Green Belt Relay

Green Belt Relay 2 day, 11 runner, 22 stage relay organised by the Stragglers Running Club around the Green Belt Way,

31/05/2026

And finally, Stage 22

Thames are 50 seconds ahead with one stage to go, and up steps James Hoad. He's run 11 GBR stages and he's won every one of them, generally by quite a long way. And here he comes into the rain-soaked but cheerful finish for the stage, mixed trophy and Green Belt win. Thames break into smiles - it's their third overall win, their seventh mixed trophy (in the last ten), and their sixth Kings of the Mountains win. Mixed teams have won four of the last six races - it seems to have become the best way to win.

Chasers have had a frustrating weekend of what-ifs but they've had plenty to cheer too, and Calum Laing comes in second with a big smile on his face. They take away both prizes for outstanding performances - Tracy Barlow and Charlie Mason (see previous posts). They've also got two teams in the top 15 and four teams in the top 30. They'll be back.

Burgess Hill have had another cracking weekend and here comes Jonathan Neville for the V35 win and record, doing an athletic roll over the line and being handed a big pack of Guinness by his captain. Club mate Oliver Day nearly makes it two BHR runners in the top ten - he's 11th with a V55 win in his 14th GBR. Annette Maynard comes in 40th, 4th LV45, meaning that her team retains the Toilet Seat trophy.

Straggler Ollie Bowers has another really fast race in fourth, getting eighth place overall for his team and fourth men's team. Straggler Freysen Maritz is not far back (and second V45), cementing his team's second place in the Supervets event. The home team have made it onto the prize list in five of the last seven races and we're pretty chuffed. Lucy Chambers is then first LV45 to confirm third place in the women's team race.

Ranelagh's supervet Phillip Collins wins the V45, the Supervet Old Timer trophy, and fifth overall for his team of ludicrously quick old men, just five minutes off fourth place overall and sneaking under the magic 24 hour mark by just 25 seconds. He celebrates with a roly-poly. Club mate Nick Twomey is just behind him completing Ranelagh Rapids's second place overall, just 5:50 off the lead, and the men's trophy in his 18th GBR stage.

Ranelagh's women's team is brought home by Edel McKeever, with her team winning the women's trophy by over an hour. It's impressive stuff from Ranelagh - if you can find a way to beat Ranelagh in any category, you're likely to win.

Beeches' Gaby Reynolds wins the women's race again with the stage record - she's now had seven wins from nine starts in the GBR. Beeches had to draft in some recruits on Sunday so their 11th place comes with an asterisk, but it's still impressive.

26.2's Joe Brewer is a few places behind for the men's team, sixth place overall and they retain second place in the men's team race. A bit further back former captain Richard Kirk finishes holding hands with his daughters, celebrating his feat of running every GBR stage. Nice going Richard, and 26.2!

Serpentine's captain Frank Womelsdorf is 15th and brings home the team win in the Vets category - the Walking Stick. It's their second year on the trot winning this one, and it's the latest in his club's amazing GBR history - you have to go back to 2002 to find a GBR prize list without Serpentine somewhere on it.

Then we have Windmilers' Ed Robson who confirms their second place in the Mixed trophy. It's been a great weekend for them - fourth place overall for the first team and a top-20 finish for the second, near-constant challengers in every stage, three stage wins.

London Front Runner Paul Smith comes in 23rd, and after what seems to be an annual Vets battle with Serpentine, they finish second Vets. They've got all four of their teams in the top half of the leaderboard, pretty much.

Rachel Lovell anchors the VPH & THAC women's team to a great overall finish - 16th overall and second in the women's event, after a tough fight. That included three stage wins and plenty of top-10 finishes, and is a great result in only their second-ever GBR.

And David Sampson again wins the V65 race for Paddock Wood, who have brought a cake stand along to the finish. Thank you!

The results are ready to go as soon as the final runner is in, the sun comes out just in time to dish out the prizes and after 216.2 miles of racing, 16 new stage records, lots of driving, flapjacks and BeaRCat's Christmas-themed water stations which left Feliz Navidad firmly stuck in my head for the whole darned thing, we're done for another year.

