A busy week of record-breaking races and Park Run celebrities!
Races
Grittleton 10k
Grittleton 10k is a predominantly flat 1 lap circuit ideal for those aiming for a fast time.
Nia Glover 41:43
Elliot Gardiner 47:29
Nia: This is a great race, the route is mostly flat and fast along quiet lanes which made for perfect racing. We also had perfect weather conditions today. The I-Compete team always do a great job with good medals, Haribo snakes on the finish line and great supportive marshalls and pacers. I wanted to run it as a controlled tempo effort given also had the XC later in the day so a nice bonus to come in as second lady.
Elliot: I’ve been waiting to do this race for a while since they stopped organising it after the pandemic. So when they announced its return, I provisionally booked it for a PB attempt. Unfortunately as the full fitness isn’t quite back yet, I decided to just aim to beat my last 10K race time, and stuck with the 48 min pacer until the last mile, before testing the sprint finish 😅 Official chip time was 47.29, which was a minute faster than my last 10K, so I’m pleased with the progression, even if I’m still 4 mins off a PB! The attractive medal and the roast at the local pub afterwards were definitely worth the struggle up the hill at 8K!
Gloucestershire AAA Cross Country Race 1
This was the first race in the Gloucestershire AAA Cross Country league for the season. It was held at Tinkley Gate near Nympsfield.
(awaiting results)
Nia: For women our course was about 4 miles with one shorter lap and two larger laps incorporating the steep uphills and downhills. It was a fun course and we had brilliant turnout from RSE which made for a great afternoon
Paul: Thought it was a really good cross country course – twists and turns, ups and downs, good views – and the whole thing is getting even better by the hour! (I might have thought a bit differently about this if it had been raining and muddy). Great stuff by Jon – getting us out and doing it
Sharpness 4
The Sharpness 4 is a four- mile road race scheduled for October 12, 2025, in Sharpness, Gloucestershire. The race features a single undulating lap, mostly on quiet country lanes, with a climb of about 260 feet
Sue Navin 34:03
Sharon Smith 31.01
Liz Hulcup 33.47
Sue: The weather was good and the distance wasn’t too scary although I did fade a bit at the end.
Sharon: First 4 mile race ever and liked the distance. A pretty and varied undulating course with some rough gravelly tracks but mostly road. Broke the UK RECORD which was 31.36 set in 2023.
Liz: A new race from Dursley RC. Undulating/hilly in places but I enjoyed it. Pleased with my time and the added bonus of LV70/1 and a bottle of wine 🍷
London Royal Parks Half Marathon
The stunning 13.1-mile route takes in many of the capital’s world-famous landmarks on closed roads, and four of London’s eight Royal Parks – Hyde Park, The Green Park, St James’s Park and Kensington Gardens.
Katherine and Sylvia headed to London to race the Royal Parks Half Marathon.
Katherine “I have the RSE coaches , the 2024 new beginners gang , and the wider RSE club to thank!”
Oxford Half Marathon
A popular local half through the beautiful city of Oxford. The route begins in the city centre and passes through the stunning sites of Old Marston village, the River Cherwell, Oxford University’s impressive Lady Margaret Hall, before finally finishing on Parks Road.
Rebecca Southerington raced the Oxford Half with her sister.
Chicago Marathon
Jennie has finished the Chicago Marathon in 3.40. What a superstar!
ParkRuns
Cirencester Parkrun was the place to be this weekend with a stellar turnout from RSE. There were some key attractions:
- Paul Sinton-Hewitt (CBE), founder of the pakrun movement, undertook his first Cirencester parkrun. Fellow parkrunners were suitably starstruck!
- Sarah Burton sold her beautiful crafts, raising funds for the Royal British Legion 🎉
Further afield, Darren celebrated his 250th parkrun at Bolberry Down parkrun. Congratulations Darren!
🏃♂️ Hillsborough parkrun
Total participants: 683
| Position | Gender Position | Parkrunner | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 333 | 82 | Georgia MARCHINGTON | 00:28:40 |
🏃♂️ Cirencester parkrun
Total participants: 300
| Position | Gender Position | Parkrunner | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22 | 20 | Jon CAMPBELL | 00:21:55 |
| 30 | 27 | Oliver HAZEL | 00:22:15 |
| 35 | 32 | Paul BILLINGHURST | 00:22:39 |
| 68 | 54 | Phil NEWMAN | 00:24:41 |
| 81 | 62 | Alan POWDERHILL | 00:25:24 |
| 82 | 63 | Ben CHAPMAN | 00:25:31 |
| 102 | 80 | William COBBETT | 00:26:47 |
| 128 | 97 | Paul ROBERTSON | 00:27:44 |
| 152 | 108 | Phil SCOBLE | 00:28:18 |
| 155 | 35 | Samantha WARD | 00:28:32 |
| 158 | 36 | Cheri EDWARDS | 00:28:46 |
| 159 | 37 | Elaine CHAPMAN | 00:28:46 |
| 161 | 38 | Rachel SMITH | 00:28:47 |
| 189 | 50 | Sue NAVIN | 00:30:17 |
| 191 | 51 | Rachel WEAVER | 00:30:19 |
| 208 | 61 | Anne-Marie DAVIES | 00:31:32 |
| 209 | 62 | Maria YATES | 00:31:33 |
| 215 | 66 | Amanda BALL | 00:31:49 |
| 216 | 67 | Anne GARDINER | 00:32:01 |
🏃♂️ Bolberry Down parkrun
Total participants: 87
| Position | Gender Position | Parkrunner | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 19 | 16 | Darren JENNER | 00:24:22 |
| 64 | 19 | Felicity CROTTY | 00:30:33 |
🏃♂️ Fulwell Quarry parkrun
Total participants: 74
| Position | Gender Position | Parkrunner | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 48 | 12 | Naomi ALLEN | 00:30:29 |
Fire Service College Parkrun
Liz Hulcup – 54.35 (Tailwalker)
Early Bird Tickets – North Cerney Scamper 16th May 2026
Thankyou to all the wonderful RSE folk who have supported my Village ‘Fun’ Run in previous years.
Tickets have just gone live for 2026 (16th May), with a limited time offer early bird discount. Please do spread the word.
North Cerney Scamper 2026 – RaceNation
Thanks! Jess