Race Reports 2026
TAMESIDE 5K - 7th MARCH 2026
The Tameside 5K was the 3rd race in the 2026 RRR Club Championship series. Although the 4pm start time will not have suited everyone, the event still attracted 55 entries from the club, with 44 runners taking part on the day. The appeal of a reasonably-priced local race, activities for children & the chance of a personal best clearly proved popular.
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The venue, East Cheshire Harriers’ athletics track, offered good parking facilities & an excellent circuit for warming-up. A DJ provided dance music & running favourites to spur runners on around the bend of the cycle track, which had a noticeable camber similar to a road course. Whether this helped or hindered performance is debatable, judging by the occasional aircraft‑style arm movements from those warming-up!
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The afternoon began with a family run at 3.30pm, in which Rochelle & Shane Reading’s children were taking part. This was followed by the 5K races, which were split into separate heats based on predicted finishing times.
Race D – 4.00pm (over 25 minutes)
The 1st 5K race was aimed at runners with predicted times over 25 minutes. The young lad from Settle Harriers at the front appeared to be in the wrong race as he followed the lead cyclist well ahead of the rest of the field. There were some excellent RRR performances, including a close battle between Natali Brown & Martina Naismith, with Natali recording her fastest time in 3 years. There was also some husband‑&‑wife rivalry between Stacey & Richard Douglas, along with many other mini‑battles throughout the race. Martin Kent, one of our newer members, found himself towards the front & could easily have competed in the next heat. Afterwards June Allingan, amazing as ever at the age of 82, was interviewed by the Local Runners Podcast as part of their celebration of International Women's Day.
Race C – 5.00pm (20–25 minutes)
The next race featured runners with predicted times between 20 & 25 minutes, although many were reluctant to commit to a time beforehand. The track proved ideal for warming-up, whether jogging or striding, as Owen Flage demonstrated along the edge. Some helpful advice was shared by the 4pm runners regarding the timing - this was 'gun time' to 'finishing chip time', with no mat at the start, so getting near the front was key. The leaders quickly established themselves, while the rest of us battled to hold pace over the full 5 laps. Katherine Brierley put in an early sprint after 4 laps & then had to maintain it all the way to the finish – well done! It was difficult to see exactly what was happening further up the field, as I was focused on using the music on the bend to help lift the pace.
Race B – 5.30pm (18–20 minutes)
Race B looked much more like a traditional race, with great performances from Maisie Wainwright (fastest female RRR on the day) & Shane Reading. There was a good atmosphere on the bend, with plenty of encouragement from supporters.
Race A – 6.00pm (fastest runners)
The final race featured the fastest runners & a wide spread of both ability & age. James Henderson (quickest RRR overall), Michael Fleming, Jack Millar, Brett Spivey & Luke Lawson-Healey all competed strongly, with James securing 2nd V50 & Brett completing his 75th race for RRR.
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All the RRR times, including a perfectly-balanced 21:12 from Carl O’Callaghan: June Allingan (39:46), Stacey Douglas (38:11), Bernadette Ball (34:14), Sharon Leach (31:10), Richard Douglas (30:08), Lauren Lewis (29:55), Alison Royle (29:27), Sharon Dracup (29:16), Nicky Hall (29:12), Elaine Brown (29:07), Howard Mills (28:48), Natali Brown (28:43), Martina Naismith (28:43), Billie Chamberlain (28:36), Dave Bardsley (28:31), Ronnie Quinn (28:13), Claire Timms (28:05), Bernard Cassidy (26:20), Owen Flage (25:40), Stephen Rogowskyj (24:37), Matthew Cartner (24:35), Suzanne Darke (24:12), Katherine Brierley (24:03), Mark Foran (23:39), Gail Shaw (22:56), Martin Kent (22:55), Rochelle Reading (22:40), John Hendrick (22:03), Neil Brock (21:29), David Emanuel (21:28), Barry Greaves (21:19), Carl O’Callaghan (21:12), Andy Hall (21:04), Oliver Pozegic (19:56), James Moulton (19:06), Ryan Frost (19:03), Francois Clavaud (18:52), Maisie Wainwright (18:30), Shane Reading (17:54), Brett Spivey (17:46), Luke Lawson‑Healey (17:30), Jack Millar (17:18), Michael Fleming (17:13) & James Henderson (17:00).
The prize-giving took place at 7.00pm, which I unfortunately missed, but hope this report captures the atmosphere & enjoyment of the day. The RRRs who picked up awards were Maisie Wainwright (3rd Female), Barry Greaves (1st MV65), Ronnie Quinn (1st MV70) & June Allingan (1st FV80).
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A special mention also goes to Angela Rogowskyj, who provided cakes for the runners which were very much appreciated. ​[Suzanne Darke]
HALE 10K - 15th FEBRUARY 2026
The lovely village of Hale hosted the 2nd race in the 2026 RRR Championship - the 2nd time the club has taken on this event. The name Hale may mean 'shelter', but the 53 RRRs gathered at the start might dispute that definition. The wind was very much up & at ’em.
