Happy Mothers Day to all the running (and non-running) mamas out there! Another week at Croft Ambrey Running Club has come to a close and this time it has been our Junior runners time to shine! What to find out more? Well, let’s get this update underway!
Talking of the Juniors, they kick started the Croft week with their weekly training session over at Wigmore School, helping some of them prepare for their exciting week of running! On Tuesday it was the turn of our Seniors with a Short Interval session, also at Wigmore School, with Sam H. This was followed by a very wet and windy Hill session at Croft on Thursday with Kelly.
Join us in wishing our Junior runners a MASSIVE well done for taking part in the Cross Country Schools event at Lucton School on Thursday. 12 of our young Sky Blues ran, all brilliantly with a couple of podium finishers! Every runner gave it their best effort and represented the club and their schools so well. We’re incredibly proud of the determination, teamwork and fantastic performances from everyone!
Saturday, of course, means Parkrun, and it’s been another busy one in the world of Croft Ambrey Running Club. Starting over at Ludlow, Steve brought it home for our club in 5th position with a time of 22:59. Simon and Richard joined him in the Top 10. Steph K was our first female. Volunteers this week were Jamie, Seb and Casper. At Hereford, it was a 2-3 finish for Sam J and Eric, with times of 16:20 and 16:57, respectively. Elsewhere in the locality, 3 Crofties headed to Queenswood Parkrun, with Paul finishing first Croftie in 17th place with a time of 26:51. Tim J and Mike H also ran there. Down in Builth at Groe Parkrun, it was Gary waving the flag for Croft. He finished in 58th with a time of 28:42. We also had several Croft runners participating in Parkrun tourism this weekend. First up is Mike B who ran at Wallaceneuk Parkrun in Scotland. It was a 10th place finish for Mike, with a time of 24:41. Lou P, currently travelling back from South America, had a 15 hour layover in Toronto, Canada. So, as would any runner, Lou found herself a Parkrun. This one was River Oaks Parkrun in Oakville, Ontario. She finished in 13th place with a time of 30:18.
Skipping Parkrun, a small group headed to Brampton Bryan to help Nina complete her video task for her LIRF qualification. Huw popped onto the Facebook page: “It was beautiful morning for a short training session at Brampton Bryan led by Nina. Hubby Sam shot the video that will go to England Athletics to complete her ‘Leader in Running Fitness’ qualification. Expect Nina to be leading some training sessions in the very near future!”
Croft Junior; Saffi, was up in Liverpool on Saturday representing Hereford and Worcester at the English Schools’ Athletic Association Cross Country Championships 2026. Results were available and then unavailable when it came to writing up! But her Mum has let us know she ran sub 4min km pace on a challenging course and her team picked up 28th. She was then back in action on Sunday in a 5k multi-terrain race in South Worcestershire- finishing 1st female/5th overall in a field of 88 runners.
Next up is Janet who completed her 10th Haworth Hobble on Saturday. She said: “My tenth Haworth Hobble today (first was in 2008). 32 miles with 1500m of ascent from Haworth, up to Top Withens, across the moors to Todmorden, Stoodley Pike, Hebden Bridge. Tricky early on with the ice on the flag stones over the moors and later the mud. My slowest ever time (8:31) but an enjoyable and successful day out.” Congratulations on your agegroup prize Janet!
Fell runner; Flora, was out and about on Saturday, running the Llantysilio Mountain Race in North Wales. This race was just over 6 miles long with 2400+ft ascent. Flora finished in 01:29:26, 40th overall and1st in age. She was also the only one in her age category and told us that she was “quite pleased so I don’t need to try hard, no competition!”
Completing Saturday was Stu, Liza and Oli, all who headed to West Wales to compete in the Nant yr Arian Silver Trail Half Marathon. A popular race amoung Crofties last year, it was nice to see a small group return for 2026! This includes Stu and Liza who both finished 2nd in their respective age categories. Results:
Stuart Austin – 02:08:34 – 2nd MV60
Liza Austin – 02:34:29 – 2nd FV60
Oli Cameron-Oliver – 02:45:43
Oli said after the race: “Finished just over 2 hours 45 minutes, lots of walking up the hills, wading through ‘puddles’, and slipping over on the mud. Great weather, fabulous views, and a surprisingly short chicane to finish on that deposits you right next to an ice cream van. What more could you want? 10/10, would recommend.”
Moving onto Sunday and some of the Junior runners were back in action at the Junior XC Champs in Hereford. Croft runners took part in the Under 11 and Under 15 races. There were excellent results from all of our youngsters, particularly impressive as some had already raced in the School XC Championships earlier in the week. In the U11 race Jonathan Ferreira finished in third place in a time of 8min 51, followed only 2 seconds later by Arthur Perkins. Henry Perkins was next Croft across the line in 9.54. Elsie Morgan finished in 11.38 and Gwen Bowers in 12.48. Casper Cultart finished 6th in the U15 race in a time of 17.50.
We are extremely impressed with all of them and all the hard work they have been putting in. Well done everyone!
That’s all we have for this week. If you have been doing something that you would like included in the weekly roundup please let Bronwyn, Huw, Sam H or Tori know before 6pm on a Sunday.
We are always on the lookout for race reports to go on the website too. They do not need to be huge, or even go into too much detail, but let us know where you went and how it went for you together with a couple of photos and make our website current and up to date.
Enjoy your week of running everyone!