Category: Weekly round up

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

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.