Oct reminders
Howdy Ranelights.
Surrey League Season Kicks Off!
Cross-country season is officially underway – and what a start it’s been. Both our Women’s and Men’s Teams delivered outstanding performances at the weekend, competing at Hurst Green and Richmond Park respectively, in the opening fixture of the 2025/2026 Surrey XC League.
The next fixture takes place on Saturday 15 November – with the Women racing at Beckenham Place and the Men at Oxted. If you missed out this time, there’s still plenty of opportunity to join the muddy fun - just get in touch with your Captain or Vice-Captain; or sign up via Teamer.
We can’t emphaise enough that cross-country really is for everyone who fancies giving it a go. Sure, there are some speedy runners up front, and your first race can feel a bit ‘ooo-errrr, what am I doing’, but the field is full of all paces and experience levels. There’s no such thing as being too slow.
Everyone’s welcome - and you’re guaranteed a super-friendly crowd & teammates who’ll cheer you on and celebrate just for being out there. And for those not racing, your presence still makes a huge difference – so do come along to cheer and support your teammates on the day.
1. Surrey League Roundup
Full race reports invariably coming soon from our captains but our Women’s charge at Oxted (Division 1) got off to a great start with a brilliant performance from the 15 ladies who took on the 6km course.
Our A Team placed 11th out of 15 teams, led home by Cecily Day, making a fabulously strong comeback in 47th place. She was followed closely by Lizzie Broughton (53rd), Sarah Cogswell (57th) making an excellent league debut, Women’s Captain Aoife Kilpatrick (69th) and Natalie Haarer (77th), who closed the team scoring, earning herself the superwoman Trophy for her performance.
Our B Team also performed superbly, finishing 8th out of 14 teams, with Fiona Smith leading our team in 116th place on her debut, followed by Sarah Carnwath (124th), Clare Fowler (127th), Edel McKeever (131st), and Claire Woolf (134th), another debutant who was awarded the Angel Trophy. Further strong runs came from Claire Warner (174th), Wiebke Kortum (180th), Clare Day (184th), Ann Kearey (190th), and Colette Doran (210th).
It was a great afternoon of running and camaraderie, with every participant contributing to the team’s overall result. The high quality of post-race cake & baked goods reflected the strong start and outstanding performances; keeping Ranelagh clear of the relegation zone after this opening match.
Over in sunny Richmond Park (Division 2), our Men romped home to take not only the top A Team place; but also the top B Team place, with a fantastic turnout to make their mark across the board.
Leading the way with an outstanding run was Josh Reed, running brilliantly into 3rd place, closely followed by Peter Cook (4th) and Joe Killip (5th). The Ranelagh charge continued with Marc Leyshon (17th), Ross Macdonald (21st), and Joel Peirson-Hagger (27th) - all delivering excellent performances. Strong runs from Ted Mockett (28th), Jonathan Smith (29th), David Lawley (33rd), and James Whistler (41st) rounded out the A team, with every point counting in a highly competitive field.
There were also gutsy efforts from the B Team, led by James Riley (53rd), Graham Brook (57th), Graham Weller (66th), Sam Davies (67th), Stewart Stanton (73rd), Andy Starr (83rd), Ed Forbes (92), Olaf Wasternack (93), Peter Haarer (96) and Michael Morris (100), packing brilliantly where it mattered the most.
Further down the field Shaun Griffith, Rick Jenner, Ed Smith, Matthew McDonnell, Hadi Khatamizadeh and James Ritchie added valuable support, while Neil Rae and Andrew McLauchlan battled through to the finish with trademark Ranelagh spirit.
A brilliant team effort all round — well done to everyone who raced and represented our club!
2. And also a HUGE Thank you
… to the many volunteers who helped make the Surrey League Division 2 event in Richmond Park a success.
The was down to the huge team effort and it simply wouldn’t have been possible without the commitment, generosity, and good humour of everyone involved. The collective spirit and willingness to go above and beyond were clear throughout the day, showcasing the very best of our fabulous running community.
