BRR Blog - 4 May 2026
Dawn with a way marking stone at the Three Forts Challenge
May the 4th be with you!
Well, did you do it? Did you enter the ballot for the 2027 London Marathon? I managed to resist the temptation for another year, although my volunteering at the Expo means I have been entered into a draw for a marathon place. Just my luck I’ll get one!
The Bank Holiday weekend weather has been kinder to us than predicted. Those of us able to attend the post-Marathon celebration at The Three Travellers were able to enjoy sitting/standing outside in our own, private, beer garden until late into the evening. It was a great night out - we will probably have the event the Friday after the Marathon next year, too.
Greg’s Race Report
After last weekend’s busy time at the marathon for both their runners and members on the Mile 14 water station it was a quiet one this week for Barking Road Runners with just Dawn Curtis racing.
Dawn took on the Three Forts Challenge, a five mile trail run with various challenging climbs and terrain changes across the scenic South Downs passing Cissbury ring, Chanctonbury ring and the Devil’s Dyke. Dawn finished the run in a time of 1:06:55.
Other sporting action over the weekend was the third game in the Barking versus the Builders football challenge (though not many builders are still involved). This time, with John Lang as team coach and Paul Withyman as captain, Barking put in a very impressive performance. The first goal went to Barking, but the team failed to capitilise on it, letting the other side back into the game with four goals in a row. However, despite losing one of their stronger players to injury, Barking came back strong in the second half, with the final scoreline of 6-5 to the opposition not properly reflecting Barking’s domination of the game.
BRR parkrunners
Barking - Dominic Herring 20:25, Joshua Ezissi 21:17, Shantelle Keech 22:46, Jason Suddaby 23:43, Joyce Golder 27:41, John Lang 30:15, Cristina Cooper 31:26, Jason Li 31:38, Martin Mason 32:48, Faye Spooner 35:24, Lizzie Beth Garraghan 36:03, Greg Adams 37:54, Sian a Mansley 38:12, Louise Chappell 48:32, Alan Murphy 52:12, Clodagh Shorey 60:06, Tom Shorey 60:07 and Dawn Curtis 60:12.
Biddeford - Tom Edwards 21:00.
Billericay - Nikki Cranmer 29:45.
Nikki at Billericay
Blickling - Paul Ward 25:47.
Brockenhurst - Mark New 25:10.
Harlow - Martin Page 22:46, Belinda Riches 31:48, Darren Graham 39:17 and Denise Graham 52:58.
Martin P at Harlow parkrun
Steve, Denise, Belinda, Darren and friends at Harlow
Harrow Lodge - Rory Burr 22:52.
Rory and friend at Harrow Lodge
Huntingdon - Sunny Bulchandani 33:53.
Mote Park - Kevin Wotton 27:14.
Thorne Bay Beach - Ron Vialls 24:31.
Valentines - Andrew Gwilliam 59:53.
Wanstead Flats - Stuart Mackay 21:02.
Highest BRR age Gradings this week were Shantelle Keech 65.01% the ladies and Martin Page 76.57% for the men.
BRR Diary - May
The highlights of the coming weeks are listed below but you can see the full diary of BRR events on the TeamUp app. Simply download the TeamUp app to your phone, then enter the calendar key: ks67p21gt8p5gzdo66 when prompted. If you don’t want another app on your phone, you can also find it under the ‘events’ tab on the Barking Road Runners website: https://www.barkingroadrunners.org.uk/calendar.
7.00pm, Tuesday 5 May - speed session. Jim Peters Stadium, Mayesbrook Park. This week Zahra will be leading the session, which is a called Blooming Rose 🌹 🌸:
Inner bud - 6 rpe run:
6 x (1 min hard 1 min rec)
Petals opening - 7 rpe run:
4 x (2 min hard 2 min rec)
Fully bloomed - 8 rpe run
1 x (4 min hard 3 min rec)
Blooming Rose. It sounds pretty…hard!
7.00pm, Thursday 7 May - Club road run. Castle Green Centre, Gale Street, Becontree. This week we have a run of roughly four miles:
Right out of Castle Green, right along the A13, cross using the underpass and down Renwick Road, right Ripple Greenway, right Radford Way, left Curzon Crescent, right Bastable Ave, left Renwick Road, through the underpass, and back along the A13 to Castle Green.
7.30pm, Wednesday 13 May - Crown to Crown 5k. Westley Heights Country Park. Cheap and cheerful off road race, organised by Pitsea Running Club. Just £2.50 to enter. https://www.entrycentral.com/Crown-to-Crown.
10.00am, Sunday 17 May - Great Baddow 10 (GP03). Great Baddow Recreation Ground, CM2 9RL. Third race in the 2026 Grand Prix Series, with a community fair thrown in. Enter at: https://baddowraces.co.uk/
7.30pm, Wednesday 20 May - Dagenham 88 5-miles. Eastbrookend Country Park, the Chase, Romford, RM7 0SS. First race in this year’s East London fiVes Interclub Series (a competition consisting of 5k or 5-mile races between clubs based in East London). The tea rooms will be open for refreshments. Enter at:https://www.entrycentral.com/Dagenham88Runners_2026
10.00am, Sunday 24 May - Thameside 10k. A scenic route from Thameside Nature Discovery Centre along the Thames Estuary, with wonderful views of the Thames, Kent, and towards Southend. This year there is a fantastic squirrel design medal for all finishers. Enter at: Phoenix Striders Thameside 10/5/1 2026 Races - EntryCentral
10.00am, Sunday 31 May - Orienteering Trial Session. Thorndon Park North (Visitor Centre, Thorndon Park North, The Avenue, Brentwood CM13 3RZ. Fancy a run with a difference? HAVOC (Havering and South Essex Orienteering Club) are offering orienteering training based on the Thorndon Park permanent orienteering course as part of the Thorndon Park outdoor activity day. Perfect for beginners and anyone curious to give orienteering a go. Dogs welcome (with their owners, of course!). Find out more: https://www.britishorienteering.org.uk/event?event=88330
Fast or First?
