Westbury Harriers Weekly News
Evening all,
Chunky newsletter to get stuck into – Congratulations to Raul and Zoe for receiving Members of the Month. If you would like to upgrade your club vest to an Elite Featherlight Ronhill vest, see details below. They’re very nice, and I’ll be getting one myself. Plus, we have the final deadline for the boat trip social event, last chance to add your name otherwise you’ve missed the boat!
Blaise Blazer wasn’t exactly giving summer vibes, more like monsoon vibes! Kudos to everyone who ran on Monday, I heard we had just over 200 runners and enough cake to feed everyone. Thanks to the Blaise Blazer team/Volunteers as always for organising it all. Gutted to have missed it, but I was in Leeds for a 3 day Up & Running company/brand trip event, but happy we could support the event with prize vouchers and spot prizes. From one Blaise event to the next, we have the Westbury Wipeout coming up soon – WE NEED YOU! See Alastair’s details below.
As well as race reports to catch up on, there are some key dates to add to the calendar; one being the Avon Road Relays on 30th Aug and some fun club champ races coming up this month and July.
Today, Hannah, Olivia and myself hosted our first Making Tracks event at the pavilion. The official launch kicked off with a lovely social run exploring the trails, followed by refreshments and group discussion focusing on different key points related to trail running. A positive and inspiring day with these awesome women, great to see a few WH come along too. Making Tracks is an informal Bristol-based mentoring community that aims to empower women and other marginalised genders to run more off-road. We’re really hoping to bring together experienced trail, fell and ultra runners of all ages and abilities along with those who are keen to try trail running for the first time or who would like to develop their confidence. Making Tracks is an initiative that has come to life, and we’re excited to see how it develops. Very proud of what we’ve created, and would love for you to share this group who may be interested in joining. You can follow us on: https://www.instagram.com/makingtracksbristol/
Thank you to the Committee and Pavilion Committee (and Kay) for allowing us to use the pavilion space.
Yvette
In this week’s newsletter:
- Club notices
- Training this week
- Race reports / results
- Upcoming races
1. Club Notices
MEMBERS OF THE MONTH – JUNE
Thank you to all the nominations we received this month. Please do continue to nominate people, when the monthly notifications get emailed.
SENIOR: Raul Santos Rodriguez
Raul is a fairly new member who joined us having been a track runner in his younger days, but never having run longer distances. He has been a regular attender on Mondays and Thursdays and has progressed quickly through the groups. He is now one of our quicker runners on these days. He has started racing and had a really strong run in the Bristol 10KM finishing in 39:10 and in the Blaise Blazer, finishing as our 3rd Westbury Male and therefore in the team that secured 2nd place.
JUNIOR: Zoe Hunt
Another new member, who achieved 48:30 at the Bristol 10KM and impressively won the under 20 category at the Blaise Blazer.
WESTBURY HARRIERS – RONHILL ELITE FEATHERLIGHT BONDED VEST
Last year Dan Summers kindly organised an order of a super light Westbury race vests. The ultra featherlight fabric weight is 80gsm.
We are looking to put in another custom order. The price is high (see below). The more we order the cheaper they are. I have 4 people so far interested, so hopefully we will have at least 5 to take the price down to £70. If you would like to order a vest please let Tamsin know by 16/06/26.
Size guide here (Same sizing as our usual vests). Please note these vests are non-returnable and are not subsidised by the club like our other race kit.
Pricing:
Below (5) £75.00 per vest including vat
(QTY:5) £70.00 per vest including vat
(QTY:12) £60.00 per vest including vat
(QTY:20) £50.00 per vest including vat
Up & Running stock the same style of vests, so you can check the sizing and how it fits in store!
YATE AC – TRACK RACING
As a Westbury Harrier member you can join our sister club Yate AC for free. As Westbury is registered for road and cross country disciplines only, for track we compete for Yate AC who are only registered for the track discipline. We have lots of members signing up for Masters event on Sunday 28th June at Yate. Enter here (have confirmed you can wear your Westbury for this one if you don’t have or don’t want to purchase a Yate one). Also some open events at SGS WISE (seniors, juniors and quadkids) 30th June – Avon AA Open Meeting https://www.entrycentral.com/festival/3657 and 1st September https://www.entrycentral.com/festival/3466
- To do this join Yate as Westbury associate member.
