October 2025

News

25 Sept

Howdy Ranelights.

How the September days are flying by - and with the temperatures dropping and the nights drawing in, what better way to lift your spirits than by diving headfirst into the cross-country season? For us, the 2025/26 season officially kicks off with the first Surrey League fixture on Saturday 11 October.

Never tried XC? Don’t worry – you’re in good (muddy) company. Our earliest members hailed from Ranelagh Cricket Club, forming a cross-country club to keep fit in the winter months. Back then, the club was based at the Green Man on Putney Heath, with the earliest recorded runs stretching out to the windmill on Wimbledon Common and back.

Mud, sweat, and a sense of achievement guaranteed!

With this rich heritage of muddy runs in mind, we want to encourage as many of you as possible to join this season’s Surrey League. It’s definitely not about being the fastest – it’s about team spirit, giving it your all, and having a laugh along the way. Plus, there’s camaraderie by the bucketload and, most importantly, LOTS of cake at the finish line.

Sign-ups for the Men’s & Women’s teams are via Teamer – or contact your Captains and/or coaches. Go on, you know you want to!

Not up for running? No problem – bring your loudest cheers, your silliest signs, or just your cake-eating skills and help cheer the rest of us on. Every bit of support goes towards making the mud feel a little less… muddy.

1. Welcome to our new (& new-ish) Members

Believe it or not since March 2025, 51 new members have joined our club!

Needless to say, we’re thrilled to have you on board - whether you’re an experienced runner, just starting out, or somewhere in between, you’re now part of the Ranelagh Harriers family.

Running is a journey, and everyone begins somewhere – there’s no “perfect” starting point, only steps forward, and we’re here to support you every step of the way.

To our existing members – let’s continue to give our newcomers a heartfelt welcome by sharing tips, swapping stories, and offering the encouragement and support that forms the bedrock of our friendly, inclusive, and motivating club.

New members, please don’t hesitate to ask questions – whether it’s about training, pacing, or simply finding your rhythm. Our community is here to help, cheer and guide you, making sure that every run is enjoyable and every goal feels achievable.

But hang on, it’s not just about running. There’s plenty to get involved with (admittedly running-related) to suit everyone - whether that’s signing up for league races, taking part in club handicaps & mob matchs, volunteering at events, or joining in our social gatherings.

So here’s to building fitness, growing confidence, and enjoying our running journey together.

2. fixtures

▪️Surrey XC League #1 | Saturday 11 October | Div 1 Oxted | Div 2 Richmond Park: Two venues, two distances – 6km for women at Oxted & 8km for men at Richmond Park. Mud potentially guaranteed at Oxted, probably unlikely at Richmond Park; however both venues are equally undulating and utterly glorious places to run. Please contact your captains or coaches, or sign up on Teamer. RAH RAH RAH Ranelagh!

▪️SEAA XC Relays | Sunday 18 Oct | Wormwood Scrubs: There’s mud and then there’s Wormwood Scrubs, which is a whole ‘nother level of mud. Teams of 3 with each running 3km for women & 4km for men. Please contact your captains or sign up on Teamer when the invites come out.

▪️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 (I know, right?) and older. The course is approx. 3.1km per lap, with women running 2 laps and men 3 laps. Again if you’d like to run, please contact your captains or respond via Teamer when the invites come out.

▪️Milocarians Invitational | Saturday 25 Oct | Sandhurst: For those not ‘living’ in Surrey, or not over 35 years - eg: those not eligible to take part in the Surrey Masters, there’s another race opportunity to enjoy. Milocarian AC have invited us to compete in their 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 to indicate your interest.

Looking ahead, the following fixtures are confirmed:

Please keep checking https://ranelagh-harriers.co.uk/fixtures ⬅️ for the latest updates.

3. Volunteering

Thank you to everyone who’d responded to September’s volunteering requests. Your energy, time, and dedication have made our recent races and events a great success.

From marshalling and timing, to cheering and handing out water, to collecting flags and making tea, every role was crucial towards making each event memorable for all the participants.

We’re grateful to everyone who helped out at the Thomas Cup, and the Page Cup but we’d also like to give an extra special shout-out to Phil Andrews and his team -

Ann Kearey; Sally, Sam, Anna and Emily Minchella; Solene Pezot, Ed Forbes; Ed, Cordelia & Rafe Perry; Gavin Hillhouse, Hadi Khatamizadeh, James Riley, Kevin Kearey, Robbie Hillhouse & Sam Davies

- who manned Water Station 2 at Richmond Runfest on 14 September, with classic Ranelagh flair, style and panache.

