Westbury Harriers Weekly News
Evening everyone,
I imagine many of you have enjoyed some lovely balloon spotting runs this weekend. A few important notices this week – don’t forget that this Saturday (15th), all WH members who volunteer or participate in Blaise parkrun will earn 10 club champs points, and also the club’s annual charity run is happening on Monday 24th August.
In this week’s newsletter:
- Club notices
- Training this week
- Race reports / results
- Upcoming races
1. CLUB NOTICES
CLUB CHARITY RUN – Monday 24th August
This year, our charity run evening will consist of a Monday evening run that will be quite similar to our usual routine. We ask everyone to wear club shirts or vests if they have them. We will run in a couple of combined groups so that we have the chance to meet with people we might not normally run with.
Whilst we ask people to book on using Run Together in the usual way, there is no charge for the run. Instead we ask you to make a donation to this year’s club charity which is St Peter’s Hospice.
After the run we encourage you to stay for drinks and cakes in the Clubhouse, again no charge but all donations to St Peter’s.
We always manage to get a lovely selection of cakes and we need your help again this year! Please can cakes be brought with you on the night, home baked cakes are always the most popular, but if you don’t have the talent or time then shop bought cakes are also appreciated as well!
Finally it would be great to have volunteers to help set out the cakes and make drinks, either after your run, or even better if you are not running and can help get everything ready for the runners when they return. Please email mark.andrews65@me.com if you are able to help.
St Peter’s is a great local charity, there won’t be many of us who haven’t been touched in some way by the work that they do, so please help us make the evening a success.
Here is the link to our Just Giving page: Hello! I’m fundraising for St Peter’s Hospice. Here’s my JustGiving page, if you’d like to donate. https://www.justgiving.com/page/sarah-andrews-5?utm_medium=FA&utm_source=WA
REMINDER – NEW CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP DATES
The next four Club Championship events are:
- Parkrun Participation, Saturday August 15th, 09:00, Blaise Castle. 10 points are awarded to all Westbury Harriers who participate or volunteer (parkrun or clubhouse). The Clubhouse will also be open this weekend. Please remember, points are for participation only; so please don’t get carried away racing between yourselves, parkrun is a run, not a race!
- Crook Peak Cake Race, Wednesday 19th August, 19:00. Entries are on the day only. We will usually head to the pub afterwards (food was available for pre-order last year!). It is a great event to socialise at afterwards, and there will be cake!
- Oldbury 10mile, Sunday 20th September, 10:30. The third and final race in the Thornbury Running Club Series that have been Club Championship events across two seasons! Definitely enter if completing the triad of (joining) medals is a necessity!
- Forest of Dean Autumn Half Marathon, Sunday 27th September, 10:00. Another long race, only one week after the Oldbury 10miler!
ACADEMY UPDATE
No academy training until Monday 14th Sept.
Summer running challenge:
In support of our club charity of the year all the Academy members have been challenged to complete a sponsored running challenge over the holidays.
You can read more/sponsor the team here
AVON ROAD RELAYS – SUNDAY 30TH AUGUST – Avon 5km Road Relays Championships 2026
10am start (Please note new start time of 10am and it is Bank Holiday Sunday)
Location: Cleeve, Bristol BS49 4PP
3 person teams: U20 men/women (must be 16 or over), senior women, V35/V45/V55/V65/V75 women, V50/V60/V70 men
4 person teams: senior men & V40 men
Cost: Free. This is a championship event so no charge, club pays the entry.
Teams: People will try to be accommodated into their age appropriate team but with relays we may need to move people about to ensure we have complete teams. Please sign up on RunTogether as early as possible so we know who we have as organising relay teams is always interesting (a slight headache!)
Suitable for: Everyone (16 years and over)
Team Managers for this event Women: Tamsin Men: Mike Mewse
This is an Avon championship road relay. Each person in a team runs a 5km circular route on local country lanes and paths. Westbury always have loads of teams at this event, so do come along and get involved it is always a fun and social morning. It is a great event local event, enjoyable and suitable for everyone. Held at the cricket club, where there is small children’s playground and plenty of space if you are bringing the family. We look to ensure everyone is included. From putting out competitive teams, welcoming new club members into a relay event and a great starting point for those who may not have run in a relay before. Don’t worry if you will have just come off holiday or won’t have done much running over the summer, it will be the same for everyone. It is good season starter. The organiser has put a team limit this year of 70 teams in total as the event is getting so popular, so early sign up again would be appreciated.
Reserve Runners: Always needed and welcomed, let the team manager know.
How to get involved: Sign up on RunTogether
Men’s Team
https://clubspark.englandathletics.org/WestburyHarriersRunningClub/Coaching/Summary/c3a2b594-f88a-4311-ac47-b16837243a13
Women’s Team
https://clubspark.englandathletics.org/WestburyHarriersRunningClub/Coaching/Summary/b17a0c9c-2944-4a33-b895-4f9fc24069c6
Any questions talk to a team manager at training or drop them a message.
