JesmondJoggers | Jesmond Joggers Running Club

TCS London Marathon 2026 – 26th April 2026

JesmondJoggers — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 19:01:02 +0000

It was a truly historic day at the London Marathon, with headlines dominated by a remarkable sub-two-hour performance at the front of the race a landmark moment for marathon running and with the women’s world record being set too, eight JJs could say they were in the most historic marathon of all time.

Eight Jesmond Joggers took to the start line in warm conditions, supported by the ever-present, electric London crowds. The atmosphere didn’t disappoint, and neither did the performances, with strong runs across the board and a standout achievement for the club.

Leading the way was Laura Chapman, who delivered an exceptional run to finish in 3:05:31, setting a new Jesmond Joggers Club Record in the process, a fantastic achievement on one of the biggest stages in world running.

There were also impressive performances throughout the field, with all the JJs producing well-paced efforts in challenging conditions. A brilliant day out for the JJs at one of the world’s biggest marathons, strong performances, a club record, and memories from a truly historic race. We are all proud of you.

Results:

4,121st – Laura Chapman – 3:05:31 (Club Record)

6,167th – Connor Harris – 3:16:26

6,326th – Sandro Di Simplicio – 3:17:08

12,771st – Floor Christie D-Jong – 3:39:52

13,275th – Ben Richardson – 3:41:29

14,583rd – Alice Hartley – 3:45:18

18,550th – Lottie Rhodes – 3:56:09

26,613th – Emily Green – 4:19:19

Brass Monkey 2026

JesmondJoggers — Mon, 26 Jan 2026 17:26:25 +0000

*Race Results 3 – Brass Monkey Half Marathon – York – 18/1/26*

PB’s galore at the Brass Monkey Half Marathon 2026!

For over 40 years the Brass Monkey Half Marathon has been a regular fixture of the January racing calendar. Following soon after the Christmas period of eating and drinking it’s a great way to burn off some of those festive pounds and kick off spring training. The race takes an out and back route on mainly closed roads from York racecourse. It has a reputation as a super fast and flat PB course and this year as ever it did not disappoint. The race is always fast and friendly with plenty of Marshalls from local organisers Knavesmire Harriers and 2 water stops. Before the start there are lots of toilets at the racecourse and a chance to grab a pre race coffee or post race snack.

The popularity of the race and the resulting sellout ballot entry has made it harder to obtain places but a good JJ’s turnout still made it to the start line in cold and wet conditions.

In steady rain the race headed south with runners splashing through huge puddles before looping back to the racecourse cheered by brave band of spectators.

Spirits were high as York Rail Brass Band played the athletes across the finish line. As you would expect from a city with a long heritage of chocolate making, runners were then rewarded with a well deserved Freddo and a Curly Wurley before heading inside the racecourse to collect dry clothing and warm up

It was PB’s galore as the JJ’s crossed the line. First to finish was Nicolas with a tremendous new PB of 1.17.53. Jonny in great form finishing in 1.23.56 was followed by Ben benefiting from his Ironman training in 1.25.24 and a “chunky” PB. The pairing of Rich and Hannah Bethany paced it well running most of the course together. Hannah was first first female JJ’s finisher and 50th female overall. Cliff and Yasmin were followed by Jane in another amazing PB of 1.36.57 – knocking nearly 5 minutes of her previous PB from 2011. Sam was the next JJ followed by Hannah. Charlotte nearly blew her own boiler with a great PB of 1.48.21. Amy was frustratingly only 4 seconds off another PB at 1.50.16. Michael nursing a niggly knee after a recent injury surprised himself with a good sub 2 hour time of 1.53.05.

Well done everyone that ran.

North Eastern XC Championships 13/12/2025

JesmondJoggers — Thu, 18 Dec 2025 09:10:21 +0000

119th North Eastern Cross Country Championships

Stewart Park, Middlesbrough – 13/12/25

The JJ men took on a tough, undulating course around Stewart Park, Middlesbrough, for the 119th running of the North Eastern Cross Country Championships. Conditions and terrain ensured this was a proper championship test, and as the gun went the commentator’s advice rang out clearly: “Don’t burst the boiler.” At the sharp end, strong runs from Silas and Richard saw them home as the first two JJs. Behind them, excellent packing from the next group of JJs paid dividends, with several runners coming through together around the 47-minute mark for the demanding 11km course. In a highly competitive field, the JJ men finished a very creditable 11th out of 20 teams. A solid team performance and plenty to build on — well done lads, great running.

