Round Up 25th August – 7th September 2025
What a great range of events we have for you in this round up: swimming, running, cycling, doing all 3 and … bog snorkelling! Read on to find out what the ever-intrepid Tuffs have been up to (many thanks, as ever, to all our contributors).
Littlehampton 10k – Sunday 31st August 2025
Thank you to the ever-reliable Stu Harvey for the following race report:
Littlehampton 10k, another race weekend and the final event on the Tuff STRUN series. Given that it was the last opportunity for Tuffs to get a time on the board for the summer series, it attracted a large number of Tuffs to the start line.
Now slightly earlier in the year, the race followed the traditional route with a few tweaks over the previous one. Again, like Arundel, it’s always a novelty to race on the streets you train on, and the last time I did this event was back in 2017, so it was good to get this one ticked off again.
Despite perfect weather during the week, race day dawned blustery and showery, but that wasn’t to put off a strong crowd of over 1,300 runners.
Having pushed hard at the Arundel 10k the week before I was probably expecting too much from my race, but I was happy to keep up with a returning Gareth Coombes before crossing the finish line in 43:16.
Another Sunday morning of fantastic Tuff performances and a fun event to round off the summer run series. The medal was pretty decent, too!
Your editor, Kate Cooper, was also in action at this event for the first time in a number of years. I had signed myself and my daughter up after Worthing 10k with the aim of training for it and getting her a PB. The envisaged 10k-specific training had not happened, so it was a slightly nervous Polly who lined up at the start line with me and Adrian Oliver, my long-term racing buddy. We set off immediately in front of the 50-minute pacers and started strongly maintaining a steady pace for the first 3 kilometres. The 50-minute pacer surged past us and I panicked slightly and sped up to follow. When the next kilometre beeped, I realised that I had sped up too much and in the process had lost Polly. Adrian, reliable and kind as ever, had kept with Polly. I knew that I could rely on him to get her round, so I pushed on as I had my own target of running sub-50 minutes in my 50s. I kept the pace as steady as I could and before I knew it, I was turning into the wind for the last 2 kilometres. Knowing that I had already committed a mum-fail, I really didn’t want to miss my target, which provided me with the motivation to cross the line in 49.37 and 3rd in my age category – mission accomplished! Polly, with Adrian, finished in 52.21, which meant that she won her age category. Massive thanks to Adrian as without being able to rely on him, I wouldn’t have got the time I wanted.
Congratulations to all the Tuffs who took part, especially Abi Clark who was 2nd female home and won her age category. Fraser Kidd, Simon Thistlethwaite, Stephen Fryer, Clive Harvey, Trevor Harvey and Colin Simpson were all in the top 10 for their age categories. Simon Thistlethwaite also claimed 1st place in the STRun series, with Steve Fryer in 2nd place and me (Kate Cooper) in 3rd – thank heavens for age-grading!
Brighton Triathlon – Sunday 31st August 2025
Many thanks to Verity-Jane Lacey and Alex Webb for sending in reports for Brighton Triathlon. First up, Verity:
Darcie and I signed up for the Brighton Tri as a benchmark event pre-Worlds in October. Simon decided to sign up for the standard duathlon so it was to become a family affair.
Prep didn’t go exactly to plan, slamming into a parked car at 25 mph only 5 weeks previously, appears to put you back a fair bit in your training schedule (oops).
We all made it to registration on Saturday to a very windy and blustery Brighton to hear later in the day that the swim would be cancelled and we would all be doing a duathlon!
Darcie and I were starting in the same wave, this was pretty exciting as we could race together.
Darcie finished run 1 first as expected and was clear of T1 before I got there. Darcie had a really strong bike and it took me until the end of lap four to catch her! We both came into T2 together and I managed to momentarily get ahead with my speedy slip-on trainers only for Darcie to speed past me on the way out of T2. Run 2 went pretty well and Darcie finished strongly ahead of me.
It was my first time doing Brighton Tri and the atmosphere was great and definitely one to do again.
I didn’t see Simon out on the course until his second run where he was looking pretty strong!!
Result-wise, we all managed to podium in our age categories which was awesome!
It was lovely to see other Tuffs racing: Alex Webb, Paul Barnard, James Togneri and John Cassell (apologies if I missed anyone!) and some pretty incredible results amongst them!
Next up, Alex:
This was my 3rd time competing in the Brighton Triathlon. It’s a nice race to finish the summer and is always well-organised and supported. I entered the Standard distance but a few injuries this year have curtailed my training so I dropped down to the Sprint. And I was pleased I did, as the swim was cancelled due to the strong winds that weekend. That meant a run-bike-run instead and for the Standard distance that was 5k run – 40k bike – 10k run. No thanks!
