Two contrasting races formed part of the Road Running Club Championship in May! At the start of the month our club members took part in the short, canal-side Middlewich 5k while our members flocked to the hilly Buxton Half Marathon over the second May Bank Holiday.
Middlewich 5k
Thanks to Sue Stockdale for the race report!
This was an interesting and varied course, mainly trail which followed along a canal, with a 3-lock challenge and a section of elevation near the start. A smaller race, with narrow sections, the real challenge is not ending up in the canal, particularly at the start! The route then has a small road section before finishing with 2 laps on grass around a cricket field.
This event had a really lovely community feel with brilliant organisation and numerous friendly marshals and volunteers. Fantastic weather too!
Carl Barnard was the fastest club member on the day finishing in a time of 20:56, and he was followed by Gareth Stockdale in a time of 21:22.
Our fastest lady was Sue Stockdale finishing in a time of 22:40, and she was followed by Jill Abbott in 27:43.
| Name | Chip time |
| Carl Barnard | 20:56 |
| Gareth Stockdale | 21:22 |
| Sue Stockdale | 22:40 |
| Jill Abbott | 27:43 |
Congratulations to everyone who took part in the Middlewich 5k! Full results are available here.
Buxton Half Marathon
Eleven Macclesfield Harriers took on the Buxton Half Marathon over the Bank Holiday weekend. Not only did they have to contend with three arduous climbs and over 400m of elevation gain, but the race also took place on the warmest May Bank Holiday in history! Some of the times recorded were seriously impressive in that heat!
Billy Hicks was finished third overall in a time of 1:23:49 while clubmates Ciaran Wright and Matt Lynas were the fifth and seventh placed finishers of the day in times of 1:27:05 and 1:28:06, respectively. Matt Lynas was also first-placed in the MV55 category! Dave Chambers was second in the MV45 category!
Kristy Thorp also finished within the top 10 in the ladies’ race, recording a time of 1:40:11 to finish in sixth and as the first FV50! Lindsay Purdie was our second lady across the line in a time of 01:59:57 and Ruth Gamwell was our third female finisher, and third overall in the FV50 category, in a time of 02:17:05.
| Name | Chip time |
| Billy Hicks | 1:23:49 |
| Ciaran Wright | 1:27:05 |
| Matt Lynas | 1:28:06 |
| Dave Chambers* | 1:33:50 |
| Matt Phillips* | 1:33:50 |
| Kristy Thorp | 1:40:11 |
| Robert Maxwell | 1:45:20 |
| Carl Barnard | 1:49:19 |
| Lindsay Purdie | 1:59:57 |
| Ruth Gamwell | 2:17:05 |
| Michelle Birdsall | 2:18:59 |
*Dave Chambers earns one more point than Matt Phillips in the Road Running Club Championship standings due to having a better gun time of 2 seconds.
Congratulations to everyone who took part in the Buxton Half Marathon! Full results are available here.
Standings, recent marathons, and upcoming races
The standings for the 2026 Road Running Championship will be updated after every race and can be accessed at the link below. Dave Chambers became the second person to complete six qualifying races and has now overtaken Carl Barnard at the top of the men’s standings.
2026 Road Running Club Championship Standings
Marathon results also count for points in this year’s Road Running Club Championship, so please submit your results to the Road Running Manager, Owain Morris, if you would like your score to be added. With Manchester, Boston and London all taking place over the next week, there are plenty of marathon points up for grabs!
The club is taking part in the 2026 Cheshire Road Grand Prix – all club members are automatically enrolled and your best five races from the eight-race series count toward your final position.
2026 Cheshire Road Grand Prix Standings
Our next three fixtures are detailed below
- Dunham Massey Dave Telford 5k – Thursday, June 4th
- Colshaw Hall 10k – Sunday, June 14th
- Round the Runway 5M – Tuesday, June 30th
We look forward to racing with you soon!