Members of Peel Road Runners travelled to the Equinox24 endurance festival at Belvoir Castle on 19-20 September, joining hundreds of runners from across the country in one of the UK’s most popular 24-hour running events. The challenge sees competitors complete as many laps as possible of a demanding 10km mixed-terrain course, running through the day, the night and into the following morning, starting with a ‘Beer Run’ fancy dress on the Friday evening.
The club enjoyed a superb weekend, with runners taking on the challenge in the true Peel Road spirit, demonstrating determination, resilience and plenty of teamwork around the clock. Leading the way for the club were Sophie Galloway, Tracy Ford, Martin Holloway, Mark Boffey and Lisa Barnes, who each completed an impressive 10 laps, covering a remarkable 100 kilometres over the course of the event. Gemma Pritchard and Billy King also delivered a fantastic performance, completing 8 laps and accumulating 80 kilometres on the challenging route. Completing 6 laps apiece were Helen Dempsey, Neal Dempsey, and Allen King, each covering approximately 60 kilometres during the event. Helen and Neal were entered as a pair, coming 20th out of 35 in the mixed pairs. Strong performances also came from Carolyne Browne, Chris Bennett and Tim Mudd, who each completed 5 laps. Meanwhile, Roger Longstaff, Claire Guffick and Lee Guffick each completed 4 laps, while Wendy Bowyer finished 3 laps, with all runners showing tremendous determination to keep going on the demanding course.
Tamworth BDSL 5 mile run
Peel Road Runners were also out in force and produced a series of strong performances at the Tamworth BDSL 5-Mile Race on Sunday 19th September, with club members enjoying success across the field in the popular road race. On a day that provided excellent racing conditions, runners from across the region gathered to test themselves over the five-mile BDSL distance hosted by Tamworth Athletics Club.
Leading the club home was Ian Orton, who clocked an excellent 35 minutes 44 seconds. Close behind was Wayne Richardson, with a time of 37:43. Katie Stretton crossing the line in 39:15, narrowly ahead of Lisa Stretton, who recorded 39:35. Followed by Lorna Carlin finished in 40:01, closely followed by Simon Gordon in 40:59. Sandra Ingram completed the course in 50:18, while Helen Manton finished in 51:29, Dave Fern rounded off the club’s contingent with a time of 54:18.
Tissington Trail Half Marathon
A group of Peel Road Runners headed to Derbyshire on Sunday 20 September to take part in the popular Tissington Trail Half Marathon, enjoying a day of trail running through some of the Peak District’s most picturesque countryside. The event, which follows the former railway line along the Tissington Trail, provided runners with a rewarding 13.1-mile challenge and saw Peel Road members deliver a series of determined performances.
Leading the club home was Sam Cart, who produced an outstanding run to finish in 1 hour 52 minutes 27 seconds, securing a well-deserved personal best. Next across the line for Peel Road Runners was Emma Whorwood, who completed the course in 2:18:25, followed closely by Emma Petricca in 2:21:44. There was another excellent performance from Kelly Sippitts, who crossed the finish line in 2:29:05, followed by Alison Upton in 2:32:15.
Copenhagen Super Half Marathon
Travelling further afield, Peel Road Runners, Joanne Sharman and Stephanie Attenborough were among thousands of runners from around the globe who took to the streets of Denmark’s capital for the Copenhagen Half Marathon on Sunday, 20 September.
The 2026 event was particularly special, forming part of the World Athletics Road Running Championships Copenhagen 26, which welcomed elite athletes and recreational runners alike to compete on one of the world’s fastest and most prestigious half marathon courses. More than 65,000 runners were expected to take part in the championship weekend across the various race distances.
Renowned for its flat, fast route and incredible spectator support, the half marathon takes runners through Copenhagen’s historic streets and vibrant neighbourhoods before finishing in the heart of the Danish capital. The race has established itself as one of Europe’s premier road running events and regularly attracts runners seeking personal best performances.
Jo completed the course in 2:22:14, followed by Steph in 2:55:37.
Parkrun Events
Members of Peel Road Runners were also in action across the country and beyond on Saturday 19 September, with club runners taking part in no fewer than 15 different parkrun events.
The standout performance of the weekend came from Emma Pick, who produced a superb run at Melton Mowbray parkrun, finishing 3rd overall and claiming the accolade of first female finisher in an impressive time of 20:46.
Another strong performance came from Ian Orton, who finished 24th overall at Beacon parkrun in 22:01, while Wayne Richardson was the club’s next fastest runner of the day, clocking 24:04 at Rosliston parkrun to secure 40th position.
At Conkers parkrun, Katherine Bradley finished in 24:44, finishing 54th overall and fourth female, while Roger Lloyd completed the course in 26:25.
The club had a particularly strong presence at Kingsbury Water parkrun, where Samantha Futrill led Peel Road home in 26:04. Close behind, Katie Stretton and Lisa Stretton crossed the finish line together in 26:16. Also representing the club were Alison Perry in 36:48 and Nicola Bannister in 37:14.
Elsewhere, Garth Cox recorded 26:20 at Ashbourne Recreation Ground parkrun, while Graham Lane completed the challenging Eden Project parkrun course in 27:12.
At Tamworth Castle Grounds parkrun, Peel Road runners were again well represented. Lydia Trenfield led the club contingent with 27:05, followed by Darren Truman in 27:29, Cheryl Flint in 29:04 and Robert Donovan in 36:23.
Further afield, Ben Dorkins completed Great Yarmouth North Beach parkrun in 28:13, while Owen Slater ran 28:58 at Cannock Chase parkrun. Chris Taylor finished University of Northampton parkrun in 33:20, and Jacqueline Tierney recorded 34:30 at Perton Playing Fields parkrun.
Two Peel Road members were among the large field at Amager Fælled parkrun in Copenhagen, with Joanne Sharman finishing in 31:58 and Stephanie Attenborough completing the course in 59:37.
Meanwhile, Tim Mudd and Tracy Ford took on the scenic Belvoir Castle parkrun, recording times of 38:19 and 54:22 respectively, while Athena Mansell represented the club at Cheltenham parkrun, finishing in 50:21.
Rounding off the weekend’s performances was Jo Bovington, who completed Rosliston parkrun in a commendable 28:15.
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, details can be found at: www.peelroadrunners.co.uk