The Running Times- November 2026 edition
Inside this issue:
- Welcome to the latest newsletter
- A few words from the chair
- Coastal 10 was a great success
- Well done Riley!
- New kit supplier
- One Lap to Ultra
- Update from the social team
- Juniors update
- Paul’s French marathon adventure
- Pete’s Ultra good!
- Volunteer Spotlight
Welcome to the latest newsletter
Welcome to the third edition of The FRR Running Times! Please let us know what you think of the newsletter and if you have any achievements, training tips or volunteering efforts you wish to share with us.
If you’ve got an idea or something you’d like to share, send it to our newsletter editor Dom Bareham for consideration in a future edition.
A few words from the chair
It’s been another busy period for Felixstowe Road Runners, from the Coastal 10 to One Lap to Ultra, with plenty to celebrate both on and off the road. Alongside those highlights, I’d like to take a moment to remember Steve and share a couple of updates from behind the scenes.
Richard Bennett Felixstowe Coastal 10
A big thank you to everyone who helped make this year’s Coastal 10 such a success, particularly our Race Directors, Nic, Ali and Adele, and all our volunteers who gave their time and effort. Events like this are a great example of what we can achieve together as a club, and I’m grateful to everyone who played their part.
One Lap to Ultra
It was great to see everyone getting involved in One Lap to Ultra. It’s a brilliant reminder that running isn’t just about times, PBs and race results; it’s also about getting together, having a laugh and enjoying being part of the club.
Thanks again to our social team and everyone who volunteered to make such an enjoyable event happen.
Remembering Steve
While there’s plenty to celebrate, we also continue to feel the loss of our friend and club mate, Stephen Munnings. Steve brought his own brand of fun and friendship to FRR, and he’ll be missed by many of us. Clubs are built around people, and Steve was part of what made ours special. Alongside everything we do as a club, it’s important that we make space to remember those who have shared our runs, our laughs and our lives as club mates.
Lead Welfare Officer
The Lead Welfare Officer is a key role within the club, helping ensure FRR remains a safe and supportive environment for all our members. Maintaining this role is also an important part of our England Athletics affiliation. I’m pleased that Jane Moon has come forward to take on the role, subject to election at the next AGM. To prepare, Jane will begin shadowing Nic to support a smooth handover and undertake the appropriate England Athletics training. Thank you to both Jane and Nic (pictured) for helping ensure continuity in this important area of club life.
Behind the scenes
There’s plenty happening away from the running as well. We’re continuing to work through the club’s governance and policy documents to make sure our arrangements are up to date. This work helps protect the club and its members for the future, keeping FRR safe, welcoming and sustainable for everyone. Could you spare a little time to proofread one or two of the club’s governance and policy documents? We’re looking for a few volunteers to help before the documents are shared with the membership for final approval. You don’t need to take on the whole lot; a fresh pair of eyes on even one or two would be a real help. If you’re interested, please get in touch with me or our club secretary. Thanks for everything you do to make FRR such a great club, whether you’re racing, running socially, volunteering or simply stopping for a chat. It’s the people who make our club what it is.
Alastair
Chair, Felixstowe Road Runners
Coastal 10 was a great success
Felixstowe Road Runners had another really successful Richard Bennett Felixstowe Coastal 10 race at the end of September, which attracted a record number of entries.
A bumper 649 runners entered this year’s event, beating last year’s 626 runners.
The club would like to express its gratitude to the many volunteers who came forward to help make the race go smoothly.
The weather gods had also played their part by providing a breezy, but mercifully cool, morning for the race after a summer of record heat. The athletes followed a course along the town’s seafront, then down to Felixstowe Ferry and back.
Owen Rees, from Ipswich Phoenix Running Club, was the overall winner in a time of 54 minutes 36 seconds, while Felixstowe Road Runners’ Ryan Davidson and Haydn Wade were second and third respectively in 54:44 and 56:09. The first female was Dayna Riordan, from Clapham Chasers, in 1:04:06, while Kate Creak, from Colchester Harriers, was second in 1:06:19 and Heather Noone third in 1:08:12.
