Round Up 23rd June – 7th July 2025
What a varied range of events this round up includes! It really demonstrates how Tuffs are always up for a challenge and trying something new or different. A special well done to our fab trio of ladies who competed at the World Sprint Aquathlon Championships in Spain. Thank you, as ever, to all our contributors!
Tea and Trails Ultra 30k – Applethwaite – Saturday 28th June 2025
Thank you very much to Hazel Tuppen for sending in this report of what sounds a bracing, but beautiful event:
Arriving in Applethwaite, the mood had already shifted. I’d left sunshine behind me somewhere down the M6 —here in the Lake District, it had been replaced by a soft, persistent drizzle, but somehow feels right for a weekend in the fells.
After a smooth registration, I grabbed a bite to eat and settled in for the evening. One of the highlights was the screening of ‘George’, an emotional film about a fell runner and his dog.
The next morning brought the usual kit faff. It remained to rain on and off but was also humid. I knew it would be colder and windier on the tops. After much deliberation over layers, I settled on a setup that felt just warm enough. Kit check went smoothly, and it wasn’t long before we were on the start line, ready to go.
As we set off, the route began with a long, steady climb up to a car park, and I took it easy, chatting to other runners and watching the mist roll across the valley. The drizzle had eased off, but the humidity was clinging to everything.
Soon, we left the tarmac behind and hit the proper trails, skirting along the ridge of Lonscale Fell and being rewarded with beautiful views of misty peaks, however, the terrain was rocky and demanded attention.
At around 8k I reached the aid station at Skiddaw House where I was warmly greeted by Eddie and Gary of the Tea & Trails Podcast. They brought energy, encouragement and banter. After a quick refuel it was time to move again.
We navigated around the base of Skiddaw and headed towards Bassenthwaite. After a quick water stop the real work began: the climb up to Skiddaw itself.
Not far into the ascent, the drizzle started again and although it wasn’t cold, I stopped to put on my jacket as I knew it would be soon and I didn’t want to have to stop on an exposed part of the climb.
The climb via Longside Edge was unrelenting and each false summit teased with the promise of a break that never came. By the time we hit the final scree slope, the climb had turned brutal. The loose stones underfoot made every step a battle, and the 40mph wind at the top meant there was no stopping to rest at the top: it was head down, keep moving.
Reaching the summit trig point was a huge relief—I gave it a quick tap turned around and battled the wind to start the descent.
As I dropped off the summit, the wind eased. The descent was runnable and despite the climb my legs felt good. I found a rhythm and ended up chatting with a fellow runner all the way to the finish.
That evening runners gathered with steaming mugs of tea, tired legs, and muddy shoes to watch the live podcast and share their stories.
Swanage Sprint Aquathlon – Sunday 29th June 2025
Many thanks to new member Zeina Clare for sending in a report of the Swanage Sprint Aquathlon. Congratulations on a great performance!
Swim was clocked on my Garmin at entry and exit at 919 metres. Meant to be 750m!
Time – 15:48
Run was mixture of road and trail, very steep climb to headland and horrible steep downhill where I lost 3 places. Had to go hell for leather to make up a few places back on the flat towards the finish.
Time – 40:16
1st in age category and 4th lady so, despite a 200-mile round trip it was a good morning out, and a lovely low-key event.
Romero Run – Worthing – Sunday 29th June 2025
Sunday 29th June saw the first in the Tuff Fitty Summer Run series, the Romero Run, organised by RAW to raise funds for St Oscar Romero High School. Both the 5k and 10k options counted toward the series.
Colin Simpson opted for the 5k, while Adrian Oliver, Sophie Garbo and I (Kate Cooper) chose the 10k. Sue Simpson was chief supporter and photographer. The routes were similar with the 10k option including 2 laps. Sophie, Adrian and I started together for a route which went around the school field and then out through the streets of Goring before dropping down onto the seafront and back up for a second loop before heading back to the school for the finish. There was a mix of terrain, including battling along the stones at the top of the beach. It was super hot and we were soon all covered with thunderflies stuck to our sweat and suncream! Adrian and I kept together, pacing each other (not for the first time I might add). I was intending NOT to outsprint him at the finish, but the woman behind me was being cheered on loudly and I didn’t want to be pipped at the post, so put on a final spurt – sorry, Adrian! It was, as to be expected from RAW, a well-organised event and it was a treat to be able to cycle to the start. One to recommend for next year!
World Sprint Aquathlon Championships – Pontevedra, Spain – Friday 4th July 2025
Mark Sole and Will King have been taking their duties as support crew – including journalistic obligations – very seriously and have both sent in reports of the World Sprint Aquathlon Championships in Spain. Many thanks to both and huge congratulations to Katie Young, Maisie Johnston and Carey Woods.
First up, Will’s report:
Tuffs on Tour at the Worlds
Planes, Trains, Automobiles … and Buses
Making our different ways to Pontevedra, the magnificent trio of Carey, Maisie and Katie arrived to do Tuff Fitty proud.
