Westbury Harriers Weekly News
Hello and welcome,
I hope this newsletter finds you well. This Thursday sees the next Club championship taking place at the Weston Prom 5 miler. So if you’re free and feel like racing make sure to sign up, link will be posted below. Talking of racing our senior women shone at the Midland Road relay champs, a full race report will follow but I can tell you now they won silver. Incredible work! We have a great race report from Ian Gawinowski (from the Copenhagen half) and the usual club admin to get across.
So let’s get stuck in.
In this week’s newsletter:
1. Club notices
2. Training this week
3. Race reports / results
4. Upcoming races
1. CLUB NOTICES
Club Championship this Thursday!
Make sure to sign up for the Weston prom 5 miler here The Dave Jones Prom Run Series – Weston Athletic Club
5 pancake flat miles along the Weston seafront.
Run and talk week
Get ready for #RunAndTalk 2025 – England Athletics
On Monday 6th October as part of national run and talk week, we will be hosting a run and talk event from Coombe dingle on Monday night. Runners from outside of the club can sign up for a run and a chat. This is all in aid of mental well being, so lets all get behind it!
Brookes trainer trial
If you’re not racing Thursday night then we have a Brooks trainer trial at Coombe Dingle intervals. So you can grab a shiny pair of trainers and see how they handle. Arrive early to grab some trainers for a 7pm start.
MONDAY TRAINING GROUPS
*REMINDER: ALL GROUPS ARE NOW BACK AT COOMBE DINGLE ON A MONDAY NIGHT*
As the nights start to draw in, please do get your high-viz and head/body torches ready.
REMINDER OF GWENT LEAGUE DATES
This is our main cross-country team event. Suitable for all club members, all ages, all abilities. We have people running from groups 2-6 regularly. We do well as we turn out on mass. Everyone scores for the team, individually and for their age group. We want FULL teams in each age group. Cost is £5 + admin fee per race, payable via RunTogether. If you think running around a field in a slightly soggy part of Wales is not fun, think again! It is fabulous fun! Running can be quite an individual sport, but this is really where it comes together as a team and a club with a great atmosphere. The first event usually eases us in gently as the weather is usually kind. Do come and give a Gwent League a go, whether you can do one race in the season, or all five, whatever your contribution it really does help.
Gwent League dates 2025/2026 season
Saturday, October 11th 2025 Margam Park
Saturday, November 8th 2025 Cardiff in conjunction with Cross Challenge
Saturday, December 6th 2025 Blaise Castle
Saturday, February 7th 2026 Chepstow Race Course
Saturday, February 28th 2026 Parc Bryn Bach
REMINDER: Junior Training Subs
As the new term starts, there remain a number of athletes whose training subs for this term remain outstanding. Every junior member has been sent an email requesting payment. Subs are payable via the online store (https://membermojo.co.uk/westburyharriers/store). You should select Autumn Term 1 2025/26 Junior member training fees. The subs remain £20 for the whole term, and covers all sessions (Mondays/Thursdays) at Coombe Dingle. Yate track sessions are payable separately as this is a fee charged by Yate and District AC. We will be monitoring attendance and confirming that subs have been paid. Thanks everyone!
If you can’t make the club champs in Weston this Thursday then Brookes are bringing
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TRAINING THIS WEEK
MONDAY – Tempo Session:
Group runs from Coombe Dingle sports complex 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 session at Yate 7pm – Seniors book on via RunTogether App.
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:
Coombe dingle sports complex, on grass at 7pm.
5 min effort @10k pace/2 min recovery (6 x 90s/1 min recovery @5k pace)
5 min @ 10k pace to finish
*option to drop 5 mins to 4 mins.
3. RACE REPORTS
Copenhagen Half Marathon 14th September 2025
by Ian Gawinowski
The Copenhagen Half Marathon marked its 10th anniversary last Sunday, with over 32,000 runners taking on the fast, flat course through the city. The cool, overcast, and rainy conditions were perfect for achieving quick times, though not the best for the spectators lining the streets.
Copenhagen is one of six races in the SuperHalf series. The previous event was in Berlin, where we had a great turnout from the club. Unfortunately, the Copenhagen spots filled up faster than Glastonbury tickets, leaving only me and Fliss Russell with successful entries. That said, there were still plenty of local clubs represented, and I saw runners from Chepstow Harriers to Southville Running Club at the starting line.
The winner was Nicolas Kipkorir from Kenya, who, despite taking a fall due to the slippery roads, still crossed the finish line in 58:22. The fastest woman was Likina Amebaw from Ethiopia, who set a new personal best of 1:04:44.
A little further back, I finished in 1:25:00, with Fliss crossing the line in 2:00:58 (18th in her age group).
With just Prague and Valencia remaining, I’ll soon be able to claim my SuperMedal to complete the series!
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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
Avon Cross Country Championships
Sunday 14th December 2025 Bath University
Held in conjunction with the Gloucestershire Cross Country league fixture. Suitable for all. Has age category prizes.
South West Cross Country Championships
Date not yet available – usually first weekend in January (2026)
More suitable for those who run in groups 1-3.
English National Cross Country Championships
Saturday 21st February 206 – East Park, Segefield, County Durham.
Suitable for all ages and abilities. It is an en mass celebration of running – fantastic fun and always a true cross-country course (slightly challenging but totally doable!).
Midland 6/12 stage Spring Road relays
March 2026 date not yet available
Masters Road Relays
Saturday 25th October 2025 – British Master Cross Country Relays
2026 British Masters Road Relay championships – date not yet confirmed
Other local races;
Thursday 25th September – Weston Prom 5 miler (Club champs) The Dave Jones Prom Run Series – Weston Athletic Club
Saturday 27th September – Beat the Beacons, Beat the Beacons – Beat the Beacons
Saturday 27th September – Maverick Original Mendips: https://www.maverick-race.com/products/the-maverick-original-mendips-2025
Sunday 28th September – Forest of Dean Autumn Half marathon: https://www.forestofdean-halfmarathon.co.uk/autumn/
Sunday 26th October – Mendip Muddle (Club Champs race) Mendip Muddle – Weston Athletic Club
Thursday 6th November – Severn Bridge night run. RogueRuns – Severn Bridge 5 Night Race
Saturday 29th November – Machen 21km & 42km trail races Machen Trail Races | Ridge Runners
If there are any races or interesting events that you think should be added, please email: communication@westburyharriers.co.uk
Editor: Ben Wood