Here’s a few words of appreciation from Tracey & Dilva of Runfest:

‘It goes without saying how incredibly grateful we are that you guys took on the water station at Old Deer Park on Sunday with such enthusiasm. You were an absolute joy to have, and that's not just me saying that. We all wanted to say a huge huge thank you to each and everyone of them….

… A few runners came up afterwards to say how much they loved the event and feedback on water station was very positive! So a big extra THANK YOU to all of you who were out there cheering, guiding, and creating such a brilliant atmosphere.’

Well done Phil & co for flying our club flag high!

Looking ahead to October’s volunteering, we need EVERYONE’s help at:

▪️Surrey XC League #1 Div 2 | Saturday 11 October @ Richmond Park

This is a biggie - this event can’t happen without your support. Every bit of time and energy makes a huge difference. No experience is needed – if you’ve ever helped at parkrun, you are more than qualified.

There are suitable roles for everyone, even if you’re running; and everyone’s contribution goes towards ensuring and cementing our club’s reputation for well-run, fun, and safe events.

Please sign up ASAP @ https://forms.gle/nQeerwXKAuSVcUEN8 ⬅️

▪️Cabbage Patch 10 | Sunday 19 October @ Petersham Sea Scouts

Entries are SOLD OUT 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. 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.

***The Ranelagh Water Station Team @ Richmond Runfest*** 💙💛

4. 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 then 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.

5. 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 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, don’t forget to give our four-legged neighbours plenty of space — at least 50m away during this deer rutting season. They may look majestic, but this is their time of year to be loud - and extra lively.

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).

It’s early days yet but a reminder that the first deer cull will commence on 1 November for a period up to 7 weeks. During this time, pedestrian gates will be locked from 20:00 until 07:30, 7 days a week. You’ve been warned!

We’re delighted to report that Osterley Track is deer free and well lit, with last week’s curry night a much welcome reward after the 5k time trial. 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 next curry night), please reach out to Phil Roberts, or Maia Rushby via WhatsApp Community.

6. RACE REPORTs

🏆 Page Cup | Saturday 20 Sept | Richmond Park

Shout out to Rachel Revett, our 2025 Page Cup winner - a well-deserved trophy to reward her cracking run.

Kudos to the fastest 3 ladies: Aoife Kilpatrick (34:31), Wiebke Kortum (41:15) and Rachel Revett (41:25); and the fastest open: Gareth Hopkins (28:18), Marc Leyshon (28:45) and Sam Davies (31:49).

Well done to all the runners who participated and thank you to all the volunteers and organisers.

You can read the full race report & results here >

7. PARTY TIME!

We know, it’s only October but much planning is afoot, and we promise you won’t want to miss what will definitely be the BEST Xmas party ever - The Ranelagh Christmas Party.

This year’s shenanigans will be on Saturday 6 December, once again at All Bar One, Richmond - check this out for a reminder of what you can look forward to >

Oh what fun. For now, simply save the date in your diaries and we will send through further details, including how to book, menu etc as soon as we can.

8. NOTICES

💙 SUPERHEROES! Shout out to our fab women’s vice captains, Suzy Whatmough and Rebecca Bissell. Suzy took on the legendary Dragon’s Back Race in Wales, covering an incredible 180km and 10,000m of elevation over three days before injury forced her to stop. An amazing effort and experience in one of her favourite places. Meanwhile, Becs smashed the Ultra X Peak District 60km (running an extra 5km to make it 65km!) in 10h 46m, conquering 2,500m of elevation and finishing 1st in her age category - despite not feeling her best. Incredible running from both!

💛 SUPERSTARS! Congratulations to Ross Mac and Mike Morris on their selection for the England Masters team. They’ll be competing in the Masters Representative Marathon in Abingdon, Oxfordshire on 19 October for a chance to earn their England Age Group Masters vests. We wish them all the best.

💙 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.

💙 Dulwich Park Runners 5 Mile Race: Officially measured course, ideal for PBs and will feature on Power of 10. All abilities welcome with medals for winners of various age groups. Only £5 entries @ https://www.eventrac.co.uk/e/dulwich-park-runners-5-mile-event-13684

💛 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!

Ranelagh Coordinator