East Coast 10K 2025

The East Coast 10k was the last race in the Sportlink 10k series. Having ran 6 of the races I decided to do this one as your 7 best results out of the 9 races counted (really just to see where I could finish in age group).

Managing to get in via the waiting list after they added extra places gave me the chance of another run I had never done.  Nita, Emily and Rob were entered and Paula made it a nap hand via the waiting list.

Accepting a lift from Paula we made our way to Great Yarmouth.  Parking was easy enough on the road side which was free. Funny enough Rob turned up at the same time and parked behind us.

Making our way to the Marina centre and registration the rain started, much to Paula’s delight(!).

Once inside the queues were quite long but registration was fairly swift. With well over 1000 entrants and the rain outside the hall was fairly crowded.

Making our way out for the start however was very busy and no clear indication of the start or predicted time zones.

The five of us found ourselves well towards the back. Realising this Paula, Rob, and myself try to make our way forward a bit. Whilst doing this we found the race had started and we were well over 1-2 minutes crossing the line.  This made the first 1k a bit of weaving through slower runners for us.

The route led along the road side of the prom for approximately 1k past the pleasure beach before turning towards the sea and running beach side of the prom northwards. Around 4.5k it turned back to the road and then ran southwards passing the Marina Centre and the Pleasure Beach to retrace the first 1.5k. The race finishing back past the Marina Centre on the sea side of the Prom.

A nice flat route but probably too big a field for the course. However we all achieved good times which we were pleased with.

Rob J 47.03
Paul W 47.12
Paula S 50.13
Nita 1.00.51
Emily J 1.09.15   (PB)

Personally a positive run and time, seeing me finish in 5th place in my age group for the Sportlink 10k series.

Report by Paul W

Sutton Beast, 10 in the Fen

Many thanks to Paul for his report from the Sutton Beast, 10 in the Fen event which took place on the 19th September:

Another different race and last minute entry.

Having ran most of the local races several times, this year I decided to look for a variation of venues.

Again this was just over an hour from Fakenham but this time at Sutton on the Isle in Cambridgeshire.

There were two options available, a 5 and 10k.

This was perfect as Libby ran the 5 starting at 11.05 and myself 10 starting at 11.

We left in good time arriving just after 10 o’clock as limited parking was mentioned. However there was no need to worry, we parked at the playing field adjacent to the start.

Check in was straight forward and friendly with timing supplied by Sublime.

As with my last race there was an aerobic warmup option which again I declined.

Both runs were out and back using the same route. The 5k turning at 2.5k and the 10 at 5k (obviously) Leaving the sports field we headed  down to the street, here we turned right along the street heading out of the village. The first part they were very keen on keeping you on the pavement, which to be fair were quite wide.

Just before leaving the village we turned right at approximately 800m from the start.

This took us down a small lane towards two river crossings and into typical fen land.

The 2.5k came up between the two rivers and the turn around for the 5kers.

The 10k route continued out into open fens along small roads, these were typical of the area with nasty cambers most of the way.

We turned at 5k to retrace our steps with the added challenge of a brisk head wind. Crossing the rivers again we had reached the 3/4 point.

Continuing the run back towards the village it became a bit more sheltered but just before 9k we had a nasty incline ( believe me it was a brisk climb and not what you expect in fenland) back to the turn onto the street. After the turn the road continued to climb until taking a left back to the sports field and the finish line.

A challenging run with friendly supportive marshals, 2 water stations and a nice medal.

Would I do it again!  Yes

Libby 5k.    28.47
Paul.  10k.   49.40

East Harling 10K

Thanks to Paul W for his report from the East Harling 10K.  A new event for Paul, it sounds like it ticks all the boxes:

A last minute decision to enter this event which I have never ran and very glad I made that choice.
Race HQ was located at E Harling sports field and club, about 55 min drive from Fakenham.
Parking was straight forward, on the sports field within a minute walk to registration.
This again was easy and efficient with friendly faces.

The race start time was 10.30 with a warm up aerobics ( for those who wanted to take part) at 10.15.
Following this was the race briefing and then a few second walk to the start line.

