Louisa White earned a Half Marathon PB at Burnham
This week’s Wells City Harriers news rounds off a busy and successful summer, with Elise Thorner competing against the world’s best in the Diamond League Final following an outstanding steeplechase season. Closer to home, Harriers produced a host of strong performances across road, track, trail and triathlon events, with race victories, podium finishes, personal bests and age-category success. There was also plenty to celebrate for our junior athletes, while our partnership with Yeovil Olympiads continued to flourish across the track and into the upcoming cross country season.
Diamond League
Elise Thorner racing in the Diamond League Final
(Photo by James Rhodes)
A busy track season culminated in two Diamond League 3000m steeplechase races in Switzerland in six days for Wells City Harrier Elise Thorner, with the opportunity of qualification a week later at the Diamond League final in Brussels on Friday 4th September still hanging in the balance.
Elise needed to finish ahead of her rivals from Germany, who had just beaten her at the European Championships in Birmingham to be sure of staying in the top ten qualifying places. First up was Lausanne on Friday 21st August where all bar one of the top 12 in the world lined up under stormy skies, with the threat of a repeat of last year's biblical rain at the meet looking a possibility. The weather held off and Elise ran a solid race to finish in 8th place in 9 mins 18 seconds, crossing the line as the first European finisher.
A week later on Thursday 27th August a field of similar quality lined up on the start line late in the evening at Zurich in hot, humid conditions with a few remaining Diamond League Final places still undecided, with Elise again needing to finish in front of her European rivals to be sure of an invite to the final. A sold out crowd of 25,000 athletics fans created a noisy atmosphere following a world record in the 400m hurdles in the race leading up to the steeplechase. Elise ran a well judged race to close out with an impressive last 1000m to finish in 5th place in 9mins 11 seconds and first European, to guarantee a prestigious closing race of the season in Brussels.
Sadly, the opportunity of a dream finish to a breakthrough season on the world stage took a jolt in the week leading up to Brussels beginning with a multitude of flight cancellations out of Zurich airport due to lightning seven days earlier, leaving a 17 hour multi train journey home the only option available. Elise began to develop cold symptoms a couple of days before the Diamond League final making a good performance at the end of a long season unlikely. She was determined to run in the event but was off the back of the field containing the top ten athletes in the world during the early laps. She stayed in the race and clawed her way back to 9th place but fell for the first time in her career at the barrier positioned with 350m to go, losing her position in the race. She got up to finish in 10th place in 9 mins 34 seconds. Not the end to the track season that she would have hoped for but it doesn't overshadow an excellent season where her 9 steeplechases have all bar one been either championship finals or Diamond League races, including a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in a new personal best time of 9 mins 05 seconds and a fifth place in the European Championships. A few weeks of rest now before preparation for the 2027 season begins.
Baltonsborough 5 Miles
Monday 31st August 2026
Harriers prerace
It was another hugely successful Baltonsborough 5 Mile Road Race, with some fantastic performances from the Harriers.
Kurtis Gibson of Thames Hare and Hounds claimed an impressive overall victory in a superb time of 25:33, while Alexa King of Hart Road Runners took the women’s race in 31:21.
There was further Harrier success, with Victoria Ryan finishing second in the women’s race, while Tom Addison-Wood and Eleanor Constable both secured third-place finishes. Ray Rawbone, Harry Crosse and Carol Buckland also came out on top in their respective age categories.
In the junior races, Harriers Jonah Barrington and Sophia Rowe both took convincing victories to round off another excellent day of racing.
Congratulations to everyone who took part!
Harrier Results:
3rd - Tom Addison Wood - 27:16
4th - Alexander Coombs - 27:41
5th - Frederick Rawbone - 28:23
12th - Tim Ingle - 30:03
13th - Matthew Lusby - 30:04
19th - Robbie Hawkins - 31:47
21st - Ray Rawbone - 31:56 (1st MV50)
24th - Victoria Ryan - 32:38 (2nd Female)
32nd Harry Crosse - 33:28 (1st MJunior)
37th - Andrew Piper - 34:12
38th - Russell Bowles - 34:14
42nd - Eleanor Constable - 34:33 (3rd Female)
44th - Jamie Dawson - 34:44
51st - Mike Bosley - 35:28
61st - Matthew Wigley - 36:20
62nd - Joshua White - 36:22
69th - Paul Knight - 37:20
72nd - Mark Pople - 37:33
97th - Matthew Shaw - 41:10
99th - Carol Buckland - 41:24 (1st FV55)
107th - Gaby Rowe - 41:52
131st - Kim Clark - 45:18
138th - Gary Tubridy - 47:20
146th - Peter Wright - 49:29
165th - Karen Shears - 52:30
166th - Chris Clark - 52:41
Junior 1.5K Race:
1st Jonah Barrington - 8:58
3rd Benjamin Hutchings - 9:59
4th Albie Simpson - 10:57
5th Milo Cook - 11:17
7th Lucas Mankin-Elsegood - 12:14
9th Sophia Rowe - 12:32 (1st Girl)
Full results here.
