This bank holiday weekend, I packed my Alphaflys and headed north to the Edinburgh Marathon with one goal: securing a Good For Age (GFA) qualifying time for the 2026 London Marathon.
As a 58-year-old runner, I needed a sub-3:12 finish to stand any chance of a London slot—though aiming for sub 3:10 felt safer given the potential for a tightening of the cutoff times.
This is the story of my pursuit of a London Marathon GFA at Edinburgh Marathon 2025.
Challenging? Absolutely! Worth it? You bet! We recently experienced this firsthand, and a huge thank you goes out to Holmfirth Harriers for once again hosting such a well-organised event.
What truly made the day special? The incredible buzz of the race itself, the superb social gathering afterwards, and of course, keeping the YVAA prize-giving tradition alive. It was fantastic to see every single Vale of York member who ran today come home with a prize! Talk about a great start to the Grand Prix series.
It was another fantastic weekend of racing for Vale of York senior and masters athletes, with runners representing the club in pink and blue kit across multiple events. From Friday night’s EvenSplits 5K in York to parkrun on Saturday morning and the elite fields on Saturday afternoon at the Podium 5K in Leicester, our athletes showed up in force, supporting each other and putting in great performances.
The Dewsbury 10k is a fast, flat race held every February, perfect for runners aiming for a personal best. The route starts on Dewsbury Road, heading under a bridge and onto Bradford Road. The first 5km is a slight uphill to Wilton Park, where you turn around and enjoy a gentle downhill return. The final stretch includes a sharp left turn under the bridge before crossing the finish line.
I ran the Symonds Run in memory of Hugh Symonds today at Sedbergh School. Hugh Symonds didn’t just introduce me to running; he showed me what it was to be a coach and a decent human being.
Nicola Henderson picked up the prize for first woman in the F40 age category at the Bramham 10K today, while Vale of York team mate, Emma Winter, took third place.