21/06/2026
💙💛 BVR Running Spotlight – Roger Bearn 💛💙
Roger joined Blackwater Valley Runners around 2012 with one big goal in mind — to complete a marathon before turning 40.
With the support of the club behind him, he went on to complete Brighton Marathon in 2013, finishing in a brilliant 3:44.
From there, Roger continued to build his running journey, achieving a marathon PB of 3:36 at Bournemouth Marathon in 2014 and a half marathon PB of 1:36, having worked his way down from 2:08.
His journey hasn’t been without challenges. In 2015, Roger ran Brighton Marathon for charity after the loss of his mum to cancer — later discovering he had completed it while running with a pr*****ed disc in his spine.
After treatment and time away from running, he returned in 2016 and has continued to keep going through the usual niggles, setbacks and life getting busy.
To date, Roger has completed around 7 marathons, 25 half marathons and even took on a 55k Lake District ultra with nearly 7,000ft of elevation — a challenge he admits “broke him a bit!”
These days, Roger’s goal is simple: to keep going, enjoy shorter distances, and see whether there’s still another PB in there somewhere.
For Roger, running is also a huge part of his mental wellbeing — a way to escape daily pressure, reset, and feel better afterwards.
Roger, your honesty, resilience and long-term commitment to running are exactly what BVR is all about. 💙💛
Please join us in celebrating Roger’s running journey 👏
07/06/2026
💙💛 BVR Running Spotlight – Rachael Davies 💛💙
Running has always been part of Rachael’s life, growing up with a mum who competed as an international athlete.
As a youngster, Rachael competed for Hounslow AC, enjoying everything from 800m races to the 100m sprint. However, she drifted away from the sport in her late teens before rediscovering running in her late twenties through the occasional parkrun.
After becoming a mum, running became an important part of her weight-loss journey, but it soon grew into much more than that.
Today, Rachael runs at least six times a week and can often be found pounding the streets of Aldershot and Tongham alongside her husband and running partner, Robbie. 😊
Her proudest achievement came last year when she achieved a goal many runners only dream about — becoming part of the 1% Marathon Club by completing her first marathon at the age of 40.
Despite once preferring shorter distances, Rachael now proudly calls the marathon her favourite race distance and loves the challenge and structure of marathon training.
Looking ahead, her goal is simple:
🎯 Stay injury-free and chase a new Parkrun PB this summer.
When asked what keeps her motivated, her answer was easy:
💙 Her son — staying fit and healthy so she can run, play and make memories with him for years to come.
Congratulations Rachael. Your journey shows that it’s never too late to set new goals, challenge yourself and achieve something extraordinary. 💙💛
👏 Show Rachael some BVR love in the comments!
07/06/2026