A warm August saw Macclesfield Harriers turn up to three events as part of the Road Running Club Championship.
Pie and Peas 5M
With its unique selling point of a Pie and Peas supper to every entrant upon completion of the race, this race sold out weeks in advance. This is a tricky course which involves a gentle loop down to the riverside followed by a steep climb back up.
Our fastest runner was Rob Whitby in a time of 28:15. He was followed by Graeme Eddie in 33:31. Duncan James overtook Carl Barnard in the finishing straight to claim third-fastest male Harrier in a time of 35:11.
Kristy Thorp was our fastest lady, finishing in a time of 33:36, and she was followed by Sue Stockdale in a time of 38:24.
| Name | Gun time |
| Rob Whitby | 28:15 |
| Graeme Eddie | 33:31 |
| Kristy Thorp | 33:36 |
| Duncan James | 35:11 |
| Carl Barnard | 35:18 |
| Ray O’Keefe | 35:19 |
| Keith Mulholland | 36:05 |
| Gareth Stockdale | 37:34 |
| Sue Stockdale | 38:24 |
| Harry Newton | 62:18 |
This was also the final race of the 2026 Cheshire Road Grand Prix. The results confirmed Rob Whitby as the men’s champion with Carl Barnard taking third place. In the women’s competition Sue Stockdale took second place.
We were unable to retain last year’s team crowns with our men’s team finishing second overall and our women’s team finishing fourth overall. Congratulations to South Cheshire Harriers on their dual victory!
Congratulations to everyone who took part in the Pie and Peas 5. Full results are available here.
Wilmslow parkrun #521
Our visit to Wilmslow parkrun coincided with the memorial event of Run North West founder Andrew Whittingham who passed away suddenly a few days prior. Andrew Whittingham had a significant impact on running throughout Cheshire and the north-west of England, and there was a huge turnout of runners at Wilmslow parkrun to pay their respects to him.
A large number of Macclesfield Harriers were among the record crowd who had turned out remember Andrew Whittingham. On this difficult day, there were some very strong performances by our club members. Our fastest three men were Matt Phillips (18:25), Bobby Tomlinson (19:13), and Finlay Pettie (19:17). Our fastest three women were Kristy Thorp (20:38), Helen Saunders (21:39), and Sue Stockdale (22:57).
| Name | Gun Time |
| Matt Phillips | 18:25 |
| Bobby Tomlinson | 19:13 |
| Finlay Pettie | 19:17 |
| Andy Burns | 19:40 |
| Kristy Thorp | 20:38 |
| Peter Taylor | 20:40 |
| Rob Gorton | 20:46 |
| Andy Beavers | 20:49 |
| Graeme Eddie | 20:58 |
| Carl Barnard | 21:10 |
| Tom Shirley | 21:23 |
| Helen Saunders | 21:29 |
| Finley Proffitt | 22:12 |
| Keith Mulholland | 22:20 |
| Steve Lomas | 22:37 |
| Sue Stockdale | 22:57 |
| Gareth Stockdale | 23:01 |
| Mark Walker | 23:06 |
| Nathan Finnis | 23:14 |
| Gareth Briggs | 23:28 |
| Andy Thorp | 24:00 |
| Olly Cook | 24:26 |
| Daniel Gill | 25:08 |
| Joanne Hackett | 25:43 |
| Meagan Mirza | 27:24 |
| Mel Power | 27:28 |
| David Tucker | 28:34 |
| Saranya Hasler | 30:44 |
| Jim Kelly | 34:49 |
| Harry Newton | 37:20 |
| Robert Hasler | 54:25 |
| Damian Carter | 61:37 |
Congratulations to everyone who took part in Wilmslow parkrun #521! Full results are available here.
Because of the way that the parkrun website allows runners to self-select membership of clubs, results were filtered by members of Macclesfield Harriers & A.C. and then cross-checked against a list of current club members. If your result has not been included and you think it should have been included, please let me know as soon as possible.
Buxworth 5M
This race is known for being tough! The first four kilometres of this race are an almost constant climb up country roads to near the peak of Eccles Pike. With burning thighs, racers must then tackle the equally steep descent back to Buxworth while saving something for the last climb just before the finishing line. It was even tougher this year as the heavens opened just before the race started and all competitors were soaked to their skin while negotiating the gruelling climbs.
Despite this, there were some fantastic performances by Macclesfield Harriers. Thomas Wood finished 3rd overall and was the 1st MU20 while Egg Cameron was the first VW40.
Thomas Wood finished in a time of 29:48, finishing over a minute ahead of last year’s race champion Billy Hicks who completed the course in a time of 31:16. Our third fastest runner was Olly cook finishing in a time of 34:55.
As well as being 1st VW40, Egg Cameron was the first female Macclesfield Harriers, finishing in a time of 38:49. Charmaine Wood and Emma Mason followed in times of 40:21 and 41:26, respectively.
| Name | Gun time |
| Thomas Wood | 29:48 |
| Billy Hicks | 31:16 |
| Olly Cook | 34:55 |
| Andy Burns | 35:58 |
| Chris Minto | 37:14 |
| Chris Wainer | 37:21 |
| Graeme Eddie | 37:44 |
| Carl Barnard | 38:06 |
| Rob Maxwell | 38:20 |
| Steve Lomas | 38:31 |
| Egg Cameron | 38:49 |
| Tom Shirley | 39:32 |
| Dave Booth | 40:17 |
| Charmaine Wood | 40:21 |
| Emma Mason | 41:26 |
| Tommy Fearn | 41:38 |
| Owain Morris | 42:10 |
| Sue Stockdale | 42:26 |
| Gareth Stockdale | 43:33 |
Congratulations to everyone who took part in the Buxworth 5M! 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. Thirteen men and two women have now completed six qualifying races. Rob Whitby is nine points clear of second-placed Dave Chambers at the top of the men’s standings. Remarkably, Kristy Thorp has now gained the maximum 600 points available in the women’s standings and Sue Stockdale is only two points behind her!
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.
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. The final standings can be accessed at the link below.
2026 Cheshire Road Grand Prix Standings
Our next three fixtures are detailed below
- Knutsford 10k – Sunday, September 27th
- Congleton Half Marathon – Sunday, October 4th
- Macclesfield Running Festival – Sunday, October 18th
We look forward to racing with you soon!