The run itself started on time and left the playing field past the club and onto road.
This took us a few hundred meters along a B road before turning down a quiet country lane to Bridgman. After 5K we left the tarmac road on to gravel tracks and then trails through Harling woods for 3K.
Leaving the woods we were back on a quiet tarmac road through West Harling for the last 2K back to the sports field.
On reaching the field we entered the opposite side to which we left with a short run to the finish line in front of the club, facilities and plenty of support.

The route was very well signposted with plenty of marshals encouraging along the way. A water station was at approximately 5K with many marshals after with water bottles if needed.
Very well organised event which I would definitely it hesitate to do again.

Paul

Chip Time 48.22

Reepham Summer 10k, Dinosaur Dash & Great Yarmouth Half Marathon

A glut of August run reports, so here we go….

Reepham Summer 10k – August 1st 2025

Report by Paul Rice:
After a few weeks of mid 20s Celsius days, thankfully we had a much cooler evening in Reepham on Friday 1st August to take part in the Reepham Runners’ Summer 10K; part of the Sportlink 10K Series.

The race itself started at 7:00pm at Stimpson’s Piece which was a pleasant 10 minute or so walk from the allocated parking at Reepham High School. Bibs were allocated on arrival at the start and the registration and route were very well manned with lots of marshals throughout.

Contrary to the pre-race emails, a bag drop was available at the start as well as limited toilet facilities, a Sportlink stall, coffee, ice cream and food vans.

The race start was a 5 minute walk away from the registration and followed quiet country lanes and a few kms’ stretch of the Marriott’s Way (off road) back to finish at Stimpson’s Piece.

There were three water stations along the route and more water available at the end along with a goody bag featuring a very welcome, for me at least, bottle of local Panther red lager.

It was an enjoyable evening run with good times and a decent representation from RntS including Darren Smith, Kevin Heyhoe, Lorraine Hunt, David Coslett, Andrew Tuckett, Paul Woodhouse, Matthew Freezer, Libby Woodhouse, Jean Shaw Smith and Alexander Chidichimo as well a clutch of friends and family in support.   I can recommend it!

Dinosaur Dash – August 8th 2025

Report by Catherine Thorpe:
On a Friday evening, a group of intrepid RntS descended on ROARR! Dinosaur Park for the Dinosaur Dash 5k. I arrived early with Vicki, both thinking the event was 7pm start, but later found it was 7.30pm – better to be safe than sorry!

The course is relatively straightforward – 2 and a half laps around the Dinosaur Park itself, starting in the car park and ending in the park itself. Sounds lovely, apart from two key hurdles – a wasps nest (that one marshal had the pleasure of standing near!), and the infamous Neanderthal Valley, which can only be described as a uphill like no other! I remember this hill from last year…and I was determined to try and run some of it this year!

We set off on our route, and it was lovely to see so many supporters, including some of the children who had completed 2.5k earlier in the evening. It was well marshalled and signed, and luckily it wasn’t too hot! We enjoyed the downhill sections, dodged the wasps and then found ourselves at Neanderthal Valley for the first time – we decided to conserve our energy this time around, as we still had one and a half laps to go!

Second lap comes around, and I am mentally preparing myself for the second uphill! The freshly tarmacked path in the park does help to get a bit of momentum ready for the second uphill, and this year I managed to get halfway! A big improvement from last year, and I was so pleased – on track for all of the hill next year?!

We ran into the park for the final time, and myself and Vicki saw all of the RntS waiting and cheering at the finish! We sprinted towards the end, determined to reach the finish under 40 minutes, which we succeeded in! We then waited for the final runners to come in, giving lots of cheers and encouragement.

Overall, a fantastic and well organised event, with lots of support! I will definitely be back – for either my third attempt at the hills, or the brilliant Dinosaur medal!

Great Yarmouth Half Marathon – August 10th 2025

Report by David Coslett:
I entered Great Yarmouth half some time ago as it is the 9th race of the Sportlink Grand Prix series, this is a series of 10 races spread across the year of varying distances and locations. You need to enter and run at least 8 of the 10 and your top 8 scores count towards the final  result.

It was an early start to get to Gorleston, I picked up Kevin on the way as he was also running the race.

The race was organised by Great Yarmouth Road Runners, I ran this race a couple of years ago and really enjoyed the route, the organisation and the marshals are so good.

I picked up my race number and got myself warmed up and ready to start.

The race is all road and takes you through Ashby, Lound, Somerleyton and running through the grounds of the beautiful Somerleyton Hall.

