Mells Mash-Up, Southern Road Relays, Berlin Marathon, Vitality London 10K, Forest of Dean Trail Half, School XC Returns, Enter Street 5K and Christmas Meal Tickets Now Available

Details: Written by: Alexander Coombs; Created: 01 October 2026; Last Updated: 01 October 2026; Hits: 304

Age is just a number

Victory for Wells City Harriers V60 team at the Southern Road Relays

There has been plenty to celebrate for Wells City Harriers over the past few weeks, with athletes turning in impressive performances across road, trail and cross-country events. Highlights include strong results at the Mells Mash-Up, Southern Road Relays and Berlin Marathon, while David Hall enjoyed a memorable weekend with gold at the Southern Road Relays followed by bronze representing England in the Forest of Dean Trail Half Marathon. Our juniors have also been impressing at school and area cross-country events, with several podium finishes and some outstanding individual performances. With the new Street 5K Series starting on Wednesday 14 October, there is plenty more racing to look forward to. You can now also purchase tickets for our annual Christmas meal held at Wells Golf Club. Read on to find out more.

Enter Street 5K

The first of the 2026/27 Street 5K Series will take place on Wednesday 14th October 2026.

Click here to enter.

The Mells Mash-Up

Sunday 20th September 2026

Ellie was 4th female

Frome Running Club has been hosting an annual running event in Mells for several years. The race follows a scenic but challenging route that is approximately seven miles long and predominantly off-road, looping from Mells into Great Elm and back again.

Harrier’s Results:
3rd Tim Ingle - 45:42

21st Eleanor Constable - 54:03

Full results here.

Tim has now raced enough events to complete the Somerset Series

With only three races left in this year’s series the current standings are as follows:

Southern Road Relays

Saturday 26th September 2026

[Report by Jon James]

U16 Girls A

What better way to spend last Saturday than sitting in the sun (or shade because it was so warm) at Rushmoor Arena, near Aldershot, watching some of the best athletes in the South of England compete in the area road relay championships, and being served coffee and cake (a big thank you to Mike and Christine Coombs for that and transporting the club tent) – that’s the life of a team manager. I almost forgot that I had to run myself- and that gets no easier!

The Harriers fielded teams across all age groups, and it was good to largely avoid the dropout we’ve had in recent years-thanks to all runners for their commitment because in some cases athletes were running when not that well or carrying injuries. Events like these put standards into perspective -they are high-but also continue to show that we punch above our weight as a club.

U14 Girls

First off for us were the U14 girls, a team of three, with each doing one lap of the undulating circuit (3K) – supposedly road, but actually far from pristine tarmac! Elodie Burdett ran well on 1st leg finishing in 20th place with a time of 11.43, handing onto Zoe Frost who virtually maintained that position(21st) on 2nd leg running 12.40, Bringing the team home was Glennie Thorman in a time of 12.56, giving a final finishing position of 23rd. Although there is no formal qualification for the junior teams at the national road relays, it is recommended that teams finish in the top 25- bingo!

U16 Girls B

We will also be sending an U16 girls team to the national championships. We actually had two teams competing at Aldershot and the A team made a fantastic start through a great run from Ruby Shaw, coming in 6th out of the 66 teams with a time of 10.45 for the 3K leg. It’s tough running 2nd leg after your teammate has done so well on 1st leg, but Harriet Scott held her own, keeping the team in contention in 9th place with a time of 11.42. Izzy Kettle then brought the team home in 10th place running 11.45 for her leg. The B team finished in 31st place, so in the top half, with Emily Dockerty running 11.55, Sadie Littlechild 12.08, and Isla Hayes 12.30.

U18A, U18B & U18C

The U18 men trumped that by having 3 teams, with the A and B teams proving difficult to separate (good to see such competitiveness) as the former finished 18th and the latter 23rd, out of 82 teams. First leg is a high-pressure experience, especially if your B team runner is ahead of you!, but Addie Butcher held his own to come home in 22nd with a time of 14.49 for the 4.5K leg. Jamie Williams then ran well to pull the team up to 16th with a time of 14.58, before Harry Dawson ran 15.31 to bring the team home in that 18th place. The quickest time was run by Joe Whelan on the 1st leg for the B team (14.40), with 2nd and 3rd legs then being run by Heath Worledge (15.50) and Casper Rawbone (15.42). For the C team, who finished 57th, Daniel Bryant ran 16.23, Jamie Dawson 17.16, and finally Oliver Bradford-Peck with 16.12. What was encouraging was that many of our athletes were in the first year of the age group, and will have another go next year as U18s

V40 Women & Senior Women

And so to the women’s race which included the seniors and masters races. Two of the star performances of the day came from a couple of 17-year-olds making their debut as senior women – Florence Tibbatts and Ayla Chard; the former ran maturely on the mad 1st leg, coming in 29th out of the 57 teams with a time of 22.55 for the 6K lap. Ayla then ran similarly on leg 2, 22.59, to bring the team up to 25th. Louisa White, also making her debut in this event, held that position with a time of 25.18, and then Justine Dumotier Khripounoff, who got a late call up, ran 28.36 to bring the team home in 36th. One of the best team performances of the day came from the M40 women’s team- just missing a medal in 4th place. Victoria Ryan, running down an age group, brought them into 6th place on 1st leg with a time of 24.22, then handing over to Jo Tibbatts, whose run of 27.19 on 2nd leg shifted them up once place to 5th. Ellie Constable then ran really well (25.31), gaining a further place for the team.

