IMG_1693 copy

Chicago Marathon: When dreams come true 

Speaking once with some fellow runners, I was asked what was my running obsession, that thing, that once achieved, would give me the full satisfaction, even if it was the last running thing I could do. The answer to that question at the time was: a sub 3-hour marathon. At the time I could not […]

Joanna chases a BQT at Berlin Marathon

Stood in my friend’s kitchen in December 2022, my phone alerted me to a new email announcing a very unexpected successful ballot place in the Berlin Marathon. Truth be told, I’d forgotten I’d entered! Training started and it was going well up until the Great North 10K, where I not only came away with a […]

461523796_10169360283400612_2916986511156730874_n

Catherine’s first cross country race

After hearing a lot of “Thornley is brutal” from others in the club, I wasn’t sure what I’d let myself in for when I signed up to this year’s cross country season. Thornley Farm has a reputation as one of the hardest NEHL cross country fixtures, but I’d never done cross country before and was […]

462264255_10222165061310565_2312233131975098454_n

Hodgson Brothers Fell Relays

Saltwell Harriers have been competing in the Hodgson Brothers relay since 1988. The History This mountain relay covering 25 miles of Lake District fells was inaugurated by the Hodgson family in 1986 as a memorial to their son and brother Ian, who was killed in a cycling accident, aged 25 the day after competing in the […]

Picture 1 copy

Belfast Half Marathon

Earlier this year myself, Barry, Rav and Aaron decided to enter the 2024 Moy Park Belfast Half Marathon. We also thought it would be fun to sign up Graham for his 40th birthday so with encouragement from Lyndsey and without Graham knowing, race places were confirmed, accommodation found and cheap flights booked, well in advance […]

Picture 3b

My First Ultra: Kielder 50K

If the truth be told I’ve never really had much ambition to run anything more than a half marathon. I’ve always thought that a couple of hours pounding the tarmac is more than enough punishment. My immediate thoughts whenever I have completed the Great North Run are always the same, ‘imagine if this was a […]

434038101_7980945951920382_4431406107541101003_n

Eilidh goes sub-4 at Brighton Marathon

Background I entered Brighton marathon in the spring of 2023 after, shocking to no-one, I was unsuccessful in the London marathon ballot. My first marathon the year prior was Edinburgh, which I had run with a group of friends, all of us in the dawn of our love affairs with running. Edinburgh had left me […]

IMG_3408

Rob’s freezing Arctic adventure

Rob Brooks is at it again. Back doing Spine races, and this time it’s in the Arctic! The Montane Arctic Spine Race is a 293 mile foot-race along the Kungsleden Trail in Sweden, where temperatures drop to -35C. You can read the full story from Saltwell’s king of ultras on his own blog: Arctic Spine Race […]

Jim Joss Naylor 2

Jim’s Joss Naylor Report

So, in 2020 I thought I am 52, running well and the Joss Naylor challenge in under 12 hrs seems very feasible! Then came Covid and scuppered that. I thought I would try again in 2021 then Covid and lockdowns continued so going to have to wait another year. So come 2022, helping on two […]

NicolaMightyDeerstalker2

Nicola: The last of the Mighty Deerstalkers

As many in Saltwell may know, I’ll give most types of running a go, so when the opportunity to enter a race called The Mighty Deerstalker arose, my answer was “Yeah, should be a laugh”. Then I Googled it. “Leg-destroying”, “scree scramble”, “the UK’s toughest off-road run”, were some of the phrases bandied about. Oh […]