Carey arrived last minute so missed the official Team GB talk but was in time for the unofficial walking of the course. The day before the race there was the usual swim familiarisation and rumour abounded that because of the heat it would be a non-wetsuit swim for the under 60 categories.
Recce day
The swim course was in a lovely part of the river between 2 of the town’s bridges, pushed up by the incoming tide. It was amazingly warm and most people decided it would be a non-wetsuit swim on the day.
The walk of the run course was over one of the bridges into the park then back into town via the main bridge into a sports stadium and out again for a repeat lap.
Race Day: non-wetsuit
Carey’s race was scheduled for a 16:10 with Maisie and Katie in the next wave 5 mins later. It was hot! Air temperature reported as 27.4 with very little breeze. It was so hot that the organisers had put 8 water stations on the course.
Carey put in an excellent strong performance considering training had not gone to plan recently supported by her new bag man Mark Sole, cheering the only way Mark can! Carey gave a terrific swim performance and great transition but was sapped of strength on the second lap of the run, having shoe issues and coming in at 21st place in group.
Maisie and Katie coming from recent strong performances in Pamplona were both back in it. The swim start was a little hectic with a swim out from the pontoon to the start position and what seemed like no pause or heart beats before the horn sounded and the melee started.
Katie was hoping as a non-wetsuit swim it would play to her advantage and she exited the water in 2nd place behind an amazing performance from the German lady who swam the distance in 14:02 with Maisie not far behind. Again, the heat played a factor and another Team GB competitor slowly whittled Katie’s swim lead down and overtook her on the final stretch in the stadium snatching silver by 10 seconds, which saw Katie bring a bronze medal home. Maisie also had shoe issues with a stone stuck in one, but hung on finishing in 6th place.
Outstanding performances, ladies!
Supported by bag men Leigh, Mark (Rookie bagman) and Will
Next up, Mark’s report:
Tuff Fitty Shines on the World Stage!
Distance: 1km swim / 5km run
Conditions: Hot, sunny, with a slight breeze and ideal river swim conditions
Pontevedra played host to the 2025 World Sprint Aquathlon Championships, and Tuff Fitty Triathlon Club was proudly represented by three athletes racing in the British Age Group team. With athletes from across the globe descending on this vibrant Spanish city, the pressure was high – but Tuff Fitty delivered in style.
3rd Place – Katie Young: a stunning swim and blistering run saw Katie claim a World Championship bronze medal in her age group. A brilliant result after months of dedicated training!
6th Place – Hilarie Maisie Johnston: just outside the medals, Maisie was immense throughout the race, she showed consistency and grit, finishing strong and narrowly missing the podium in a stacked international field.
21st Place – Carey Woods: In only her first world championship aquathlon, Carey gave a strong account of herself with a solid swim, a last-minute decision to go with no socks on the run meant she needed a determined run, as her feet cut up badly! Combined with a penalty, unfortunately not allowing for a breakthrough into the top 20 – a great performance that could have easily been near the top 10.
The support in Pontevedra was electric, with spectators lining the run course and cheers echoing along the scenic riverbank swim route. Our Tuff athletes showed real class, camaraderie, and spirit – a reflection of the club’s strength, even on the global stage!
Well done to all – you did Tuff Fitty proud!
As a supporter, it was amazing to watch, Will King in action!! He was bag carrier for about four athletes!! His controlled and measured preparation was amazing. I just relied on shouting a lot!!
The event was really inspiring! The celebration before, during and after the medal ceremony was just awesome, a day and night I will remember for a long, long time!!
REP Ferring 5’n’5 – Friday 4th July 2025
Again, many thanks to Leah Simms for reporting in on a Tuff trio tackling another fund-raising run organised by RAW, this time to support Ferring Country Centre:
Karly & Paul Martin and I took part in the Raw Energy’s Ferring 5’n’5 trail run on Friday evening. This was a local run to us and was fundraising for the Ferring Country Centre which is an awesome charity.
There was an option for either a 5k or 5-mile trail route and a mini mile for kids. We all decided on the 5-mile route.
Starting at 6:30pm you set off from the farm at the centre and headed out across the fields to Kingston Gorse, through the Angmering Estate, along the Greensward and back through Kingston Gorse towards the country centre to pick up the Rife.
Running along the Rife was challenging at times as it was quite overgrown, so you needed to watch your footing. You headed towards Bluebird Cafe and turned back onto the Rife on the other side to run the final stretch back to the country centre. Typically, when you thought you were near the finish line you had another loop around the centre (it felt like it went on forever).
Finally crossing the finish line, we were handed a lovely medal by a familiar face James Brock (his estate agents sponsored the event). Then we headed for the much-needed post-race drink of water and delicious piece of homemade flapjack. An extra bonus was receiving a reusable water bottle and a frisbee too. My dog loved the frisbee so much, it was destroyed in minutes when I got home.
Overall, it was a great local event, well organised and friendly too. However, I would have liked it to be a bit cooler. It was so warm!
Paul’s run as usual was rapid, finishing in 11th place.
Brands Hatch 10k – Friday 4th July 2025
Stu Harvey must get the prize for the most eclectic race programme of the year, but he is super-consistent with reporting in – thanks, as ever, Stu!
