April Reminders
Howdy Ranelights.
With Boston today, and London kicking off on Sunday (EEEK!!), it’s no surprise that spring marathon fever has a firm grip on many in Ranelagh-land. To those who toed the start line in Boston, and those taking on London, our biggest and warmest shout-outs.
You’ve done the training and the work; remember, the goal is to get to the start, and then to reach the finish line. Everything in between is icing on the cake. You’ve got this!
Believe it or not though, there is life after a marathon (yes, we find it hard to believe too) so here are a few reminders for the last few weeks of April…
1. Club Social - ALL WELCOME 🍻
▪️ ‘Medal Sunday’ Club Social | 7pm on 27 April @ The Fox & Duck
All are welcome to be part of Ranelagh's ‘Medal Sunday’ Club Social at the Fox & Duck on 27 April, from 7pm to celebrate Ranelagh’s spring marathon achievements with our London Marathon finishers!
If you've run a marathon this year, bring your medal along too so that we can all celebrate together, and even if you haven’t run one, then come along anyway - with whatever medal you want to bring - to toast your clubmates’ achievements!
We have a space reserved for 30+ at The Fox & Duck for drinks and a special food menu.
Please let us know you’re coming ASAP by clicking the button below. You can also pre-order food via this form, and then make payment on the night.
FYI you can also order on the night, but just make sure you’re there before 8pm!
2. we Still need help ⬇️
▪️ Ranelagh Half | 11 May @ 8.30am: We need at least 40 marshals for the Half Marathon to go ahead safely, so PLEASE volunteer now! The success of this event is entirely reliant on your time, effort and support.
If you can marshal on the day, you'll be done by 11.45am at the very latest, from an 8.15am start at the very earliest.
We also have roles available if you can only offer a limited amount of time (say, a couple of hours), and roles that are compatible with running the race.
In return for your help, we would like to offer a FREE coffee or ice cream from our race vendors at the start or finish, as well as a THANK YOU drink after the race on Tuesday evening 13 May @ The Fox & Duck.
Whatever time you can give will be immensely helpful and deeply appreciated. If you can help out, even for a little bit, please click the button below or email coordinator@ranelagh-harriers.co.uk
3. fixtures⬇️
▪️London Marathon | Saturday 27 April | London: Ballot places are rarer than hens’ teeth (just ask Ed Smith), so congratulations if you’re lucky enough to be running this iconic event.
For the rest of us mere mortals, watch it on telly, support in person (message Narissa via WhatsApp Community to join the Ranelagh support at Mile 25 & then drinks at Chandos), or catch up with our runners at The Fox & Duck social @ 7pm - JUST DON’T MISS IT!
▪️Wimbledon Trail Series Race 1 | Wednesday 7 May @ 7pm | Wimbledon Common: First race in a series of 3, Ranelagh’s very own Andy Bickerstaff’s popular Wednesday evening summer trail series, this year’s marking the 11th edition.
Featuring 5 miles through scenic Wimbledon Common, the start is at the iconic windmill and offers a traffic free route. Large free car park at the start. All finishers receive what is easily the ugliest design ever seen on a mug, plus chocolate bar and fruit.
There are series and individual medals/prizes and team prizes (you must wear a club vest). All entrants must be 17 or over. Full event details & entry @ https://www.goodrunguide.co.uk/RaceDetails.asp?RaceID=32634 ⬅️
▪️Ranelagh Half Marathon | Sunday 11 May @ 8.30am | Ham: As they say, you got to be in it to win it; but in this case, you got to be in at least 4 of it (races) to be considered for a trophy. The Sutton 10K kicked off the league with a bang (see race report below) and next up is our own Ranelagh Half Marathon.
Entries are going fast so if you’re running, head to www.ranelagh-harriers.co.uk/ranelagh-half ⬅️ and if you’re not running, please VOLUNTEER @ https://bit.ly/RanelaghVolunteer ⬅️
All 2024/2025 fixtures @ https://ranelagh-harriers.co.uk/fixtures-2024-2025/ ⬅️
4. RACE REPORTS ⬇️
▪️Sutton 10k | Sunday 13 April @ 9.30am | Nonsuch Park: Proving that his pen is possibly as mighty as his running, Gareth Hopkins offers this race report on the Sutton 10K:
On a Sunday morning so crisp and suspiciously sunny it felt like a trap, 11 brave Ranelights descended upon Nonsuch Park for the grand opening of the Surrey Road League. And folks, did we put on a show!
The pre-race huddle was a familiar symphony: hushed tones about box-fresh carbon wizardry, confessions of marathon training fatigue, the ritualistic listing of current niggles (is anyone ever fully fit?), and the age-old debate – "Seriously, how hilly is this thing?" (Answer: enough to notice, not enough to really complain... much). Suddenly, like a mirage shimmering in the distance, Ed Perry materialised, having apparently decided a casual 10k+ jog to the start line was the only acceptable warm-up.
It was clear Ranelagh hadn't come just for the questionable park café coffee; the big dogs were out, representing every glorious tier of our club's speed spectrum. The vibe was buzzing, friendly banter echoing between clubs, but you could taste the tension thickening as we shuffled, lemming-like, towards the start line. Deep breaths. Nervous glances. Did I double-knot my laces? Too late now!
