Garden City Runners claimed individual and team honours across three races at the Hatfield 5k Series.
Garden City Runners and Racesonlines organised the series at Affinity Water’s headquarters. Each race attracted several hundred runners, most representing clubs.
The course wound through Hatfield’s business park. All three races were run in humid and windy conditions.
The first race doubled as the Senior Hertfordshire County Championships. Garden City Runners’ Emily Owen won silver.
The second race was the Veterans’ Championships. Garden City Runners’ men’s veterans’ team finished second. Chris Baylis, Adam Wadley, Richard Taylor and Rob Casserley counted as the team’s scoring runners.
The club’s women’s team finished third in the series. The team was made up of Owen, Caroline Hale and Felicity Wadley.
Owen also finished second overall in the individual series. Her fastest time was 17min 42sec.
Danny Figg was Garden City Runners’ fastest finisher in the series. His fastest time was 16min 43sec.
Hale won silver in the FV50 category and Martin Mitchell took bronze in the MV50 category.
The club will also donate running shoes, athletic clothing and £1,000 to Kit Aid. The charity sends running and sports equipment to children and adults in some of the world’s poorest countries.
Garden City Runners then competed in the Round Norfolk Relay for the 21st time.
The relay covers 198 miles around Norfolk’s border in 17 stages of varying lengths. The relay started at 6.30am on Saturday, with Garden City Runners finishing 28 hours, 27 minutes and 32 seconds later.
The team finished back at the 400-metre track in King’s Lynn, where the relay had started. Katharine Farrell, Chris McGurk and Thippawan Rashleigh managed the team throughout.
Brad Smith ran the sixth leg. He took part with his family, including his two young children, and combined the race with a weekend in Norfolk.
Smith met cycle supporter Babs in Cromer before taking the baton at the end of the fifth leg. He took a wrong turn soon after starting, following another runner past the turning behind the beach huts.
His watch showed he had already run farther than the route description said, so he realised his mistake. He turned back towards the lighthouse, losing about three minutes.
Supporters Laura, Linden and Bonnie waited near Mundersley as he finished the stage. Smith also visited the Coronation Hall cake shop, run by the local Women’s Institute branch.
Garden City Runners also fielded competitors in the Great North Run. The Prime Minister and celebrities including Sophie Rayworth and Chris Kamara attended the event.
Sofie took part in the event for the sixth time. She said the sun made the run hot, particularly during the first half and on the undulating sections.
She walked at times as she took in the atmosphere. The Red Arrows appeared at the start, while seeing Kamara during the run was a highlight for her. The club also reported large crowds at the start and finish.
In the final race, Daniel Pudner won in a personal best of 16 minutes 16 seconds, while Lizzie Parry won the women's race in 18 minutes 39 seconds.
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