It was so hot on the day, which affected my running, although I was pleased with my time, the organisers put on extra water stations which we were all grateful for.

This is a nice run and I would recommend it.

David: 01:30:42
Kevin H: 01:31:21
Alex W: 01:39:16
Chloe F: 02:35:43

GEAR 10K

Thank you to Nita for her GEAR 10K report:

I’d signed up for GEAR straight after last year’s, along with Rob and Zoe. It was my 2nd time at the run, and their third, Sarah C joined later in the year after we persuaded her it would be a good first 10k. We sussed a car share, and then a good parking spot through local knowledge but missed the RntS group photo as we weren’t as prompt arriving as we’d hoped (aka almost late ) GEAR always needs thought as to parking because of the road closures.

When we checked results we realised there were 30 RntS there! There was always someone from the club in front, behind or passing in the other direction. One of the great things about this run is the couple of times you double back and see the faster runners on the other side.

It’s a lovely run for seeing the town, and crosses out and back over the river too. The penultimate K along the river bank was windy ( it always will be) and knocked a few seconds off, but personally I was just enjoying running, not pushing too hard, as I’d not trained for any time or even focused on the distance)

Rob and Zoe got a new pb, Sarah C a very respectable 1st 10k time, I got all excited cos I thought I’d also got a pb, but then realised I was a little bit off my best ever, if I’d have known, I’d have pushed it, but I thought I was so far off I didn’t even calculate from my watch times as I ran, so I had no idea whilst running…just shows how much of running well is in the head for me.

I’d highly recommend this as a first 10k, although it is very very busy and the start is packed, it is well managed, it has a lovely vibe, local support is great and it’s also reasonably flat, with enough twists and turns to make it pass quickly and not so many to be tedious.  Consider where to park, in good time, and enjoy the rest. It is very popular, so not one for a late sign up.

Awesome turn out from our club and lovely to see so many faces new, familiar and in between, and a wide range of speed and experience, a great run for all!

Nita

Sandringham 5K & 10K 2024

Run Sandringham 5K and 10K are organised by Good Running Events Ltd, https://www.goodrunningevents.co.uk/ a race organisation company who also manage other races at Sandringham, their latest addition – the Illuminate 5K (19th November, 7:00 and 8:00 pm start time) – is an after dark light trail run through the Sandringham Luminate 2024

I had planned to run several 10K in 2024 but after my trying 5-mile race at Worstead I elected to wait until later in 2024. Sandringham 10K was filling up fast so I chose to register and see whether I could prepare successfully for a good run. Training was a hard slog and I never got above a 10K training run due to fatigue.

It was a cool morning as we set off for the 10-minute drive to the race venue. Parking was easier than previous years. Despite the rain during the week the grass field wasn’t too bad.

We met up with runners from Sandringham parkrun and Runners-next-the-Sea, apprehension beginning to creep in as we waited. The 5K got under way at 9:25 am then a long wait as the organisers were waiting for the 5K finishers to start coming in. Eventually they got the 10K runners heading towards the corral start area but it wasn’t until 10:00 am that they released us. A long wait for the runners who had warmed up, my warm up was the first 10K of the race!!

I set off very steady following some parkrun buddies aiming for 60 – 65 minutes. The course goes in front of the house and around the gardens leaving the grounds at St Mary Magdalene Church and across and past the Sandringham visitor centre. The winding course goes through the parkland taking the same route as the Sandringham parkrun before crossing over into the muddy forest trails for the last 3K or so and back to the finish. The 5K follows the same course past the house and gardens then into the forest trails.

All finishers received a medal and a few snacks; and there were awards for first three male and female only.

Malcolm Senior

Well done to the RntS finishers.  Especially Alex who came 4th in the 5K finishing just outside the award places:

Sandringham 5K Results
Postion Gun Time Chip Time
4 Alex Walpole M MO Runners-Next-the-Sea 19:16.3 19:13.6
101 Peter Jones M M65+ Runners-Next-the-Sea 32:48.2 32:25.0
134 Emily Bingham F FO Runners-Next-the-Sea 34:28.5 34:04.8
135 Sarah Coxon F F45-49 Runners-Next-the-Sea 34:35.2 34:11.0
137 Gary Thorpe M M60-64 Runners-Next-the-Sea 34:38.9 34:14.7
177 Lizzie McLucas F FO Runners-Next-the-Sea 37:36.2 37:12.6
 