Cheers.

30/05/2026

Stage 21

Only two people before have won three stages in a single weekend. Teams don't plan to have runners double-up, so it only happens if someone's been injured. Sandhurst Joggers' Jenny Robinson (11 wins, a women's record) won three in the 2016 race, and Serpentine's Natasha Sheel (an 8-time winner) did it in 2018.

Clapham Chasers have a gap on stage 21 after their heartbreaking injury yesterday, and Charlie Mason steps up, having already won two and broken two stage records this weekend. He looks ludicrously fresh in Ripley and sure enough he bags another yellow t-shirt here. It's his fifth stage win from nine starts.

Behind him there's a fairly close second and V35 win for Straggler Pavel Przepiorski, then Ranelagh's James Whistler comes in third/2nd vet for Ranelagh's lead team. Stopwatches are out to see if it's enough to regain the overall lead, but Thames' Ellen Weir comes into view just 1:27 behind James for her second stage win of the weekend - these Thames women just keep delivering when under the most intense pressure. It's a huge result for Thames with just one stage to go.

Serpentine's Nicolas Besson gets a V45 win and an important run in the vets team race, while Ranelagh's evergreen supervets have Andy Starr right behind him. Ranelagh's Sarah Cogswell is second woman for Ranelagh's soon-to-be winning women's team.

BA's Mark Taylor yesterday got the V55, V565 and category record on stage 6 and he's done the same thing again today, knocking a cool five minutes off the course best. MAC's Beks Chatwin gets the LV45 win and Ranelagh's Clare Day the LV55. And congrats to Dulwich Runner Tom Poynton who completes his 20th GBR stage.

So it's finally come to the grand finale, the champagne bottles are chilling, the barbecues are getting warmed up (inside - it's raining!) and after over 21 hours of the fiercest of racing, there are just 50 seconds separating Thames and Ranelagh. If this was a 100m sprint, it would be one of those ones where there's a fingernail's width separating the two lead runners.

30/05/2026

Stage 20

We're done course marking so we've got time to eat in Ripley (Sarah buys us a health food meal of Fanta and Minstrels). This is the first stage finish I've seen all day and I say hi to Ranelagh legend Steve Rowland (a stage winner in the first ever GBR) who's come to support his club.

Thames' Jacob Brockman get his second win of the weekend with a blisteringly quick stage record time (that's sub-5 minute mile pace). They've got to make up 2:40 and peering up the road it looks like he might have done it.
Windmiler Sam Walker follows up yesterday's win with a quick second place to keep them in fourth place, then GBR legend Hugh Torry (17 wins from 30 starts) beats the V45 record to win the V35 and 45 categories and nail down their win in the Vets category. Ranelagh's Mark Herbert comes in fifth overall and supervet Ben Hurley 7th, with Stragglers supervet Alex Wilson next - the Stragglers have put up a good fight for second place.

VPH & THAC's Lydia Briggs get her second women's win of the weekend and I've got the honour of presenting her with her winner's shirt. They look very likely to win second place in their weekend-long battle with Stragglers - Straggler Sarah Winter comes in second, winning the LV35 and 45 races. Thames' Vikki Filsell gets her second V55 course record of the weekend not far behind, and Beckenham's Richard Stokes wins the men's V55 race not far back.

Front Runner Shane Cullinan finishes his 28th stage, having run almost every race since 2009, while former Stragglers team captain and Team Bushy legend Kirsty Bangham finishes her 24th and celebrates 20 years of Green Belting.

I've even had time to natter with some of the teams at the start of stage 21. Looks like everyone's enjoying it, and we're expecting more fireworks on stage 21.

So Thames back on top, by 2:35 after over 20 hours of racing. We're heading back to the Thames with still no clue who's going to get the Green Belt.

