Hambleton Athletics & Running Club

SUP Fun

26th August 202518th September 2025 By Gemma WardleNo Comments

An adventurous group of HARC members swapped running shoes for paddle boards to take part in an ‘Intro to SUP’ session at Ellerton Lake. After being shown the basics on dry land, the group set off wobbly-legged across the water to practise different types of paddle strokes and turning techniques. It wasn’t long before the shrieks and splashes started, as people experienced some unplanned dismounts from their boards. Danny and Sarah from SUP Active Yorkshire were on hand to give instruction and advice, as well as a helping hand to those getting back on their boards. A game of SUP Polo followed, which could equally have been named ‘SUP carnage’! The two teams got a little competitive as they battled each other to score goals, resulting in numerous “accidental” crashes, a few hilarious falls, and some questionable ball handling! The group were then allowed some free time to explore the lake via SUP - most chose to stick with their solo boards, one...

Sessay Swift 6km

16th August 202518th September 2025 By Ruth HancockNo Comments

HARC are beginning to make this local race a bit of a habit! Held by Thirsk and Sowerby Harriers, it provides the perfect opportunity to run around some lovely quiet village roads and open countryside. It also culminates in a splendid BBQ at the cricket ground. As ever, there was a sea of HARC blue on course and waiting at the finish line. We like to bring supporters with us too! Michelle Slade, one of our coaches, participated this year and commented that one of the things HARC athletes do particularly well is “supporting each other and other runners at the start, middle and, in particular, the end of the run. As a competitor myself, it is always a highlight when running to the finish to hear the sound of HARC cheering and applauding every runner who crosses the finish line.” Those cheers certainly gave some of our runners that extra ‘umph’ for a sprint finish! Although the roads were not closed,...

Darlington 10k Festival 2025 – Come Rain or Shine… or Both!

14th August 202514th August 2025 By Gemma WardleNo Comments

What a fantastic day for Hambleton Athletics and Running Club at the Darlington 10km, 5km, and Junior 3km! The day began under a grey and rainy sky, with a steady downpour soaking the early starters. By the time the final 10km runners crossed the finish line, the sun had broken through – perfect timing to end the event on a high. A special shout-out to Oscar, our sole junior representative, who ran superbly in the Junior 3km and said afterwards, “The atmosphere was really good. It made me want to run even faster!” Great effort and determination from one of our rising stars – we’re very proud of you! This year saw the introduction of the 5km event. Well done to Rose Kirk and Emma Anderson, who both took on this new distance and represented the club with strength and smiles. It’s always exciting to see new events on the calendar – especially with our athletes there at the inaugural starting line....

C25k Graduation at Fountains Abbey

7th August 20257th August 2025 By Gemma WardleNo Comments

A huge congratulations to our latest group of Couch to 5k runners who completed their programme with a fantastic 5km run at the breathtaking Fountains Abbey parkrun last Saturday! Over the past ten weeks, this amazing group has worked their way from walking and jogging short intervals to confidently running a full 5km. The Couch to 5k programme is designed to support beginners in building fitness, confidence and a love for running – and this group has truly embraced the journey, showing determination, perseverance, and team spirit every step of the way. The course was led by our newly qualified Leaders in Running Fitness, Rich and Garry – this was their first ever C25K programme – and what a brilliant job they’ve done! Their dedication, encouragement and positivity have helped guide each runner to achieve their personal goal. We’re incredibly proud of them for taking this step into leadership and inspiring others in our community. The grand finale took place in glorious sunshine...

Sun, Games & Grills – What a Party!

27th July 202518th September 2025 By Gemma WardleNo Comments

Our summer BBQ garden party was an absolute blast. From mouth-watering treats from the grill to sunny skies, it was the perfect day. Our bingo games were every bit as amusing as last year, with some questionable bingo calling from Head Coach, Chris, who also managed to drop all the bingo balls partway through the game. We battled it out in a few intense rounds of giant Jenga, which resulted in some nail-biting moments and a couple of near misses for crushed toes! We also played the Heads or Tails game, raising a fantastic £45.60 for Hambleton Community Action. This will be added to our fundraising pot and donated to the charity at the end of the 2025/26 year. Huge thanks to our fabulous ‘hostess with the mostess’, Annabel. And, of course, we’re very grateful to the amazing catering team – Head Chef Gav and Sous Chef Nick — for cooking up an outstanding feast. Thanks also to everyone who came along and made...