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The course begins at Ashey Hall, then winds through Hale village & the back lanes of Ashley before returning to the hall for the finish. Conditions were tough, with punishing headwinds on exposed sections & more than a few potholes to negotiate. You’d think those Premiership footballers might be able to sort the roads out, wouldn’t you?
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Onto the racing. A special mention goes to Brett Spivey for being 1st…to arrive. Having forgotten to enter, he turned up 2 1/2 hours early to secure a place. Ironically he was handed an 'elite' entry, suggesting a predicted finish of around 32 minutes. Sadly, that target proved elusive & for a few days after the race he remained officially without a time!
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1st home for RRR was Jarrod Gritt in an impressive 34:24, marking his 1st RRR race since 2024. Close behind was Rob James, followed by the ever-improving Jack Millar. Shane Reading was 4th RRR home & also secured 2nd place in the MV50 age category. Our Premiership competition is already shaping up to be fiercely contested this year.
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Maisie Wainwright led the RRR women home with a strong run in 39:13. Next was Rochelle Reading, followed by Katherine Brierley - her consistent track training clearly paying dividends. As reliable as rain, June Allingan claimed the FV80 prize once again. Who can stop this phenomenon? At the other end of the age spectrum, Henry Tattersall took part in the 3K event, finishing in 19:27 and proudly collecting his medal. A quick bit of arithmetic suggests there’s roughly 150 years between June & Henry — give or take!
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All the RRR finishing times: June Allingan (1:23:31), Stacey Douglas (1:19:47), Bernadette Ball (1:14:34), Alison Cresswell (1:11:06), Gill Bardsley (1:09:13), Samantha Tattersall (1:07:55), Ronnie Quinn (1:07:36), Elaine Brown (1:05:06), Sharon Leach (1:03:50), Sharon Dracup (1:03:27), Richard Douglas (1:03:18), Howard Mills (1:03:08), Diane Johnson (1:03:00), Natali Brown (1:02:29), Martina Naismith (1:02:20), Nicky Hall (1:01:34), Billie Chamberlain (1:01:19), Amanda Richardson (1:00:46), Dave Bardsley (59:17), Claire Timms (59:12), Sam Wright (57:44), Rachel Chadwick (56:07), Stephen Rogowskyj (54:21), Anne Marie Lord (54:13), Gary Smith (53:08), Andrew Naismith (53:06), Bernard Cassidy (52:25), Katherine Brierley (52:16), Mark Heaney (52:15), Simon Howard (52:06), Mark Foran (50:30), Dave Watt (49:13), John Hendrick (49:10), Martin Kent (48:10), Rochelle Reading (46:58), Ray Williams (46:40), Mark Phelan (46:37), David Emanuel (44:35), Bernard Goodwin (43:50), Andrew Ingham (43:36), Adrian Brown (43:07), Francois Clavaud (41:09), Ryan Frost (40:32), James Moulton (40:08), Elliot Stone (40:07), Andrew Rogers (39:23), Maisie Wainwright (39:13), Luke Lawson-Healey (38:11), Brett Spivey (37:40), Shane Reading (37:23), Jack Millar (36:51), Rob James (34:41) & Jarrod Gritt (34:24).
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A pair of RRRs reached club milestones - congratulations to Gill Bardsley & Stacey Douglas on completing their 10th club race. ​Finally, the palindrome returns. After missing from the previous race, Bernie Cassidy produced a beautifully symmetrical 52:25.
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Next up: the Tameside 5K on 7th March - a quick one. See you there.​​ ​[Elliot Stone]
STOCKPORT DAFFODIL 10K - 25th JANUARY 2026
Welcome! Welcome! Welcome!
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Welcome to you if you are a new member of Royton Road Runners. Welcome to you if this was your 1st time running the 'Daffodil' 10K (it’s the club’s 3rd time). Plus, of course, welcome back to you if you are one of those crazy people who turn up year-in, year-out!
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It was great to see so many RRRs at the 1st race of our 2026 Club Championship. 84 entrants started the race & 83 made it over the finishing line (bad luck Neil). This is an incredible start to the season, our best total since we had the same number at the Dewsbury 10K in 2020 – just before Covid. Dave E found that 31 of our finishers at the 'Daff' also finished that race at Dewsbury 6 years ago. In addition, Neil Brock was also running yesterday but pulled out with an injury, Mark Kelly (having relocated across the Welsh border) was here running for Denbigh Harriers & Stewart Jones was supporting Karen & Bryony. All these repeat appearances show the enjoyment being a member of such a fine team brings.