29/05/2026

Stage 19

Conall McNally of Windmilers was second yesterday on stage 11 and broke the stage record too. Here he goes one better and gets the stage win and the record too. It's Windmilers' second stage win of the weekend and only their third ever.

Chasers' Alex Auld gets second overall, but Ranelagh's Ross MacDonald gets the V35 and third. Thames' Bethanie Murray won stage 9 yesterday and needs another big run here to keep Thames in touch. She wins the women's stage in a new course record - it's a fantastic run and she's now won all six of the GBR stages she's started. Ranelagh have now re-taken the lead with just three stages to go! Will 2:40 lead be enough? It's going to be really close.

Ranelagh supervet Graham Weller gets his second V45 win of the weekend and the course record, and 26.2's Edward Francis does the same with the V55. Straggler Harri Daniel is second woman and wins both V35 and V45 categories. Elmbridge's Dorothy Wilkinson gets her second V55 win of the weekend and the category record too. Beeches' John Foss gets the V65 win and record.

Meanwhile, Straggler Jim Desmond runs the 33rd GBR stage of his career to date. He's a former stage winner and captained both the Sunday Night Shandies (2003) and BPTT.net (2006) to the overall Green Belt. Going one better than that, Elmbridge captain Rich Nicholson finishes his 34th stage. He was in their 2006 team which won the Mixed trophy, and has run every race since apart from last year.

So we're set up for a nail-biter of a finale. Even now, it's like the final scene of Star Wars: I know what's going to happen, but am still biting my nails...

29/05/2026

Stage 18

Our final Mountains stage, with its climbs, its views and its narrow uneven paths. We're marking the first bit here through the school and up Reigate Hill and say hi to Havering 90 at the viewpoint. A lady asks what we're doing, we explain, and she buys us coffees.

Paddy Roddy gets a big stage win for Thames and the course record by over 2 minutes (and is now on 8 wins out of eight). Ranelagh's Marc Leyshon is second and (as yesterday) wins the V35 and 45 categories and the v45 record, but Thames have yet again wrestled the lead back off Ranelagh and lead by 3 minutes.

Windmiler captain Richard Cohen gets a strong third (and 2nd V35) to strengthen their fourth place, followed closely by St Albans' Jonny Pennell with their highest overall finish of their debut race, and Ranelagh supervet Dave Lawley who is second V45. Serpentine's Karsten Buecker wins the V55 race with a new course record, and a bit more distance at the top of the Vets team race.

There's what looks like a real thriller in the women's race, with Stragglers' Glady Gartland winning the stage (Beeches sub Mary James ran on fresh legs ahead of her, but Glady gets the win). Hillingdon's Mary Spencer gets the V35 and V45 win. BA's Murray Hogge and VPH & THAC's Katrin Flikschuh then finish one after the other, both winning their V65 races and both breaking course records to do so. It's Murray's 26th GBR stage, while Katrin also wins the V55 and does enough to keep her team ahead of Stragglers women and second in the women's team race, although their lead is now under four minutes.

A quick mention to Epsom & Ewell's captain Neil Henderson too, who completes stages 17 and 18 back-to-back, a total of over 20.1 not very easy miles. And quite fast too - he's 12th on stage 17 and 19th on stage 18. We don't really want this becoming a thing people plan to do, but he was filling in for unforseen gaps in his team.

So after (at least) nearly 19 hours of racing Thames lead Ranelagh by under three minutes for the Green Belt. Serpentine vets lead Front Runners vets by about 30 minutes. In the women's race Ranelagh lead VPH & THAC by over an hour, but there's not a lot between second and third. Ranelagh's supervets still seem to think they can win the whole thing and are winning their category by two hours from Stragglers. There's one more tough run on the North Downs Way before we start heading for home.

