July 2025
Howdy Ranelights.
Before we head into our July notices, please heed this club wide call to come and support at the Tracksmith 5000m on Wednesday 9 July!
At the time of writing, we have an amazing 29 Ranelaghs racing at the Tracksmith Twilight 5000m races at Battersea Park Athletics Track. That’s slightly less than 10% of all our members racing!
We’re well represented in 6 of the 8 races with the first race starting at 6.15pm and the last race at 9.12pm. If you’re running, please come early and do stay late to support. If you didn’t sign up to run, you can still come along to soak it all in and cheer everyone on.
The whole event is a festive celebration of running, with Street Dough Pizza, Jubel Beer and Vitamin Well serving food and drink throughout the evening. You can also bring your own picnic, and there’s a live DJ to provide added entertainment, so what better way to spend a balmy Wednesday evening?
Heat 1 runners & the cheer squad will be catching the 1645 at Richmond to Clapham Junction > Battersea Park > 10 min walk to set up the club flag; in plenty of time before Heat 1 @ 1815. Please meet at 1640 in front of the M&S if you would like to come along.
Depending on timings after, there’s an option to stop at The Mason’s Arms on Battersea Park Road for a celebratory drink on the way back to the train.
Any questions, please contact Narissa Vox, or Gareth Williams via WhatsApp Community or email coordinator@ranelagh-harriers.co.uk ⬅️
1. RANELAGH 10K
THANK YOU to every single one of you who was involved with the Ranelagh 10K; whether running or volunteering or both.
Once again, the sun came out to give us another warm, sunny day, full of individual and collective moments representing the best of our sport - club & community spirit, coupled with so much heart, joy and happiness.
We’re still working on a few post-race admin stuff (including a race report) but if you ran, we’d really appreciate your feedback so we can learn how to make 2026’s event even better.
So please leave us a quick RaceCheck review - it really does make a difference. Thank you in advance.
2. Ranelagh harriers AGM
All members are reminded to attend our Annual General Meeting at the Ranelagh Clubhouse from 19:30 on Tuesday 8 July.
As a one-off, training will start at 6.30pm so that we can hold the AGM earlier. There will be FREE food & drink provided, so please come along as your vote & voice are important to the running of our club. After all, tt’s your club and therefore you have a say!
The agenda & accompanying documents can be viewed @ https://ranelagh-harriers.co.uk/news/agm2025 ⬅️
3. school run XC 17 July
In 2023, our club devised School Run; an outreach programme to encourage & promote U-11 cross-country running, with a special focus on encouraging uptake amongst disadvantaged groups, girls and ethnic minorities.
Through existing contacts, a pilot scheme was launched at Burdett-Coutts & Townshend Foundation CE Primary School, a one-form entry primary school located in the City of Westminster. Founded in 1849, the school serves a diverse community, with a well above average number of pupils receiving Free School Meals. The deprivation indicator places the school in Quintile 4 (more deprived) for both location and pupil base.
Ranelagh volunteers hosted weekly coaching sessions, as part of the school’s After School Club offering for 12 weeks over the summer. The programme culminated with a 1-lap race organised by the club; with over 25 children taking part.
Since then, the school has embraced running not just as a way of staying fit and healthy, but also as a way for the whole school to fundraise. 2 of the girls from 2023’s programme are running competitively for their secondary schools, while 2 of the boys are running with Belgrave Harriers.
Last year the school was invited to be part of RunKidsRun, a charity fundraising track meet at Battersea and they have completed this again recently on 8 June, raising much needed funds for the school. They're also taking part in the Westminster Mile; and the uptake of this year’s XC club has been phenomenal.
This year’s race will be held on Thursday 17 July from 11.30am; and it is anticipated that about 30 children - from Reception (5 years old) to Year 6 (11 years old) - will be coming. So we need as many members as possible to help with pacing & marshalling duties, to put on a memorable event for the children.
We appreciate that it’s during a work day, but if you can spare a couple of hours; there’s plenty for everyone to get involved with. DBS is not required - just your time, enthusiasm, sense of humour (what’s that saying about working with kids and animals?) and the willingness to muck in. So please help out if you can.
Further details and a very short sign-up form will be sent out via WhatsApp Community; but in the meantime, if you have any questions, please contact Narissa Vox via WhatsApp or email coordinator@ranelagh-harriers.co.uk ⬅️
4. fixtures
▪️Elmore 7 | Saturday 12 July | Chipstead: Race 5 of the 2025 Surrey Road League. Challenging 7 mile road race held in conjunction with the Chipstead Flower Show, famous for maintaining a traditional environment of family entertainment (last year there was a snake!). All finishers receive a medal and free entry into the Flower Show, plus prizes for first, second & third men and women, and for the first finishers in each Vets category. Entries @ https://register.enthuse.com/ps/event/SLHElmore72025 ⬅️
▪️Elmbridge 10K | Sunday 20 July | Walton-on-Thames: Race 6 of the 2025 Surrey Road League. A flat & scenic 10k run along the road and riverside towpath around Walton Sports Hub Track. Refreshments, changing, and showers, plus parking at the track and local road. All abilities welcome! Entries @ https://theentrypoint.co.uk/events/the-elmbridge-10k-2025-Yn5bZ9gDbZOVGlN/enter ⬅️
▪️Henty Relay | Tuesday 22 July @ 7pm | Richmond Park: Entries open for the Henty Relay, our final all-club handicap of the 2024/2025 season. FREE for all members & open to all ages (U11 must run with an adult) & speeds, please sign up by Friday 18 July to allow the handicapper time to do their job. Details & entry link @ https://ranelagh-harriers.co.uk/news/henty-2025 ⬅️
▪️Wedding Day 7K | Friday 25 July @ 7.30pm | Bushy Park: Fixture 7 in the Surrey Road League and totally SOLD OUT! Not as rare as London Marathon entries but its getting there. If you’re not lucky enough to nab a transfer, come along anyway to support our club and have a fab evening with our entire running community.
