Harriers out in force: hills, heroics and rain....

It’s been another action-packed weekend for Chiltern Harriers, with racing across road, trail and track – and if there’s one theme tying it all together, it’s this: hills were unavoidable.

Penn Seven – 6 June
A popular but hilly road race, the Penn Seven delivered exactly what it promised… on a very rainy day.
Leading the Harriers home was Richard Moss, battling both gradients and the elements to clock a strong 47:26. Not far behind, Abi Askey ran brilliantly to finish in 52:03, securing second female – a performance that definitely brightened an otherwise gloomy day.
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A steady stream of Harriers followed, including Ed Wright (52:42), Sylvia Moss (54:14), and a closely matched finish from Stephen Sprod (57:09) and Tony Dawson (57:13). Further down the field, Jessica Moss completed the course in 1:06:28.

Coombe Hill Fell Race – 7 June
If Penn Seven wasn’t tough enough, the Coombe Hill Fell Race upped the ante with 7km of trail running and two brutal ascents.

James Turner led the charge with an impressive 29:57, followed by James Grant (33:50) and Ben Hannen (35:20). A strong contingent tackled the climbs, with Grant Whitaker, Paul McCarthy, and David Williams all dipping under 38 minutes.

There was also a great showing from the women, with Cath Holloway (38:25) and Lauren Mayot (38:46) putting in excellent performances on the challenging course.

Special mention goes to Paul and Vincent Mayot – honorary Harriers – finishing in 40:50 and 40:53. Springing down the hill after them came Rachel Gaymond, Frank Gaymond, Lindsay Turner, Mark Fry, Harriet Lemon and Kate Paxton.

Track Brilliance at Loughborough
Away from the hills (thankfully), Evelyn Wildman delivered a standout performance on the track at the British Milers Club PB Classic in Loughborough.

Running the 2000m steeplechase with a qualifying standard in sight, she didn’t just meet expectations – she smashed them. Winning the race in 6:34.07, she posted what is currently the European-leading time and the third fastest ever in the UK for her age group. The next challenge is the Trials in Cardiff on 27 June. Finishing in the top two will confirm her place in the Championships in Italy in July. 

Wendover Woods 10k – 7 June
Back to the hills once more, the Wendover Woods 10k offered a suitably testing route. Sarah Barrett tackled the course in 1:39:16, while Maik Barrett recorded 1:07:49.

Huge well done to all our Harriers this weekend!

COMING UP LOCALLY: Bucks Schools Championship, Second Sunday 5, the MK24, Cliveden Classic, Misbourne Trail Race, Southern Athletics League and the Thame 10k. Check out these events and more in the Club Calendar.
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SOMETHING OR SOMEONE MISSING FROM RACE REPORT: Don’t forget, if you do an event (or know someone who did), send the results and any photos to [email protected] . You can send any events that are missing for the Calendar to the same address.