Felixstowe Road Runners enjoyed success in winning the male and female team prizes.
The race starts on the promenade near the bottom of Bent Hill before following a route along the prom to Landguard Nature Reserve then back along the promenade and down to the ferry before turning back and finishing near the pier.
The organisers are also seeking a new Chief Marshal for next year’s event. Anyone interested should email coastal10@frr.org.uk or speak to Ali Ostler, Nicola Stevenson or Adele Chaplin.
Well done Riley!
How many eight-year-olds do you know who have reached an incredible 200 volunteer credits at parkrun?
On Saturday June 6th, Riley Brewster, one of our Junior FRR members, achieved that remarkable milestone.
Almost every Saturday and Sunday, Riley is there, ready and willing to lend a hand. Over the years, he has earned volunteer credits for setting up, packing away, token sorting and of course being an excellent co-Run Director.
A friendly and familiar face at Felixstowe parkrun, Riley is always on hand to welcome volunteers, hand out bibs and make sure everyone is included.
Reaching 200 volunteer credits is an extraordinary achievement for anyone, but how on earth has Riley managed to fit them into his very young years! Thank you Riley for your enthusiasm, commitment and the difference you make to our Felixstowe parkrun community.
New kit supplier
Exciting changes are on the horizon for Felixstowe Road Runners as we work towards introducing a new club kit supplier.
Over the summer, while many of us have been enjoying training and racing in the sunshine, Kit Officer Chris Boyt and the dedicated Kit Crew, Doranne Brewster, Melonie Evans and Jane Moon, have been busy exploring options for a fresh new kit range.
This project began following valuable feedback from club members about our current kit. Members highlighted concerns about fabric durability, including snagging, as well as issues with fit, especially for female runners. The aim has been clear from the start: improve quality and comfort while keeping the distinctive look that makes our famous red club kit instantly recognisable.
Following a committee briefing, the Kit Crew met in June and set about researching potential suppliers. They compared prices, investigated bulk-purchase discounts and requested a variety of samples to assess quality, performance and fit. Over the next few weeks, parcels arrived packed with kit made from a range of fabrics, including some premium options. After carefully reviewing the samples and supplier proposals, the Committee has now selected a preferred supplier. The chosen company offers competitive pricing, premium-quality fabrics and excellent customer service. A bonus is their range of high-visibility t-shirts, for autumn and winter training.
Before the decision is finalised, samples in our club colours will be presented to the Committee for review at the next meeting. Provided everything meets expectations, we will be one step closer to launching our new kit.
The good news is that while the quality and fit will improve, the much-loved Felixstowe Road Runners design is here to stay. The iconic red vests and t-shirts will remain a key part of our club identity, and the Kit Officer will continue to be the first point of contact for club kit purchases. There is more exciting news too. For hoodies, fleeces, beanies and other pre and post run clothing, the committee plans to work with local company Total Football. The intention is to create an online club shop, allowing members to order these items directly and conveniently. More details will follow once arrangements have been finalised.
Finally, we have been exploring the possibility of introducing a club crest for use on hoodies, fleeces and other merchandise. Some design ideas have already been developed, and we would love to hear what members think. In the coming weeks, the committee will share artwork samples and invite feedback before any decisions are made.
Watch this space for further updates. We are looking forward to sharing the next stage of the journey with you and, hopefully, unveiling a fantastic new kit range for the club.
One Lap to Ultra
Well done to everyone who took part in this year’s One Lap To Ultra whether you completed one lap or eight. It was fantastic to see so many people getting involved. Big thanks to our marshals, lead bike and lap counters, and to everyone who brought along food to share. And the cake deserves a special mention — there was some seriously good baking.
A special thank you to our social team for organising the event. Ladies, you absolutely nailed it! These things don’t just happen, and the time and effort that goes into planning them shouldn’t be underestimated. You put on a brilliant, fun (if chilly!) event, and all your hard work really showed.
Thanks to everyone who helped make it happen. It’s the people who make this club what it is, and today was a lovely reminder of that.
The overall winner was Jason King.