- Complete the other discipline form. This needs to be signed by a WH committee member/team manager and then sent to both Westbury and Yate membership secretaires (membership@westburyharriers.co.uk and yatemembership@outlook.com). You only need to complete this form once.
- You will then receive email communications about the athletic leagues Yate participate in – YDL, UDL, Avon T&F, Midland League and National Athletic League.
- Once registered you may want to check your power of 10 profile updates to show Westbury and Yate so your results show. Any issues email power of 10
BOAT TRIP (WITH FISH N CHIPS) – DEADLINE IS MONDAY 8TH JUNE!
For those who have paid their deposit, Sarah needs the balance of the money £14 per head please, plus £13.75 if you want fish and chips. There’s still time to sign up, but Sarah will need the full amount of £24 per head (plus £13.75 for food) by end of Monday.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED – The Westbury Wipeout, Monday 6th July
In order to put this event on, we need nearly 50 volunteers spread across marshalling the course, registration, setup etc.
Marshalls will be need to arrive at 18:30, and people on setup / registration 17:30.
All information regarding volunteer positions, timings and the information pack will be sent the week before the event.
Don’t forget, volunteers who have participated in at least one Club Championship race will receive 10 Club Championship Points for volunteering at each of the three events that we host each year!
If you are able to volunteer, please let Alastair know at volunteers@westburyharriers.co.uk
SAVE THE DATE – AVON ROAD RELAYS. SUNDAY 30TH AUGUST
Add this to your calendar, Bank Holiday Weekend at 11am. Location: Cleeve – Everyone welcome. We will be looking to field a range of teams Under 20, Senior and Masters age group. More details to follow soon.
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 – Yate Session:
Track at Yate
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.
4mins (90 secs recovery)
8 x 1min (1min recovery)
4mins (90secs recovery)
4mins @5-10k pace/effort
1min @3k pace/effort
*Option to reduce the 4mins to 3mins
3. RACE RESULTS/REPORTS
BLAISE BLAZER 2026 REPORT – A GREAT NIGHT’S RACING!
After all the recent sunshine it was a shame that the rain came down for the 2026 Up & Running Blaise Blazer, Monday 1st June, but it didn’t diminish the effort that everyone put in, and we had a fantastic night of racing with 205 runners completing the course. Whilst the overall course records remained intact two age group marks fell with Hannah Large (Westbury Harriers) lowering the Masters 35 time to 25:41 and Jaqueline Wynds (Forest of Dean AC) lowering the Masters 70 time to 41:33 – well done both.
The men’s race was won by Bristol & West AC’s Daniel Shepherd (22:37) followed closely by Westbury Harriers’ Magnus Gordon (22:50) and Bristol & West AC’s Thomas Dunford (22:57) rounding off the podium.
The women’s race was won by Westbury Harriers’ Hannah Large (25:41) who kept Miranda King (25:45) of Bristol & West AC just behind her with Katy Sutcliffe of GWR taking the final podium place.
The category wins went to the following:
U23 – Samuel Dechars (28:03) & Zoe Hunt (35:09) Westbury Harriers
M35 – Andrew Grigg (24:21) Bristol & West AC & Elaina Gard (26:42) Bristol & West AC
M45 – Henry Sly (25:04) Bristol & West AC & Alice Doggrell (30:20) GWR
M55 – Richard Noble (28:09) Bristol & West AC & Mary Gainsborough (35:41) Purbeck Runners
M65 – Nicholas Allen (33:57) Severn AC
M70 – Wilf Burke (34:45) & Jaqueline Wynds (41:33) Forest of Dean AC
Full race results can be found here.