More photos here.
YOAC Evening Open 4
Thursday 27th August 2026
The final Yeovil Evening Open took place last Thursday. You have one more chance to get your track and field fix before the season ends by entering the Yeovil Games on Sunday 13th September. Enter here.
Harrier/YOAC Results:
W 800m Race A
2nd Ruby SHAW 2:21.86
6th Isla Grace HAYES 2:40.62
W 800m Race B
1st Glennie Rose THORMAN 2:35.20
5th Eleanor MCFARLANE 2:46.48
W 800m Race C
1st Rachel HAMBLIN 2:35.36
2nd Amelie COOK 2:35.66
3rd Martha MCFARLANE 2:39.19
M 800m Race A
4th Oskar Adrian BECK 2:04.52
6th Freddie RAWBONE 2:07.48
M 800m Race B
2nd Dan BRYANT 2:12.97
3rd Casper RAWBONE 2:14.45
4th Toby William HIRST 2:29.69
M 800m Race C
2nd William David MOORE 2:38.49
4th Benjamin HUTCHINGS 2:41.75
5th Joseph CROOKE 2:42.59
6th Dominic COOK 2:43.60
7th Milo COOK 2:59.70
600m
1st Jonah Charles BARRINGTON 1:45.65
4th Elizabeth DOGGRELL 1:54.14
6th Bella GURUNG 1:55.45
12th Zachary DOWDEN 2:43.33
1200m Steeplechase
1st Zoe FROST 4:36.60
2nd Emily DOCKERTY 4:37.80
3000m
4th Oli WILLMOTT 9:55.16
8th Ayla CHARD 10:16.05
13th Harry WILLMOTT 12:41.55
BU10 Triathlon (400m, Long Jump, Howler Throw)
2nd Harry BOYES — 364
3rd Alfie ROBERTS — 321
5th Hugo PEARSE — 295
6th Henry DOCKERTY — 288
GU10 Triathlon (400m, Long Jump, Howler Throw)
2nd - Serena COOK — 146
South West Athletics League
Sunday 6th September 2026
Jonah Barrington earns a PB and League Record in the 800m
Harrier/YOAC Middle Distance Results:
3000m
7th Florence Tibbatts - 10:34.69
9th Izzy Whittle - 10:49.52
800m (Race 3)
7th Isla Hayes - 2:41.02
800m (Race 4)
7th Kitty Danner - 3:08.77
800m (Race 5)
6th Noah Chapman - 2:30.66
800m (Race 6)
7th Ronnie Legge - 2:42.48
800m (Race 7)
7th Jack Ledger - 2:51.25
800m (Race 8)
1st Ruby Shaw - 2:24.71
5th Glennie Thorman - 2:39.44
800m (Race 9)
1st Jonah Barrington - 2:24.51 (U12B League Record)
800m (Race 13)
5th Kitt Sullivan - 2:13.44
Full results here.
Westonbirt 10K
Sunday 6th September 2026
Rachel Hamblin did her first 10K at Westonbirt, and won the U20 women's category, and was second female in 46:04. Well done Rachel!
Full results here.
Bridgwater Half & 10K
Sunday 6th September 2026
James Gadd raced the 10K
Starting and finishing on The Green, Wembdon , runners will enjoy a scenic journey through the beautiful Somerset countryside, passing through Wembdon, Cannington, and Chilton Trinity. The route offers a predominantly flat profile, with just a few more challenging sections to keep things interesting.
Harrier Results:
10K
15th - James Gadd - 41:47
Half Marathon
5th - Tom Addison-Wood - 1:17:17
28th - Rich Horsfall - 1:28:09
Full results here.
The Beast
Sunday 6th September 2026
[Report by Paul Chadwick]
Paul racing The Beast
The last time I ran the well organised Poole AC ‘Beast’ was exactly 30 years ago and it’s still a great race - excellent fell running challenge of 20km with 500m of climb.