Update from the social team
One Lap To Ultra – Special thanks go to Christina Howland for launching this event 10-11 years ago but also for organising it for that time. Hopefully she knows its in safe hands. It was a daunting challenge – none of us had ever organised anything like this before. So many people came forward to volunteer, which made our life much easier. The baking was sublime –makes you wonder whether we are a running club or a cake appreciation society! What a talented lot you are.
A massive thank you to you all.
56 members attended during the 6 hour window, many completing multiple laps, some more than what they had expected.
It was fantastic day, great to see so many staying around to chat and support runners. The recycle kit sale made close to £30, we will keep this going until we have a larger donation pot. So expect further kit recycles at future events – don’t go throwing anything out just yet! An amazing 26 pairs of trainers were sent to jogon for re-purposing.
Christmas Social – Our next main event is the Christmas social run on 4th December at St Marys Church Hall, Walton – get yourself in teams of 6, and start preparing your Christmas themed outfits. We look forward to some crazy dressing up and may even give a prize out for this. Keep your eyes peeled on events page for updates.
Looking into the New Year – awards night will be 20th February at The Alex, get your party clothes out for a fun night of dancing and celebration.
Many thanks from your social crew aka
Carrie, SamB, SamF, Louise, SamL and Debbie. X
Juniors Update
It’s been lovely to welcome a few new faces to our junior running sessions recently, with several youngsters coming along to enjoy their free trials. There’s still plenty of room for more, so please help us spread the word to any families who might be interested! We’ve also had a couple of people kindly express an interest in volunteering their time to support our coaches as the junior section continues to grow. We’d still love to hear from a few more willing helpers! Even if you can only spare one Wednesday evening a month, that would be a fantastic contribution and greatly appreciated.
Cross-Country Fun!
Some of our juniors recently took part in the first event of the winter cross-country series at Framlingham. For several, it was their first experience of this type of event, and it was wonderful to see some great running, plenty of enthusiasm and, most importantly, everyone enjoying themselves and giving it a go!
Halloween Half-Term Fun!
We’re keeping the fun going this half-term with a Halloween-themed session featuring more running games and activities than our usual training. A chance for the juniors to enjoy themselves, have some laughs and keep active during the school break!
Interested in Getting Involved?
Whether you’re interested in volunteering, exploring coaching opportunities or know a young person who might enjoy joining FRR Juniors, we’d love to hear from you. New juniors are always welcome to come along for a few free trial sessions before deciding whether to join. Please do spread the word and help us continue growing our fantastic junior running community!
Paul’s French marathon adventure
Road runners coach Paul Schwer describes the trials and tribulations of competing in the Marathon Des Villages in France:
I can’t remember when or where I first heard about this race, but I know I was determined to run it after seeing the wonderful video of it on the website. It looked like so much fun in a beautiful area of France that I hadn’t visited before. By the way, it’s pronounced ‘Fair-ray’, not ‘Ferret!’
Circumstances could not have tried harder to stop this ever happening. My first entry in 2017 was a DNS. I was injured after the Berlin Marathon the previous month and was unable to take part. I should have still gone, at least to recce the area for a later attempt, but I am a terrible spectator and didn’t make the trip. I entered again to run in 2020. The world turned upside down instead and that year went begging as well. 2026 and surely, finally, I would get to take part.
Friday:
I picked up my friend and bagman for the trip, Perry Evans, at 3:45am. Six hours later we were still sitting on the closed dual carriageway leading to the Orwell Bridge following a tragedy that occurred just a few minutes before we arrived. When the police finally managed to clear the carriageway, I found myself heading back towards Felixstowe on the A14 and, had Perry not been insistent we continue our journey, I’d have just carried on at Seven Hills, back to Felixstowe and a day with my head under the duvet.
Instead, I took the slip road, headed up to Woodbridge and started an enormously wide loop around Ipswich (which was gridlocked all day until the bridge finally opened some thirteen hours after the accident). We stopped in Hadleigh for what was then effectively lunch and started rebooking flights, trying to leave a message at the hire car desk at Bordeaux to say we were still coming and to stay open for us, and making sure the hotel had 24-hour reception.
