Category Archives: Race Reports

Race Report – 18/01/2026

Dorney Lake Half Marathon

Dorney Lake is a purpose-built rowing venue near Windsor and was the host of the Olympic rowing events at London 2012. The half marathon features four flat loops around the northern edge of the lake, offering a fast, traffic-free course.

• Elaine Chapman: 1:57:42

My first half of the year. Attempting a half every month so this was January. I really enjoyed it. Was concerned that it was 4 laps but actually found that quite good and made it go a bit faster. It was very well organised especially since there was a lot going on – as well as the half there was a 5km, 10k, and 2 duathlons too. Not too busy, enough for a decent atmosphere plus flat as a pancake! Was delighted to get under 2 hours, it’s been a while, but have been most pleased with all the lovely messages from my amazing RSE Team mates 🙂

Ilmington 10k

Forming part of the Tempo Events Winter Series, the Ilmington 10k takes place in a small village near Shipston-on-Stour. The route includes the highest peak in Warwickshire, Larkstoke Hill, which sits at over 500ft high and includes a gradient of 8%, meaning the race is a real challenge. Runners are rewarded with a packet of Barry the Butchers sausages at the finish line!

• Liz Hulcup: 1:05:45

Parkruns

Lydiard parkrun

• Mark Garrett: 22:24

Torbay Velopark parkrun

• Darren Jenner: 23:27
• Felicity Crotty: 29:32

Thornbury parkrun

• Rachel Weaver: 32:59

Mile End parkrun

• Campbell McIlroy: 26:07

Cirencester parkrun

• Andy Cullen: 21:44
• Wayne Hewitt: 23:05
• Rebecca Southerington: 23:05 (2nd female!)
• Paul Billinghurst: 23:40
• Daniel Drayton: 25:00
• William Cobbett: 25:55
• Andy Sworn: 26:23
• Rachel Smith: 29:09
• Ben Mutlow: 29:36
• Paul Robertson: 29:44
• Alan Powderhill: 29:50
• Sylvia Warman: 36:55
• Julie Taylor: 40:30
• Sarah Booth: 40:31

Fire Service College parkrun

• Cheri Edwards: 28:01
• Liz Hulcup: 32:34

Tetbury Goods Shed parkrun

• David Barker: 21:18
• Vicki Mason: 29:25
• Phil Hudson: 49:51

Stratford Park parkrun, Stroud

• Sharon Smith: 27:16
• Elliot Gardiner: 28:10

Seven Fields parkrun

• Taryn Hancock: 34:54

Berkeley Green parkrun

• Jade Beaumont: 25:21

New Year’s Day Parkrun Cirencester – RSE Naked* Club Run!!

21 RSE runners turned out bright and early for Cirencester’s New Year’s Day parkrun at the RAU – which for an added thrill was to be run naked!!  *For clarity – this meant running without a watch, and aiming to run as close as possible to a self-predicted time relying only on instinctive pacing.  Congratulations go to Sue Navin who completed the course within one second of her predicted time!  Honarary mentions to Darren Jenner and Paul Robertson who missed their predictions by a still impressive 3 seconds, and to Abigail Ball and Alan Powderhill who achieved course PBs.  With many thanks to Carol Sworn and Sarah Reynolds for organising.   A good turnout and what a great start to the New Year for RSE!

