While 2023 continues to crank up the intensity and number of events, Garden City Runners took a moment to reflect on a fabulous 2022 with their annual awards night.

Held at the Homestead Court Hotel in WGC, the club celebrated not only some fine results, but also their 40th anniversary and the return of their flagship race, the Welwyn 10k, after COVID-19 cancellations.

They also announced that anniversary events and club races raised more than £8,000 for charity.

Welwyn Hatfield Times: Some of the male award winners. Picture: GCRSome of the male award winners. Picture: GCR (Image: Garden City Runners)

Russell Morris was one of the big winners on the night, claiming most improved male as well as club runner of the year.

Helen Stafford was the most improved female while she was also the winner of the female category in the club's first champions league event, Peter Harvey winning for the men.

Richard Somerset and Sophie Packman won the club's Avery Trophy.

Men Peter Harvey led the men home in the club championship ahead of Daniel Pudner and Steve Ellerd-Elliot.

Peter Jasko (MV40), Somerset (MV50), Dave Desborough (MV60) and Jim Davis (MV70) were the category winners.

Stafford took the women's title ahead of Rebecca Barden and Packman while Caroline Griffin (FV40), Maggie Wright (FV50) and Veronica Shadbolt (FV60) took the age-group honours.

Among the other awards was a big win for Sidney Valentine, named club member of the year.

Gail Munro was the star beginner, Louise Quantick the most improved beginner with the most promising new female member named as Clare Grover.

The most promising new male member prize was shared between Benji Carr and vet Roger Adey.

 

Juliet Vine took two prizes, the award for excellence and the representation award, while the award for achievement went to Rob Casserley.

Running Community Award Louise Smith Mark Ashworth and Rachael Everard were winners of the running community award and Alan Donovan, Andy Newbury and Helen Paine were named lifetime members.

Some of the club were still in action at the weekend despite the festivities.

Chris Jones ran the Surrey Half Marathon in Woking, an event held over fully-closed roads.

And he clocked a PB of one hour 18 minutes 32 seconds to finish 61st overall.

There were 76 involved in Saturday morning parkruns too, the most notable of which saw Willow Gibson and Samantha Hastie travel to Krakow in Poland for the Zielony Jar Parkrun, a newer event on the circuit.

And in a field predominantly filled with parkrun tourists, they finished in 35:24 and 35:45 respectively.

 

The event also saw Hastie complete the parkrun alphabet.