The 376 entrants ran from close to Corfe Castle down to the Dorset coast on rough trails before running along a glorious 2 mile stretch of the SW Coastal path. This included a steep flight of steps down & up from and to the cliff tops. The race finished with the Castle ruins forming a great backdrop.
Harrier Results:
141st - Paul Chadwick - 2:27:03
Full results here.
Beautiful views on route
Somerset Half & 10K
Sunday 6th September 2026
Jeremy (centre) won the 10K race.
New for 2026, the races started from Sweets Tea Rooms with the routes following quiet country roads through the rolling Somerset landscape, offering an enjoyable mix of open countryside, picturesque villages and gently undulating terrain.
Harrier Results:
10K
1st Jeremy Linter - 37:09
3rd Stellan Corp - 40:45
4th Harry Crosse - 42:06
5th Dave Carey - 51:42 (1st MV65)
59th Karen Shears - 1:05:31
Half Marathon
4th Neil Locke - 1:38:39
Full results here.
Yeovilton 5K (Race 6)
Wednesday 9th September 2026
Adam Gibson won the final Yeovilton 5K this year
The final race of the 2026 Yeovilton 5K Series took place on Wednesday, with further success for Wells City Harriers.
Adam Gibson made it four wins from four with another consistently strong performance, while Hannah Blundy claimed victory in the women’s race. There was further success for the Harriers as Ayla Chard finished as the first female junior.
The conclusion of the series also saw the presentation of the overall series awards. Competitors needed to complete five of the six races to qualify for the series prizes, with Casper Rawbone claiming the Male title and Susan Williams taking the Female series victory. Well done!
A series win for Casper Rawbone
Harrier Results:
1 — Adam Gibson — 15:16
5 — Jamie Williams — 15:46
8 — Fred Rawbone — 15:53
18 — Oskar Beck — 16:37
19 — Hannah Blundy — 16:38 (1st Female)
22 — Casper Rawbone — 16:46
23 — Heath Worledge — 16:47
24 — Oliver Willmott — 16:49
33 — Will Packer — 17:12
39 — Noah Chapman — 17:25
41 — Dan Bryant — 17:31
43 — Jeremy Linter — 17:33
57 — Toby Hirst — 17:59
58 — Ayla Chard — 18:00 (1st Female Junior)
61 — Jamie Dawson — 18:07
64 — Florence Tibbatts — 18:22
69 — Aidan Koheeallee — 18:38
74 — Ray Rawbone — 18:47
78 — Dan Williams — 18:51
79 — Harriet Scott — 18:53
82 — Harry Crosse — 18:55
88 — Victoria Ryan — 19:08
94 — Sean Honan — 19:16
108 — Andrew Piper — 19:51
109 — Eddie Tucker — 19:51
119 — Helen Allen — 20:12
130 — Rachel Hamblin — 20:44
131 — Emily Dockerty — 20:44
140 — Callum Cardwell — 21:07
144 — Paul Knight — 21:13
145 — Joanne Tibbatts — 21:14
179 — Susan Williams — 23:56
180 — Nikki Honan — 24:00
204 — Gary Tubridy — 27:17
207 — Karen Shears — 29:00
Full results here.
Susan Williams won the female series award
We now turn our focus to the Street 5K winter series. Click here for more details.
British Masters Athletics Championships
Friday 11th - Sunday 13th September 2026
Eleanor Constable claimed silver in the 2000m Steeplechase
Eleanor Constable produced a new PB to claim the silver medal in the 2000m Steeplechase at the British Masters Athletics Championships in Derby on day two of the three-day event.
The race included V60+ men, adding an extra challenge and competitive element to the event. Ellie finished sixth overall and second female, crossing the line in a new personal best of 8:15.87 to secure the silver medal.
Full results here.
National Athletics League Playoff Fixture
Saturday 12th September 2026
Team manager Jax and some of the YOAC Athletes competing in Oxford
For the second consecutive year, Yeovil Olympiads qualified for the National Athletics League Premier Division promotion play-off after winning the West League.
With both Cardiff and York withdrawing from the fixture at the Horspath Athletics Track in Oxford, six teams were left to battle for the two available promotion places. Unfortunately, YOAC were unable to field the same depth of athletes as in previous fixtures, making it difficult to match the strong performances produced by the other clubs.
YOAC ultimately finished sixth in the fixture, bringing another solid season to a close. The Harriers would like to extend a huge thank you to everyone at YOAC for their continued support and commitment throughout the season, with a special mention for Jacquie Silcox, who once again did a fantastic job managing the fixtures.
