Club news

Since joining the Chiltern League back in 2014, the Redway Runners cross country team has built something really special. It is never all about results – it’s about turning up, supporting each other, sharing muddy miles, and enjoying everything from the race itself to the hot drinks, cakes and post-run chats at the club gazebo. We’ve come a long way over the years, from early Division 2 success, through promotions and challenges, and more recently a fantastic resurgence.

Last season saw a huge step forward with promotion back to Division 1, and this year was all about proving we belong there – and we did exactly that!

From our opening fixture in St Albans, where we kicked things off with a strong 11th place, it was clear we were ready to rise to the challenge. A hilly but scenic course set the tone for the months ahead – although it would have been nice if the sunshine that day had reappeared for later fixtures.

Oxford brought classic cross country conditions (with plenty of mud, and Storm Claudia to keep things interesting!), and an incredible turnout of runners helped push us up to 10th in the standings.

We returned to Campbell Park in December and, while numbers were a little lower due to other races and winter illnesses, those who ran put in determined performances in challenging conditions. More wind if I remember rightly, with the gazebo nearly blowing away!

The January fixture at Watford saw a huge turnout, from the Senior Men in particular, and by this point in the season it was looking increasingly likely that we would secure our place in Division 1.

And then Luton delivered a true cross country finale – torrential rain, mud, the course flooded in places, and a brilliant team effort to close the season in style. With 26 juniors and 20 seniors taking part that day, we secured a league position of 12th, comfortably maintaining our place in Division 1 for next season – a fantastic achievement, and a strong consolidation following last year’s promotion.

It’s also worth noting that this season saw 243 individual performances across the five fixtures – almost matching last year’s 244 – another sign of the continued strength and depth in the squad.

Across the season, there were so many highlights:

• Consistently strong turnouts across both senior and junior races
• Continued growth in our junior section, with 35 young runners representing the club this year
• Cakes and bakes worthy of The Great British Bake Off, donated by the team, and raising £85 for Milton Keynes Hospital Charity
• A brilliant 3rd place overall for the Veteran Men’s team
• A fantastic 6th place finish for the U15 Girls

It’s been wonderful to welcome new faces into the team this year – we hope you’ve enjoyed your first taste of cross country and will be back for more next season.

Ever-Presents – 5 out of 5 Fixtures

A special mention to those who showed incredible commitment by taking part in all five fixtures this season:

Seniors	Juniors
William Shippin	Matthew Taylor
Andrew Cross	Finley Pearce
Andrew Kirschner	Tom Lindesay
Milena Muretti	Finn Harris
Sarah Buck	Noah Moloney
	Emile Robinson
	Alexa Gooch
	Emily Evans
	Eleanor Geaney
	Emily Aylett
	Aylah Lalani
	Oliver Eastwood
	Daniel Geaney

 

Individual Category Top 10 Finishers

Well done to:

• Tom Lindesay – 8th, U13 Boys
• Sarah Buck – 8th, V45 Women
• Andrew Cross – 6th, V40 Men

Beyond the results, what really stands out is the team spirit that defines this club. Whether it was battling through mud, helping pack away the gazebo, baking cakes, marshalling in Luton, or cheering each other on, this season has been a real team effort in every sense. A huge thank you to everyone who contributed – runners, volunteers, supporters, bakers, and those working behind the scenes.

It was fantastic to round things off with our end-of-season social at Warbler on the Wharf – a really enjoyable evening with great food, drinks and company. It was especially nice to see everyone out of their running kit and not covered in mud for a change!

Veteran Men’s Medals

The following runners, who completed two or more races this season, have a medal to collect. If you haven’t already received yours, please get in touch:

• Andrew Cross
• Andrew Kirschner
• Chris Lindesay
• David Forbes
• Genci Pepaj
• Mike Robinson
• Richard Vaughan
• Simon Read
• Steven Pretlove
• Adam Savory
• Matthew Cleary
• Mike Pearce
• Chris Brown
• Jamie Masters
• Ben Fairhall
• Paul Clifford-Jones
• Tom Moloney