29/05/2026

Stage 17

Ranelagh's response to losing the lead is swift: Peter Cook follows his stage 9 win yesterday with a thumping win here which puts them right back on top again. Chaser Harry Guttridge, a stage winner last year, is second, and Beeches' Luke Davis get the V35 win in third. 26.2's Rob Buckle cements their 2nd place in the men's team with 6th, and a V45 win.
Windmilers' Esther Laffey follows up her second place yesterday with a stage win today to keep them fourth overall, not far ahead of Aoife Kilpatrick of Ranelagh, just missing out on double stage wins.
There's then a classic scrap between Serpentine and Front Runners for the Vets team win, this time Serpie Abu Asad and Front Runner Adrian Mark, running in his 20th stage. Abu gets that by four seconds.
Ranelagh's Mike Thomas wins the V55 to keep his supervets just a minute off fourth place overall. What do these Ranelagh Supervets eat for breakfast? We need to know...
Nathalie Gaudillat from Beckenham then wins a close finish over Eloise Lawler of Clapham Runners to with the V45 category and second V35 too.
There's another category record for Stragglers too - this time Phillip Hammett getting the V65. Serpentine's Helen Lane also gets the record and a second V55 win of the weekend. Straggler Pamela McHutchon gets her second V65 win of the weekend too.

Clapham Pioneer and former stage winner Michael White gets his club's highest overall position in 7th in his 29th stage finish.

So Thames took a big lead only to lose it again the next stage. This is going all the way.

29/05/2026

Stage 16

Thames need to make up some ground here, and Jared Martin does just that: he follows up his stage 11 win with a huge win here by over 11 minutes, putting Thames back in the lead. Chaser Shane O'Keeffe is second and lead V35, followed by yesterday's stage 8 winner Ranelagh's Peter Robins. Stragglers then follow with Scott Singleton and Crispin Allen, and it's another huge result for Crispin as he's won the V55, V45, second V35 and beaten the V55 record. Front Runner Leon Clement is third V35, closing some ground in the vets team race - they're 25 minutes behind the lead, but there are still plenty of mountains to climb.

Ranelagh's Suzy Whatmough gets her second career stage win and a second V35 win of the weekend for their dominant women's team, followed by clubmate James Riley as second V45 for their similarly dominant supervets, scrapping for 4th place a minute behind Windmilers. Straggler Sophie Biggs wins the LV45 category and claws a bit of time back from VPH&THAC in the race for second place women's team. Ranelagh's Ann Keary gets the LV55. Meanwhile Serpentine's Kevin Murray has repeated yesterday's feat of breaking the V65 category record, this time by over half an hour. Great running, Kevin.

There are two GBR legends to call out: 26.2's Joe Chang finishes his 34th stage - only four people have run more. One of those is BA's Chris Kelly, who finishes his 39th.

So the leaderboard: maybe Thames are going to nick this one after all? Still plenty of star runners on both sides yet to run.

I have time in Tatsfield to buy a sandwich for Sarah, who has been driving me without complaint all day. She seems happy. Road trips when we were kids were never quite as peaceful as this...

29/05/2026

Stage 15

It's a clash of the women superstars in stage 15 with Chaser Tracy Barlow and Thames' Lizzy Apsley, both of whom have won stages outright (Lizzy last year, Tracy yesterday), and neither of them having ever not won a stage. Tracy wins it by a minute, making her the first woman ever to get an outright stage win on both days. Both of them end up breaking the previous stage record, coming first and second overall. QPH's Harriet Preedy is 7th and VPT&THAC's Clare Hartley-Marjoram 10th, making it four women in the top 10.

Ranelagh's Jonathan Smith gets the men's stage win (his 4th) and the V35 win, keeping most of Ranelagh's overall lead intact. Then it's Windmiler James Hughes who's second vet. Serpentine's Jonathan Moscrop (a veteran of 28 stages now and three-time stagewinner) is lead V45 and Ranelagh's Ed Smith is second.

Straggler (and former stage winner) Nicky Hornzee is first V45 and beats the V45 course record. MAC's Chris Ellis wins the V55 and BeaRCat's Sonia Kohol the LV55 (for the second time this weekend). Elmbridge's Stan Bradbury, who beat a V65 record yesterday without winning the V65, wins it this time. Antonia Boxall of Burgess Hill rounds off the scoring with a second V65 category of the race.