Although it was quite windy on the day, the weather was actually fairly pleasant and not too hot. I enjoyed the race and was pretty pleased with my performance, given my injury plagued year. Nice to see James Togneri and Jon Cassell, both of whom competed in the standard distance. And lovely to hear the shouts of support from Mark Role, Les Pearce and others.
Lake Windermere End to End Swim – Saturday 6th September 2025
Thanks and huge congratulations to Andy Tester for his account of the recent Lake Windermere swim – just the 17km or 11 miles!
I boarded the bus in Ambleside to head to the south end of Windermere with about 25 other swimmers, we were the 2nd to last wave to go (dark blue hats). Many had headed off before us earlier in the morning and were in the water already. As we skirted the lake in the bus down the narrow Cumbrian lanes we got glimpses of the large yellow mile marker buoys on the glassy black waters of the lake. Conditions were almost perfect, not too sunny, cool and no breeze
We arrived at the start, which seemed very quiet with only the 25 swimmers, for our safety briefing and looked to the direction of the swim heading north, it’s a big lake!
At 10am we were off entering the silky flat lake, water temperature 18.5c. We swam together for the first 2 miles as a pod. Swimmers then started to pick up feeds from boats along the route dotted at each large yellow triangle 1 mile marker. After the 4-mile marker we started to fragment and catch the swimmers that had left before us. Soon it was a sea of different colour hats and tow floats.
My plan was to feed every 3km which started well. 6 miles came round quickly and a southerly wind picked up. This created a little push but also some wavey conditions making the swim even more interesting along with the beautiful changing fells in the background. Maybe this is where the distraction came?
Somehow I forgot to feed after 6 miles. I still have no idea how: was I in the zone, enjoying swimming with other conditions or was it the inability to count? I paid for this mistake in the last 3 to 4 km with a total loss of energy. It felt like my arms were flailing and body position all over the place, yet I could see the massive yellow duck that marked the finish line giving me something to aim for.
It was a great swim, well-run and I was within the time I hoped, between 4hrs 30 and 5 with a time of 4hours 51 official time, 3rd in age group, 23rd overall. Oh, and one ticked off the swim bucket list.
The Big Half – London – Sunday 7th September 2025
Thanks again to top reporter Stu Harvey for his latest report, this time of the Big Half in London:
Last year, my sister Jo asked me if I wanted to take part in The Big Half, which takes place in central London. It was to be her first major running event, and to offer some encouragement, I duly entered too.
Now I’ve done a few events this year and all of them have been not just warm, but blazing hot, bar one, Chichester 10k, and that was absolutely freezing, so I was hoping that late summer, after a good few months of training, this would be the one with more favourable conditions to try and get that half-marathon time down.
Spending the day before catching up and seeing the sights, whilst carb loading, we were feeling good and up for it; however, waking up on race morning, the summer heat had returned.
Running the streets of London is a treat and always delivers with spectator support, and an early morning start would see us form up near Tower Bridge, after which the course would take us towards Docklands, around Canary Wharf, back over Tower Bridge, before heading towards Greenwich and the Cutty Sark, which was to be the finish line.
At the start, the field was tightly packed, and I started a bit out of position, which meant fighting through the crowds for the first couple of miles before finding a bit of a rhythm. However, that wasn’t to continue, and the heat of the day started to kick in around 9 miles, at which point the pace fell away completely.
Digging in, I completed the event in a respectable time but far off my target pace, which I was disappointed with considering past events and the training put in this year; however, I learned a lot for future events.
Whilst not satisfied with my performance, Jo, on the other hand, absolutely smashed it for her first half-marathon, and I was super proud to catch up with her at the finish.
Southwater Sprint Relays – Sunday 7th September 2025
The Southwater Sprint Relays are always a big fixture in the Tuff racing calendar and this year was not different, as Clive Harvey sums up:
Well done to our eleven full teams; plus Isis in another team, 34 racing, my fellow Raw Energy team members Jane Custance, Andy Ward, Tiff Orton, Trevor Harvey & Jon Roper. Cheerleaders Kev Pearson and Olivia Morey – That was 42 Tuff members in the sun!
