an outstanding achievement in a competitive field.

On the trails, Lorna Al‑Ani completed her first race as a Peeler at the Trails of Mena Marathon, finishing just under 4:15 on a challenging course. Meanwhile, Jo Sharman and Steph Attenborough took on the LDWA Charnwood Marathon, battling 3,000 feet of elevation and rugged terrain to finish in 9:29 — a huge endurance effort. Not content with that, they both returned the next day for Saturn Running’s Dashing Dog Run, where Jo completed a marathon in 6:18, and Steph finished the half-marathon in 3:17. Two races in two days is an achievement that speaks for itself.

A great week for Peel Road Runners with many events, PBs and challenges met and a Gorilla to add to the mix!  If you’d like to join us, we meet on Tuesday and Thursday evenings at 6.45 for 7 pm at the Skate Park in Castle Grounds. For more details, visit www.peelroadrunners.co.uk

This weekend, Wayne King put in a shift as usual and ran 1 Hr 22 at the Cheshire half-marathon.

It seems it quite literally runs in the family as Tom King secured a half-marathon PB at the Cheshire half-marathon, completing the course in 1 hr 49.

As part of her London Marathon training, Samie Futrill had the challenge of the Croft circuit 20 miler in Darlington  – 10 laps of the 2 -mile course, and she completed it in an amazing 2hrs 55 – Well done Samie, you’re a better woman than me !

It was a beautiful sunny day on Saturday which saw Peelers Park runners out in mass . Full results listed below

Coventry Park run –

Alison Upton 34:24

Rosliston Park run –

Emma Pick 23:50

Merthyr Park run –

Chris Taylor 33:17

Kettering Park run –

Tim Mudd 26:18

Conkers Park run –

Roger Lloyd 24:19

Kingsbury park run –

Phil Neale 26:22

Claire Guffick 31:33

Roger Eastaff 35:23

Lee Guffick 35:38

Wendy Bowyer 36:27

Ann Hill 37:24

Stephen Andrew’s 43:36

Nicola Bannister 44:50

Alison Dolphin 45:58

Chasewater –

Michael Hughes 26:40

Warwick racecourse –

Michael Stevenson 41:05

Oaklands-

Garth Cox 30:35

Beacon-

Mike Shelton 21:40

Tracy Ford 26:56

Chris Bennett 27:06

Lorna Carlin 27:12

Simon Gordon 28:11

Sophie Galloway 28:34

Tamworth castle grounds –

Martin Hollamby 21:12

Wayne Richardson 23:37

Dan Bird 24:02

Graham Lane 26:43

Jo Bovington 28:24

Stuart Hatton 28:52

Cheryl Flint 40:21

Vermuyden way-

Ian Orton 23:47

Park in the past-

Jackie Tierney 35:45

Holme Pierrepont-

Jon Allen 25:28

Some of our Peel road runners travelled further afield 

Mark and Sarah travelled to Frankfurt to run Nidda –

Mark Boffey 25:44

Sarah Boffey 34:24

Steph and Jo travelled to Poland for Zielona Góra. Jo was completing her 7th volunteering alphabet. Only 2 people in the Parkrun world with this accolade and they are both Peel Road runners !!

Zielona Góra –

Steph Attenborough 33:11

Jo Sherman 33:25

The club are due to change to the long-awaited Summer club routes soon. If you’re interested in joining us, please let us know via the Peel road runners public Facebook page

Early March and with spring just around the corner can mean only two things, Chester 10K and Fradley 10k, both firm favourites with Peel Road Runners.

Fradley 10k is a fast, flat two-lap course around the roads and country lanes around Fradley village with a lot of PB potential. Each year, Peel Road Runners turn out in force, and this year was no exception, with 13 peelers representing the club. First back was Roger Lloyd with a great time of 48:49. Followed by Lizzy Young (56:32), Sandra Ingram (57:24), Stuart Hatton (58:07), Claire Guffick (59:19) a new PB and the first time sub 60mins, Emma Whorwood (01:00:58), Amy Davis (01:04:00), Dave Fern (01:05:07), Kelly Sippitts (01:08:22), Roger Eastaff (01:09:58), Wendy Bowyer (01:10:02), Wendy Roe (01:10:06) and Lee Guffick (01:10:27).

