Hambleton Athletics & Running Club

Awards Night 2025

7th October 20258th October 2025 By Gemma WardleNo Comments

Our Awards Night 2025 was an unforgettable evening celebrating the achievements of our amazing club members. This year, we enjoyed a delicious Chinese banquet, shared stories, laughter, and – for the first time ever – honoured the hard work and dedication of our junior athletes with their own awards. We were incredibly privileged to welcome Chris Finill as our guest speaker – one of the very few people to have run every single London Marathon since 1981. Chris shared inspiring insights from his running journey and kindly presented the trophies to our winners and runners-up. Competition for the awards was as tough as ever this year and our winners and runners-up were thrilled to receive their trophies – see image for the full list of champions! The ‘Wheel of London Marathon Destiny’ was spun by Julia Finill, our second guest of honour, who has volunteered at the London Marathon, handing out thousands of finishers’ medals. Congratulations to Marc Blair, who was the lucky...

Soggy Smiles at Snape 5k & 10k

23rd September 20258th October 2025 By Gemma WardleNo Comments

Rain, mud, cowbells… what more could you ask for at a mixed terrain race in rural North Yorkshire?! We had 22 runners taking part in the Snape 10k and 5k event, a merry band of supporters around the course (that’s where the cowbells come in!), and two club members volunteering for marshalling duties - a fantastic turnout for HARC. There were some inspiring performances from those flying our club colours, as well as the usual show of outstanding sportsmanship and team spirit. While some headed off to shelter from the absolutely awful weather, Team HARC took up their usual spot at the finish area to cheer in every single runner. Once we did arrive at the Institute for well-deserved cakes and coffee, there were trophies to collect. Simon Anderson stormed home as the overall winner of the 5k race, while Louis Fernandes claimed top spot in his age category in the 10k. Both races started simultaneously but heading out in opposite directions. We...

Great North Run 2025

18th September 20258th October 2025 By Gemma WardleNo Comments

The Great North Run lived up to its reputation as the World’s biggest half marathon, with more than 60,000 runners taking part in the 2025 race. The morning started with the usual mix of nerves and excitement, and a number of HARC athletes joined the throngs of runners gathering on the iconic Tyne Bridge ready for the challenge ahead. Conditions were much better than in recent years – no torrential rain for 2025 – and the support on the course was amazing. Crowds lined the streets from the very beginning, blasting music, handing out sweets and cheering every step the runners took. A fly-past by the Red Arrows gave everyone an extra buzz of adrenaline! HARCster, Rachel Hall, took on the GNR challenge for the first time. She said, “Running the Great North Run was an unforgettable experience – the atmosphere was electric, nothing like I’ve ever experienced before with the crowd’s support carrying me the entire distance. I had the privilege of...

HARC’s First Ever Sports Day!

16th September 20258th October 2025 By Gemma WardleNo Comments

What a fantastic day we had at Catterick Athletics Track for our very first club sports day! It may have been cold, but we were lucky enough to dodge the rain and spirits were high throughout. We welcomed adults and juniors alike – club members and non-members – to compete in a brilliant mix of traditional athletics disciplines and fun challenges. Everyone had great fun competing in: 100m sprint 4 x 100m relay Long jump Javelin Shot put And the more adventurous events proved very popular, with lots of laughter echoing around the track… The Croc-throwing competition was Michelle’s favourite… even though she wasn’t allowed a fire pit to aim for! The tug of war saw some epic battles and a few grass-stained bottoms! There was fierce competition for the top spot in the three-legged race… and, miraculously, nobody fell over! The egg and spoon obstacle challenge was trickier than it looked and the eagle-eyed officials were handing out time penalties for those...

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:...