Age Group Changes

27th July 202527th July 2025 By Chris LeesNo Comments

From 1st April 2026, the age groups for UK Athletics are changing. This post sets out the new groups, competition regulation distances, weights and sizes, and the anticipated progressions. Age Groups The age groups themselves are switching from largely odd numbered ages (U13, U15, U17 and U20) to even numbers age groups (U12, U14, U16, U18, U20). The table below shows how school years map to age groups: The 'cut-off' date for everyone up to U18 will be 31st August. This means the athletes age on the 31st August determines the age group they compete in for the whole season that follows. Event Progressions With these changes, the distances, weights and sizes of the events have be realigned. The tables below show the competition progressions for track & field, cross-country, and endurance events: Hurdles In addition to the above, the following specifications apply for hurdles: Steeplechase In addition to the above, the following specifications apply for steeplechase: Throws In addition to the above, the following specifications apply for throws:...

Fabulous Day at Northallerton Carnival

15th July 202515th July 2025 By Gemma WardleNo Comments

We were delighted to support Northallerton Carnival again this year by organising a free kids’ fun run. About 25 youngsters took part, dashing around the park to earn themselves a cool drink and some sweets at the finish line. Our HARC team stayed for the rest of the day, raising funds for Hambleton Community Action. The total was £70.64, which will be added to the pot for our donation at the end of the year. The big bear star of our “Guess the Bear’s Name” game turned out to be called Luna. She was won by Lynn, who took her home as a gift for her great nephews. In our “Kids’ Target Game”, lots of children won some bubbles, but only three super-accurate throwers managed to get all three beanbags in the hoop to be entered in the draw for the top prize. Oscar was the lucky winner - well done! The “Chain Game” was won by Lewis who managed a chain of six...

HARC Members Saddle Up for Fun!

19th June 20252nd July 2025 By Gemma WardleNo Comments

Following the success of our ‘HARC Juniors Pony Fun Day’ at Miniature World Riding Academy last year, the club returned for two evening sessions over the last couple of weeks – this time with adult members. There was a broad range of experience amongst the participants, but they were well looked after by Gill and Sarah. Grooming time came first, with the groups learning how to use the different types of brushes, pick out a horse’s feet, and how to stay safe when handling equines on the ground. Next came preparations for riding – learning how to tack up and then ensuring that everyone had the necessary safety equipment. And finally, a fantastic riding session for each group! The riders’ faces displayed a few nerves and a great deal of concentration at first, followed by lots of smiles and laughter as their confidence grew. By the end of the session, there was marked progress with everyone’s ‘sitting trot’! Rachel commented, “I had just...

Relaxing with Sound Bath Therapy

2nd June 20252nd July 2025 By Gemma WardleNo Comments

We like to offer our members a broad range of experiences through our social calendar. Our most recent opportunity to try something a little different was a ‘sound bath’ with Angela Smith Therapy. Described as a holistic therapy that taps in to the healing vibrations of music and frequencies, the session involved us getting comfy on mats, cushions and blankets while a variety of instruments were played around us. A very interesting and relaxing experience to recharge us ready for a week of running! Thank you, Angela - we all slept very well after the session!...

Record HARC Attendance at Northallerton 10k

31st May 202510th June 2025 By Gemma WardleNo Comments

Despite being a tough race with a huge hill, Northallerton 10k never fails to attract plenty of HARC runners. This year, a record 41 Team HARC athletes took part, meaning we had more runners than any other club! The event is always well-organised and the race director even arranged good weather for the 2025 run, a welcome relief for runners and supporters alike after last year’s torrential rain. Our runners had a wide range of goals for the day with some seeking a PB, others hoping to achieve a particular time, several aiming to conquer their first 10k (and first ever race for some!), and a fair few just out to enjoy the run. And whether sprinting to the finish line or run/walking the whole way, we’re proud of every single one of them! Congratulations, everyone! And a big thank you to our support crew who stationed themselves around the course as well as at the start/finish area to give Team HARC strategic...