As usual it was a very well-organised event and after a changeable weather forecast earlier in the week, the weather played ball. Last year’s enforced trial of starting in 3 waves (caused by the threat of lightening!) proved so successful that the same format was used this year. I (Kate Cooper) was in a team with Sam Mahé and Carey Woods, a late but very welcome replacement for an injured team member. Carey was even more welcome, as she was happy to be the one in the mass start. Carey had her trademark strong swim and I cheered her out of the water before heading into the lake for wave 2. The weed had been cut and I barely noticed it compared to last year. Sighting was tricky in the 2nd half as the sun was in my eyes, but overall I enjoyed the swim with the exception of an elbow in the nose! After my usual slow transition, I was out on the bike seeing Clare Worgan disappear into the distance! The bike course doesn’t really play to my minimal strengths and I was short of bike miles, but it is an enjoyable and well-marshalled route. The run is my favourite discipline and I do really like that loop around the lake so finished on a high picking off a number of women on my way (although you never know if you are really beating them!). The Tuff support was incredible, the only trouble that Mark Sole could be heard so far away that we all kept thinking we were nearer the finish than we were! All in all, a great morning of Tufness and friendly competition – thanks everyone, especially Sam and Carey!
Goodwood, East Sussex and Paceline Time Trials – Various dates
Anyone who knows Verity-Jane Lacey will know that she likes to ride a bike very fast. Here is Verity’s big up of time trials and a call to arms:
There have been a few recent time trials that I thought I would write about.
Goodwood 10 mile TT on 13/8/25 – quite a few Tuffs took part in this along with fellow riders from Angmering and Worthing cycle clubs. This was a great event with a great turnout for the final one of the season.
The Goodwood events are great as they are on the closed road circuit and are perfect practice for sprint triathlons. Definitely keep an eye out for dates next year!
East Sussex CA 25 mile TT on 17/8/25 – this one was towards Uckfield with an out and back flat route. Really well organised event with great marshalling on each of the nine (!!!) roundabouts.
Paceline 25 mile TT on 7/9/25 – this was probably one of my favourite TTs of the season. It was over towards Petersfield, up and down the A3. Everyone was really friendly as always, shouts of support when passing and good banter at the end!
I would definitely recommend factoring in some TT events as part of your training. You practise riding your own ride at your own best effort which exactly mimics how your rides should feel in a triathlon. Be good to grow the TT community, increase the competition, especially amongst the females!!
World Bog Snorkelling Championship – Llanwrtyd Wells – Sunday 24th August 2025
A late entrant to the round up, but worth the wait! Many thanks to Rhian Standley for sending in this report of a most unusual event – even by Tuff standards!
A Weekend on the Bog
Introduction
The World Bog Snorkelling Championships bring together the thrill of world-class competition with the quirky charm of British village sports like cheese rolling and haggis tossing. Organized by Green Events, the festivities over the August bank holiday offer a full schedule of bog-related activities, with Bog Snorkelling as the main attraction. The event also features the Bogathlon, a mini sprint triathlon held the day before, which includes a 60-yard bog swim, a 2-mile cross-country (boggy) bike ride, and a 1-mile cross-country (also boggy) run. The surrounding landscape is breathtaking, with excellent bike routes around the Elan Valley and Brecon Beacons, making it an ideal destination for a weekend getaway.
The Bog Snorkelling Event
Bog Snorkelling takes place along a 60-yard waterlogged channel, requiring competitors to snorkel out and back. The rules are straightforward: a snorkel tube and face mask are mandatory, while wetsuits and fancy dress are optional. Traditional swim strokes are not allowed — arms must use a doggy paddle or nothing at all. For leg propulsion, fins or flippers are permitted, but not monofins. The competition is truly international, drawing many participants from Sweden and Germany. In fact, the Swedish bog snorkelling champion earns a trip to compete at this event!
Arrival and Event Atmosphere
I packed all my swim gear into the car, and we set off for Wales the day before the event. We enjoyed glorious sunny weather and took the opportunity to sample some cider at my sister’s pub. On the morning of the competition, we drove to Llanwrtyd Wells, where a shuttle bus transported participants from the red kite statue in the village centre and the campsite to the event site.
Upon arrival, the field was well equipped with life’s essentials: ice cream, beer, coffee, cake, burgers, four portaloos and a small changing tent and some disused farm machinery.
The event was partly hosted by Ian Matthews of Kasabian, so the beer tent featured decent live bands throughout the day.
Registration and Waiting
I joined the registration line and was assigned number 156 and swim lane Bog 1. With only two bogs in operation, being number 156 meant a long wait, but we had brought a family picnic and settled down to relaxing by the bog, watching the proceedings. Others entertained themselves with the other events at the site that day: wife carrying and husband dragging.