The Chester 10k is described as a fast course and the best city centre 10k in the Northwest, and is also the first event of the Chester Triple Series, where runners must complete the 10k, half marathon and either the full or metric marathon within the same calendar year. Seven peelers made the trip with an extremely early start to begin their quest for the coveted triple medal. Matt Salisbury was first back for the club in a fast time of 43:16. Closely followed by Allen King (46:18), Samie Futrill (49:13), Tracy Ford (53:15), Lisa Barnes (01:02:04), Helen Dempsey (01:10:17) and Neal Dempsey (01:10:17).

In Parkrun news, we have two groups contending for this week’s tourism trophy.

Firstly, Steph Attenborough and Jo Sharman decided to go to Gibraltar Botanical Gardens. An out-and-back course (3 times) on tarmac paths through trees and planted gardens, Steph completed the run in 38:39, with Jo Sharman hot on her heels with 39:57.

Secondly, three peelers made the trip to Lithuania to attend Kulturos Ir Poilsio Parkas. The course is two laps along surfaced paths that run alongside the river. In snowy conditions, Mark Boffey completed the course in 26:49 with Mike Hughes close behind with 26:52. Jackie Tierney completed the trio with 32:36.

More local parkrun tourism, Peel Road Runners appeared at several events. Tim Mudd ran Black Rocks in 26:32. Garth Cox ran Chasewater in 53:51. Coronation Park saw Emma Pick run in a time of 24:18, and Graham Lane ran 27:47 at Northwich.

Ian Orton travelled to Great Denham parkrun, where he joined the 20-minute club with a fantastic time of 20:32.

At Beacon Park parkrun, Samie Futrill ran 23:43. She was joined by some fellow peelers who, with marathon/Ashby 20 training in full effect, took the opportunity to include Beacon Park parkrun as part of a training long run (starting in Tamworth, running to Lichfield, completing parkrun and then running back to Tamworth). Mike Shelton completed Beacon Park in 24:37. Followed by Sam Cart (26:23), Simon Gordon (26:56), Chris Bennett and Lorna Carlin (both 27:29), Lydia Trenfield (27:38), Sophie Galloway and Georgie Mead (both 29:11).

As the norm, both Kingsbury Water Park and Tamworth Castle grounds were well represented.

At Kingsbury Water Park, Katie Stretton was first back for the club with 25:16. Followed by Lisa Stretton (25:35), Darren Truman (28:17), Darren O’Leary (29:19), Wendy Bowyer (01:08:39) and Roger Eastaff (01:08:49).

At Tamworth Castle Grounds, Lee Rickards was first back (for club and 1^st place overall) in an incredibly fast time of 18:14. Ash Goodman finished in 22:15 with Wayne Richardson (23:37), Tracy Ford and Jon Allen (both 25:20), Cheryl Flint (27:36) and Jo Bovington (40:16) completing the Peel contingent.

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 in the same meeting place. New members are always welcome.

Whilst many sports fans have been focused on the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, Peel Road Runners have been focusing on training in the wet and wintry conditions nearer to home! Thankfully, this week saw something of a respite in the rain, which meant that fewer parkruns were affected by cancellations, so the parkrun Peelers were able to get their weekly fix on various 5k courses around the country and beyond. 

Running at Mansfield, Michael Hughes finished in 28:23, whilst at Kingsbury Water Park Phil Neale was first home for the club in 24:10, followed by Katie Stretton (24:58), Lisa Stretton (25:46), Roger Eastaff (37:04), Lee Guffick (37:05), Ann Hill (37:52), Wendy Bowyer (46:25) and Nicola Bannister (46:25).

At Newark parkrun, Steph Attenborough and Jo Sharman ran 35:11 and 35:24 respectively.  Heading south, Danny Beardsmore completed the Seaton parkrun in Devon in 20:14, whilst at Ormeau parkrun, Belfast, Ian Orton crossed the finish line in 21:21.  Travelling to Evesham in Worcestershire, Mark Boffey ran in 27:15 with Darren Truman (27:42) and Sarah Boffey (33:46) close behind.  On the east coast, Billy King finished the Great Yarmouth parkrun in 27:27 with Jacqui Tierney crossing the border to complete the Holyrood, Edinburgh parkrun in 33:31.  Roger Lloyd and Tim Mudd took on the Sense Valley, Ibstock parkrun finishing in 23:40 and 27:04 respectively.  This was Tim’s 300^th parkrun … a huge achievement!

