HRR 40th ANNIVERSARY 5K and BBQ
What a fantastic evening we had on Wednesday as we celebrated the 40th anniversary of Halstead Road Runners! It was brilliant to see such a strong turnout, with both long-standing members, new faces and past members coming together to mark this special occasion. The evening featured the final 5K race of our annual Summer Series—and what better way to wrap it up than by running together, then enjoying a BBQ, cake, and plenty of conversation. A big thank you to The Chequers Pub in Great Tey for kindly hosting us and an even bigger thank you to Lorraine for the delicious cake. Running has always been more than just a sport—it’s a powerful way to connect people. It brings together individuals from all walks of life with a shared passion for setting goals, pushing limits and supporting one another.
Events like these remind us of the friendships forged on early morning runs, training sessions, and finish lines over the decades. It was especially heartwarming to welcome back so many former members alongside our current runners. Looking ahead, we’re excited to continue the 40th anniversary celebrations at our Annual Awards Night this September. We’ll be gathering at Gosfield Golf Club for a special evening of dinner, awards, and dancing. We warmly invite all past and present members to join us— looking forward to seeing many of you there.
ROAD AND TRAIL
This weekend we saw club runners take on two contrasting events: the fast-paced Ipswich Twilight 10K and the self-navigated Hatfield Peverel Trail Half Marathon.
IPSWICH TWILIGHT 10K
A warm summer evening saw runners take to the streets of Ipswich for the ever-popular Twilight 10K on Friday, a well-supported town-centre race on closed roads, starting and finishing at Ipswich Town FC. Despite soaring temperatures, our runners embraced the challenge and delivered great performances. Gary Wiles returned to the event where he ran his very first official race just a year ago, this time finishing in a strong 57:43. Gary was pleased to be back—albeit in even hotter conditions than last year! It was great to see Jody Smith back, crossing the line in a strong 1:01:16. Jenny Smith made a welcome return to racing after a long recovery from injury in March.
Setting herself a target of 70 minutes, she was delighted with her final time of 1:04. 33 and to be back out on the start line. Katie De Bourcier took on the 10K after spectating in 2024, completing it in 1:13:39. She was pleased with her performance, especially having pushed hard just a few days earlier at the Great Tey 5K.
HATFIELD PEVERAL TRAIL HALF MARATHON
Over at the Hatfield Peverel Trail Half Marathon on Sunday, runners faced a self-navigated course, mixed terrain, and a touch of rain.Keely Jordan impressed with a sub-2-hour finish, navigating the course confidently. Caroliena Cameron followed with a solid performance, completing the race in 2:21.
Well done to all!
