May Stats Summary by Andrew Deighton

Another bank holiday weekend kicked off May and first racers of the month were Katie Allen and Gareth Baker, making their marathon debuts, with terrific runs in Prague (and on Katie’s birthday too!)

Closer to home, Anthony Brown and Duncan Ralph (both HM) and Mike King (10k) went to the seaside for the Worthing Runfest, while Sebastian Higgs made his Harrier debut at the Victoria Park HM in London.

On the Monday, Eren Muduroglu ran a great time at the Milton Keynes Marathon and Peter Bell took fifth place in Burgess Hill, despite taking a diversion to run longer than the advertised 10k.

Tuesday evening was the latest Tonbridge Track Open Meeting with a dozen harriers running and a similar number supporting.

Alex Holmes set the only club record of the night in the 300m, where he was joined by Eren Muduroglu, just 30 hours after finishing his marathon!!!

A quiet racing weekend followed with Maria Gandara (10k) and Graham Moore (5k) running the Rye Summer Series on Friday night, followed by Matt Newman and Rose Saywer flying at the Run Gatwick HM and Peter Nuttall taking on the Darent Valley 10k.

For the 20th year, members lined up to tackle the Club Handicap on the 10k route out to Bells Yew Green, finishing around the Nevill cricket pitch, with 42 runners taking part.

Quickest on the night was Dave Weston (one of six harriers under 40 minutes) while Reuben Wells led the handicap from Gem Stilliard and Lauren McBride.

It was great to see a number of newer members taking part, alongside many regular handicap racers, all ably supported by the many members volunteering to marshal, timekeep etc.

The mid month weekend was another quiet one, with just Eren Muduroglu (Chislehurst HM), Mark Scott (Hackney Half) and Mike Sharp (Rye 5m) in action for the Harriers.

This years Beckenham Relays was a real family affair for the Harriers.

Among the 13 teams we had mother and sons, father and daughter, husbands and wives, brothers, son and daughters-in-law, father-in-laws, brother and sister-in-laws, as well as best mates, team mates and hopefully new mates too!

Dillon Hobbs continued his recent terrific form and was the fastest runner overall on the night (also setting a new club best for the race) and received a golden relay baton as his prize.

[the incredible Clare Elms of Kent AC - at the age of 62 - was the fastest overall woman]

Our men’s no 1 team finished in a very creditable 7th place and Ali Farrall was our quickest woman on the night.

Congratulations too to Graham Stuart and John Russell on excellent deckchair debuts.

The final bank holiday weekend got underway in scorching style on the Friday evening, with Alex Reid running hot to smash his own PB and Club Record in the Comeback 5000 track race at Battersea Park.

Saturday saw a bumper parkrun turnout of over 100 Harriers either running or volunteering in the hot weather and Joy Croucher hit 450 parkruns - the first female harrier to get to that milestone - while Lucille Joannes tackled the Seven Sisters Half Marathon.

The Sunday saw Aidan Clark head north for the Edinburgh Marathon, while Colin Ricketts and Robin Delaney headed down to South Africa for the Cape Town Marathon, where Colin met up with Tara Taylor, who travelled up from Australia to break the F60 club record she had set last month.

Midweek, various harriers took on the heatwave conditions with Amelie Karlsson running a 5k PB at the Chase the Sun (!) race in Battersea Park, followed by Ali Farrell, Stuart Corke and yours truly, setting inaugural club records in the 2 Mile race at the Woking AC Track Mashup.

Ali was then joined on Friday lunchtime by two other Serpy regulars for the LFOTM 5k, before Sam Bridger had a mighty Saturday run from Rochester to Tonbridge in the 3 Bridges 50k Ultra.

May was closed out on the coast, with Mike Russell and Sam Dranga at the Hastings 5 and Sue Cooper, Juanita McFarlin and Marcus Bird at the Folkestone 10k.

It was also the first committee chosen race in the newly reconstructed Club Grand Prix, at the Russet Runners Marden 10k.

34 harriers took part (the best turnout at a 10k since 2023) with Amelie setting a PB in being first female - 15th overall of 595 finishers - just behind our leading man, Dave Weston (13th).

There was a F55 club record in winning her age category for Jillian Holford, with Geoff Turner and Lucille getting AG 2nd places and Rose Sawyer a 3rd.

5 men, Peter Bell, Alex Holmes, Keith Mitchell, James Sarre and Tom Cox broke 40 minutes, with deckchair debutant Jordan Searle just outside.