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The Stockport Daffodil 10K takes place in the salubrious suburb of Hazel Grove. It was known as Bullock Smithy until 1836, when the villagers wisely adopted Hazel Grove as a more poetic name. The race itself is perhaps most notable for mostly taking place on the A555 Airport Link Road. For drivers this road being temporarily closed is quite the norm, but for runners it makes for an unusual chance to race on what is normally a busy stretch of road closed to pedestrians. Talking of pedestrians, there certainly was a lack of any 'pedestrian pace' in the RRR performances as everyone seemed eager to get the year off to a flying start. As it’s the 1st race of the year we will go through the results in chronological order. However, I do try to cover as many RRRs as I can throughout the year regardless of times. So, if you have any stories or landmarks that you feel are worth mentioning in a report, please let me know.
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The 1st 3 RRRs home were Rob James (35:40), Jack Millar (36:38) & James Henderson (37:00), good enough to claim 2nd place in the men’s team event behind Stockport Harriers. Additionally, James picked up the MV50 individual prize. A very notable mention for the 4th placed RRR, Shane Reading, who completed his 200th RRR club race – some feat indeed.
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Our 1st female finisher was Maisie Wainwright in 39:24, just 7 seconds outside the PB she set at the Hale 10K last year & good enough for 3rd place female overall. A fantastic achievement considering the size of the field (1800+). It was also Maisie’s 25th club race. Even better though, Maisie was part of the 1st-placed female team along with Rochelle Reading (47:56) and Gail Shaw (48:42). Well done all!
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For those unfamiliar with these race reports you will become familiar with seeing the name of a club legend, June Allingan, popping up regularly throughout the year. Continuing last year’s theme, she once again claimed the FV80 prize in a time of (1:24:51). Spectacular.
All the RRR finishers: Dave Leyland (1:31:53), June Allingan (1:24:51), Stacey Douglas (1:18:35), Bernadette Ball (1:17:04), Gill Bardsley (1:13:11), Chris Sharp (1:12:19), Alison Cresswell (1:11:20), Lisa Wilson (1:09:16), Samantha Tattersall (1:08:24), Richard Douglas (1:06:25), Joanne Lawton (1:06:19), Jason Keast (1:05:44), Dave Bardsley (1:05:22), Howard Mills (1:05:14), Natali Brown (1:05:08), Paul Cooke (1:04:28), Elaine Brown (1:04:16), Billie Chamberlain (1:04:10), Karen Jones (1:04:07), Christopher Eavers (1:03:41), Lauren Lewis (1:03:37), Alison Royle (1:02:58), Nicky Hall (1:02:44), Martina Naismith (1:02:33), Claire Timms (1:02:19), Gareth McCaffery (1:01:53), Amanda Richardson (1:01:16), Bryony Jones (1:00:42), Rebecca Owen (1:00:23), Kirsty Agnew (58:06), Susan Levins (58:04), Sam Wright (58:00), Rachel Chadwick (57:56), Kevin Hutchings (57:21), James Wright (56:23), Owen Flage (56:20), Anne Marie Lord (55:27), Matthew Cartner (54:44), Stephen Rogowskyj (54:42), Katherine Brierley (54:24), Jonathan Green (53:06), Simon Howard (52:50), Suzanne Darke (52:44), Bernard Cassidy (52:43), Scarlet Wheeldon (52:34), Gary Smith (51:38), Dave Peart (51:19), Mark Foran (50:18), Bryony Rogers (50:12), Martin Kent (49:23), Trish Callan (49:20), John Hendrick (49:04), Bryan Lawton (48:57), Gail Shaw (48:42), Rochelle Reading (47:56), Ray Williams (47:44), Mark Duncan (47:02), Mark Phelan (46:51), John Fay (46:37), James Bowling (46:17), Andy Hall (46:01), Adrian Brown (45:43), Mark Baxendale (45:13), David Emanuel (45:06), Oliver Pozegic (44:50), Will Lewis (44:43), Carl O'Callaghan (44:41), Bernard Goodwin (43:46), Andrew Ingham (43:22), Francois Clavaud (42:21), James Moulton (41:40), Elliot Stone (41:18), Luke Lawson-Healey (41:02), William Wall (40:27), Andrew Rogers (39:49), Maisie Wainwright (39:24), Martin Thompson (39:15), Brett Spivey (38:53), Michael Fleming (37:50), Shane Reading (37:31), James Henderson (37:00), Jack Millar (36:38) & Rob James (35:40).
Well done to Samantha Tattersall & Mark Foran for reaching their 25th RRR race. Johnathan Green also deserves a pat on the back for reaching his 10th. Last, but not least, congratulations to the large number who completed their 1st club race with us, namely Will Lewis, John Hendrick, Martin Kent, Scarlet Wheeldon, Susan Levins, Rebecca Owen, Lauren Lewis & Chris Sharp. Welcome all & good luck for the future.
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Sadly, there were no palindromic times in this race (fingers crossed for Hale) but Bryan Lawton & John Hendrick both finished with the synchronous chip time of 48:57 despite finishing 1min 44secs apart at the finishing line!
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Our next club race is the Hale 10K – a good one for PBs. See you there! [Elliot Stone]