Final standings:
1st City of Sheffield and Dearne AC - 656 (P)
2nd Chelmsford AC - 604 (P)
3rd Blackheath and Bromley Harriers AC - 526
4th Shaftsbury Barnet Harriers - 510
5th Crawley AC - 418
6th Yeovil Olympiads AC - 233
DNS Cardiff AC
DNS City of York AC
Harrier/YOAC Middle Distance Results:
Men’s 800m (Race 1)
5th Jack French 2:05.79
Men’s 800m (Race 2)
5th Alexander Coombs 2:03.80
Women’s 800m (Race 1)
4th Mackenzie O’Dea 2:28.33
Men’s 3000m Steeplechase
2nd Christian Green 10.20.45
6th Alexander Coombs 10:59.97
Men’s 1500m
10th Jack French 4:32.64
Women’s 1500m
3rd Isabelle Whittle 4:56.93
Men’s 3000m
4th Adam Gibson 8:46.38
10th Christian Green 9:46.53
Burnham-on-Sea Half
Sunday 13th September 2026
A group of Harriers post race
A muggy start made conditions tricky on the flat half marathon course, but a light drizzle soon arrived, bringing cooler and more favourable conditions for the second half of the race. There was a great turnout of Harriers, with plenty of strong performances and several new PBs to celebrate.
Harrier Results:
11 — Peter Grist — 01:15:00
22 — Jeremy Linter — 01:18:27
24 — Tim Ingle — 01:19:10
42 — Henry Sage — 01:22:58
50 — Fred Rawbone — 01:24:01
60 — Joe Nelson — 01:26:19
66 — Adam Blencowe — 01:27:21
78 — James Fisher — 01:29:12
79 — Ray Rawbone — 01:29:15
82 — Thomas Addison-Wood — 01:29:47
83 — Stephen Nicholls — 01:29:51
127 — James Gadd — 01:37:24
130 — Louisa White — 01:37:41
139 — Ian Glover — 01:39:32
174 — Mark Pople — 01:44:30
292 — Kim Clark — 02:06:12
408 — Christopher Clark — 02:37:27
Full results here.
More photos here.
Langport Sprint Triathlon
Sunday 13th September 2026
3rd V60 for Andrew Piper
Andrew Piper and Gaby Rowe took on the Langport Sprint Triathlon, which consists of a 400m swim, 22km bike and 5km run.
Andrew completed the course in an impressive 1:22:07, finishing 72nd overall and securing 3rd place in the V60 category whilst Gaby wasn't too far behind, finishing in 1:30:31. A strong performance across all three disciplines from them both.
Full results here.
A pleased Gaby Rowe
U10/U12 Somerset vs Dorset Match
Saturday 12th September 2026
Team Somerset
Junior Harriers were among those selected to represent Somerset at the Bill Whistlecroft Arena in Yeovil, as Somerset took on neighbouring county Dorset.
It was Dorset who came out on top, claiming victory in a competitive fixture. A great opportunity for our junior athletes to represent their county and gain valuable experience on the track.
Boys:
Dorset - 1388
Somerset - 946
Girls:
Dorset - 1457
Somerset - 750
U10 Boy’s Quadrathlon (50m, 400m, Long Jump, Howler Throw)
3rd Rufus Green - 435 points
6th Harry Maber - 387 points
10th Alfie Roberts - 363 points
11th Henry Dockerty - 358 points
20th Adam Jordan - 261 points
U10 Girl’s Quadrathlon (50m, 400m, Long Jump, Howler Throw)
3rd Tyra Masters - 419 points
15th Serena Cook - 242 points
U12 Girl’s 600m
3rd Bella Gurung - 1:54.78
4th Elizabeth Doggrell - 1:56.26
8th Grace Speyers - 2:05.22
11th Elizabeth Eastick - 2:09.13
U12 Boy’s 600m
1st Jonah Barrington - 1:44.42
6th Finley Seamark - 1:52.94
Yeovil Games
Sunday 13th September 2026
The final fixture of the track season saw plenty of Harriers take to the track one last time before attention turns to the upcoming cross country season.
It was another fantastic fixture and a great way to round off the season. A huge thank you once again to everyone at Yeovil Olympiads for all their hard work in making the fixtures happen throughout the season. Their support and organisation are hugely appreciated. We hope to see plenty of Yeovil Olympiads joining us at the Wessex and Gwent cross country fixtures over the coming months, as we continue to enjoy competing together throughout the winter season.
