Race report by Mel:
RACE REPORT: BEYOND MANCHESTER 55K ULTRA
First ultra, done in 6h 10mins. And surprisingly? I felt strong.
Running 55K through the trails of Manchester, Salford, Bolton, Bury and Radcliffe was no small feat—especially in the rising heat. It was tough, I took a tumble (classic fatigue moment), but I kept moving well and finished feeling like I had more in the tank.
The real win? I was able to jump on the bike the next day and cruise through an 85K ride as active recovery. No DOMS, no breakdown—just a bit of tiredness and a lot of gratitude for my body.
This is exactly why I bang on about consistency and strength training. I didn’t wing this. I’ve built a solid foundation over time—lifting, running smart, fuelling properly, and showing up week in, week out. Not perfect, but consistent.
Your body is capable of amazing things when you treat it well.
There were some outstanding results at Parkrun. At Bolton Parkrun, Lostockers celebrated Heather Soden’s 25th Parkrun. Soden finished in 28:16 securing 2nd in her age category. Andy Kirks had an awesome run, finishing in 22:57 for a Bolton PB. Other Bolton results include: Lee Burns 28:51, Bev Atherton-McKenna 29:00, Dougie Ainsworth 30:26 and Lynda Hardman ... Heather’s 25th Parkrun
Race report by Greg: Today me and Janet travelled to Lancaster to take part in the Golden Balls run. There’s a Ten mile and 20mile option. 2 laps out and back for the 20. It’s a flat fast route along the river Lune using the old railway lines . Janet chose this as its great ... Golden Balls 20 Mile Run
Race report by Josie; Whilst on holiday in the Langdale, I took the opportunity to do The Hartsop Hop Fell Race. A challenging 12-mile (19.5 km) race through some of the wildest and most spectacular terrain in the Lake District. Organised by Clayton-le-Moors Harriers, the race was first run last year and has quickly become ... Hartsop Hop Fell Race (22/8/26)