SXCL Alice Holt Forest, British Masters Road 5k Championship and HRRL Victory 5

SXCL Alice Holt

Farnham Runners team group before the start of the 2025-26 SXCL Alice Holt cross country

The second of the Southern Cross-Country League took place in Alice Holt Forest just two days after the club celebrated its 40th Anniversary. The weather was kind with overnight rain giving way to sunshine.

Some of the comments on social media summed up the event:

“What a wonderful turn-out we had this morning at Alice Holt – over 500 people were racing! And what a great race it was – perfect cross-country conditions and a superbly organised event led by Farnham Runners, but with help from all our member clubs. A huge thank you to all who helped, especially Craig Tate-Grimes for pulling everything together, including a venue change at late notice”

“Another fantastic event! Thank you to all the organisers and marshals who made it run so smoothly. And the mud fest we were promised didn’t let us down”

“A fabulous race so many smiley faces”

Farnham Runners put out a record 55 runners and gained a very good team place overall of 4th out of all the clubs, their ladies’ team coming 3rd and the men 4th.

The scoring team for the men consisted of Joe Collins in a splendid 7th place, followed by Chris Carey, 14th, Joe Munton-Lee 24th and Matt Saker 38th. For the ladies were Lizzie May in an excellent 2nd place, with Gabi Hitchcock 14th, Leza Milligan 20th and Linda Tyler 41st, just ahead of Gemma Whitehouse 42nd.

Linda Tyler and Julia Tagg organised the refreshments, with several members helping to serve during the race.

British Masters Road 5K Championships

Linda Tyler (left) and Jane Georghiou in Battersea Park after running in the 2025 BMAF road 5km championship

The next week, Linda Tyler and Jane Georghiou ran the British Masters Road 5K Championships at Battersea Park and both were 4th in their age groups:
Linda 4th W65 21:36, Jane 4th W70 26:55

Again, the weather behaved itself with the race on a sunny day in between two wet and dismal days.

HRRL Victory 5

Farnham Runners team before the 2025 HRRL Victory 5 race

The following week the weather was not so kind, with the Victory 5-mile race, the 5th Hampshire Road Race League event of the season taking place on a very wet and murky day, the tarmac route having lots of puddles. Despite the conditions three Farnham Runners gained new age group club records.

There was a good club turn-out of 22 for the three men’s and ladies’ teams. Alex Elsey’s new personal best of 30:05 saw him lead them in. Simon Millard clocked 32:08 in his first 5 miler, followed by Sam Angell in 32:33 and Mike Walberton in 32:39, 2nd M65 in the race and gaining a new club M65 record.

Tony Jones, Justin Clarke, Will Pickett, in his first race for Farnham and first 5 miler, and Keith Marshall made up the B team, with Charles Walters, James Goodwin and Ronan O’Carroll ran for the 3rd men’s team.

For the ladies Lizzzie May in 30:39 was 5th lady and 2nd senior lady and clocked a new senior ladies club record in her first 5-mile road race. Next came 2nd F45, Gabi Hitchcock in 34:07, 1st F65 Linda Tyler with a new F65 club record of 36:14 and Gemma Whitehouse with a personal best by 3 minutes in 37:50.

Running for the B team were Georgie Abrook, Sarah Franklin, Marina Greig and Jane Georghiou, while Sandra Hickey, Julia Tagg and Susan MacKenzie ran for the third team.

See the Photo Gallery 2025 for further photos from these events.