The RUNdown - 16th June 2026
This week's news can be summed up by a quotation: ’It’s sticky in places but road shoes will suffice.'
The major event this week was undoubtedly a new race on our club championships calendar - the Pint and Pork Scratchings 5. It was an eventful race for many reasons with 47 Barrow Runners making the journey to Epperstone in Nottinghamshire. The sea of red, yellow and white was not quite enough to secure the 'best represented club' prize that Captain Mark Sadler so coveted (although he somehow ended up with a crate of beer anyway...). However, the club more than made up for being pipped at the post by Hucknall Harriers for the largest number of runners by claiming the top 3 positions thanks to fantastic runs by Harry O'Brien, Michael Cheverton and Ian Hawley. There was drama elsewhere with Kathy Robinson's unfortunate injury which thankfully didn't prevent her from enjoying a well-earned post-race drink (but not pork scratchings). She assures us it's nothing more than a rolled ankle and will be back running soon. Almost as dramatic was the consternation caused by the race director's pre-race message that 'road shoes would suffice' which resulted in a number of our runners foolishly donning carbon race shoes for what was effectively a soggy cross country race... Still, the route itself was a lovely climb through rolling hills and excellent food and drink made for a convivial atmosphere. Oh, and Danny Hall arrived at the start line just in the nick of time to a tremendous cheer, thanks in no small part to his support team.
Elsewhere, Liam and Fiona, enjoyed the popular Market Bosworth 5 (Fiona more than Liam, judging by the photo). Neil Humpage took part in the Lutterworth 5 miler around 'some flat country lanes' - presumably in road shoes. Speed queen Hollie Elliot blasted an impressive 5k time at the London 5000 as well as the P&PS5 AND found time for a quick parkrun. Ian Hawley and Mike Gunson were support runners for an impressive 22 mile leg of a Bob Graham 24 race in the Lake District. It rounded off a busy few days for Ian, after finishing 3rd in the P&PS5 and then spending most of the rest of the week laughing at people's shoe choices for the aforementioned CROSS COUNTRY run. It was also a busy week for Mark Sadler (when he wasn't downing spoils from the P&PS5) with yet another parkrun and the Charing 10k. Lorna Goodacre and boys Daniel and Adam took part in a 6km Wolf Run involving 'lots of mud, chest-high river crossing, monkey bars and jumping over walls and haystacks' which certainly sounds tougher than running a cross country race in road shoes. Our furthest afield run this week was by Adam Law who took 2nd place in the PVSC Conference Sun Run in New Orleans, usually 5k but this year a 4k.
In parkrun land, Alex Coleman continued his impressive comeback with a blistering first place finish at Watermead. Parkrun Queen Dawn Storer ticked off her 50th parkrun location on her 605th parkrun at Babbs Mills (for people who are interested in statistics, I can report that 449 of those 605 parkruns were at Conkers - clearly a creature of habit, our Dawn!). Our amazing juniors continue to impress. This week, it was Isla Appleyard's turn as she picked up a PB and finished first female at the Watermead Junior Parkrun.
Well done, all!
Barrow Runners Summer Championship (Race 3)
Pint and Pork Scratchings 5
67:06 Susan Wilson
Ashford Striders Charing 10k
Mark Sadler 50:34
Bob Graham 24 hour race, Lake District
Support leg 4&5 (22 miles)
Michael Gunson
London 5000
Hollie Elliot 19:13
Lutterworth 5 miler
Neil Humpage 36:34
Market Bosworth 5
Liam King 43:46
PVSV Sun Run, New Orleans 4km
Adam Law 15:58
Parkruns
Alvaston parkrun
Babbs Mill parkrun
Dawn Storer 00:23:48Beacon Hill Country Park parkrun
Michael Cheverton 00:17:25 1st overall! 1st male🥇Mats Vermeeren 00:24:46
Ian Robinson 00:24:58
Liam King 00:25:52
Lorna Goodacre 00:26:20
Poppy Ballantine 00:26:20
Rachel Bentley 00:26:23
David Goodacre 00:26:51
Roger Griffiths 00:27:07
Keith Dennison 00:27:41
Helen Taylor 00:27:51
Claire Dennison 00:28:01
Jonathan Reynolds 00:28:11
Liz Robinson 00:29:15
Danny Hall 00:41:14
Cheltenham parkrun
Greg Biddle 00:21:36Dishley parkrun, Loughborough
Jonathan Rashleigh 00:23:37Ian Boyd 00:27:59
Amanda Rashleigh 00:32:26
Carl Hughes 00:37:04
Edgbaston Reservoir parkrun
Steve Bramhall 00:25:47Europapark parkrun
Laura Browne 00:27:59Fulham Palace parkrun
Hollie Elliott 00:27:12Horsham parkrun
Ronald Muhumuza 00:25:09Inch Beach parkrun
Gill Elliott 00:32:09Kettering parkrun
Alexandra Hurford 00:28:29Newark parkrun
Nick Castle 00:18:14 2nd overall! 2nd male🥈Rachael Vatter 00:20:50 1st female 🥇
Pegwell Bay parkrun
Mark Sadler 00:23:21Rushcliffe parkrun
Matthew Wolloch 00:22:42Katie Alliband 00:28:14
Ben Morfitt 00:28:14
Sence Valley Forest Park parkrun
Bill Phillips 00:32:03Swansea Bay parkrun
Andrea Winkless 00:22:21 1st in age category 🥇Victoria Embankment parkrun, Nottingham
Chris Walker 00:20:50Luke Martin 00:24:41
Rebecca Chandler 00:25:37
Watermead Country Park parkrun
Martin Lewis 00:17:32 3rd overall and 3rd male 🥉
Vicky Elston 00:22:36
Ian Paramore 00:23:10
Caroline Abraham 00:32:49
Wimpole Estate parkrun
Katy Young 00:30:27Wollaton Hall parkrun
Rob Phillips 00:20:54Justine Albert 00:30:14
Watermead Park Junior parkrun
Viktor Vendyback 9:03
Niamh Kelly 10:04 PB
Rufus Bowles 10:25
Tilly Bowles 10:49