Despite taking place on the same day as the opening fixture of the Manchester Area Cross-Country League, thirteen Macclesfield Harriers took part in the Road Running Club Championship race at Wilmslow parkrun event #478. This deceptively tricky course consists of two out and backs through The Carrs Park with each out and each back followed by an energy-sapping hill climb.
Our ladies claimed the top two spots in the women’s standings. Faye Sharpley breezed home in 20:33 and she was followed 24 seconds later by Kristy Readman, completing the course in 20:57. The third Macclesfield Harrier lady to finish was Emma Galleymore, achieving a new course PB of 23:34.
Peter Taylor set out quickly, his eyes firmly on a sub-20 finish, and was rewarded for his efforts with a new course PB of 19:53 and by finishing as the first Harrier. The second male Harrier to cross the line was Tom Shirley, continuing his recent fine form to clinch a course PB of 20:56. He was followed by Owain Morris who completed the course in a time of 21:19.
Of the thirteen Harriers who took part at Wilmslow parkrun, three completed the course for the first time (Faye Sharpley, Caroline Gisby, and Joanne Booth) while four achieved new course PBs (Peter Taylor, Tom Shirley, Emma Galleymore, and Elaine Pettie).
Congratulations to all who took part and represented the club with strong performances. Full results are available here.
| Name | Chip Time |
| Peter Taylor | 19:53 |
| Faye Sharpley | 20:33 |
| Tom Shirley | 20:56 |
| Kristy Readman | 20:57 |
| Owain Morris | 21:19 |
| Duncan James | 21:50 |
| Steve Lomas | 22:40 |
| Andy Thorp | 22:54 |
| Emma Galleymore | 23:34 |
| Caroline Gisby | 24:28 |
| Elaine Pettie | 25:00 |
| Joanne Booth | 27:15 |
| Jim Kelly | 34:03 |
The standings for the 2025 Road Running Championship will be updated after every race and can be accessed at the link below. 6 women have completed 6 qualifying races, and Kristy Readman’s performance at Wilmslow means that she is now only 3 points behind Sue Stockdale at the top of the standings! 12 men have completed 6 qualifying races. While there were no changes to the placing of those who have six qualifying races after this event, the points collected by Tom Shirley and Owain Morris have put them in contention to place highly if they perform well in their upcoming long races. Bonus points from Cheshire Grand Prix races and the Macclesfield Running Festival as well as marathon results look likely to play a pivotal role in determining the final men’s and women’s standings!
2025 Road Running 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. 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. (Four Villages Half Marathon in January, Alsager 5 in February, and Wilmslow Running Festival HM and 10k in March have all also been confirmed as races for the first quarter of the 2026 championship!)
Our next three races are listed below. Bonus points are available for all three of the Macclesfield Running Festival distances on October 26th and the half marathon distance will be the final race of this year’s Cheshire Road Grand Prix. We finished 2nd in the men’s standings and 4th in the women’s standings in last year’s editions of the Cheshire Road Grand Prix, and it would be great to place highly again this year! With one race to go in the series, out men’s team has a narrow lead in 1st place and our ladies’ team are in 2nd place (individual and team standings available here). Let’s see if we can finish the season strongly at our home half marathon!
- Macclesfield Running Festival (5k, 10k, and half marathon – bonus points available in all three races but only the half marathon is part of the Cheshire Road Grand Prix), October 26th
- Flying Fox 10 Miles, November 2nd
- Wilmslow Festive 10k, November 23rd
We look forward to racing with you soon!