urther afield this weekend saw the Worcester half marathon being held. The half was part of the as part of the “Worcester City Runs” event. Other races including a family fun run, junior race and 10k .

The half route started at the Hive (part of Worcester uni), around the old teaching college, the race course, the cathedral and then through the main high streets before running up the river, over the bridge and past the weir.

Over 1000 runners took part in the half, it was superbly organised, surprisingly flat(!!!) and very scenic. There were people out in support throughout the route and every 2 miles were complimentary water pouches and unlimited gels. Excellent medal, canvas bag and T-shirt at the finish line.

Our very own Gemma Cannon was holding the fort from a Shuffler point of view, showing them how it should be done.

Gemma said “Despite a slow start and a summer swimming more than running I was very pleased with 2hrs 6, just 30 second slower than my PB “

Well done Gemma, glad you had a good time, and great running !

Today saw 15 x Shufflers race in the famous Ipswich Half Marathon. The course is known for its killer hill upto the Freston Boot but is mainly flat and takes in the high street, the Marina and Holywells Park.

Thankfully the conditions were very good, much cooler and overcast and the team displayed some outstanding performances amongst the 2000+ competitors.

Of note, Ross McGill finished in 26th position with a time of 1.24.

Ruth Ackworth came 1st in her age category.

Ed Abbott and Matt Cawdron completed their first Half Marathons both in very respectable times of sub 1hr55.

1.2 GigaWatts, which is just slightly more power than Sizewell B nuclear power station produces. That was the level of enthusiasm of the 51st Ipswich cub group on their running evening arranged by the Woodbridge Shufflers. The session was run by Shuffler’s brilliant junior coach Kate Hayward-Brackenbury helped by coach Dave Alley, and cub leaders Laura Read, Steven Young, and Kara Weeks.

The cubs enjoyed a fun warm up, then took part in games which had a running theme – Duck Duck Goose, Find your Pack (no pun intended) – a running and memory game with giant playing cards , and Stuck in the Mud. The cubs also took part in running races, which they thoroughly enjoyed.

Every single one of the cubs worked extremely hard, and loved the running evening.

Thanks to Kate for planning and leading a fantastic event, the cub leaders for their excellent organisation, and to the cubs for being brilliant!

Dave Alley, Coach
Woodbridge Shufflers Running Club

And that’s a wrap for yet another year! The Woodbridge Round The Town race 2023 was once again a roaring success, with runners from all around the county – and some further afield – making up the race numbers. Read the full race results here.

Our joint club secretary, Mark Allen, said after the race: “It’s been a brilliant day.

“It’s been months in the planning, but as a club we’re delighted that it has gone so smoothly. 

“Thank you to all the participants, marshalls, sponsors and to the wonderful club of volunteers for bringing the Woodbridge 10k magic once again.”

One of the volunteer marshalls, Natasha Sones, said: “It’s an amazing day for the town and it’s lovely to see the whole community come together.”

A Shuffler on the Podium!

The adult men’s race was won by Cooper Berry from Best Athletics, with Brandon Barber from Framlingham Flyers and Stuart Haynes from Woodbridge Shufflers following closely behind.

Yes, that’s one of our own – well done Stuart, great to see you on the podium!

Stanley Peacher from Framlingham won the age category for 15-19 year olds.

In the adult women’s race, Kat Parnell came out on top, with Anna Firth and Ruby Vinton coming in second and third respectively.

Lauren Squirrell from Ipswich Harriers came first in the 15-19 age category. 

Lauren is the daughter of Woodbridge Shuffler husband-and-wife duo, Rob and Lisa. It’s lovely to see her following in her parents’ footsteps!

Charities and their beneficiaries the real winners

As a charity race, we were delighted to support East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices, Home-Start in Suffolk, St Elizabeth Hospice, Martlesham Wilds – Suffolk Wildlife Trust, Woodbridge Riding for the Disabled and Cleft Lip and Palate Association. The race proceeds of £12,000 will be split between them all, providing a welcome boost to each.

Here’s what they said…

Cleft Lip & Palate Association (CLAPA) – Lottie Williams

“On behalf of the Cleft Lip and Palate Association I just wanted to say a huge thank you to the Woodbridge Shufflers and all the runners – the charity is extremely grateful for your support.

Cleft is the most common birth defect affecting 1 in 700 people. CLAPA is the only UK charity to support people affected by cleft and their families and they rely solely on donations to fund their work.

The money raised will support people by supplying specialist feeding equipment and support during surgeries. The charity also delivers sign language and speech therapy courses, counselling, and provides social activities for young people to be able to meet people who are going through similar experiences.”

East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH) – Ali Butler

“Thank you so much to the Woodbridge Shufflers and to all the participants for your support. The money raised will allow us to continue to support families across East Anglia where they need us the most.”

Home-Start in Suffolk – Sarah

“Thank you to the Woodbridge Shufflers and to the participants. The money will allow us to provide training for volunteers and support for our families in a home or group setting.”

Martlesham Wilds – Suffolk Wildlife Trust – Michael Strand

 “We’re absolutely thrilled to be one of the charities benefitting from the Woodbridge 10K. Thank you for supporting Martlesham Wilds, which is a brand-new nature reserve for Suffolk.”

Woodbridge Riding For the Disabled – John Anderson

 “The money will go towards putting on additional late afternoon and evening sessions so that we can make the most of our purpose built arena. If we can get some more volunteers to help us with the sessions, then that would be the icing on the cake!”

And that’s all folks – see you next year! Interested in joining the club behind the 10K? Follow us on Facebook!