Westbury Harriers Results – well done to our Westbury runners
2nd, Magnus GORDON, 22:50.6, Top 3
5th, Matt Cant, 24:03.0, Sen
14th, Hannah LARGE, 25:41.6, Top 3
32nd, Belinda DOW, 27:32.9, Sen
42nd, Raul SANTOS RODRIGUEZ, 28:10.7, V35
60th, Joseph FURBER, 29:39.3, Sen
64th, Adrian ALAMO, 30:12.8, Sen
65th, Richard GOODLEY, 30:16.0, V55
74th, Lorna MILLER, 30:56.2, Sen
75th, Elizabeth WOOD, 30:58.8, V35
76th, Paul TURNER, 30:59.1, V45
80th, Robin PHILLIPS, 31:22.1, V45
84th, Keziah Sheppard, 31:48.9, Sen
91st, Debbie HUNT, 32:22.1, V45
97th, Richard FINCH, 32:42.3, V55
98th, Trevor FITSALL, 32:43.4, V55
101st, Lucie MCNAIR, 32:57.1, V35
105th, Rosie DALY, 33:29.9, Sen
121st, Zoe HUNT, 35:09.3, U23
122nd, Jay HUNT, 35:09.8, U23
135th, Eve BLACKMORE, 37:07.0, V35
152nd, Suzie MARSHALL-SMITH, 39:20.9, V45
157th, Tim CARR, 40:08.3, V55
184th, Lyn JENKINS, 45:50.2, V70
193rd, Seema SRIVASTAVA, 39:06.4, V45
There’s also a team event where the first three male and first three women for a team crossing the line count. This year we had complete teams from Bristol & West AC, Westbury Harriers, GWR, Southville Running Club and Chippenham Harriers. Standing on the finish line it was clear that Bristol & West AC would be the team winners with all 6 of their athletes finishing in the top 25 overall. They were followed by home club Westbury Harriers (Magnus, Matt, Raul, Hannah, Belinda, Lorna) who just managed to edge out GWR. Full team results are on the results website.
The race wouldn’t happen without the full support of the club where we have an organising team setting things up for the night and then close to 50 volunteers on the night making sure the course is well marshalled. Thank-you to all our volunteers and cake bakers. What a lovely arrangement of homemade cakes we had which made up a little bit for the damp conditions.
Next year’s race will be on Monday, June 7th 2027 – get it in the diary. We have ordered sunshine!
The Blaise Blazer Organising Team (Geraint, Tamsin, Anneke, Vicky, Helen, Louise, Alastair)
RIDGEWAY CHASE
by Elizabeth Spence
Last Saturday I took part in the inaugural Ridgeway Chase 60k, which followed the Ridgeway footpath along the edge of the Chilterns from Ivinghoe Beacon to Wallingford. It was held on the same day as the well-established Ridgeway Challenge, which continues all the way to Avebury. Having enjoyed my first ultra (the Butcombe 50k) last year, I was looking for a small step up in distance and this route conveniently finished near my parents’ house so I could be scooped up and fed afterwards!
Training had gone well, so I was looking forward to testing my body over a new distance, and enjoying the views. Although the worst of the heatwave had passed, it was still a toasty 26°C by lunchtime so we kept our pace easy and refilled water and electrolytes at the aid stations, which were staffed by volunteers from local running clubs. My partner, Rory, and I ran together and we were pleased to finish in 7hrs 21mins – I was 4th female and 19th overall. It was a very supportive and well-organised event which I’d definitely recommend to others!
THE BADMINTON BOLT
by Mike Mewse
The Badminton Bolt is a scenic off-road 5K and 10K event with spectacular views of Badminton House. For this year’s event on Saturday 16th May there were some great prizes and superb food and drink. Some of our Westbury runners (and a guest !) got together and, led by Westbury’s Club Captain, Matt Cant, they represented Team Sprint Print (Yate) in the corporate challenge. Ben Rawlins just held off teammate Will Massey for a win with Macieg Bialagonski 3rd and 4th in the 5K event. Together they picked up the team prize, just ahead of Team FD Cummins. Olly Sheppard and Tom Peaston were 5th and 6th in a dominant performance by Westbury runners. Fiona Eatherington used her “Tuesday Track” speed to win the women’s 5K whilst there was further Westbury success in the 10K. Westbury’s Ash Allen, returning to form after a broken ankle, was winner of the men’s 10K and Georgie Pocock picked up her first women’s 10K title.
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:
Tuesday 9th June: Clevedon Midsummer 10k – Club Champs – https://clevedonac.co.uk/our-races/midsummer-10k-race/
Thursday 18th June: Thornbury 10k – Club Champs Thornbury Running Club
Friday 26th June: Beer and Banger 10k – https://www.stuweb.co.uk/race/3yS
Wednesday 8th July: Brean Banger – Club Champs Brean Banger | Burnham on Sea Harriers
Thursday 16th July: Purdown Pursuit (TACH) – Club Champs https://www.sientries.co.uk/event.php?event_id=17733
15% discount for Westbury Harriers at the Gravel & Grit Backyard Ultra May 1st 2027
https://www.gravelandgritevents.com/
Please send anything you might want to see in the newsletter to: communication@westburyharriers.co.uk
If anyone is on the 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: Yvette Casallas
