Ranelagh Half · 2026
Another year, another Ranelagh Half…
… and once again our club came together to create something truly special.
The Ranelagh Half has always been about more than just times on a clock. It is about joyful miles, encouragement shouted from marshal points, shared effort, teamwork and community spirit. It is about members giving up their time over many weeks to create something positive for others on a Sunday morning.
And what a morning it turned out to be.
A total of 393 runners took to the start line, greeted by cooler conditions than have perhaps become traditional for a Ranelagh event. While the temperatures may have left some of our marshals shivering on the course, they certainly suited the runners, helping produce some exceptional performances throughout the field.
The Open course record fell spectacularly to a blistering 1:08:45, with the first FIVE runners all breaking the previous mark of 1:11:25. Across the field, 96 open runners went sub-90, while 39 women broke 100 minutes. With more than 51 PBs already recorded and counting for our PB prize draw, it was clear there was outstanding racing from start to finish.
Leading the Ranelagh charge was Callum Olden, finishing eighth overall in a superb 1:12:43, followed closely by Nicholas Twomey in 1:16:54, Ted Mockett in 1:17:30 and Marc Leyshon in 1:17:43, helping secure second place in the men’s team competition.
James Whistler rounded out an exceptionally strong top five for our club, finishing comfortably under 78 minutes. In total, 10 Ranelagh men finished under 90 minutes, highlighting once again the depth, strength and consistency running throughout the club, while the remaining 14 battled hard all the way to the finish line to complete another tremendous team performance.
We hear from Olaf Wasternack, who trains with Adv 1:
To participate in the 2026 edition of the Ranelagh Half was a no-brainer after the 2025 edition was so excellent.
I started this years’ with high hopes of a new PB after some good earlier results. My race anxiety was greatly lowered by flawless organisation. Super friendly and plenty of volunteers at the bag drop-off, picking up the bib number took less than a minute, and lots of fun people to socialize with prior to the race.
The race itself was as smooth as it could have been. I got into a nice group and hid in the back from the wind. Once I lost that group after Richmond bridge, orientation - something I always struggle with - was easy, as marshals were at any point where something could go wrong.
Even though temps were a bit on the cold side, it was nice to have regular water stations with plenty of volunteers handing out cups. I managed to run a good race and had a new PB. An aspect that is often overlooked is the size of an event and what the spread of participants it has. It felt that this event had plenty of fast people for those that really want to push and any other speed that makes participation fun.
The finish area was really excellent. A coffee and ice cream truck and lots of people cheering made the finish a memorable experience. The organisers handed out finisher goodies and created a lovely atmosphere. Overall I loved this years’ edition even more than last year and am sure I will participate again next year.
Our women also delivered outstanding performances across the course.
Sarah Palmer ran brilliantly to finish as second woman overall in 1:21:20, while Rebecca Dannatt and Ellie Luxmoore both claimed top-10 female finishes. Along with Aoife Kilpatrick’s efforts, they claimed 1st Women’s Team.
Laura Collier, Agnes Nagy, Sally Minchella and Josie Kearey all finished admirably under 100 mins, a solid reflection of our women’s talents and determination. In total 12 Ranelagh women took on the challenge of the Half - shout out also to Lucy Evans, Carol Aikin and Karen Feeney for making our club proud.
We hear next from our Kit Steward, Agnes Nagy:
The Ranelagh Half was the very first race I completed as an adult. That was 10 years ago. Since then, I’ve run many races and spent the last couple of years volunteering, so it felt like the right time to come back and run it again. At least, a course PB was guaranteed - my first attempt was around 1:52!
Coming off the back of marathon training, I thought I was set up for a strong race. But, in classic fashion, I came down with the usual post-marathon cold. I decided to run anyway. It was very tough, but I finished.
That might not sound like a huge achievement, but honestly, without the incredible marshals and all the Ranelagh support out on the course, this would have been my first ever DNF. I’d already made up my mind to retire at Teddington Lock, but when I saw the crew there, I just couldn’t do it.
The encouragement, smiles, and high-fives from the marshals genuinely carried me through the race. The event itself was also brilliantly organised from start to finish. Even my visually impaired friend commented afterwards on how friendly, supportive, and well-organised everything was, which says a lot about the atmosphere the Ranelagh team created.