Of course, our flight was then delayed as well and I did my first pre-race run in France, racing across the car-park at Bordeaux with my suitcase banging along behind me to catch the hire car office at 10:55pm, just five minutes before they were definitely and finally going to close. We checked-in at the hotel in 11:59pm, after a day that was off the scale stress-wise.
Saturday:
From then on, the weekend was everything I had hoped it would be and more. I went out for an early morning 3 mile leg-loosener after sitting in cars and aeroplanes all day and I found a wonderful bakery. Coffee, croissants, pain au chocolats and, of course, 1st place in the new Cap Ferret parkrun in every category. (France has abolished parkrun because it insists it’s a race and therefore needs a valid health certificate every week!).
Then, off to the next village down the cape to Race HQ, a great big covered market. The ladies on the bib desk were happy and helpful, giving me my bib, my souvenir race shirt and a bottle of rosé! There was another covered area stacked high with food, including oysters, the local speciality, and a charming lack of an expo! Instead, there was one open-sided trailer stocking some race-branded clothing including previous years’ souvenir shirts. I picked out a couple I liked; one hi-vis for the winter, the other a lovely colour I’ll wear casually. They were €5,00 each! It was tempting to get the full set!
The rest of the day was spent driving around the cape, getting a feel for the area, scoping out good viewing points for Perry to see me and enjoying the beautiful scenery and rustic charms of the coastlines and fishing villages. I must confess, it takes a lot to get me excited about a marathon after doing so many (badly!) in the past, but I couldn’t wait for this one to start.
Sunday:
The hotel’s restaurant didn’t usually open early on a Sunday, but they made an exception for the marathoners staying at the resort. Not a great idea, as Eliud Kipchoge has often told me, “Don’t run a marathon on a baguette!” but I managed to control myself and ate light and drank coffee heavily.
The atmosphere at the start was wonderful. The race is a perfect size. Small enough to avoid all the shit you have to go through before a mass participation event; big enough to feel really buzzy and exciting. In addition to the full marathon –‘Solo’– they also had a ‘Duo’ for pairs. I assumed this was two half marathons for a pair but, in quirky French fashion, the distances were unequal. When we ran back past the Start after 9.5mi, there were all the second ‘Duo’ runners waiting for their partners to arrive, before setting off to run the last 16.7mi! Imagine a tin pot classic with over 500 volunteers making it all run seamlessly and you’ve got an accurate idea of how lovely the set-up was for this event.
The course itself was a mix of tarmac paths through the pine forests, country roads all perfectly arrowed, signed and marshalled so absolutely no chance of taking a wrong turn and stretches alongside the beaches and through the fishing villages. In most of these there was a band playing and a water/food station that made it very tempting to stop and enjoy a ‘normal’ Sunday morning. The support was wonderful. I especially loved an official sign in a village where the narrow lane was shared by runners and non-runners. It said, “After 39km, don’t bother the runners!”
Perry had made it to all three of the points we had planned and I saw him in good time and pretended everything was going well, with the Slow Aeroplane and the Slow Gurn making an appearance!
At the finish, the area around the market was full of knackered runners, supporters and volunteers making their way back, their work done. Everyone was friendly. Many strange conversations took place in mangled French between the various international runners and the locals, and photos were posed for and taken by willing fellow marathoners.
Quite simply, I had had high hopes that this would be a memorable race, to the extent I had to keep preparing myself for a disappointment. Instead, I can safely say, this is the closest to a perfect marathon I have ever attended.
With the exception of there not being a baggage drop (the car-park was very close by, so not a real problem) there was not one thing I could find fault with. It was simply wonderful in every way.
…and beyond… to 2027!
The trip home on Monday afternoon was badly affected by Air Traffic Control problems over Western Europe, so that was almost as bad as the journey out, but I think we were just unlucky. Thankfully, the Meet & Greet people at Gatwick were excellent and the M25 and A12 behaved themselves, so at least the end of the trip went smoothly.