A huge thank you to our co-hosts, The Stragglers RC - without their input, especially at the finish and on the results - it would have been a struggle. A special shout out to Andy Howarth, Kevin Price, Peter Wedderburn and Simon Brazil.
We also had volunteers from other clubs, including Wimbledon Windmilers and Barnes Runners to complement our club members - all of who’d stepped up in so many different roles to keep things running smoothly.
In closing, my deepest appreciation and gratitude to the following Ranelagh volunteers:
Andy Bickerstaff, Becca Ireland, Ben Collier, Chloe Dobbs, Chris Owens, Chris Read, Chris Wyatt, Clive Naish, Ed Forbes, Ed Perry, Ellie Lawley, Fiona Atkins, Gordon Whitson, Graham Weller, Hadi Khatamizadeh, James Riley, Jeremy Day, Joe Killip, Jonny Smith, John Hobson, Karen Feeney, Louise & Bill Piears, Lukas Appenzeller, Marcus Atkins, Marion Rayner, Mark Herbert, Matt Hirschler, Olaf Wasternack, Ric Motti, Sally Bamford, Sarah Palmer, Simon Martin and Tony Clark.
You’ve all made our league - and our club - proud.
Narissa Vox, Race Director
3. fixtures
▪️Surrey Masters XC Champs | Saturday 25 Oct | Nonsuch Park: All welcome to experience the beauty of Nonsuch Park, this time at a XC race for ‘masters’ athletes M35/W35 and older. The course is approx. 3.1km per lap, with women running 2 laps and men 3 laps. If you’d like to run, please contact your captains or respond via Teamer ASAP.
▪️Milocarians Invitational | Saturday 25 Oct | Sandhurst: FINAL CALL for those not ‘living’ in Surrey, or not over 35 years - eg: those not eligible to take part in the Surrey Masters - to sign up for Milocarian AC’s annual inter-club event; 5.5 miles of muddy fun in Sandhurst, finishing with a yummy tea after. If you would like to run, please email coordinator@ranelagh-harriers.co.uk ASAP.
▪️SEAA London XC Champs | Saturday 8 November | Parliament Hill: HEADS UP - entries close in TWO WEEKS so sign up now to run in the holy grail of cross-country venues, Parliament Hill. Featuring THE hill, THE mud and THE view, it’s 6km for women and 10km for men. Please contact your captains or sign up on Teamer ASAP. This is definitely one for the supporters too; we promise a fab & inspirational day out in an unbelievable setting.
Looking ahead, the following fixtures are confirmed:
▪️Surrey XC League #2 | Saturday 15 November | Div 1 Beckenham | Div 2 Oxted
▪️Mob Match vs Thames Hare & Hounds | Saturday 22 November | Richmond Park
Please keep checking https://ranelagh-harriers.co.uk/fixtures ⬅️ for the latest updates.
4. Volunteering
Thank you to everyone who’d responded to October’s volunteering requests. Your energy, time, and dedication have made our recent races and events a great success. There’s one more opportunity to give back to our wonderful running community and that’s at the…
▪️Cabbage Patch 10 | Sunday 19 October @ Petersham Sea Scouts
Entries are SOLD OUT (although there seems to be a healthy trade in transfers on the WhatsApp General Club Chat group) but there’s plenty of scope to volunteer, as once again we flex our water station muscles while cheering & supporting fellow members at the Petersham Sea Scouts (https://maps.app.goo.gl/oqr97yrjL4J66NEY6).
It’s our turn to repay the favour after The Stragglers RC helped us out in droves at the Ranelagh Half, and more recently at Surrey League. No experience required; just rock up, fill up cups with water and hand them out to runners from 8am to about 10am.
If you can help out, please email coordinator@ranelagh-harriers.co.uk or message Maia Rushby via WhatsApp Community.
5. Officiating
If you’ve enjoyed volunteering at races, why not take the next step and become an England Athletics Official?
Just as a cricket match needs umpires and a football game needs referees and linesmen, athletics events need officials to ensure everything runs smoothly and fairly. Without them, races simply couldn’t happen.
In Surrey, there’s a real shortage of qualified officials, and there’s a concern that we could see races and events at risk of being cancelled. That’s where you can make a difference.