As is tradition at the North East XC Championships, the women closed the day’s racing, tackling a gruelling 8km course that had been well and truly churned up by earlier races.

Izzy and Hannah were inseparable for much of the race, running stride for stride before Izzy found an extra gear in the closing stages to pull clear and finish an excellent 23rd, with Hannah just one place behind in 24th. Alice, Sorcha and Yasmin all ran strongly to place inside the top 50, while impressive packing from the rest of the JJs saw the team finishing within touching distance of one another. Maia, made her North East XC debut, running in the colours of Oxford University. A special mention goes to Sophie, who dug deep in tough conditions to finish inside 55 minutes.

The team competition was fiercely contested, with the JJs women finishing 5th team overall. Notably, they were the joint largest team of the day, doing your Chairman proud. A fantastic collective performance. Well done, ladies!

Lambton XC 25/10/2025

JesmondJoggers — Wed, 05 Nov 2025 16:26:47 +0000

Race Results 1 – Woman’s NEHL XC – Lambton Estate – Round 3 – 25/10/25

The JJs women started the day sitting in second place in Division 1 of the NEHL after a post-race recount from Druridge Bay saw us demoted. With a few of the usual faces missing from the first two races, the 11 JJs who lined up absolutely stepped up and delivered some brilliant performances, keeping us right up there in the standings still in 2nd place. Izzy had a superb run, flying through from the medium pack to finish 14th overall and 3rd in the Division 1 race. Yasmin was next home in 44th, also from the medium pack, followed by Wren and club captain Kate, both having stormers and leading by example to complete the first scoring four. Not far behind, Hannah, Emma, Alice, and Liz packed well to form a strong second team — helping the JJs to finish 5th on the day and hold on to 2nd place overall. A fantastic team effort from all the JJs women running, on what was a tough, hilly course in the autumn sunshine. Next stop: Wrekenton — let’s keep the momentum going!

Race Results 2 – NEHL XC – Lambton Estate – Round 3 – 25/10/25

A great race in near perfect cross country saw 19 JJs men tackle the hills at the Lambton Estate course and round 3 of the NEHL. At the start of the race, the JJs men were lying 8th in Division 2 and they needed a good performance to take them up the table. The men delivered and brought themselves home in 1st place to lift them up to 5th. Louis joined the small band of JJs to collect an individual medal with 3rd place and our second this year with Louis first in the Div 2 race. Max followed his brother home and the JJs came rolling in. Joshua running the race with a smile on his face all way round was next with Richard, Nicholas, coming out of the medium pack and Alex make his club debut made the first scoring six. The JJs men then packed well behind to ensure their opponents were pushed down. Great to see James also making his JJs debut. Well done lads, a great win, let’s keep the momentum going at Wrekenton in a months time.

Druridge Bay XC 12/10/2025

JesmondJoggers — Tue, 21 Oct 2025 12:35:08 +0000

Race Results – NEHL Druridge Bay Women’s Race – 12/10/25

Congratulations to the JJs women who took to the hard and bumpy line at Round 2 of the NEHL XC at Druridge Bay. Being dry as a bone meant the race was fast and all 10 JJs ran their socks off. Iona made her club debut at XC and was first home with Alice continuing her great start to the XC season. Emily and Yasmin rounded off the JJs scoring four with others helping to push others teams down to finish first in the women’s Division 1 race. Well done to Jen for making her club debut. The women are now top of Division 1 with two races complete. A special mention for Sophie who volunteered to marshal at the event. Thank you Sophie.

Race Results – NEHL Druridge Bay Men’s Race – 12/10/25

Well done to the JJs men who batted round a dry and rutted XC course at Druridge Bay. A fast day at the office saw great runs for all with Tom our first JJ home, followed by Max making his club debut. Richard, Padraig, Nicholas (coming out of the medium pack) and Joe completed the scoring six. Everyone else batted hard round the fast course and it was great to see David make his club debut and run is first XC for a very long while. David enjoyed the cake and coffee afterwards and it was well deserved. The men finished 8th overall in Division 2 and have slipped to 9th in Division 2 with all to play for!