Senior Men A Senior Men B

We had 5 teams in the men’s race and our 1st leg runners did well to stay on their feet, given the ferocious pace and pot-holed surface. Qualification for the national road relays (top 25) continues to elude us, and some drop outs/non-availability meant that we were spread quite thinly this year. Mark Duffett is an ever-reliable presence, running 19.02 on the first leg that left the team 32nd. The other runners then found things tough, though Tim Ingle on the fourth leg showed his improvement, running much quicker than last year (20.41) and Jack French showed that he can run much further than 800m! (21.26). The other times were Zak Hurrell (20.20), Alex Coombs with 20.17 (well done for running with a very bruised foot) and Laurence Badman with 23.16. The B team had several runners who hadn’t experienced this sort of event before, so a good learning experience! They finished in 69th position: Dan Williams (23.37), James Gadd (25.06), Russell Bowles (25.12), Ian Glover (24.19), Chris Green (a remarkable 20.33 for his second 6K leg), and finally Mark Pople (28.04).

V40 Men

A podium finish just eluded the M40 team as they finished 5th. They were set off well by Chris Green, who finally nailed a quality performance on this course, running 19.18 (3rd quickest individual time of all M40s) and bringing the team home in 2nd place. Robbie Hawkins then dropped a few places running 22.59, but the team were still in the mix in 5th, before Pete Grist brought them up to 3rd place on the 3rd leg (20.18). Matt Lusby, continuing to be afflicted by achilles trouble, couldn’t hold that position, and lost a couple of places (21.13). It was good to have a M50 team competing, and they did well to come 10th: David Hirst set them off nicely (22.29) before Ray Rawbone ran 24.15, Oli Frost 23.51 and Steve Nicholls 24.56.

V50 Men

The M60 team got silver medals last year and were determined to go for gold this year – they duly delivered! Andrew Piper, making his debut at this event, ran 25.10 on 1st leg to leave the team 5th, before good runs from Nick Stevens (24.23) and David Hall (23.54) brought the team up to 3rd. Jon James then ran 22.30 (2nd quickest individual M60) to bring the team home in 1st place.

See the V60 team in action here.

Finally, we wish the U14 girls, U16 girls and U18 men's teams every success at the national road relays next Saturday at Sutton Park in Birmingham. Thanks in advance to the parents and other family members for the sacrifices you are making to transport your youngsters to these events and also to Darren White at YOAC for his hard work in helping to coordinate athletes for teams.

Full results here.

More photos here.

Berlin Marathon

Sunday 27th September 2026

[Report by Graham Goldsmid]

Pre-race goodies

Having run in the London Marathon for the past three years I was lucky enough to get a fast for age place at the Berlin Marathon this year. Berlin, unlike London, is a circular course, very flat, with all 50,000 + runners starting in waves from the main avenue in the central Tiergarten park. Finishing just beyond the famous Brandenburg Gate after you run beneath this famous monument which marked the old boundary of divided East and West Berlin up to 1989.

Where I was staying in Berlin was situated on the course so prior to the race I walked part of the route (following the three blue stripes sprayed on the road in homage to sponsors Adidas!) down to a very crowded race expo held at the old Tempelhof airfield to pick up my race number and bag of merch!

On Marathon Day I was in Wave D which went off 20 minutes after the start. The weather was hot so I did not want to go off too fast. But given the huge numbers in my wave this was not a problem! So I used the first couple of miles to get warmed up. Having only run marathons in London before there seemed to be less runners in fancy dress and in some spots fewer spectators but the atmosphere on the course was still great. I had blown up at mile 19 in London this year so tried to run the first half at Berlin at a more controlled pace to keep my miles more consistent. This worked and as the field started to spread out I was able to pick the pace up in the second half and managed to finish in a sub 3.30 time with a negative split. Each race has its own character and Berlin was no different as it wound its way around a city steeped in history from the blocks of workers flats and buildings in Karl Marx Allee in East Berlin then out into the Western suburbs before heading back into the City Centre past remnants of the wall and the finish at the iconic Brandenburg Gate. This was probably my last marathon but I was pleased to have run in such a great race and would recommend it to everyone to try.

