It’s our 10th birthday!

It’s our 10th birthday!

claphamrunners

The Clapham Runners is 10 – and to celebrate all Clapham Runners past, present and future are invited to a celebratory afternoon picnic on Saturday 4th July. Partners and children also invited. Bring your Clapham Runners t-shirt for a group photo! RSVP to claphamrunners@gmail.com

10th birthday balloonMarker: Clapham Runners – Teardrop banner + Gazebo from about 1.15pm

Food: Bring something  three others will want to share – or more if you are happy to take excess away
Drink: Soft – BYO. Harder stuff available at the Windmill of course

Parking: In demand but possible on Windmill Drive – try Narbonne Avenue (across Clapham Common Southside).

Entertainment: Silly games/races encouraged – bring any accessories/equipment required – children (of all ages) might enjoy the playground but it gets crowded.
Weather outlook : Current forecast 25ºC sunny periods but 14mph SW wind.

(Member blog post) Boston’s Run to Remember, May 2015

siocfitz

The IMG_0527Clapham Runners have gone international recently with Steve setting his half PB in New Zealand, and Emma running the Stockholm Marathon (PB again!). I’d already booked my holiday to Boston for the last week of May when I found out the 11th Run to Remember was on… so it was my turn to take the new Clapham Runners vest for a run! I’d arrived in Boston the night before the race, and thought I was crazy to set the alarm for 4.30am on the first day of my holiday. Not the ideal race preparation, so I knew I was running this one for fun and photos, not for a time – and I LOVED it! Read more →

(Member blog post) Our first marathon in Paris!

getmeoutoflondon

luciaandmeBefore

My running addiction began in the last month of 2013, with a Christmas charity run. How enduring the pain of doing laps of Battersea Park in a felt santa claus costume, sweating into a cotton wool beard ever inspired me to get into running, I’ll never know, but it did. Fast forward a year in which I’d done a 10K and a half marathon, and I’d signed up to run a whole marathon in Paris.

I was more petrified than excited to run my first marathon. To reassure myself I decided to seek out a local running club. It was 4 degrees and blowing a gale the night of my first session at Clapham runners club at Battersea Park track. To my surprise I met a group of people whose warmth and friendliness was at complete odds with the freezing cold conditions that evening. Training with Clapham Runners helped me in the lead up to the marathon in two ways. Read more →

London Marathon ballot open for April 2016 race

claphamrunners

The public ballot for the London Marathon is open from now until Friday 8 May (not closing at a certain capacity as in previous years) – go to https://www.virginmoneylondonmarathon.com/en-gb/how-to-enter/ballot-entry/

The Clapham Runners does have one guaranteed club place – it is names out of a hat in December. To be eligible for the draw you MUST have a ballot rejection letter and be a fully paid up, regular member for six months.IMG_20150504_074014

London and Manchester Marathons 2015

claphamrunners

London Marathon – Sunday 26th April 2015

Congratulations to all our runners on Sunday – the cheering team were down at miles 14 and 21. Perfect running conditions – not for spectators though. Thank goodness the weather forecast of Thursday/Friday proved wrong.

Results are in:

  • Phil – 3:40 – Getting faster toward the end
  • Angela – 4:12 Negative splits – second half 6 minutes faster – that needs real strength! Fundraising for NSPCC
  • Fiona (F1) – 4:16  Oh those last miles took their toll
  • Emma – 4:38 We can’t have been there to cheer you through the tough final miles. Fundraising for Mind
  • Imogen – 4:46 (sub 4:30 next stop …) you can do it. Fundraising for Contact A Family
  • Siobhan – 5:00:55 So close

The first race report is up on our blog here and the official reports are coming in. Well done all!

Manchester Marathon – Sunday 19th April 2015

Congratulations Damian (D2) – an amazing 3.24 PB! Read D2’s race report on our blog here.

(Member blog post) London Marathon 2015. Amazing.

siocfitz

Yesterday I ran the London Marathon. It was an amazing, brilliant, wonderful experience. I loved it. I’m still grinning.

The Clapham Runners’ cheering spots at miles 14 and 21 could not have been better placed – I needed those cheers. In fact the support since deciding to run another marathon has been unreal. I had emails, texts and calls wishing me luck, motivating me, convincing me I would smash it. Read more →

(Member blog post) Manchester Marathon – A Sort of Homecoming 

claphamrunners

It was as a native Mancunian that I was requested to report on this race I was running, my latest attempt to break 3:30 over the marathon distance. It was however, as a non-native Mancunian that I ran it, what with being from Blackpool (sort of). Still, it is Lancashire and whilst the locals might not agree, it is the home of Lancashire County Cricket Club and therefore part of God’s own county that is Lancs.

Read more →

(Member blog post) London LOOP : Part 1 : There and Back Again.

hannahgoing

Since January I have been following the London LOOP. This seemed to be a natural progression from last year’s Capital Ring as it is a bigger circle around London (zone 6 mainly this time rather than zone 3) and is the brainchild of the same people. Actually London LOOP is tautological as the “L” is for London and the “OOP” is for Outer Orbital Path. This repetition works in this case because, as with the Capital Ring, I am covering it in both directions. I am Read more →

Paris and Brighton Marathon triumphs – well done runners!

claphamrunners

Brighton Marathon

The Brighton Marathon took place along Brighton sea front, with blue skies and 10s of 000s of runners. Congratulations to Ellie and Susan, who loved the 2014 event so much they had signed up again!

Susan took 5 mins off her time to storm to a new PB with 4.39.24, and Ellie repeated her sub 4h with a stunning finish in 3.38.55. Well done both of you!

Read the official race recap here

Paris Marathon

Lucia and Gillian have joined the 1% club after their debut in the 2015 Paris Marathon – congratulations ladies!! The undulating route, 19 degree sunshine, and the 41,000-strong field, made for tough conditions but nothing could stop these two – they ran together until the sprint finish, both finishing in sub 4h44. Amazing performances!

Gilly and Lucia’s joint blog on their first-time marathon experience in Paris here – it’s an inspiring read (in our view) and full of useful tips for anyone thinking of signing up next year. Read to be inspired!

Read the official news reports here

(Member blog post) Hampton Court Half 2015

xyz101214

photo 2 (800x600)Of course it was freezing when I woke at 4.45am on 22nd February, and naturally, the bus that I’d checked was timetabled to get me to Clapham Common shortly after 6am failed to turn up. Read more →