Harrier/YOAC middle distance results:
U10 Girls Quadrathlon (50m, 400m, Long Jump, Howler Throw)
3rd - Serena Cook - 234 points
U10 Boys Quadrathlon (50m, 400m, Long Jump, Howler Throw)
1st Harry Boyes - 478 points
6th Henry Dockerty - 388 points
14th Kian Acuavera - 301 points
U12 Girls Quadrathlon (75m, 600m, Long Jump, Howler Throw)
3rd Elizabeth Droggrell - 343 points
4th Eve Binmore - 320 points
U12 Boys Quadrathlon (75m, 600m, Long Jump, Howler Throw)
6th Oliver Heathcote - 204 points
7th Rufus Kelly - 110 points
7th Jonah Barrington - 110 points
9th Zachary Dowden - 57 points
10th Gus Kelly - 95 points
3000m
4th Amelie Cook - 11:59.80
Women’s 800m Race A
3rd Glennie Thorman - 2:33.31
6th Isla Hayes - 2:35.83
Women’s 800m Race B
3rd Emily Dockerty - 2:40.54
Men’s 800m Race A
6th Cam Mclean - 2:11.81
7th Dan Bryant - 2:12.82
8th William Packer - 2:13.62
Men’s 800m Race B
4th Ronnie Legge - 2:34.23
6th Dominic Cook - 2:56.46
7th Milo Cook - 3:14.66
One Mile Race A
1st Oskar Beck - 4:39.70
3rd Harry Dawson - 4:42.76
6th Jamie Dawson - 5:07.13
8th Ruby Shaw - 5:07.94
9th Noah Chapman - 5:11.40
10th Isabelle Whittle - 5:13.94
One Mile Race B
1st Aidan Koheeallee - 5:17.22
4th Elodie Burdett - 5:48.94
5th Zoe Frost - 5:54.32
Full results here.
Club Welfare
Wells City Harriers has two club welfare officers, Zoe Dale and Jon James. They are available to support any concerns athletes, parents or coaches raise or would like to discuss in relation to safety and wellbeing, and to help the club implement welfare policies and procedures. All officials and coaches have DBS clearance and have received training related to safeguarding and health and safety.
Further details can be found on the WCH website safeguarding page: Safeguarding: including links to forms where incidents and concerns can be logged.
Please do contact us if you have questions:
News Reports
Thank you to everyone who contributed to this week’s report. If you’ve raced recently, please remember that we can only include your results if you send us a race report or photos to let us know about it. Send your race details and photos to
Dates For Your Diary
Here is a list of upcoming races, including WCH supported races, Somerset Series races, road relays, athletics league fixtures and other notable events. Contact club secretary Alexander Coombs if there is an event you would like adding. (SS = Somerset Series race, SRC = Somerset Road Championships)
September 2026
Saturday 12th/Sunday 13th September 2026 - The Isle of Wight Fell Running Championship Series
Saturday 12th September 2026 - National Athletics League Promotion Playoff (Oxford)
Saturday 12th September 2026 - U20/Senior Inter Counties Track & Field Outdoor Championships (Kingston)
Sunday 13th September 2026 - U16/U18 Inter Counties Track & Field Outdoor Championships
Sunday 13th September 2026 - Yeovil Games
[SS] [SRC] Sunday 13th September 2026 - Burnham Half Marathon
Tuesday 15th September 2026 - The Nation’s 5K (Wells)
Sunday 20th September 2026 - Swansea Bay 10K
Saturday 26th September 2026 - SEAA Road Relays
Sunday 27th September 2026 - Redcar Running Festival
Sunday 27th September 2025 - The Black Nore 10K
October 2026
Saturday 3rd October 2026 - Midsomer Norton Town Park Community Run
Saturday 10th October 2026 - Gwent League Fixture 1 (Pembrey Country Park)
Wednesday 14th October 2026 - Street 5K (Race 1)
[SS] Sunday 25th October 2026 - Herepath Half
November 2026
Saturday 7th November 2026 - Midsomer Norton Town Park Community Run
Sunday 8th November 2026 - Gwent League Fixture 2 (Llandaff Fields, Cardiff)
Wednesday 11th November 2026 - Street 5K (Race 2)
[SS] Sunday 22nd November 2026 - Brent Knoll MT
December 2026
Saturday 5th December 2026 - Midsomer Norton Town Park Community Run
Saturday 5th December 2026 - Gwent League Fixture 3 (Blaise Castle, Bristol)
Wednesday 9th December 2026 - Street 5K (Race 3)
January 2027
Wednesday 13th January 2027 - Street 5K (Race 4)
Saturday 30th/Sunday 31st January 2027 - The National Running Show