Steeple Chasers Running & Cycling Club

We’re coming to you with an extra special Medal Monday this week…

On Saturday, our club chair, Laura Sims, was named Steeple Morden’s Villager of the Year!

Now, it’s no secret that Laura does A LOT for the club. From going the extra mile (often literally) to welcome new members to leading club activities in all weathers, and managing the external events that we put on, none of it would happen without her!

But Laura is so much more than an amazing chairperson. She’s a warm and supportive friend who makes time for all of the club members, encouraging us to try new things and believe in our own abilities, and keeping an eye on those who might be in need of some extra support.

This award is the least that Laura deserves, and we were all so proud to see her achievements recognised on Saturday. 💙💚

(Laura is also very modest and gets a bit uncomfortable when we sing her praises... so be sure to share this post 😉)

We haven’t got Medal Monday in the traditional sense this week, but we’ve got plenty to celebrate!

After the end of our May Challenge, we gathered in The Waggon and Horses on Sunday to announce the winners and give out individual awards.

The super powered Team Sunflower took home the prize, while Laura Sims was our top competitor! Shirley Swanson came in second, while Alison Dyche claimed third place. And just two points behind her was Steve Dyche - at least they won't be fighting over the commemorative mugs at home!

And our lovely Tara Gibbons got an honourable mention for her admirable (some would say insane) efforts, that included climbing Croagh Patrick and running a half marathon just one week after running the Reverse London Marathon. Well, that and her hilarious comments in the group chat...

We've had so much fun over the month, including some excellent fancy dress costumes, half marathons, trail running adventures, and lots of involvement from our four-legged friends along the way.

Thank you to everyone who participated - now go and rest up before the November Challenge! 😉

Medal Monday - or should that be Maverick Monday?

On Saturday, five hardy Chasers (and one very special canine companion) took on the Maverick Peak District Trail.

Anita Birch, Anna Morley, Hannah, and Shirley Swanson tackled the 28km run. It was a challenging course with around 600 meters of elevation (😱) but the upside of that was some truly stunning views. Their smiles at the end say it all!

Meanwhile, Laura Sims and Skyla went for the 10km course, with Skyla fuelled by some very special dog-friendly flapjack treats. Both did brilliantly and Skyla even got her very own canine medal at the end 🐾

In fact, Skyla has a lot of medals! She has been known to show them off in exchange for a treat or two…

The whole thing required a lot of energy, but rest assured we followed up the race with lots of food - and even a few drinks. And of course, there were supportive husbands and dogs along to spectate and celebrate with us. All in all, it was a wonderful weekend up in the peaks!

And another club member got something even better than a medal - a ring! Alice Kingslake and Matthew Puddefoot tied the knot on Friday, and we couldn’t be happier for them both 💕💍

Mark your diaries... Our annual Friendship Run is taking place on Sunday 23 August this year, starting at Steeple Rec as usual!

We've got 5k and 10k distances available, as well as a 1k race for little legs!

The event starts at 10 am and is being held in support of our club charity, Young Minds 💛

Participants will get eco seed medals and homemade cake, so why not come down and run a few kms for a good cause?

You can sign up using the QR code, or with the link below

👉 https://www.sportmember.co.uk/public_ticket_events/scrcc-family-friendship-run

It was a super, super Sunday for the club over the weekend!

Alison Dyche and Sharon Saunders ran the Hitchin 10k with big smiles and plenty of speed, while Anna Morley and Sass earned arguably the prettiest medal we’ve ever seen at the Butterfly Run in Grafham Water.

Sunday was also the Dublin City Half Marathon, where Laura Sims, Shirley Swanson, Hannah, Kim, and Tara Gibbons all came away with their Luke Kelly medals (and a couple of PBs to boot).

A special shoutout also has to go to Tara and Kim, who completed the race just one week after running the Reverse London Marathon.

Speaking of endurance, on the very same day, Mike A took on the Tour de Manc, cycling over 100 miles with 7,395 ft of elevation. There’s a reason he’s our cycling guru!

So that’s 10 medals and lots of amazing achievements this weekend. Well done, everyone - now go and get some rest!

It was an epic one for the club this weekend! While none of us ever seem to have success in the London Marathon ballot, that certainly doesn’t stop us.

On Saturday night, Kim and Tara Gibbons travelled up to London to begin the Reverse London Marathon! For those of you who haven’t heard of it, this is an informal race where participants run the route backwards overnight.

If you think it sounds a bit crazy, you’d be right, but that has never stopped these ladies before! They both smashed it and we couldn’t be prouder of our marathon gals!

Then on Sunday, Shirley Swanson and Steve Dyche tackled their first ever gravel sportive in Suffolk (seriously… how many s’s can you fit into one sentence?!) They both did super well, not that we’d expect anything less!

And in true Chasers style, there was a Sunday evening gathering at the Wagon to celebrate it all. Well, it would be rude not to, really…

Introducing… the Dalmatian parkrun!

Alison Dyche completed her 100th parkrun a few weeks ago, but she was away in the Derbyshire Dales, so the club gathered to celebrate her 101st at Wimpole Estate parkrun this Saturday!

In keeping with the theme, some of crew even showed up in black and white to celebrate, while Alison herself sported fuzzy ears, pawprint leggings, and a tail!

Could this be the newest parkrun tradition? Who knows, but we definitely had fun and enjoyed the homemade cake afterwards. Congratulations Alison!

We're turning Medal Monday into Triumph Tuesday this week because we saw a STRONG effort from the club this weekend.

One hardy crew of Chasers headed to the New Forest for the 2026 Classic cycling sportive. There were both first time sportive participants and seasoned pros in the mix but everyone smashed it, and then spent Sunday enjoying a scenic walk and a well-earned roast.

And that’s not all…

Anna and Sass took things up a level at the SheUltra event in Wales and each ran 50 km! That’s an insanely impressive distance, but it’s even crazier when you add in over 1,100 metres of elevation. Incredible work, ladies!

What a weekend. What a team!

We’ve got a double Medal Monday this week!

On Good Friday Sass took on the Barrow Easter 10 km and got a bling-tastic bunny medal to prove it!

And then on Saturday, Alison completed her 100th parkrun at Ashbourne Recreation Ground! Alongside the well-deserved Strava kudos, she received a very special homemade medal from her niece to celebrate her accomplishment.

Congratulations ladies - and Happy Easter all!