BANG! (Or maybe it was a polite "Go!") And we were off!
Charging out like he'd been fired from a cannon (and possibly forgetting his own pre-race mantra), Josh "I'm definitely aiming for even splits today" Reed immediately snatched the lead. Seriously, the guy went off like a startled gazelle sighting a free bar. Could he maintain this frankly ludicrous pace? The collective Ranelagh thought bubble: "Go on Josh... but crikey!"
Not far behind, Gareth Hopkins settled smoothly into the top 10, looking suspiciously comfortable. Further back, a glorious intra-club skirmish was unfolding as our Advanced 1 ‘legends’ Ross Mac and David Ready duked it out in the top 20. Hot on their heels, Mike Morris, then Ed Perry, and then Ed Forbes were carving their way through the pack, all comfortably inside the top 40.
Lap 2: The pleasantries were over. The field stretched out like overcooked spaghetti, and every Ranelight was now locked in their own personal battle against physics, fatigue, and the lingering desire for a bacon sandwich. Up front, Josh was starting to demonstrate fleeting signs of humanity. The gap between 1st and 2nd was shrinking, just enough to make the spectators nervous. But our man had done the hard yards early, digging deep to hold on for a magnificent, lung-busting 1st place!
Behind him, the drama continued! Gareth was locked in mortal combat with a Croydon runner for 2nd place. In a moment of navigational creativity (let's call it that), Gareth took a brief, unscheduled detour near the final turn. Despite this scenic extension, he summoned a final kick to secure a brilliant 3rd place! Rumours that he was checking out the ice cream van queue remain unconfirmed.
Ross and David thundered home with excellent times, bagging top 20 spots and looking annoyingly strong doing it. And a massive shout-out to Mike Morris, proving age is merely a number (especially when that number lands you 2nd in your age category!).
Post-race, we gathered – a motley crew held together by sweat, lactic acid, and the shared trauma of that sneaky little hill on the back straight. We knew we'd run well, but the big question hung in the air, thicker than the smell of Deep Heat: had we done enough to claim the ultimate prize? The hallowed, the revered, the slightly-questionable-but-undeniably-brilliant 24 portions of 'golden' nectar (aka a slab of Fosters) for the first team?
Patience, they say, is a virtue. Waiting for results felt like an eternity, fuelled only by weak recovery drinks and fading adrenaline. And then... YES! RANELAGH HAD DONE IT! Stellar performances from our scoring four (Josh, Gareth, Ross, and David) had sealed the team victory!
But beyond the podium, every single Ranelight out there showed heart, grit, and sheer bloody-minded determination. Fantastic starts to the SRL season all round!
The legendary Fosters cans are now safely residing (and possibly quietly fermenting) in the clubhouse. Consider this an open invitation: please, please help yourselves before they achieve sentience or someone suggests using them for interval training weights.
Next up: Brace yourselves for Race 2 - our very own Ranelagh Half on May 11th! Let's keep this glorious, slightly chaotic, victory train rolling! Whatever your goals this Surrey Road League season, let's get out there and smash 'em!
Full results @ https://www.stuweb.co.uk/race/3sq ⬅️
5. Club Subs are due ⬇️
A gentle reminder, if you haven’t already, to please renew your subs for 2025/2026 as soon as possible using the account details below:
Beneficiary Bank: HSBC
Sort code: 40-23-29
Account Number: 81109847
Account Name: Ranelagh Harriers
For any other methods of payment, please go to www.ranelagh-harriers.co.uk/join-info.
Where applicable, your payment includes registration with England Athletics, which will allow you to represent our club in official races. You will also receive a £2 discount on most other race entries, plus other benefits and discounts as offered by England Athletics.
Once you have paid your subs, we will register you with them. Should you have any queries regarding renewing your membership, please email the Membership Secretary.
NOTE: By paying your subs, you agree go to the England Athletics site, to accept and abide by the relevant codes of conduct relating to your role(s) within the club.
6. TRAINING ⬇️
For our new joiners or those on a taster session, a BIG HELLO, and to all our existing members, please continue to introduce yourselves to make them feel welcome. For those returning to training after injury, or due to work/life constraints, it’s great to see you back.
While we’re loving the longer days, and the warmer weather, a gentle reminder to dress appropriately (keep cool), to please stay hydrated before, during and after all your runs and training sessions (but also don’t drink too much!), and to allow plenty of time for your body to adjust and aclimatise.
Do check in on each other, especially as the heat and humidity increases and if you feel faint, dizzy or not well, please slow down or stop running.
A reminder that for Tuesday's session, please meet at our clubhouse for 7pm; and for Thursday's track, please meet at Osterley Park track for 7.30pm.
7. NOTICES:
💙 Ladies Couch to 5k Course: A reminder that our Ladies Couch to 5k Course aimed at complete beginners will start on 20 May. Don’t forget to let your friends, mums, sisters etc know. Full details @ https://ranelagh-harriers.co.uk/news/beginners-2025 ⬅️
💛 Share: Your running or running related celebrations & achievements in our ‘General Club Chat’ group. Please contact Ed or Narissa via WhatsAppCommunity to be added. We love seeing what you get up to!
💙 QUIZ NIGHT SAVE THE DATE: Saturday 27 June @ the Ranelagh Clubhouse. Further details coming soon.
