After a two-year hiatus, Garden City Runners were delighted to hold their flagship club event, the Welwyn 10k, on Sunday as part of the Welwyn Festival.
The race attracted over 400 entrants from across Hertfordshire and beyond, raising around £5000 for local charities, with Sam Pedley (Bishop's Stotford RC) first male home in 34.20 and Megan Zoe Walker (St Albans Striders) first female in 38.13.
The event also hosted the Herts County Championships 10k, which saw Garden City Runners take home the male team award and St Albans Striders the female team award. Prizes were handed out by Janice O’Donnell, representing long-standing event sponsor HRJ Foreman Laws Solicitors.
The route, starting on the Singlers Marsh nature reserve, took in the length of Welwyn village High Street with its cheering spectators, before tackling the infamous gradient of White Hill. Runners then enjoyed a scenic lap out to Ayot St Peter before returning to Singlers Marsh for the finish, but not without tackling one final short, sharp climb in the final kilometre.
Mark Ashworth, Welwyn 10K Race Director, said: "Thank you to everyone who ran, volunteered, or encouraged and supported the Welwyn 10k this year – and congratulations to all our finishers! We are absolutely delighted to have raised so much to support local charities, and are grateful for the ongoing support of the Welwyn community for our event.”
The charities that will benefit from this year’s event include the Welwyn Festival chosen charities Herts Young Homeless, Isabel Hospice, Herts Domestic Abuse Helpline and Digswell Nature Reserve. Garden City Runner’s chosen charity this year is Essex and Herts Air Ambulance (EHAA), who provide vital support to the running community.
A cake sale and raffle, with prizes kindly donated by local businesses including Little Orchard Greengrocer, Natural Health and Kinetic Cycles, helped boost fundraising efforts on the day.
Charlotte Evans, Herts Fundraising Co-ordinator for EHAA, added: "Thank you to Garden City Runners for selecting EHAA as your chosen charity. The service relies entirely on fundraising efforts to operate, and we are extremely lucky to have wonderful supporters like you."
As part of Garden City Runners 40th anniversary celebrations, this year’s finishers t-shirt, supported by our sponsors and bespoke property developers Netherdown, featured a one-off anniversary design. In addition, a £120 gift voucher to local running shop, Well Run Sports in Hitchin, was gifted to the 240th finisher, Melanie King, Garden City Runners, kindly supported by our sponsor sustainable building materials supplier Tarmac.
GCR club chair Jane Molloy said: "It was fantastic to be back on Singler’s Marsh for a proper race day. The Welwyn 10K was such a great opportunity to celebrate everything we’ve been through as a running community and what a start to our club’s 40th anniversary celebrations!
"It was particularly great to be joined by so many casual and non-club runners, whom we hope to have inspired to join us at Garden City Runners or our neighbouring clubs in the future."
Full results and event photos courtesy of photographer Brad Smith (bradsmith.co.uk) will be available on the Welwyn 10K Facebook page and gardencityrunners.org.uk, along with information about the club, including details of regular training sessions and Entry to Running courses.
Garden City Runners thanked residents of Welwyn for their ongoing support and accommodation of their charity event, alongside principal sponsors HRJ Foreman Laws Solicitors, Tarmac and Netherdown and supporting organisations Sherrardswood School, Printed Easy, Little Orchard Greengrocer, Complete Plant Hire, East Coast Highways, Races Online, Brad Smith Photographer, Well Run Sports, The Osteopath Centre, Kinetic Cycles and Natural Health.
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