Runners of the Month, Second Half of 2024

Every 4-6 weeks or so the committee nominate one or two Runners of the Month – these are people who we feel have worked hard and improved in some way, whether that is by running their first 5K, coming back from injury or completing a longer event in an exceptional time. At the end of the year, at the club AGM, members have the opportunity to choose a male and female Runner of the Year by voting for the various Runners of the Month.

December – Steven Wood and Jan Pakula

Steven Wood - Runner of the Month, December 2024

Steven Wood - Runner of the Month, December 2024

The first runner of the month for December is Steven Wood. Steven joined the club 18 months ago and has thrown himself into club fantastically which has lead to his running really improving last year. He has been a keen parkrunner for years having done 345 parkruns at 38 different locations. He has also volunteered 47 times regularly pacing 24 minutes and helping with set up at Cheltenham. Last year he ran 3 parkruns under 21 minutes and ran 3 10k races under 45 minutes at Bourton, Cirencester and with an impressive PB of 43.41 at Newport. He ran 4 halfs under 1:44 at Stroud, Worcester, Milton Keynes and with a PB of 1:41.51 at Cardiff. He also set PBs of 5.57 at Meteor mile and 34.54 at Linda Franks. He won his age category in our road race series and finished 16th overall in our handicap race series. Well done Steven!

Jan Pakula - Runner of the Month, December 2024

Jan Pakula - Runner of the Month, December 2024

The second runner of the month for December is Jan Pakula. Jan is another new member having joined the club 12 months ago. He too has been a keen parkrunner at Cheltenham since 2019 having now done 149 parkruns at 9 different locations and has been a pacer 3 times. He joined the club to broaden his running and regularly enjoys the Wednesday club run. As a result last year his parkrun times were improving and towards the end of the year ran under 27 minutes 9 times with a fastest time of 26.19. He secured an impressive 5k PB of 25.58 at Alderton. He is also now tackling longer distances with 43.00 at Guy Fawkes 5 and running 10k races in 57.16 at Cirencester and 57.01 at Berkeley. We have also been very grateful for his IT and website skills to help the committee develop the new website. Well done Jan!

November – Ivana Wilson and Jamie Baron

Ivana Wilson - Runner of the Month, November 2024

Ivana Wilson - Runner of the Month, November 2024

The first runner of the month for November is Ivana Wilson. Ivana has shown incredible dedication to her training throughout the whole year. She has truly committed to the club coming to the Thursday speed endurance sessions come rain or shine. She also regularly attends Wednesday club runs and she’s now stepped up to be a LiRF and lead groups. Her main focus this year was the Manchester marathon and she knocked out a wonderful 3:02:56 at Berkeley 20 miles in March and then bagged herself a 6 minute PB at Manchester in 4:00:25. I have no doubt that she will get her sub 4 hour marathon one day! Throughout the year she has been taking part in our road race series and finished 1st in the competitive senior female age category, finishing 12th female overall. Ivana is a fantastic runner with a brilliant attitude! Well done Ivana!

Jamie Baron - Runner of the Month, November 2024

Jamie Baron - Runner of the Month, November 2024

The second runner of the month for November is Jamie Baron. Jamie has simply shown the most remarkable improvement this year. At the end of last year he decided to give cross country a go and ran his first race at Cirencester Park in 52:19. At the end of this year he ran the same race at Cirencester Park in 41:00. That’s more than 11 minutes quicker! Wow! In our off road race series this year he became almost impossible to beat as at the last 8 races in the series he finished as the 1st male almost in 5 races and 2nd male almost in the other 3 races. His astonishing progress also showed in our road race series where he finished 1st in the MV40 age category bagging PBs along the way at the Meteor Mile of 5:51, at the Cirencester 10k of 42:46 and 1:36:57 at the Bourton Hilly Half. This is so inspirational! Well done Jamie!

October – Olga Goffin and  Josh Hand

Olga Goffin - Runner of the Month, October 2024

Olga Goffin - Runner of the Month, October 2024

The first runner of the month for October is Olga Goffin. Olga is an understated but exceptional runner. This year she has run most of the races in our road race series, regularly finishing in the top 3 of her age category overall with 1st at Berkeley 10k in 43:35, 2nd at Dymock Half in 1:40:51, 2nd at Cirencester in 44:06, 2nd at Gloucester 10k in 43:57, 3rd at Bugatti 10k in 46:34 and 3rd at Bourton Hilly Half in 1:37:27. At Berkeley and Gloucester she was also part of the female winning team. As a result she ended the year as 1st female overall in our road race series! And then she delivered an astonishing performance in the event that was her main focus this year where she ran the Snowdonia Marathon in 3:40:51 on a challenging course, was 5th in her age category and within the top 5% of all females. Well done Olga!

Josh Hand - Runner of the Month, October 2024

Josh Hand - Runner of the Month, October 2024

The second runner of the month for October is Josh Hand. Josh is another modest and exceptional runner who was building towards a big event recently. He is a keen parkrunner at Cheltenham with a fastest time this year of 19:15, comfortably beating that at the Bristol 5k Track Club Race Day with 18:25. He has delivered sub 40 minutes over 10k 3 times with 38:59 at Bourton, 39:17 at Blaisdon and 38:55 at Magor. He is also a keen cross country runner and finished first almost at the recent Cirencester event in 37:41. During the Spring he ran the Boston Marathon in 3:15:24 and then recently bettered that considerably at Abingdon Marathon in 2:58:14. He has now run a sub 3 hour marathon in 8 of the last 9 years, only missing out in 2020 when of course he couldn’t run one. Well done Josh!