Thornley Farm XC 27/09/2025

JesmondJoggers — Sun, 12 Oct 2025 20:50:05 +0000

Race Results – NEHL 2025 – Round 1 – Women’s Race – Thornley Farm – 27/9/25

Fifteen JJs lined up on the dry and dusty fields of Thornley Farm for the opening NEHL fixture of 2025, where 342 women finished. The team picked up right where they left off last season, with some brilliant performances across the board.

The standout run came from Alice, who stormed to 3rd place overall and in doing so joined the select group of JJs to medal at the NEHL. Alice also claimed 1st place in the Division 1 race. She was backed up superbly by Abie on her JJs XC debut, alongside stalwarts Hannah and Izzy, securing 3rd place in Division 1 for the team.

Strong running from the rest of the squad played a crucial role too, with every JJ helping to push rival clubs further down the field. It was fantastic to see both new and long-standing members pulling together to keep the JJs’ NEHL tradition thriving. Well done to all our women who raced!

Race Results – NEHL 2025 – Round 1 – Men’s Race – Thornley Farm – 27/9/25

Fourteen JJs lined up for the opening men’s race of the Harrier League season at Thornley Farm, with all starting from the slow pack. Among the 416 finishers, it was Richard who led the team home, securing a fine top-100 placing.

Backing him up were strong runs from debutants Padraig, Josh, and Dan, alongside the experienced Paul making a welcome return to cross country after a break. Together they formed the scoring team, giving Jesmond Joggers a solid 7th place finish in Division 2.

As with the women’s race, the strength in depth across the squad helped push other clubs down the field, with every JJ playing their part. The next stop is Druridge Bay – a fast, flat course and a great chance to climb the league table. Let’s see as many men on the start line as possible!

Wrekenton NEHL 19/01/2025

JesmondJoggers — Sat, 01 Feb 2025 19:27:51 +0000

With the club racing on at last four different fronts this weekend, it was great to see so many club members out at a cold and freezing Wrekenton. Who knew that Wrekenton had its own microclimate, being noticeably colder than when we left Jesmond.

Storming runs from all our runners helped the JJs place high in the respective divisions. Thank you to everyone who race on a very chilly day and a big thank you to the team captains for their hard work in getting you out to race. Three more rounds to go and we can do something special this year!

The women set off first in the first of the NEHL for 2025. With potentially three more fixtures to come and the club being split three ways with races galore this weekend, a good showing would set us up for a good finishing position over the next three races. The JJs women set off with gusto round a rather winter wonderland course at Wrekenton. The frozen ground meant that the going was firm and fast and the women didn’t disappoint.

Liz Heard set off at a good pace and was first home, with Jane Pugh two places behind. Emma Dixon and Alice Hartley both had storming runs to close the team in first place in division 1! Emma was our fastest woman on the day, with 27:16, with Emily Davis second fastest coming out of the fast pack, 9 seconds down. Great runs from all the JJ women saw them close in a pack well to push other clubs down. The JJ women did a great job of putting us in the mix in Division 1, showing that we have real strength and depth.

With temperatures still not climbing, and it feeling even colder, the men got off to a great start with Jelle Vinkenoog having a storming run and finishing 24th place out of the slow pack. Nicholas Allen was out fastest on the day with a great 35:24 clocking. Emilio Vazquez and Bertie Marks packed well to be next home with Joel Birks, with our second fastest time of the day and George Balden made up the first scoring six. A good packing of JJs still us close another team and help propel the JJs to potentially first place in Division 2 of the NEHL. A great performance from all the men on a very cold day.

Brass Monkey Half Marathon 19/01/2025

JesmondJoggers — Sat, 01 Feb 2025 19:24:40 +0000

Ice Cold in York

The Brass Monkey Half Marathon has a reputation as a fast-paced club race popular with those seeking PB’s. This year’s race on Sunday 19th January did not disappoint as the JJ’s racked up a string of impressive PB’s and club records tumbled rapidly.