UPCOMING BRISTOL RUNNING EVENTS
Wed 12th Aug: Ellis Brigham x Altra x Bristol Trails runners demo night testing new Olympus 7 trail shoe.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/ellis-brigham-run-club-x-altra-tickets-1994015681581?
Plus, Nations 5km launched by Esmee Gummer.
She’s taking a free 5k club to every city in the UK, arriving at each city on foot by running 5,000km to the 77 events over 99 days. She will be doing the Harbour loop with Bristol communities on Thurs 17th Sept at 7:30.
https://www.realbuzz.com/thenations5k?fbclid=PARlRTSATlnr1wZG9mAmZkaWQWUMJxKENFzXMbPf2LBnIlNlfMFzR5m2V4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkDzEyNDAyNDU3NDI4NzQxNAABp830_pLkxu8p7ribWXwCfh8dynUTwPfh2nLLC5Tde6OICacmZrc6fLn4bruH_aem_dUgYHNf4OM8WpKBKRTcK3Q
Black to the Trails – Sunday 11th October at Blaise Castle Estate The UK’s most ethnically diverse trail running event is coming to Bristol in October, with 1k, 5k and 10k races (and kids go free!) Seema from WH and Black Trail Runners is on the organising team and is in charge of the route which is exciting! It would be great to see lots of WH members there. Tickets available to buy now: https://www.blacktothetrails.co.uk/bristol
2. TRAINING THIS WEEK
MONDAY – Tempo Session:
Group runs from Blaise Castle Pavilion at 6.30pm. These are perfect sessions for a Tempo pace run. Equally there are plenty of groups available if you want a recovery or social run. Book via RunTogether.
TUESDAY – Track Session:
Track at Yate, 19:00
WEDNESDAY – Hill Session:
Adults, all abilities. Meet every Wednesday at 12pm, corner of Saville Road by the Downs. Sign up on RunTogether App.
THURSDAY – Interval Session:
7pm at Coombe Dingle Sports Complex.
HITT style session – series of bodyweight exercises and running intervals
3. RACE RESULTS/REPORTS
Y Domen Fawr fell race – 25th July
by Hannah Large
This was my first time running this 5.6 mile fell race starting in the Welsh valleys, in Cwm near Ebbw Vale. It consisted of a very steep initial climb, affectionately called the ‘Alpine climb’ – 800ft elevation in 0.3 miles. After that, there were about 5 miles of good running, looping around the hillside and up to the top of Y Domen Fawr, before hurtling back down the super steep climb. I really enjoyed the steep climb up but coming down the 40% gradient was a bit hairy. About halfway down, I could hear someone gaining on me and just leapt into the bracken in time to be passed by a man bum-sliding down at great speed. I did then follow his lead and successfully managed to slide down the steepest section on my bum, no doubt far quicker than had I tried to stay upright! All in all, it was a brilliant local race – only £5 to enter for WFRA members (or £7 otherwise) and very friendly. I was pleased to finish 1st female and 7th overall, only about 40 secs off the female course record, but lots of work needed on my descending skills! The South Wales fell races are really brilliant and very cheap to enter – all details here: https://www.welshfellrunnersassociation.org.uk/en/races A few of us from WH will be at the Waun Fach fell race on 6th September (7 miles) and at the Black Mountains fell race on 12th September (17 miles).
4. UPCOMING RACES / CLUB CHAMPS
A reminder that we have an events calendar on our website where you can keep track of dates for training, events and races. https://westburyharriers.co.uk/events/events-calendar
And club champ races here: Club Championship – Westbury Harriers
Other local races:
Wednesday 19th August : Crook Peak Cake Race, (CLUB CHAMPS) Entries are on the day only. Fellrunner — Wed 14 Aug 2024 — Crook Peak Cake Race
Sunday 6th September: Waun Fach Fell Race – https://welshfellrunnersassociation.org.uk/en/races/waun-fach-2026
Sunday 20th September: Oldbury 10miler (CLUB CHAMPS) Oldbury10 Mile – Thornbury Running Club
Sunday 27th September: Forest of Dean Autumn Half marathon. (CLUB CHAMPS) Forest of Dean Autumn Half Marathon
Sunday 27th September: Black Nore 10k https://www.fullonsport.com/event/black-nore-10km-2026/profile
Please send anything you might want to see in the newsletter to: communication@westburyharriers.co.uk
SOCIAL MEDIA:
WESTBURY HARRIERS FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/groups/westburyharriers/
WESTBURY HARRIERS INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/westbury_harriers/
If anyone is on Instagram, we would love for you to tag us, so we can share your posts/stories taking part in club events or other races!
Editor: Hannah Large