Sandringham 10K Results

Position Gun Time Chip Time
550 Phil Longwell M 391 M50-54 39 Runners-Next-the-Sea 911 00:58:31.0 00:57:53.9
697 Katherine Carr F 241 FO 124 Runners-Next-the-Sea 901 01:01:45.7 01:00:46.8
749 Malcolm Senior M 477 M65+ 23 Runners-Next-the-Sea 1327 01:03:28.7 01:01:41.6
759 Nick Loades M 481 M55-59 55 Runners-Next-the-Sea 895 01:03:20.4 01:01:55.5
760 Kirsty Grand F 279 F50-54 34 Runners-Next-the-Sea 1423 01:03:21.0 01:01:55.7
871 Debbie Moore F 355 F55-59 21 Runners-Next-the-Sea 908 01:06:03.0 01:04:37.3
985 Mark Riseborough M 551 M45-49 59 Runners-Next-the-Sea 893 01:10:29.5 01:07:48.8
986 Vikki Powles F 435 F45-49 56 Runners-Next-the-Sea 890 01:10:29.4 01:07:48.9
1002 Gemma Pickering F 451 F45-49 59 Runners-Next-the-Sea 251 01:10:25.4 01:08:20.0
1018 Catherine Thorpe F 465 FO 220 Runners-Next-the-Sea 896 01:10:13.1 01:08:49.7

Valentine’s 10k & Marriott’s Way Marathon

Thank you to Michelle for her Valentine’s 10k race report:

Valentine’s 10k

Great turnout of racers and supporters and all we all managed to find each other without resorting to sending out any search parties!

The race itself is a lovely single lap course starting off from Easton College where the race HQ is indoors and there are lots of toilets, always an advantage for racing, especially when it’s quite a big race as this one is!

It’s a well organised with lots of parking (although you do have to queue getting in and out) and it’s a good 15 minute walk to the start, you might call that the warm up! The weather gods were kind to us with a dry day, a little bit chilly but no wind.

The race starts off uphill, which I like because it keeps you steady, then disappears off into the countryside undulating its way round some quiet lanes, past some pretty houses and welcome local support.  Lots of marshals out on the course were also really supportive and kept us on the right road.

There’s been a lot of rain lately, you may have noticed 😉 so there were lots of puddles, some went across the whole road and had to be run through. Now I like that kind of thing so thoroughly enjoyed splashing through them and especially enjoyed the very long stretch while others had clambered into the verge to try and avoid the puddle, or perhaps they were trying to avoid being splashed by me.

After that the marshal had told us it was all downhill to the finish some 3k away and indeed it was downhill for about 2k and then rather meanly it was uphill to the finish. I was pretty much done by then so it was a bit of a drag. Lovely support at the finish from club mates and the marshals. Nice medal too if you opted to have one.

Results:
Ant Cude 40:43.3
Will Ayley-Dodd 47:29.5
Andrew Tuckett 49:47.9
Paula Smith 51:01.7
Bob Lyddon 52:27.4
Michelle Finnegan 1:02:14.7
Denise Sutton 1:04:13.4
Paul Woodhouse 1:08:29.0
Vicki Armes 1:08:29.4

Support
Ana Sucur-Hills
Francesa Iaccarino
Angie Barker
Kevin Barker
Vikki Powles
Mark Riseborough

 

Marriott’s Way Marathon

Race report from Kerrie:

The second event of the year for Positive Steps and this time ‘just a marathon’, words that I never thought I’d be saying!

Kerrie and I went to Aylsham together and met Marie there; we had a nice relaxing bus ride to Norwich (once it arrived!) and then met up Lucy. Nice short queue for the ladies again and despite the delay we still set off on time. I hadn’t felt nervous about this at all, the only bit that worried me was getting to the carpark and then to the bus.

After running this event on my own last year it was nice to share the fun with Kerrie. The weather was perfect but it could have been muddier – or not! I found the first half worse and that trying to stay upright sapped the energy out of my legs and made my knees ache! Luckily having good company and a fantastic support crew again made it better and we got through it and ran our own race like Peddars Way. We had so many opportunities to laugh and smile, and when it gets tough it’s good to be able to share your thoughts and feelings to get it out and not stew on the negatives.