Hampton Wick's Kevin Parker finishes his 24th stage, as does Front Runner (and former twice stage winner) Steven Artist.

So well over fifteen hours into the race, that leaves us with Ranelagh in the lead by just under 7 minutes. Windmilers have edged ahead of Ranelagh's supervets by a couple of minutes, 26.2 are comfortably second in the men's category. Serpentine lead Front Runners in the vets by half an hour, Ranelagh lead the women's race, and VPH&THAC women now have 15 minutes on Stragglers.

The race starts heading west to the North Downs Way. I'm on a hill in the Chevening Estate with a giant bag of sawdust on my back when a couple ask me if I'm going parascending! Nope, I reply, just running the whole way around the Green Belt.

28/05/2026

Stage 14

One day we're going to have a really miserable wet 14, between the flood-prone path under the M25 and the sticky wet slog of the Mardyke Way in rain (experienced by Elmbridge during lockdown), but fortunately it is not this day. We send Ollie with a bag of medical stuff as tail runner on this one, which he seems to enjoy.

Serpentine get the stage win (and V35 win too) with Victor Lio - it's his 4th stage and first win. Dulwich's Dylan Wymer is second, and 26.2's James Senior is third, a result which puts them back up the leaderboard in 7th and in touching distance of Windmilers. Ranelagh's Ted Mockett gets another category win and record in 5th (and his 20th GBR stage!), followed closely by Thames' Poppy Disley-May, getting her first stage win. So the leaderboard's top two don't change much.

MAC's Frances Sille gets second and the V35 win in her 10th GBR stage. Dulwich's Andrea Ceccolini gets the V55 win, and Straggler Fraser Wigley beats the V65 record by a long way. Fellow-Straggler Lex Prince gets a second LV45 win in her debut weekend. Ealing Eagle Alison McCulloch get the LV55 and Beckenham's Gail Arnott, who's been running GBRs since 2008, gets the LV65. The most-grizzled stage 14 GBR vet looks to be Ranelagh's Andrew McLauchlan running his 27th stage.

So Ranelagh's overall lead has crept back up to just over 7 minutes as the race heads over the QE2 bridge. Eight stages to go. Anything can happen.

28/05/2026

Stage 13

We pick our way through the wilds south of Brentwood as the race heads towards the river.

Chaser Charlie Mason wins this one in record time. It's his fifth win in nine GBR starts, and his second of the weekend. He's followed by Windmiler Jared Alexander, one better than his third place yesterday. Then there's Ranelagh's Eirin McDaid, getting the V35 win in his 14th GBR stage.

In 6th place and lead V45 is Simon Barrett. It's his 28th GBR stage (including 11 stage wins) and he has now run every GBR stage in (I think) a total of 21:58:27, so a team full of Simon Barretts (I know, it's a difficult thing to imagine isn't it?) would win the GBR in all but about ten of our past races. Well done Simon! Lead V55 is Thames' Ben Reynolds - am wondering if he's ever run one without winning at least an age category? And they're not even the most experienced GBR-ers there: Serpentine's James Gillanders then finishes his 30th GBR stage (incl 7 wins) not long after.

There's then a big win for Stragglers women, with former timekeeper Tracy Lenthall getting the stage win as well as V35 and 45 categories. Team Bushy's Justine Albert gets second place in the V45. It's quite a big win and puts them back to just 15 minutes from VPH & THAC for second place.

Sutton Strider Deborah Williams follows up yesterday's V55 win with another one today, and Eagles' Robert Kipling does the V65 double too.

And behind all them is 26.2's Dave Wilson, completing his 48th GBR stage. Forty-eight! Nice going Dave.

We're only on the second stage of the day and there's already been plenty to celebrate. We drop by the finish, check a bit of 14 (marked and landscaped by Havering 90 Joggers - thank you!) and then head south to do some more marking over the river.

Address

Richmond Upon Thames
KT25BH

Website

http://www.stragglers.org/index.php/races/club-races/green-belt-relay

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