September – Mark Wreford-Bush and  Vivienne Ravenhill

Mark Wreford-Bush - Runner of the Month, September 2024

Mark Wreford-Bush - Runner of the Month, September 2024

The first runner of the month for September is Mark Wreford-Bush. Mark has been ‘on fire’ of late achieving PBs at every distance from parkrun to marathon. He has run 2 sub 21 parkruns recently with 20:51 at Isabel Trail and 20:47 at Stratford upon Avon the following week. He set new PBs at the Worcester Half Marathon in 1:37:06 and Chester Marathon in 3:46:21. He also ran sub 4.5 hours at Beachy Head Trail Marathon, where there is over 3800 ft of elevation, beating his course record by 18 mins set 9 years ago. Mark has been running for many years but is getting faster with age. He has been inspired by the coaches and other club members since joining the club. He also has his own unique style of training as his latest PBs came soon of the back of 2×500 mile cycle rides to Amsterdam and Paris, and back! Well done Mark!

Vivienne Ravenhill - Runner of the Month, September 2024

Vivienne Ravenhill - Runner of the Month, September 2024

The second runner of the month for September is Vivienne Ravenhill. Vivienne has been a keen parkrunner and volunteer for many years and recently joined the club. She has fully embraced Michael’s Tuesday hill reps which has lead to a spectacular improvement in her running this year. She started the year running the Forest of Dean half in 2:04:48 and recently set a PB at the Stroud Half of 1:45:11. She has set PBs recently at 10k with 47:54 at Cirencester and then beating that at the off road Pershore Plum 10k in 47:45. She also ran an amazing 22.18 PB at Alderton 5k. She has finished first in her age category at least four times recently at off road races at Run Upcote, Apperley Quarter, Pershore Plum 10k and Hope Valley. In our off road race series she is the clear winner in her age category and 3rd place overall.  Well done Vivienne!

July and August – Kate Beswick, Phil Jeyes, Sarah Fennell and Neil Tring

Kate Beswick - Runner of the Month, July and August 2024

Kate Beswick - Runner of the Month, July and August 2024

The first runner of the month for July and August is Kate Bestwick. For the past year or so Kate has gone from strength to strength, an understated runner who loves the club and has embraced all aspects of it. She tried out Monday track sessions as part of the Red January campaign and is forever participating in 10k races in memory of friends and loved ones such as the Cheltenham Running festival in 76.53 and the Cheltenham 10k in 78.53.  She’s always doing challenges to push herself and isn’t put off by the difficulty of whatever comes her way. She’s the first to support others during Wednesday social club runs, off and on road, and loves helping others at parkrun, not to mention being an event director. She always makes time to run, support and encourage others and is a true inspiration to all. Well done Kate!

Phil Jeyes - Runner of the Month, July and August 2024

Phil Jeyes - Runner of the Month, July and August 2024

The second runner of the month for July and August is Phil Jeyes. Phil is the run director for our club races and during August delivered the Bugatti 10k and Meteor Mile. Both these events were fabulously managed by Phil with the support of many of you as volunteers. And once again we received great feedback from runners of other clubs how well managed they are. Phil has done this great job of organising the club races despite recent personal tragedy. Phil has also been on a journey of returning to running after injury and then had to overcome hurting his toe and he walked the Alderton 5k race with crutches. And the following day he was marshalling at Cheltenham Half. In addition he recently completed a 5k swim race in just over 2 hours which is a great time and completed the Cheltenham Tri! Well done Phil!

Sarah Fennell - Runner of the Month, July and August 2024

Sarah Fennell - Runner of the Month, July and August 2024

The third runner of the month for July and August is Sarah Fennell. Sarah has shown tremendous dedication and determination as she embarked on a 15 week training plan back in May for the Cheltenham Half marathon. This was to get her back out there running after suffering a personal tragedy and raise money for Sue Ryder in memory of Nigel. After a successful training plan she made it to the start line physically ready. She found the race the hardest half she has ever done emotionally and mentally but with an amazing support crew of Almosts out on the course on their bikes she and Katy got it done in 2:57. She looked strong towards the end as she passed me with a high five and a huge smile as she entered the racecourse for the finish. What an inspirational journey! Well done Sarah!

Neil Tring - Runner of the Month, July and August 2024

Neil Tring - Runner of the Month, July and August 2024

The fourth and final runner of the month for July and August is Neil Tring. Neil is one of our LiRFs and he regularly leads the fastest group on the Wednesday club run. He is also a big supporter of our road race and off road race series completing in most of the events in those series and recently has run four 10k races in 46 minutes. He is currently well placed and expected to win his age category overall in both series. Neil is also a very keen parkrunner who is regularly running in 22/23 minutes and being first in his age category. But in the last weekend of August he delivered some unbelievably good times for his V65 age category with 6.23 at the Meteor Mile on Friday night and 21.16 at Alderton 5k on Saturday morning, both new club records! And then he turned up on his bike to support the Cheltenham half on Sunday. Inspirational stuff! Well done Neil!