The biggest Peeler parkrun turnout was at our home course in the Castle Grounds, Tamworth with Jamie Abbiss first over the line for the club in a time of 19:26 followed by Martin Hollamby (20:47), Luke Collins (21:44), Lee Rickards (22:28), Wayne Richardson (24:22), Lydia Trenfield (25:00), Jonathan Allen (25:38), Dan Bird (26:21), Stuart Hatton (28:14), Cheryl Flint (28:31), Sophie Galloway (30:10), Emma Pick (41:14) and Jo Bovington (48:37).  Stuart Hatton was also celebrating his 200^th parkrun – another great achievement!

Finally, travelling to the British Military base at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, Graham Lane completed the ‘closed’ and very exclusive course 5k in a time of 25:35.

Away from parkruns, Jo Sharman completed her 87^th marathon at the Saturn Too’s Doughnut Dash along the River Nene Washlands in Northampton.  She finished the lapped event in a time of 6:12:00.  Meanwhile, Steph Attenborough completed her 101^st half-marathon at the same event, finishing in a time of 3:12:00. 

A quiet February weekend for the Peel Road Runners saw just three members in action, all in a local race, Rugeley 10 Miler. A popular, challenging ten‑mile road race held each year in mid‑February and hosted by Rugeley Runners. The course is a scenic but undulating route, set on quiet country lanes around Brereton and Longdon. The run features several climbs, including a short sharp hill at mile 1.3, rolling mid‑section, and tougher climbs such as Grange Hill around mile 7. The soggy conditions and undulating route was no deterrent for Roger Lloyd who crossed the line first in an impressive time of 01:25:38. Next home was Dan Bird in 137^th place (1:28:59) with Wayne Richardson snapping at his heels and achieving a time of 1:30:01.    

Despite the local park runs at Kingsbury and Tamworth once again being called off due to weather conditions 18 Peelers were in action having hunted out alternative locations. Closest to home were Wayne Richardson at Rosliston (26:22), Claire Guffick and Lee Guffick, 30:54 and 37:54 respectively at Conkers, and Mike Shelton (22:16), Ash Goodman (22:42), Garth Cox  (23:39), Sophie Galloway (28:35) and Stuart Hatton (29:35) at Beacon Park.

 Venturing further afield Rutland Water hosted Joanne Sharman 34:51 and Steph Attenborough 35:33, Ian Orton (38:46) and Emma Pick (46:19) visited Edgbaston Reservoir and Corby hosted Michael Hughes (27:35). Other Parkrun tourism included Tim Mudd (26:33) at Salcey Forest, Mark Boffey (26:46) and Jackie Tierney (28:49) at Hereford and Graham Lane (28:21) at Bury Field. Finally Jonathan Allen headed to the north east to take on Sewerby park run completing in a time of 28:53.

Peel Road Runners are a long‑established, friendly running club based in Tamworth, Staffordshire, welcoming runners of all abilities and also offering a walking group. The club prides itself on its welcoming atmosphere and strong community spirit, with members always happy to share knowledge and encourage newcomers. Regular club runs are held each Tuesday evening, meeting at the Skate Park in Tamworth Castle Grounds at 6:45pm for a 7pm start.

Despite all the rain over the last week, on Sunday, a dedicated group of Peelers took on the cross-country race at Boothorpe (Conkers).  Consisting of 2 Laps of the National Forest, runners completed approximately 5.5 miles, mostly on grassland with a small section of compacted paths.

In the women’s team, Sophie Galloway was the first Peeler to finish in a superb 28th place, followed by fantastic performances by Cheryl Flint in 43^rd and Sandra Ingram in 48th. Jackie Tierney completed the scoring in a strong 49th place. Following closely behind was Claire Guffick in 52nd place, Emma La Planche in 58th and Val Lawson in 59th place. First Peeler to complete for the men’s team was Wayne King in a brilliant 8th place, closely followed by Lee Rickards, also finishing in a fantastic 16th place. Luke Collins was next Peeler home in 59th place, followed by Wayne Richardson in 89th, James Payne in 94^th, Simon Gordon in 117^th and completing the scoring Mark Boffey in 118^th.  Following were Graham Line in 127^th and Lee Guffick in 137^th. 

