The Macclesfield Running Festival took over town last weekend as the 5k, 10k, and half marathon as runners raced from the Macclesfield Athletics Track towards Prestbury and Henbury. All three events involve challenging hills and the opportunity to finish in a blaze of glory at the Macclesfield Athletics Track! The worst of the rain held off until after the race had finished, leading to decent running conditions.
A total of 43 Macclesfield Harriers took part and many more lined the streets to act as event marshals and to support. It was wonderful to see so many club members out and the efforts of the marshals and supporters were greatly appreciated by all! While the three routes were tough, the constant cheers of encouragement from the many friendly faces lining the course helped many a Macclesfield Harrier find an extra gear!
We had a very successful day as club members finished on the podium in all three races! Despite competing as an U17, George O’Donnell won the 5k. Helen Saunders and Rob Whitby were 3rd lady and 3rd male, respectively, in the 10k while Ciaran Wright and Matthew Lynas were also in the top 10!
The half marathon saw Macclesfield Harriers’ men take all three podium places! William Stewart won the race in a blisteringly fast time of 1:13:24, Matthew Walker finished second, completing his debut half marathon in 01:16:18, while Mark Walker was third in a time of race in 01:17:19. Huge congratulations to all of you!
There were also several excellent age-grade category results across all three races. These are listed below, well done to you all!
5k: George O’Donnell – 1st MU17, Benjamin Hunsley – 1st MU13, Lisa Hunsley – 1st FV45, Daniel Hunsley – 1st MV50
10k: Helen Saunders – 2nd FV35, Rob Whitby – 2nd MV35, Ciaran Wright – 3rd MV35, Matt Lynas – 1st MV55, Andrew Stewart – 3rd MU20, Julia Dickie – 1st FV60
Half Marathon: William Stewart – 1st SM, Matthew Walker – 1st MU20, Mark Walker – 1st MV45, Kristy Readman – 1st FV50, Faye Sharpley – 1st FV40, Fiona Blagg – 2nd FV35, Matt Leech – 3rd MV55, Sue Stockdale – 3rd FV50,
Congratulations to everyone for your performances. Full results can be found here.
5k
| Name | Chip Time |
| George O’Donnell | 16:58 |
| Benjamin Husley | 23:02 |
| Lisa Hunsley | 23:41 |
| Daniel Hunsley | 24:13 |
| Craig Birch | 24:52 |
| Vinay Anand Kumar | 26:16 |
10k
| Name | Chip Time |
| Rob Whitby | 34:51 |
| Ciaran Wright | 36:11 |
| Matt Lynas | 38:08 |
| Helen Saunders | 43:31 |
| Duncan James | 45:40 |
| Trudie Barlow | 47:27 |
| Andy Thorp | 47:37 |
| Andrew Stewart | 48:42 |
| Grace O’Neill | 49:51 |
| Julia Dickie | 51:06 |
| Chris Ashley | 51:18 |
| Robert Copeland | 52:21 |
Half Marathon
| Name | Chip Time |
| William Stewart | 01:13:24 |
| Matthew Walker | 01:16:18 |
| Mark Walker | 01:17:19 |
| Robert Perrin | 01:28:52 |
| Kristy Readman | 01:32:31 |
| Robert Maxwell | 01:32:48 |
| Graeme Eddie | 01:33:13 |
| Faye Sharpley | 01:33:55 |
| Fiona Blagg | 01:34:39 |
| Anthony Pickles | 01:36:15 |
| Matt Leech | 01:37:02 |
| Keith Mulholland | 01:38:46 |
| Steve Lomas | 01:41:23 |
| Sue Stockdale | 01:41:54 |
| Sally Hopkin | 01:42:43 |
| Gareth Stockdale | 01:44:47 |
| Chloe Nahum-Claudel | 01:45:12 |
| Damian Carter | 01:45:50 |
| Katrina Barnes | 01:47:36 |
| Rachel Welch | 01:47:41 |
| Emma Galleymore | 01:54:36 |
| Ruth Gamwell | 01:55:56 |
| Robin Peake | 01:57:57 |
| Meagan Mirza | 02:03:35 |
| Victoria Hancocks-Amison | 02:09:49 |
The standings for the 2025 Road Running Championship will be updated after every race and can be accessed at the link below. 13 men and 7 women have now completed 6 qualifying races How many more will join them before the end of the year?
The Macclesfield Running Festival saw both the men’s and women’s leaders overtaken at the top of the table and led to the top three being confirmed in both competitions. Congratulations to Faye Sharpley for winning the ladies’ Road Running Club Championship and to Rob Whitby for winning the men’s Road Running Club Championship! In the ladies’ championship, Faye Sharpley beat Kristy Readman by just one point and Sue Stockdale was just two points further behind in third. In the men’s championship, Rob Whitby beat Graeme Eddie by just two points with Mark Walker finishing a further two points behind in third. While the top three positions may have been decided, there is still plenty which could change lower down the table!
2025 Road Running Championship Standings
The Macclesfield Running Festival was also the last race of this year’s Cheshire Road Grand Prix. Heading into the weekend our men’s team was top of the standings while our women’s team was in second place. Sue Stockdale was in first place in the individual ladies’ Grand Prix league with Faye Sharpley and Kristy Readman also still retaining hope of winning the Grand Prix, and Graeme Eddie was in second place in the men’s Grand Prix. Did our men’s and women’s teams manage to win the team prizes in the Cheshire Grand Prix? Did Sue Stockdale, Faye Sharpley, or Kristy Readman win the ladies’ competition? Was Graeme Eddie able to hold on to second place in the men’s competition? We await Cheshire County Athletics’ announcement with bated breath!
Cheshire Road Grand Prix standings
Marathon results also count for points in this year’s Road Running Club Championships, so please submit your results to the Road Running Manager, Owain Morris, if you would like your score to be added. Thank you to everyone who has submitted their results so far!
The 2025 fixture list is available here, and entries are now open for all remaining races.
The final three races of the year are listed below. It’d be great to have a huge Harriers’ turnout at all three!
- Flying Fox 10 Miles, November 2nd
- Wilmslow Festive 10k, November 23rd
- Stockport 10 Miles, December 14th
We look forward to racing with you soon!