Jon CAMPBELL                                    22:53

Mark FOYN                                          23:50

Paul BILLINGHURST                           24:13

Alan POWDERHILL                             24:41

Wayne HEWITT                                  24:44

Ben CHAPMAN                                   24:46

Daniel DRAYTON                                25:03

Jo WOOD                                             26:19

Phil HUDSON                                       26:52

Andy SWORN                                      27:18

Darren JENNER                                   27:27

Paul ROBERTSON                               27:27

Anne GARDINER                                 27:59

Sue NAVIN                                           28:01

Amanda BALL                                     30:40

Anne-Marie DAVIES                          30:41

Rachel WEAVER                                 31:36

Felicity CROTTY                                   32:10

Richard WOODSELL TAYLOR            33:37

Abigail BALL                                         37:34

Sylvia WARMAN                                 38:36

Jessica JAMES                                     40:46

Lix HULCUP                                       49:05

Parkruns 3rd January 2026

Parke parkrun

Darren JENNER                              00:26:26

Felicity CROTTY                              00:34:39

Cranleigh parkrun

Taryn HANCOCK                            00:36:12

Cirencester parkrun

Andy CULLEN                           00:21:25

Paul BILLINGHURST                00:23:27

Wayne HEWITT                       00:23:49

Paul ROBERTSON                    00:24:20

Richard SHARP                        00:24:40

Steve SANDERCOCK               00:25:35

Robert BAKER                          00:25:50

Andy SWORN                          00:27:15

Elaine CHAPMAN                    00:27:24

Jade BEAUMONT                    00:28:10

Rachel SMITH                          00:29:32

Vicki MASON                           00:29:41

Anne-Marie DAVIES               00:30:07

Rachel WEAVER                      00:30:36

Maria YATES                            00:31:23

Cheri EDWARDS                      00:36:53

Abigail BALL                             00:38:55

Fire Service College Parkrun

Lix HULCUP                              00:48:19

Hobsonville Point parkrun

Campbell MCILROY                00:21:14

Parkruns 27th December 2025

Cheltenham parkrun

Cheri EDWARDS                      00:27:11

Lydney parkrun

Rachel WEAVER                       00:31:13

Cirencester parkrun

A lot less mud than the week before!  – Monica Farthing

Andy CULLEN                                 00:21:42

Jon CAMPBELL                               00:22:04

Clare STICKNEY                              00:22:59

Paul BILLINGHURST                      00:23:50

Claire SHARP                                  00:24:43

Richard SHARP                               00:25:22

Steve SANDERCOCK                      00:25:53

Phil HUDSON                                  00:26:17

Robert BAKER                                00:26:29

Andy SWORN                                 00:26:30

Sue NAVIN                                      00:27:10

William COBBETT                          00:28:06

Jade BEAUMONT                          00:28:36

Alison BOOTH                                00:28:57

Carol SWORN                                 00:29:38

Rachel SMITH                                00:30:27

Vicki MASON                                  00:30:57

Amanda BALL                                00:31:10

Maria YATES                                  00:31:22

Monica FARTHING                      00:32:55

Lix HULCUP                                   00:51:25

Tetbury Goods Shed parkrun

Darren JENNER                              00:23:16

Felicity CROTTY                              00:29:32

King George V Playing Field parkrun, Cheltenham

Alan POWDERHILL                        00:26:19

Sandy Water parkrun

Sylvia WARMAN                            00:34:20

Frankston Nature Conservation Reserve parkrun

Campbell MCILROY                      00:24:27

Happy New Year all!  Some dates for your 2026 diary:

RSE Awards Evening Saturday 31st January at the Gateway, South Cerney – details on ‘RSE Info’ chat

North Cerney Scamper – 16th May  2026 – organised by club member Jess, it will also be a Club Championship race

Thanks for reading, Rachel

Race Report – 14/12/2025

Gloucestershire AAA Cross Country – Race 3 – University of Bath

This was the third installment of this season’s Gloucestershire XC league, where the fixture ran alongside the 4 Counties Championship (Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Somerset, Bristol). This meant that runners were eligible to be awarded county medals for their age categories within their respective home county. We currently don’t have any official results yet so watch this space!

XC consists of two different races for men <65 (roughly 10k) and men 65+ and women (roughly 4 miles). The race consists of loops of varying size depending on which race you’re in. This year the course was fairly dry with not too much mud (surprising considering all the rain we have had) and we had good weather conditions if you ignored the nasty headwind from the east. XC is always hard work but great fun, with good team camaraderie and a different sort of running challenge – you tend to run to feel rather than your watch, which is a refreshing change from chasing a time on road races.

Today we had a full women’s team but sadly two slightly depleted men’s and men’s masters teams due to injury and illness. Nevertheless a brilliant performance from RSE runners! The next fixture is at Pittville in Cheltenham and is a Club Championship race for 2026. I’d recommend giving it a go even if you haven’t run XC before (it’s weirdly fun I promise!) – it would be great to get 3 full teams representing the club. Feel free to join the Whatsapp group if you are interested or have any questions.

This XC race was held on a large sloping field next to Bath University. The weather was kind and  conditions underfoot were good. The race was challenging though, with 4 long uphill legs, sapping the strength and making it a survival run to the finish. Had a good sprint at the finish with Paul Beaumont! Very enjoyable outing – Steve

Less muddy than last year. They were concerned that they didn’t have volunteers but it seemed well organised and managed to me. Good to see RSE runners taking part. Hopefully be even more at Pittville! – Paul

Todays cross country was the 3rd in the series. I’ve managed to get to all 3 so knew what to expect a bit more and was prepared with spikes!! After a quick downhill start it was a slow pull up to the top where the wind added to the fun. It was a 3 loop course with a extra section through the middle on the last loop just when you didn’t need it!!! I survived and managed somewhere around 33 mins ish which I was pleased with. It’s a very friendly chilled atmosphere and you do feel a sense of achievement when you’ve finished. The last race is Pittville Park on 14th February which people describe as similar to Cirencester parkrun with added water so why not dip your toes into cross country as it’s also a club run. – Claire

Westonbirt House Christmas 10k

This ever-popular sell-out race takes place at Westonbirt House, following two loops of quiet country lanes. Some runners dress up for Christmas which makes for some fun festivities and are rewarded with an impressive snow globe medal at the end. This year three RSE runners tackled the course with some fantastic times and PBs!