So, if you’ve stuck it out this far, how do you fancy an FRR On Tour trip to run this event next year? Those of us who did the last big FRR road trip to the Dublin Marathon in 2017 have never forgotten it (or, in some cases, never remembered it afterwards!) and I think the Marathon des Villages would be an excellent weekend away for runners and supporters alike. There is, of course, the choice of Solo or Duo for the race itself, so no excuses for the non-marathon distance runners in the club. There is even a long hike on the Saturday, for those who want to enjoy the atmosphere and the scenery, without having to do more than amble.
Next year’s race date is Sunday 17th October 2027. I am happy to help coordinate things if you want to go but are a bit nervous about doing a foreign race. I can assist people applying for the French medical certificate you need to be allowed to run, translate stuff and give general guidance. The Solo race didn’t fill up this year, so you could leave the decision to take part quite late. It’s out of summer season, so there is plenty of holiday accommodation, hotels, resorts, etc. available to suit all pockets and there are regular flights from Gatwick to Bordeaux, from where Cap Ferret is a straightforward forty minute drive.
Who’s a definite possible? Go to Marathon des Villages – Lège-Cap-Ferret and watch the latest video and tell me you’re not tempted! If you are, get a message to me and I’ll set up a group to bring everything together and make it as simple as possible for everyone. Believe me, you would absolutely love it.
Slow Paul.
Pete’s Ultra good!
Well done to Peter Woods, Ali Ostler and Torben Wood, who all completed the Beachy Head Ultra on Saturday 24 October in weather conditions that were challenging, to say the least! It was Pete’s 99th marathon or ultra distance finish, a fantastic achievement! He celebrated in style by bringing along a full box of 99 Flakes to share with everyone at club training that week. A lovely touch – cheers, Pete, and congratulations on a brilliant achievement!
Volunteer Spotlight
David Brewster’s contribution to the community of Felixstowe is wide-ranging and far-reaching. He regularly volunteers as a coach for Felixstowe and Walton Football Club, for the Carnival and for the triathlon, an annual event which has become a great fixture in our Town’s calendar. In December, David can be found on the streets of Walton and Felixstowe, supporting the Rotary Club annual Santa Run fundraising event. As a very regular volunteer and run director for parkrun and junior parkrun Felixstowe, David welcomes and includes everyone. He has a reputation for being approachable, knowledgeable and inclusive. He has time for everyone, regular attendees and new people to the event. It matters to himthat runners and walkers alike have a good time and want to come back. The success of our town’s parkruns is very much down to how much people feel welcomed. I have seen messages which single out for merit, David’s approach and welcome. David is mainly a run director but has covered every role. To date, David has 365 volunteer credits. Sometimes he will carry out his volunteer duties and then run to encourage and chivvy others along. It is not uncommon for David to check the course at 7.30 in the morning after a busy night shift at the docks!
David’s volunteering is so infectious that it has become a family affair! Mum Barbara is a regular marshal. Doranne, David’s wife and young son Riley, both volunteer alongside David, setting up and meeting and greeting volunteers. The impact of this family affair is tremendous. Riley has strong role models for how to grow and mature as an adult, where ‘giving back’ is an important part of life. Junior parkrun is as regular a feature of our Town as its grown up relative. Much of its success is down to David, one of the regular RDs, whose presence encourages young children and their parents to just enjoy taking part.
David is also a member of the road runners and his fellow road runner and parkrun director Jane Moon praised his work for the Felixstowe community.
She said: “Last year, I had the privilege of running the Ipswich Half Marathon in aid of St Elizabeth’s Hospice, where I volunteer with my therapy dog Connie. The fundraising target was £250. Thanks to David, I increased this to over £2,000. David, along with his family, helped me organise a garage sale and a quiz. He trained with me and ran the race with me. His young son Riley (seven at the time) asked if he could be sponsored for the Rotary Fun Run and he donated his money to the pot. I can honestly say that David is the most motivating and energy-giving person I have met.” She spoke of how many people had been supported by David directly and indirectly, adding: “To quote one of our parkrun tourists, ‘I would like to personally mention David Brewster as an absolute superstar. He has always been extremely kind and caring with such wonderful supportive words of encouragement for my daughter. I really appreciate it!’”.