In the end, I was happy with the finish time (1:32:41), even if it wasn’t what I had hoped for beforehand. And thinking about it afterwards, using Coach James Riley’s race assessment questions, I realised it actually was a good race:
“Did you run the best race you could today?” Yes, I gave absolutely everything I had on the day.
“What from the race would you use again?” Taking in the positivity around me, high-fiving the marshals, and being willing to adjust the plan when Plan A falls apart. Slowing down and getting to the finish is always better than forcing the pace and not finishing at all.
“What from your training would you keep?” All of it. This training block wasn’t even aimed at the Half, it was focused on the London Marathon, but James put together a plan that worked perfectly for me.
It was also fantastic to see so many Ranelagh runners achieving personal bests. Huge congratulations to the Ranelagh women’s team for winning the team event - an incredible result.
While the Ranelagh Half is put on for runners…
…none of it would be possible without the huge team of volunteers behind it.
An enormous amount of work goes into the event long before race day arrives, making sure everything is planned carefully, safely and properly. But ultimately, it only comes together because people are willing to give their time, energy and support to help make it happen.
And the runners noticed it.
Again and again, the feedback after the race centred around our volunteers. Runners spoke about the warmth and encouragement from marshals, how supported they felt throughout the course, how well organised everything was and how much they appreciated the atmosphere created around the event.
So it feels only right that we hear from someone who experienced the day from both sides, first as a marshal and then later as a tail runner on the course…
… new member, Susan Tesselaar, who trains with Inter 2:
This was my first Ranelagh Half, my first time marshalling and my first time as a tail runner and would I recommend getting involved?
Absolutely.
In true runner fashion, I did a flat lay the night before but then realised it was going to be cold! I quickly came-up with a plan B to reach M11 on time. I had read all the comms and vigilantly studied the route as I was not familiar with the course and did not want to let the team down.
The atmosphere on the day was brilliant, and from where I was standing, the event ran seamlessly. The front runners came past at a formidable pace, and those that followed were focused, friendly and equally determined.
After setting off behind the last runner, Nigel and Victoria on the bike, I found myself full of energy and tempted to keep going but I had another marshal point to reach, M39, a tricky bend with cars, pedestrians, pushchairs, dogs and cyclists all in the mix.
I did have to stop one runner - for genuine safety reasons, as a car reversed out of a drive - and a fellow Ranelagh volunteer, whose name I never caught, kindly handed me some biscuits at exactly the right moment so thank you!
What did I like most about marshalling? It is straightforward: cheering on every single runner, regardless of pace. That encouragement matters more than people realise - and in short, it is all about embracing the Ranelagh spirit!
Creating an atmosphere that celebrates the very best of running…
… and the wider running community was hugely important to us.
That spirit could be felt all around the course on Sunday, with clubs, organisations and supporters coming together to help runners throughout the morning. We were incredibly grateful to The Stragglers RC, Fulham Running Club, Bearcats and Pinnacle Plumbing for helping staff water stations and supporting our event. Their generosity and enthusiasm made a real difference on the day.
We were also fortunate to have support from friends of the club and members of the wider running community, many of whom may not officially wear blue and amber, but who threw themselves into the event with the same warmth, energy and care as if they did.
As ever at the Ranelagh Half, the atmosphere extended far beyond the racing itself.
Long after runners crossed the finish line, people stayed to enjoy coffee, goodies, patches and spot prizes, sharing stories from the course and enjoying the relaxed, sociable atmosphere that has become such a defining part of the event.
The entire day was made possible through fantastic partnerships with our sponsors and supporters, all built around a shared passion for running and creating great experiences for the wider community.
Our gratitude therefore to
What makes the Ranelagh Half so special is the people behind it. We are incredibly fortunate to be surrounded by such a committed, generous and good-humoured team, all coming together to support one another, work collaboratively and create something positive for the wider running community.
It is something we are immensely proud to be part of, and we are hugely grateful for everything you gave to make the 2026 Ranelagh Half such a success.
Race report by Ed Perry & Narissa Vox
💙 Full results:https://results.racetimingsolutions.co.uk/Results.aspx?CId=16269&RId=24162
💛 Ranelagh results:Ranelagh Half Marathon 2026 Club Results (PDF)
💙 Photos by @emmadeh Emma de Heveningham: https://photos.app.goo.gl/UB1CEiTfGKDmn2HP7
💛 Photos by Stephen Hird: https://photos.app.goo.gl/Dm9tt8pMEL8SrepUA