As other JJ’s successfully battled the cold at the NEHL XC at Wrekenton a total of 18 JJ’s made the early morning journey to York Knavesmire Racecourse for the start of the race. After gratefully enjoying the warmth of the racecourse facilities it was time to line up in the bitterly cold conditions for the race start. Undeterred by the freezing conditions runners were soon sprinting around the pan flat closed road course which provided great conditions for running. As ever it was well marshalled with great support from the roadside crowds. A good number of JJ’s past and present cheered the runners on their way. The winds were light and it stayed dry as the route headed southward through the Yorkshire countryside before turning back towards the racecourse.

First JJ across the line was Jonny Greenwell pushing the limits in a brilliant time of 1:23.37 and a PB by 90 seconds. Joe Inns was close behind in another PB performance of 1:23.44 Laura Chapman was the fastest female JJ and stormed home in a PB time of 1:24.23, breaking her own club record in the process. Next female JJ across the line was Hannah Bethany Wilson smashing it in 128.26. Floor Christie De-Jong was the third female and another PB in 1:34.51 showing her dedicated training is paying off. The number of JJ’s across the line increased rapidly with most smashing their previous PB’s. Rich Carter and Sam Prior were both under the 90 minutes mark. Cliff Veitch was 1:31.33. Sarah Wann and Michael Crowe incredibly both managed to knock over 30 minutes off their previous best times. Kisi Hardman making her debut race as a second claim JJ member finished in 1.42.10. Rowan Beach ran his first ever half marathon in great time of 1:46.09. Martha “the motivator” Radley ran with her mother and successfully paced her around to another PB. In a nod to York’s long chocolate heritage, finishers were rewarded with a chocolate Freddo on crossing the line and (if ordered on entry) an excellent long sleeve T-shirt before returning to the warmth of the racecourse facilities.

Great North Run 2024

JesmondJoggers — Thu, 19 Sep 2024 20:40:58 +0000

We gathered at dawn, 65 strong, With hearts full of courage, the road seemed long.

From Jesmond we came, with grit in our stride, For the Great North Run, with Ben as our guide.

The skies opened up, the rain didn’t rest, But spirits stayed high, we gave it our best.

The crowd cheered us on through the stormy grey, Their shouts of support lit the wet, winding way.

Ben led the charge, swift on his feet, The first of our team to conquer the street.

Through puddles and miles, he raced with the best, His pace never faltered, his legs never rest.

Though soaked to the bone, we never did slow, The spirit of Jesmond was ready to show.

From the first to the last, we crossed with pride, Our soggy shoes squishing as we reached the finish side.

The rain might have drenched us, but we wouldn’t fall, The joy of the race, it conquered it all.

We laughed, we cheered, all drenched but elated, A finish line moment that was simply fated.

So here’s to the day we’ll always recall, The Great North Run, where we gave it our all.

Jesmond Joggers, we ran through the rain, And we’ll lace up again for the next great campaign!

Jesmond Joggers Anniversary Race 2024

JesmondJoggers — Thu, 19 Sep 2024 20:21:17 +0000

Happy 18th Birthday to the JJs!

A lovely night with lovely people, saw our 18th Birthday celebrated in style. With our friends from Newcastle Frontrunners, 76 runners finished the 3.8mile course.

Louis Gardner retained his JJs title, four seconds outside the course record, which we believe stands at 20:12 set in 2014 by Michael Hedley. Stephan Garbutt from NFR was second and his second time on the podium. Richard Carter completed the men’s podium holding off another NFR in Steven Macdonald.

In the women’s race, Laura Chapman retained her title, finishing 9th overall with Laura Cheetham and Izzy Sharrock making up the women’s podium both inside the top 16.

In the vet’s races, two new JJs champions were crowned with Floor Christie De-Jong and Laurence White taking the titles, with Laurence finishing 13th overall.

Each podium runner was awarded with a Start Fitness voucher which was kindly provided by Bill Armstrong, one of our four lifetime members, Thank you Bill for your generosity.

A big shout out to all the volunteers on the night, the marshals, David and Tracey for managing the refreshments table, those who worked behind the scenes before the race, Kate Black who co-ordinated the entries and Kate Winstanley who took some lovely photos of the night. These can be found on the JJs Facebook page. Check them out.

Here’s to another year at the JJs! Keep on running, having fun, enjoying each other’s company and running with wings on your feet and remembering not to burst the boiler in the process.