Competitors and Preparation
Competitors fell into two broad categories: serious World Championship contenders and those in fancy dress then everyone in between. The serious swimmers typically wore full wetsuits, flippers, and adopted streamline, torpedo posture with a butterfly kick. I chose flippers and doggy paddle, a common technique. I had hoped to wear a wetsuit but managed to forget to throw it in the car, so I settled for my Tuff tri-suit. In hindsight, the buoyancy of a wetsuit might have improved my time.
Costumes and Entertainment
Throughout the day, a variety of creative costumes entered the bog. A giant frog sat cross-legged on the deck, while Spiderman made an appearance. The marshals joined in the fun, playing the Jaws theme for a competitor with an inflatable shark and the wedding march for a newlywed couple racing together as part of their wedding celebration. The sight of a white wedding dress emerging from the bog, stained brown as a builder’s tea, drew gasps from the crowd.
The Event
Finally my time slot drew closer, and I left the family to go sit on the small wooden pontoon at Bog 1. The people leaving the bog at the end of their swim all emerge with a huge breathless grin and a beard of brown sediment. I tighten my flippers and slide one foot into the water to assess the temperature and a sworl of little newt tadpoles circle to the surface in the current my flipper makes. I wonder what else is swimming about in there and slide in.
The water is neck deep and cold, but not uncomfortable. Quite refreshing in fact. While the tri-suit seemed to offer the best level of protection from leeches and slime, is was also the bog-snorkelling equivalent of power dressing: I felt a right plum hopping into a muddy ditch in a swank tri suit and then launching into a majestically average doggy paddle straight after a woman dressed as a puddle duck!
I fix my mask and snorkel and watch as the marshalls brief me and count me down. 3,2,1, GO! I set off, and quickly realise that visibility is nil, so despite the mask, crocodile sighting is necessary to stay on track. I feel happy with my perceived pace and soon I can see the end post. I touch the post and turn, bit breathless by this point, and the reliance on doggy paddle making my legs tired.
Somewhere about halfway I can hear the theme tune from The Bill over the PA – I still have no idea why: either they thought the tri suit was police issue, or there was a real copper in Bog 2 – but either way it makes me laugh into my snorkel as I get into the final yards and hear the crowd cheering. Finally I touch the 2nd post and stand up in the squidgy sediment. As I rise like a troll from the murk and smile at the marshalls on the bridge I can see spectators laughing and realize I must also have a mud beard, which I hastily splash off with bog water cologne.
The male world record stands at 1 min 12.34 sec (Neil Rutter, 2023) and female 1 min 22.56 sec (Kirsty Johnson 2014) for 120 yards. I manage a 2:26, which is 7th in the >50 female category (with the winner at 1:59 in a field of 35, so I feel happy enough with my time) . I can highly recommend the Bog weekend for a relaxed, fun atmosphere and ideal for a big group of Tuffs looking for their first Bogathlon or snorkel!
parkrun Round Up
Saturday 30th August 2025
Littlehampton had a bumper turn out of 11 Tuffs, some of whom were no doubt limbering up for the following day’s 10k: Fraser Kidd, Steve Fryer, Amy Kidd, Adrian Oliver, Kayleigh Hudson, Sue Simpson, Colin Simpson, Janet Shepherd, Benita Fryer, Chris Evans and Al Evans all took part (with Al also volunteering). Congratulations to Amy for getting a parkrun PB! There was a modest turn out at Worthing with Ed Lay, Les Pearce and Debbie Birch running. Murray Hodge got a course PB at Lancing Beach Green, while Daniel Barnett was on tour at Peacehaven, Paul Fielder at Northallerton and Trevor Harvey at Hanworth.
Saturday 6th September 2025
The usual suspects were in action at Littlehampton the following week: Fraser Kidd, Steve Fryer, Kayleigh Hudson, Emma Hinton, Adrian Oliver, Colin Simpson, Amy Kidd and Al Evans, with Chris Evans volunteering. Adrian notched up his 50th parkrun, while Fraser and Kayleigh both bagged parkrun PBs with Fraser running a blistering 18.26! Simon Grundy, Ed Lay and Elaine Rousseau ran at Worthing, while Tim Kenny was at Bognor Regis. Further afield, Graeme Hadlow took part in Eastbourne and Trevor Harvey, Clive Harvey and Glenn Parisi all ran at Cranleigh in Surrey. Katie Young was on one of her regular trips to Hereford and Paul Fielder to Riverside parkrun in County Durham. Daniel Barnett was on tour in Havant as was Sheila Bailey who was slightly further afield in Andover.