• Anne-Marie Davies: 1:00:59
• Helen Cue: 1:07:55 – huge 11 minute PB!
• Sylvia Warman: 1:11:17

Great event with some superb outfits and lovely to see some RSE faces. Beat my time from last year by over a minute so pretty happy. Even saw the King drive by at the end of the 1st lap – Anne-Marie

Always a great event. Pleasant route with great support. And a very Christmasey medal. Pleased with my time given how little running I’m managed recently. – Sylvia

Parkruns

Cirencester parkrun

• Andy Cullen: 22:21
• Jon Campbell: 22:33
• William Cobbett: 27:42
• Daniel Drayton: 29:35
• Jade Beaumont: 30:00
• Rachel Smith: 30:40
• Samantha Ward: 30:57

Warwick Racecourse parkrun

• Felicity Crotty: 30:45

Central parkrun, Plymouth

• Darren Jenner: 24:34

Marine Parade parkrun

• Vicki Mason: 28:08

Battersea parkrun

• Campbell McIlroy: 20:26

Stratford-upon-Avon parkrun

• Liz Hulcup: 28:09

Save the date!

RSE Annual Awards evening: Saturday 31st January at The Gateway Centre (South Cerney)

Angkor Half Marathon  –  7th December 2025

The Angkor Wat Half Marathon must be as impressive as it sounds, offering the unique experience of running through the UNESCO World Heritage Angkor Archaeological Park in Siem Reap, Cambodia.  The site extends to 400 sq km, containing magnificent remains of ancient buildings and temples amongst the forest. The event features a variety of categories — Half Marathon, 10km, 5km, 3km, and Kids Run—making it appealing to beginners and seasoned runners alike. It also serves as a charity initiative, supporting a ban on the manufacture and inhumane use of antipersonnel mines. Entry fees help provide prosthetic limbs, fund social reintegration programs, and support programs for education and prevention of HIV/AIDS.  Sarah Reynolds was lucky enough to be in the vicinity and took the opportunity to take part in what must have been a truly memorable experience!

I’ve been building up my miles for months since injury and decided that my one and only half marathon in 2025 should be a special one. So I flew to Cambodia, where I lived 10 years ago, and took part in the Angkor Half. We started in the dark at 5.30am and ran past amazing temples and ruins. Considering the heat and very limited running this year, I’m delighted with my time and would recommend this race to everyone!        – Sarah

Sarah Reynolds  02:06:12

Castle Combe Chilly 10k  –  7th December 2025

Following a successful event last year, the Christmas Chilly 10k organised by DB Max returned again to Castle Coombe race circuit.  Promising an appearance by Father Christmas himself, Christmas music, mince pies, mulled wine, and prizes for the best Christmas fancy dress outfits, the event is well set up to provide plenty of festive fun!  It’s a family friendly affair with participants in the 10k offered a free entry to the ChrisMax Mile which can be gifted to your child.  The event has great PB potential on the smooth, fast flat track – if you’re not held back too much by your Santa suit!

There’s something about this race that seems to attract really horrible weather conditions so really happy to have got a 10k PB whilst dodging all the puddles! It’s really well organised with a nice flashing medal. There’s also a 1 mile race where the kids can chase Santa as well!       – Jade

Jade Beaumont  00:54:45

Muddy Mince Pie Run  –  7th December 2025

Not a race, but a fun local festive event that three of our members launched into with muddy gusto!  The photos were too good not to include 🙂

Myself (as a Bourton second claim runner), Cathy and Sarah were invited by Bourton Road Runners to join them on their muddy mince pie run. The run was an approximate 10k across fields, bridges and muddy water crossings with the aim of finishing up as muddy as possible. We then washed our shoes in the river at Bourton by the Christmas tree.
This was followed by a friendly social with mince pie.
A fun festive event that we thought you might like to hear about.      – Linda

Parkruns 06/12/25

Lydiard parkrun

Anne GARDINER                          00:27:07

Anne-Marie DAVIES                     00:29:35

Hampstead Heath parkrun

Jenny HOFFMANN                        00:36:46

Newent parkrun

Cheri EDWARDS                            00:28:21

Chipping Sodbury parkrun

Vicki MASON                               00:28:23

Cirencester parkrun

Jon CAMPBELL                              00:21:47

Andy CULLEN                                 00:22:00

Paul BILLINGHURST                      00:24:20

Phil HUDSON                                 00:24:38

Claire SHARP                                 00:25:36

Steve SANDERCOCK                    00:26:24

Andy SWORN                                00:26:56

Paul BEAUMONT                           00:27:27

Paul ROBERTSON                          00:33:13

Central parkrun, Plymouth

Darren JENNER                          00:25:13

Felicity CROTTY                         00:31:22

Battersea parkrun

Campbell MCILROY                      00:21:10

Fordingbridge Recreation Ground parkrun

Sylvia WARMAN                            00:38:37

Save the date:

RSE Annual Awards evening. Saturday 31st January at The Gateway Centre (South Cerney) – transport will be provided.

Thanks for reading, Rachel 🙂