We witnessed some absolutely fantastic performances yesterday at the @hackneymoves Hackney Half Marathon. Orion Harriers were well represented, delivering a phenomenal set of results.
It was a spectacular day for Personal Bests. Congratulations to the following runners who successfully smashed their PBs and rang the bell with pride:
• Megan Woolf
• Laura Graham-Clare
• Lucy Benson (First time sub-2 hours)
• Katie Goodhew
• Ted Allaway
• Mollie Allen
• Leigh Satchell
• Hannah Jump
• Harriet MacSweeney
• Katharine Hancox
• George West (First time sub-2 hours)
Note: If we missed your PB, please let us know so we can update our records!
Age Category Highlights:
• Katharine Hancox: 8th place (VW50-54)
• Janine Humberstone: 10th place (VW60-64)
In an incredible display of grit, @maxabell07 also completed the course on crutches!
Congratulations to everyone who took part, and a huge thank you to the club members who lined the streets to support their fellow runners.
Huge congrats to Shelley Ainsworth on her double Spartan event today.
This morning was an 8.5 mile Spartan Super 25 obstacle run (2:01)followed by a Spartan Sprint 3.45 mile 20 obstacle run this afternoon(57:52)
Shelley will be taking part in a third event in September to complete the Trifecta.
Well done Shelley!!
Massive kudos to @mara.dan250 Dan Gritton who completed the ING Night Marathon Luxembourg in a fantastic time of 3:31:54. We’ve lost count of how many marathons Dan has completed!
It was an incredible weekend of running for the Orions, with 83 Orions kicking off their Saturday morning in style. Showing off the club vest far and wide, our runners scattered across 33 different events spanning local haunts, national hotspots, and even some serious international tourism!
From the flat and fast to the notoriously hilly, here is how the weekend unfolded:
We have to start with the phenomenal performances at the front of the fields this weekend. Four Orions absolutely dominated their respective events to take home the coveted token number one:
• Arthur Ansell put on a masterclass in Nottingham, storming home to take 1st place overall at Forest Rec parkrun.
• It was a double-victory celebration at Gunpowder parkrun! Graham Wilkinson took 1st place overall, while Rachel Morison ran a superb race to finish as the 1st Female, securing an Orion clean sweep at the top.
• Closer to home, Morven Lean put in a fantastic shift at Walthamstow parkrun, crossing the line as the 1st Female.
The full list of locations is as follows..,
Ally Pally
Beccles Quay
Bedfont Lakes
Beecraigs Country Park 🏴
Bexley
Blickling
Burgess
Chalkwell Beach
East Brighton
East Grinstead
Fitzmaurice Park
Forest Rec
Gunpowder
Hackney Marshes
Harrow Lodge
Lordship Recreation Ground
Maldon Prom
Mile End
Peel
Port Sorell 🇦🇺
Pymmes
Roding Valley
Roundsure Downs
Rutland Water
Somerdale Pavillion
Southsea
St Helens
Temple Newsam
Thomas Mills
Valentines
Walthamstow
Wanstead Flats
Y Promenâd parkrun, Llandrillo-yn-Rhos 🏴
Well done everyone. Don’t forget we have a designated parkrun WhatsApp group where you can share selfies and your parkrun achievements and milestones.
Same time next week?
Following a dramatic afternoon of thunder and hail, conditions cleared for a successful Summer Handicap last night.
41 members competed in the 5-mile event, with the staggered start times producing a hard-fought race.
We are delighted to announce Mandy Simpson as the overall winner. This was Mandy’s first time competing in a handicap event since joining Orion Harriers in October. Having only started her running journey last August, her progress is a testament to her hard work.
Congratulations, Mandy, and welcome to the club!
Orion Women take Bronze! 🥉
Following a timing correction for Paulina at last Sunday’s Halstead and Essex Marathon, we are thrilled to announce that our Women’s team officially secured the Bronze medal in the Essex Championships!
A massive congratulations to Jo, Karen, and Paulina on a fantastic result!
Congratulations to @theaaman1 Arthur Ansell who ran the Leeds half marathon yesterday supporting partner Emily pacing her to a terrific 2.33.57. Fabulous running you guys!!
A huge round of applause goes out to @shasha.nick for his brilliant performance at the Essex County Championships 1500m race this past weekend.
The weather was far from ideal, with athletes facing freezing windy conditions that made every meter a battle. Despite these conditions, Nick showed incredible tactical grit and determination. He fought hard to secure a Bronze Medal and a well-earned spot on the podium.
With yet another medal secured this is testament to Nick’s hard work and consistency.
We’ve no doubt it’s another proud moment for him and an inspiration for the rest of us!
Fantastic running, Nick!
It was a massive weekend for the Orions! We had 79 runners fly the flag across 29 different events, spanning everything from local favorites to international destinations. From the hills of Wales to the parks of the Netherlands, we literally covered the alphabet from A to Z.
The Global Map
Our runners were spotted at:
• International: Amegar Fælled 🇩🇰, Pobalscoil na Tríonóide 🇮🇪, Zuiderpark 🇳🇱
• Home Nations: Aberystwyth 🏴, Cardiff 🏴, Riverfront 🏴, Bo’ness Foreshore 🏴
• UK & Local: Battersea, Billericay, Blickling, Brundall, Chalkwell Beach, Chilton Fields, Foots Cray Meadows, Gunpowder, Harrow Lodge, Henlow Bridge Lakes, Heslington, Lordship Recreation Ground, Maldon Prom, Mile End, Peel, Pymmes, Roding Valley, Thorney Bay Beach, Valentines, Walthamstow, Wanstead Flats, Westmill, Woodhouse Moor, and York.
First Finishers
A huge shoutout to the four Orions who stormed across the line to collect Token 001:
Arthur Ansell at Heslington
Jamie Stafford at Gunpowder
Donald Bennet at Pymmes
Mick McTernan at Walthamstow
The Alphabet Completed! 🔤
Huge congratulations to Bal Gill, who finished his Parkrun Alphabet in style. He secured that elusive ‘Z’ over at Zuiderpark in the Netherlands. An incredible achievement!
The Big 250 🎖️
Karen West joined the prestigious 250 Club this weekend. It’s been an 11-year journey to the green milestone jersey, and was celebrated in the best way possible—joining the crew at Zuiderpark.
Well done to everyone who got out there this weekend. See you at the next one!
Marathon Magic in Copenhagen! 🇩🇰
The marathon success just keeps rolling in! Huge congratulations to Tom Rodgers and Ellie Chambers for their incredible performances at the Copenhagen Marathon today.
What makes these results even more mind-blowing is the quick turnaround:
• Tom : Back in action just 4 weeks after crushing the Paris Marathon!
• Ellie: Dominating the streets of Denmark less than 3 weeks after smashing the Boston Marathon!
An unbelievable display of recovery and grit from both of you. We hope you’ve finally got your feet up for a well-deserved rest!