Harrier Results:

449th Milo Johnson 2:33:39

1653rd Curtis Stevens 2:48:00

10403 Graham Goldsmid 3:29:19

Full results here.

Post-race beer

Vitality London 10KM

Sunday 27th September 2026

[Report by Jonathan Williams]

Finisher’s medals

Four Harriers made their way to Central London to join 20,000 plus other runners at the Vitality London 10,000. A beautiful September morning provided clear skies and light winds, perfect for racing. Sean, set off in an early wave targeting his 1st sub-40 10km. Jonathan, having picked up a heavy cold the week before, dropped back to wave 4 to pace Nikki in an attempt at sub-50 mins, which would represent a massive 9 minute PB for her. While Kathy, was eyeing a 1 hour finish time off the back of multiple injuries this year.

Congestion on the course for the first 2.5k, proved too difficult for Sean to overcome, narrowly missing out on his sub-40 target. In a super-strong performance Nikki smashed her previous 10k PB, crossing the line in a time of 49:41. While Kathy hit her goal of coming in on the hour.

A super fun day out in glorious weather soaking up that central London vibe.

Final results:

Sean Honan: 41:01

Nikki Honan: 49:40

Jonathan Williams: 49:42

Kathryn Williams: 60:49

Forest of Dean Trail Half Marathon

Sunday 27th September 2026

Another super run from David Hall

The day after earning gold as part of the Wells City Harriers team that won the V60 category at the Southern Road Relays, David Hall was back in action, this time pulling on his England vest.

Representing England in the M60 age category against a team from Wales, David took on a challenging trail half marathon through the forest. The course follows forest trails with no road crossings, offering runners the chance to enjoy the late-summer leaf canopy while tackling some testing hills along the way.

David finished 62nd overall in an impressive time of 1:29:47, securing third place in the V60 category and another bronze medal on the podium. It was his second consecutive day of standing on the podium, following his gold medal success at the Southern Road Relays.

David said “It was a great day out and I was so proud to represent England as you can see from the photo.... A special thanks to the Tuesday track coaches and running team at Millfield who have helped get me motivated and fitter.”

Full results here.

Proud to represent England

School Cross Country

It’s been a busy couple of weeks for our Wells City Harriers Juniors, with athletes representing their schools at cross country events across the area.

A couple of weeks ago, Hugo competed in the South Somerset Schools Cross Country, finishing an excellent 11th in the Year 5 & 6 Boys race.

Tyra also represented her school at the BANES Primary Schools Cross Country, finishing a strong 25th in the Year 5 & 6 Girls race.

Mendip Primary School XC Series

Tuesday 29th September 2026

Adam represented his school’s swan this week

Tuesday saw the first of a series of four cross country races held across Millfield Prep School and Downside School.

Conditions were warm and sunny with a light breeze. The ground was firm, meaning very few athletes needed spikes or trail shoes.

The course is deceptively undulating and provides a good challenge for every age group, with the Year 5 & 6 athletes tackling an even longer and tougher route.

Victory for Serena in the Year 3&4 girls race

We had some fantastic results across the board from Wells City Harriers Juniors:

Year 3 & 4 Girls

Serena — 1st

Year 5 & 6 Girls

Sage — 2nd

Goldie — 4th

Maddie — 6th

Talia — 11th

Freya — 12th

Year 5 & 6 Boys

Heath — 1st

Alfie — 2nd

Hunter — 3rd

Albie — 6th

Arlo — 7th

Myles — 19th

Elliott — 24th

Thomas — 26th

Arthur — 31st

Adam — 36th

Zac — 54th

Freddy also competed in the Year 5 & 6 Boys race, with his result still to come.

A brilliant effort from everyone who competed and represented their schools.. Lots of strong running, determination and some fantastic performances from our Wells City Harriers juniors. Well done to Heath, who remains unbeaten in the Mendip area school XC over the previous three years.

A happy Thomas post-race

Christmas Meal

Friday 11th December 2026

Book your tickets online 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: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to be featured in the next report.

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)

October 2026

Saturday 3rd October 2026 - Midsomer Norton Town Park Community Run

[SS] Sunday 4th October 2026 - Mother Tucker 10K

Saturday 10th October 2026 - Gwent League Fixture 1 (Pembrey Country Park)

Wednesday 14th October 2026 - Street 5K (Race 1)

Thursday 22nd October 2026 - Weston Prom Series (Race 2)

[SS] Sunday 25th October 2026 - The Mendip Muddle

November 2026

Sunday 1st November 2026 - Wessex League Fixture 1 (Bryanston School, Blanford)

Saturday 7th November 2026 - Midsomer Norton Town Park Community Run

Saturday 7th November 2026 - YOAC Annual Awards Evening

Sunday 8th November 2026 - Gwent League Fixture 2 (Llandaff Fields, Cardiff)