With marathon training in full swing, Chris Bennett and Sammie Futrill decided that just running 17 miles wasn’t quite challenging enough they decided 15 of those miles should be the Cannock Chase 15-mile race. Chris and Sammie were bravely joined by Adrian Jelley, who also decided it was a good thing to do on a Sunday morning. With the weather fairies gracing us with rain every day of 2026 so far, an interesting (some would say awful) course was made even more challenging.

In true Peel fashion, they would not be discouraged and posted so more than respectable times. Adrian was first across the line in a time of 02:20:55; he was followed shortly after by Sammie with a time of 02:30:38, which was enough to secure Sammie the trophy for third female (well done). Rounding of the event for Peel was Chris in a time of 02:49:31. Well done to all three.

Taking place on the same tough muddy course, Gillian Jelley opted to take on the 10-mile distance and finished in a fantastic time of 01:59:54. Well done Gillian.

With many Parkruns cancelled last weekend due to flooding, Peelers travelled far and wide to find runs taking place.

At Beacon Park, the first Peeler back was Mark Shelton in (24:06), followed by Wayne Richardson (24:29), Sophie Galloway (24:37), Tracy Ford (25:44), and Amy Jones (28:20).

At Brueton Graham Lane finished in (27:41), at Brunswick Park Jonathan Allen finished in (27:14).  At Conkers Marcus Fairburn finished in (29:37), followed by Stuart Hatton in (30:31).

Travelling to Coronation Park, Roger Lloyd finished in (24:23), with Ian Orton finishing in (21:48) at Coventry.

Jacqueline Terney ventured to Crewe, finishing in (30:07), Garth Cox travelled to Oaklands, finishing in (25:57), and Michael Hughes travelled to Peron Playing Fields and finished in (30:03).

At Rushcliff,e Mark Boffey finished in (27:44), followed by Sarah Boffey in (36:39), and at Sutton Park, Ashley Goodman finished in (24:14).

Finally, travelling the furthest to Ekebergsletta in Oslo, Joanne Sharman finished in (58:56), followed by Stephanie Attenborough in (58:57).

Peelers Couch to 5k, Peel Road Runners Couch to 5k also starts on Tuesday, 10^th February, running for 9 weeks.  The group meets at Tamworth Castle Grounds Skate Park at 6.15 pm.  Come along and give it a try, details can be found at: www.peelroadrunners.co.uk

There were not many events this weekend, as many of the club’s runners put in the training miles as they work towards events coming up in March and April. We had one runner participate in the Warwick half-marathon, which starts and finishes at the racecourse. Ash Goodman finished in a very impressive 1:46:43.

Park run was the main focus for many on Saturday morning. Tamworth Castle Grounds saw the most Peel runners. Dan Bird (24:10) was followed by Wayne Richardson (25:35), Anne Whitby-Smith (26:27), Jonathan Allen (26:50), Marcus Fairburn (29:04), Jo Insley (34:06), Cheryl Flint (41:25), Allen King (55:44) and Chris Bennett (55:48).

Kingsbury Water Park was also popular with Phil Neale in 25:17, followed by Lorna Carlin (27:29), Tracy Ford (27:33), Sophie Galloway (27:44), Claire Guffick (32:08), Alison Upton (34:57), Lee Guffick (38:36) and Roger Eastaff (38:37).

Beacon Lichfield saw Mike Shelton finish in 21:18, Garth Cox (23:24) and Roger Lloyd (23:40). Graves saw Ian Orton finish in 24:12 with Michal Hughes in 46:43. Queenswood Country Park had Jo Sharman and Steph Attenborough completing the course at 59:54.

Other solo attendees were Graham Lane at Alvaston (27:09), Jacky Tierney at Clumber Park (32:55), Emma Pick at Rosliston (44:08), Mike Stevenson at Warwick Racecourse (42:35) and Simon Gordon at Woodhouse Moor in 26:27.

If you’d like to join us, we meet on Tuesday and Thursday evenings at 7 pm at the Skate Park in Castle Grounds. For more details, visit www.peelroadrunners.co.uk