Becoming an official is much easier than you might think - if you’re an active volunteer, you already have the right experience - all you need is the enthusiasm and a willingness to learn. England Athletics provides training and ongoing support, and you’ll also have plenty of encouragement from our club and also our county.
Not only will you be helping our sport thrive, you’ll also gain new skills, meet great people, and get huge satisfaction from knowing you’re keeping the heart of running in Surrey beating strong.
If you’d like to find out more, please get in touch with Narissa Vox or Simon Martin via WhatsApp Community, or visit the England Athletics website - it could be the start of a whole new chapter in your running journey.
6. TRAINING
A reminder that for Tuesdays’ sessions, to please meet at our clubhouse for 7pm; and for Thursdays’ track, to please meet at Osterley Park track for 7.30pm.
It’s getting darker so much earlier now so please remember to wear appropriate hi-vis clothing at all times; not just when training but also when making your way to and from the clubhouse or track.
And please don’t forget your lights, head or chest torches; it’s important to stay safe at all times.
If you’re out running in the park, please give our four-legged neighbours plenty of space — at least 50m away during this deer rutting season. They may look majestic, but they are pretty lively at the moment. So please don’t feed, touch, or try for a close-up photo; and if you’re with your dog, keep them on a lead (or head outside the park).
The first deer cull will commence on 1 November for a period up to 7 weeks, and during this time, pedestrian gates will be locked from 20:00 until 07:30, 7 days a week. Our coaches will adjust Tuesdays’ training schedules to suit so don’t worry, it’s unlikely you’ll get locked in the park and become target practice.
Osterley Track remains deer free and well-lit (sometimes with the exception the first 100m bend 🤷🏼♀️ ) and the next curry night is imminent. There’s a great social and encouraging aspect to track, with everyone - irrespective of ability - training together and supporting each other.
Our track sessions are aimed at improving speed endurance and is suitable for all levels. Furthermore you can tailor the session to suit, making it ideal not just for those looking to improve, but also for those coming back from injury.
Any questions about track (and the date of the next curry night), please reach out to Phil Roberts, or Maia Rushby via WhatsApp Community.
7. It’s looking a lot like…
… the Ranelagh Christmas Party!
Much planning is afoot, and full details will be in a forthcoming dedicated post but for now, please continue to save the date - Saturday 6 December, once again at All Bar One, Richmond. And to keep you inspired, check this out for a reminder of what you can look forward to >
Oh what fun indeed. Wait till we get started on the puns…
8. NOTICES
💙 GREEN BELT RELAY 2026: The callout has begun - as well as the lookout for members to make up our 4 Ranelagh teams. Don’t miss out on one of our club’s most epic weekends. Full details @ https://ranelagh-harriers.co.uk/news/gbr2026 ⬅️ plus join the Green Belt Relay WhatsApp group to stay in touch.
💛 Club Kit: If you’ve recently ordered kit but haven’t collected it yet, please message Agnes Nagy, our Kit Secretary via WhatsApp Community, or send an email via coordinator@ranelagh-harriers.co.uk ⬅️
💙 Club Subs: A reminder, if you haven’t already, to please renew your subs for 2025/2026 using the following account details: Ranelagh Harriers | HSBC | 40-23-29 | 81109847. For any other methods of payment, please go to www.ranelagh-harriers.co.uk/join-info. Any queries, please email the Membership Secretary.
💛 Mental Elf Festive Fun Run: Sunday 7th December at Marble Hill Park, Twickenham. Join a festive 5K run, walk, or jiggle in costume to support local mental health. Volunteers are also welcome to help spread cheer. Proceeds support Richmond Borough Mind’s vital services. Sign up to run or volunteer @ https://www.rbmind.org/support-us/mental-elf-fun-run-2025/ ⬅️
💙 Home of England Rugby 5k: A charity run in the stadium on 7 January 2026 - suggested by John Cadogan who had great fun participating last year. Details @ https://allianzstadiumtwickenham.com/hospitality/home-of-england-rugby/5k/information ⬅️
💛 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!