Crossing the finish line hand in hand is completely the best feeling when you have supported each other all the way round ❤️

Congratulations to Marie on her fantastic debut into the 1% club and to Lucy for another great run in challenging conditions 😊

Report from Kirsty L:

Marriott’s Way Marathon

This is the first time I have ran this event, I ran the half a couple of years ago and it was one of my favourite routes.  It is organised by Positive Steps who are a great team at organising trail events around Norfolk/ Suffolk, they have such a relaxed attitude and their events are ones that I never worry before a race.

The half and the marathon were open to runners and walkers, with a very generous cut off time.  I was really looking forward to this run especially after running nearly double the distance 3 weeks earlier.

Kirsty, Lucy, Marie and Myself were all running the marathon distance, second time for Kirsty and first time for Lucy, Marie and me.  Myself, Kirsty and Marie were travelling on the bus from Aylsham to the start at Norwich, it gave us the opportunity to calm nerves (after the bus was 20 minutes late) and chat about the run on the way there.  The weather was perfect running weather, however with all the rain we had during the previous couple of days, we knew we were in for a treat on the trail – we were not disappointed.

Kirsty had asked whether friends and family could track us along the route and she was told they only use them for their longer linear events!  We met Lucy whilst collecting our race bibs, listened to the race briefing in perfect Kevin style, then we were off on a 15 minute walk to the start.  The race started in a park, where we ran towards the start of the Marriott’s Way, before coming back on ourselves, the route started off on tarmac and we spread out nicely along the route heading out of Norwich.  Kirsty and I ran together again, we had plenty of food and drink between us for the journey ahead, the tarmac soon turned into trail, with lots of water and boggy parts, trying to dodge them was more of a challenge so we quickly decided the best option was to go straight through, occasionally this meant skidding through when you misplaced a foot!  It was nice to see David and Harley (my dog) along the way, they were having a great time walking along the trail.

The first checkpoint was just outside Norwich with supportive and friendly marshals as always with this company, after the checkpoint we ran over the Northern Distributor Road and headed out toward Taverham and Lenwade.  The route was so pretty with so much to look at and see, Kirsty treated me to facts at each Station where we stopped to have a photo and I learnt about the history of the Marriott’s Way – such a great idea.

We reached the second checkpoint at Whitwell where the half marathon had started, David met us there with more support and encouragement, the trail continued to be muddy and wet with puddles, but undeterred we continued on with more facts and on Will’s advice reciting A-Z’s on various topics – it’s funny how your mind goes blank and you cannot think of a tv programme or film beginning with I ( the first aid chap at the checkpoint gave us Independence Day – of course it was!)

Hayley and David met us at Reepham (the final checkpoint) with cheers and smiles, my legs were tiring at this point and I think the time on my feet was taking it’s toll, but we were not defeated and we carried on with smiles and more mudiness to come and knowing we had about 7 miles to go we were nearly there (or so we thought).  With these events, you do need to prepare yourself that you potentially won’t be stopping at the distance you think you should be – hence I ended up running 27 miles – but better over than under I guess!!

We arrived at the finish at Aylsham Town Hall hand in hand again with smiles and cheers from David (and Harley) and Marie – a very  welcome sight and nice to be able to stop.

Sadly this is the last year that Positive Steps are doing these events, but fingers crossed the races will be taken over my somebody else, I would highly recommend this one to anybody, it is a lovely route, very relaxed and lots of fun.  We were not quick, but this didn’t matter – we had fun and enjoyed the route and were well within the cut-off – it just goes to show that you can achieve anything with determination, encouragement and a friend who takes the time to research facts about the route making it even more memorable.

Official Results:
Lucy Mc – 4:58:42
Marie P – 5:19:57
Kirsty L – 6:31:50
Kerrie – 6:31:50

Reepham XC 2024

Oh so clean before!

Reepham Cross Country has a special place in my heart.  I first ran it in 2017, not long after I’d started running the 10K distance, and on a few occasions I was joined by my oldest son, Milo, for the first lap before completing the second lap on my own.  I have some very special memories of this event and it’s also my nearest so I get a lovely lie in!