Friday 4th July saw the Brands Hatch 10k take place at the renowned Brands Hatch circuit in Kent.
The place of several major motorsport moments and milestones, such as James Hunt’s famous 1976 home glory in his championship year and Nigel Mansell’s first Grand Prix victory, as big motorsport fan running the track was too good an opportunity to miss.
A very warm evening on a Friday night made a welcome change to an early Sunday morning, although the 7pm start in Kent made it tight to get there in time straight from work!
Once arrived and with number collected, it was pretty much straight to work and walking down the start finish straight to the start line set the tone for what was ahead as we took in the pit lane and grandstands either side of the track.
Put on to support a local hospice, it featured a good field of over 1000 runners with the race itself being run over two laps of the Grand Prix circuit with one lap of the shorter Indy circuit to finish.
Brands Hatch is known for being undulating, and given how much I’ve watched the racing from Brands Hatch on TV and in person I was aware it wasn’t going to be a flat course, but at circuit level it’s a different beast. Given the route set it means taking the climb up from the base of Paddock Hill Bend (Turn 1) up to the Druids Hairpin (Turn 2) 3 times with further climbs out in the woods of the Grand Prix loop.
Despite the warmth and the climbs, it was great fun running such an iconic circuit and if you have even a passing interest in motorsport, I’d highly recommend it. The medal was pretty cool too!
Running GP at Goodwood Motor Circuit & Duathlon – Saturday 6th July 2025
Next up, Mark Sole reporting in again on his own account (and other’s) and continuing the motor sport theme:
Goodwood — the scene of many a great race. Usually with cars, but this time it was our turn on foot and bike… and it did not disappoint!
Predictably — it was windy. Of course.
Hazel Sheward – Sprint Duathlon
Hazel took on her first ever multisport event, racing the sprint format. That’s 1 lap run, 5 bike laps, and a final run lap. A strong, consistent performance throughout saw her just a couple of minutes off the podium, finishing 4th in her category — and a huge 43 minutes ahead of the last place. An amazing debut!
Paul Barnard & Myself – Standard Duathlon
Paul and I tackled the standard distance:
2 lap run
10 lap bike
1 final lap run
Registration was a breeze, and after pinning numbers and racking bikes, it was onto the warm-up. The mass start let us seed ourselves by expected run pace. Paul surged ahead early — no surprises there — while I found a pace that felt “comfortable but only just.”
The bike leg had a couple of “oh s***” moments. At one point, bikes seemed to appear from every angle and the gap narrowed — while flying at 27mph in the aero bars! Thankfully I held my line and came through unscathed. Definitely a confidence booster!
I used the headwind strategically, picking moments to push hard. Then came the final run… let’s just say youth was not on my side, and I was passed by a few fresher legs. Still, I was happy with my pacing.
Results & Highlights
Paul: 5th Overall & 2nd in Category – outstanding performance in a super-strong field.
Hazel: 4th in Category – fantastic debut!
Me: 2nd in Age Group – thanks largely to the fastest bike split in the AG by ~2 minutes! The run? Less glorious… I finished around 10 minutes behind 1st but still landed 11th overall.
Safe to say, winter run training is now on the agenda!
Final Thoughts
This was a really well-organised and enjoyable event: smooth logistics, a great course, and a brilliant atmosphere.
Would highly recommend it next year — especially if you’re curious about multisport or want a fast, flat venue to test yourself.
Target for next year: break into the Top 10!
parkrun Round Up
Saturday 28th June 2025
Kudos to Clive and Trevor Harvey for tackling the challenging Woolacombe Dunes parkrun in Devon – the name says it all! Also in Devon was Steve Fryer at the Sharpham Estate parkrun in Totnes. Over in East Susses, Daniel Barnett paid a visit to Uckfield. Closer to home, Paul Fielder ran at Brighton and Hove, Amanda De Ridder and Timothy Kenny at Bognor, Les Pearce and Jay McCardle at Worthing, Nathan Bilham, Colin Simpson, Al Evans and Chris Evans took part in Littlehampton with Hope Newcomer in her regular volunteering role.
Saturday 5th July 2025
Saturday 5th July saw Tuff action at parkruns far and wide. Juliette Reader put in a swift appearance at Bideford parkrun, while Amanda De Ridder was in action at Brockenhurst in the New Forest. Al Evans was further north at Bramshall Road parkrun in Uttoxeter, Staffordshire. Colin and Sue Simpson were closer to home at the Meon Valley Trail parkrun. Jay McCardle was the lone Tuff at Lancing Beach Green parkrun. Worthing narrowly had the most Tuff representation with Alex Webb, Danny Cunnett, Paul Fielder, Daniel Barnett, Kayleigh Hudson, Les Pearce and Nina Tully all taking part. At Littlehampton, Fraser Kidd was in blistering form, while Nathan Bilham notched up his 150th parkrun. Also participating at Littlehampton were Kev Pearson, Steve Bridgemen, Emma Hinton and Chris Evans, with Hope Newcomer on volunteering duty.