Since last Sunday’s London Marathon, I’ve been pondering who is more inspiring: the fast marathoner or the first-time finisher?
In running circles, we often celebrate extraordinary feats: strong times, relentless pace, impressive recovery. And rightly so. That kind of achievement reflects years of training, discipline, and a remarkable ability to push the human body close to its limits.
But then there’s another runner. It’s their first marathon. They’ve walked sections, battled self‑doubt, maybe worried they’d be last, maybe questioned whether they even belonged on the start line. And yet, they kept moving forward until the end.
Running a fast marathon inspires us by expanding what we think is possible. It reflects the discipline to commit fully, the resilience to keep pushing when progress plateaus, and the belief to chase ambitious goals even when they feel just out of reach. It shows what long‑term dedication can unlock, and offers a clear picture of what excellence on the course looks like.
Completing a first marathon—no matter the time—often inspires us by showing what people are capable of when they take the leap. It begins with the courage to start, demands persistence when things become uncomfortable, and calls for belief to keep going even when the finish feels far away. It’s a reminder that the course is for everyone, and that every journey deserves its place on it.
So, who is more inspiring? The answer, perhaps, is that both are—just in different ways. What do you find inspiring?
Zahra’s Uni Unload
Lavender, jasmine and mint: scents that can improve your wellbeing
As we're getting closer to summer you might see trees and flowers starting to bloom. Turns out flowers are beneficial to runners in lots of ways. There is research into something called the green exercise effect. This research suggests that doing physical activity in nature can help with lowering blood pressure, and overall wellbeing improves from being around greenery. Brightly coloured flowers have a positive effect by giving our brain micro breaks helping us feel more motivated when we're in the pain cave.
Flowers tend to have different scents and all the different scents have different benefits. Lavender helps you feel more calm and focused and some people say it helps them relax before they sleep too. For an energy boost find some jasmine as this helps improve mood and helps you feel more refreshed. Wild mint helps you feel more alert and clear minded.
As well as looking pretty and smelling nice, flowers have other benefits too. During the day, flowers go through photosynthesis where they inhale carbon dioxide and exhale oxygen. This means they are like natural air filters helping keep clean oxygen in the surrounding air so running around flowers means the air is likely cleaner and nicer. Broad leaves and dense clusters of flowers capture airborne dust and particulates which you are then less likely to breathe in.
Project 222
Josh Kerr has confirmed his plan to try and break the men’s mile world record at the London Diamond League on 18 July 2026. The Scottish middle‑distance runner will aim to beat Hicham El Guerrouj’s 3:43.13 mark, which has stood since 1999 and is widely regarded as one of the toughest records in track and field. Branded “Project 222” – a nod to Kerr’s ambition to run the mile in 222 seconds – the attempt will see him build his entire season around one perfectly paced race, complete with specialist pacemakers and bespoke kit. I’m finding Kerr a bit arrogant these days, but it would be fantastic to see him break the record on home turf.
World Athletics Relays
In other news, UK Athletics has named the Novuna Great Britain and Northern Ireland teams for the 2026 World Athletics Relays, taking place in Gaborone, Botswana on 2–3 May.
Squads have been selected across all relay events (men’s and women’s 4 × 100m and 4 × 400m, and mixed squads for both distances), with a clear focus on qualifying teams for the 2027 World Championships while also giving emerging athletes valuable senior international experience. The teams blend established international performers with rising talent, many of whom are part of the UK Athletics Futures Programme.
UK Athletics Head of Sprints and Relays, Darren Campbell, said the selections reflect both short‑term qualification goals and long‑term ambitions towards LA 2028 (the next Olympics), highlighting the importance of building depth and sharpening relay skills on the world stage. Let’s just hope none of them drop the baton.
Cracker Corner
How many mystery writers does it take to change a light bulb? Two. One to change the bulb, and the other to give it an unexpected twist at the end.
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Guess who I bumped into in Specsavers on Saturday? Everybody.
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I studied politics at university. In the exams I got extra points for not answering the questions.
Quote of the Week
"Rest is not a reward, it's part of the process"
Anon
And Finally…
Bed socks can give you better sleep
We all know that getting a solid night’s sleep is important - for runners, it can support stronger training sessions and quicker recoveries. If you sometimes have trouble dropping off, try this simple hack: wear socks to bed.
Warm feet encourage vasodilation — the widening of blood vessels — which helps your body release heat and drop its core temperature. Since this temperature dip is a key trigger for sleep, runners who wear socks often fall asleep faster and enjoy deeper, more restorative, rest.
That matters when you’re rebuilding muscle, absorbing training load, and preparing for the next run. Warm feet (in soft, breathable socks) can also reduce middle‑of‑the‑night temperature swings that leave you tossing and turning. Just bear in mind that wearing bed socks can be a passion killer…