Juniors run one 5K lap at this event and seniors run 2 laps.  The course starts and ends at Whitwell Station, Reepham, and takes in sections of Marriott’s way, with copious amounts of mud, water and sections across private land that usually isn’t accessible to the public.  This event isn’t for everyone.  It seems to be very marmite.  For me, and Michelle who I ran with, it’s one of our favourite events, but if you don’t like getting dirty your pristine-white RntS vest then it’s best to avoid!

The course begins with a 1K stretch of Marriotts Way which is fairly easy going.  Flat and firm. Runners are then directed down a bank and into a stenchy bog, making their way along and navigating unseen obstacles below such as branches and divots.  Be sure to tie your laces tight as I have seen trainers go missing in the past!  This does create quite a bottleneck so there is usually a little wait at this point for runners towards the back of the pack.

This year’s route was different to previous years’ due to the heavy rainfall of late, so rather than crossing the river immediately, it was back onto Marriotts Way before meandering across fields, through a ‘pond’ and over the water at a shallower and narrower point.  This was the area where we began to get lapped by faster runners, mainly due to the queuing at the first water section.  After a little further distance it’s a wade along the river, ducking under bridges, before heading up the steepest part of the course, past the caravan park, across the main road and then back downhill along the edge of a field parallel to the roadside.  This was where I made a severe misjudgement!  Occasionally being lapped by faster runners who were almost at the finish, I jumped out of the way of one and begun running in the rough at the side of the field.  Next thing I know I’ve caught my leg in a bramble! Now those of you who know me well will know that I am very clumsy and therefore I’ve become adept at falling over.  With a swift roll onto my back to break my fall I found myself lying on my back shouting, ‘I’m still alive!’  Poor Michelle wasn’t sure what was happening however I’m very grateful she didn’t laugh!

I jumped straight up, thankfully not too hurt in the moment, and we made our way back to the station, past Mark who was providing super support and off on our second lap.  Here we even bumped into Marie who was out on a long run in the opposite direction.  Lovely to see another friendly face.  It was while queuing for the stinky bog on lap 2 that someone behind me pointed out I had cut my leg.  It must’ve been the brambles from when I tripped up as my leg was very scratched and bloody.  It looked more dramatic than it was but I decided, on Michelle’s advice, that it was best not to go through the water sections with an open wound.  While Michelle made her way through, I bypassed the water and got a temporary clean up from the First Aid crew and then we set off to complete our second lap.

Avoiding the water meant I had to jump across the river this time instead of dropping in.  I made it but the momentum was too much and I ended up on the floor again!  Michelle is very good though as she still didn’t laugh!  No more drama ensued and we completed the race in good spirits.  The weather was so mild compared to previous years that we were actually able to sit on the platform, grab a photo with other RntS (except Cam – I think he was getting food!), and watch others finish.  In past years my hands have been so cold at the end that it was difficult to even get changed afterwards.  I’m not going to lie, I do miss getting a medal or memento at the end but, due to sustainability concerns, the club had decided to plant a tree for every runner instead this year.

This is a great race and I’d recommend everyone give it a try, or at least come and watch. It’s different and fun, and Reepham Runners put on a great event with friendly marshals and good organisation.

Vikki P

Official Results:

Cat C 1:10:50.0
Bob L 1:10:50.3
Cam 1:10:56.0
Michelle 1:32:55.1
Vikki 1:32:58.3

Supporters:

Mark
Marie(!)

Marham Flyers New Year’s Eve 10K

Marham Flyers New Year’s Eve 10K

Report from Will:
What an excellent way to finish the year!
A nice one loop fast course (although very windy in places), a good crowd of runners of all abilities, great marshal support, the most amazing medal ever created! (I mean seriously, who doesn’t love a spinning plane medal right?!) and of course being part of the best running club in Norfolk! (Go RntS!)
Great running everyone.
Thanks to Mark for the Photos and track side support.

Official Results:
Ana – 00:43:13.4
Will – 00:46:32.8
Andrew – 00:49:29.5
Marie P – 00:56:42.9
Michelle – 01:00:49.10
Debbie – 01:10:42.2
Francesca – 01:10:43.4

EAMA 10k

EAMA 10k

A really well organised and marshaled event across open country roads with great views. If you like hills (and the possibility of strong winds) you will love this one!

Not a PB potential but definitely one worth doing.

Thanks again to Francesca for the track side support and photos.

Official Result:
Will – 48:17.0

Will EAMA 10k

Will EAMA 10k