All 2024/2025 fixtures @ https://ranelagh-harriers.co.uk/fixtures-2024-2025/ ⬅️
5. The CAMP parkrun
EVERYONE is invited to run, volunteer or support, at Crane Park parkrun on Saturday 9 August @ 9am.
Ranelagh’s Chief Lawnmower Lloyd Camp is RD that day, and along with his lovelier-than-lovely (MUCH) better half Sue, will be hosting POST parkrun coffee & croissants in their garden after; not far from Crane Park.
Meet at the parkrun and we’ll all de-camp (pun fully intended) to Base Camp garden after. Don’t miss out - exemplary hospitality & fun guaranteed.
Any questions, please contact Lloyd or Sue via WhatsApp Community. To volunteer, please sign up via the Crane Park parkrun page.
6. RACE REPORT
🎽 Nonsuch Relays | Tue 17 June @ Nonsuch Park | Race report by David Lawley, Men’s Vice Captain:
The Nonsuch Relays - a 4-leg, 3k lung-busting blast across the dusty trails of, well… Nonsuch Park. This year, Ranelagh turned up in force with four teams - including, for the first time, an all-female squad and a junior team — alongside the usual suspects from the senior men and VETS categories (read, seasoned reprobates).
Conditions were warm, dry, and entirely unforgiving. By the end, virtually everyone was doubled over, hands on knees, contemplating their life choices. When asked how it went, Hetti gave an honest review: she hated every minute. And yet, she’s keen to do it again next year — which pretty much sums up the spirit of this race.
The standard of competition was, as always, fierce. Hats off to our ladies’ team, who surprised even themselves by bagging an impressive third place 🥉 Our senior men battled hard in a stacked field to come home 5th (6th overall).
Meanwhile, the VETS resumed their annual bragging-rights showdown with our hosts, Epsom & Ewell. Sadly, we were out-gunned again and had to settle for second place 🥈 but the grudge match rolls on.
And then to our junior team — an all-female triplet by happy accident, as one runner who, pre-race, demonstrated just how nerve-wracking a 3k can be with a spectacular display of projectile vomiting.
Enter Ava Gidaracos, stepping up heroically to run two legs for the Ranelagh young guns, all under the calm(ish) coordination of kitten-herder-in-chief, Ed Perry. They finished a fantastic 6th in the mixed team category. Major kudos.
Despite the collective 3k trauma, we left Nonsuch with a strong sense that the future of our sport is in excellent hands. The event brought together youth and experience, and it was a joy to see clubs fielding junior teams alongside their more grizzled veterans.
A special shoutout to Sutton & District’s under-17 team, who pushed Holland Sports’ best men’s squad all the way — thanks in no small part to the blistering form of Jack Kavenagh, a name that will be familiar to anyone who’s suffered through a Surrey League XC race.
Ranelagh Teams
Juniors: Cordelia Perry, Ava Gidaracos (2 laps) & Anna Riley
Womens: Suzy Whatmough, Angela De Marchi, Hetti Walsby & Natalie Haarer
Senior Men: Joe Killip, Gareth Hopkins, Ross MacDonald & James Whistler
Vets: David Lawley, Ed Smith, James Riley & Mark Herbert
▪️Results @ https://www.epsomandewellharriers.org/uploads/1/0/7/6/107663499/nonsuch_relays_2025_results.xls ⬅️
7. KIT
If you’ve recently ordered kit but haven’t collected it yet, the final opportunity to collect your kit will be before the AGM on 8th July. After next Tuesday, you will need to make alternative arrangements for collection.
If you’re unable to make it to the clubhouse next Tuesday, please message Agnes, our Kit Secretary via WhatsApp Community, or send an email via coordinator@ranelagh-harriers.co.uk ⬅️
8. CLUB SUBS
An ongoing 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.
9. TRAINING
A reminder that for THIS Tuesday's session, please meet at our clubhouse for 6.30pm; and for Thursday's track, please meet at Osterley Park track for 7.30pm.
Summer is definitely here; and the longer days mean fab sessions in the park followed by some much appreciated hydration in the pub after!
A reminder to dress appropriately (keep cool), to 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.
Also, please take the appropriate precautions by covering legs, wearing insect repellent and checking for ticks after running in the park. Detailed info can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/642bec29fbe620000f17dbbe/Tick-awareness-A5-leaflet-April-2023.pdf ⬅️
And the following advice from The Friends of Richmond Park:
Ticks are small creatures, related to spiders and mites, that feed on the blood of animals and sometimes people. Ticks can survive in many places but prefer slightly moist, shady areas such as bracken, bushes and leaf litter. They can be found in both long and short grass.
The tick population peaks between spring and autumn (March to October). Lyme disease or Lyme borreliosis, is a bacterial infection spread by infected ticks. Human infection is uncommon, because only a small proportion of ticks have the infection. However, those ticks that may carry Lyme disease are common in the countryside, especially woodlands and parks with deer, such as Richmond Park.
Please see the Government advice on tick bites and the prevention of Lyme disease for more information.
10. NOTICES
💛 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!
