Pier to Pier, 18th May 2025
A dull, grey sky greeted us as we arrived at a windy South Shields on the morning of this popular race. So, it was nice to meet-up with most of the 24 strong Claremont contingent in the nearby Leisure Centre, where we could make use of the facilities and stay in the warmth for as long as possible. Somewhat reluctantly we ventured out into the cold and headed down to the beach, via a stop for the baggage bus and pre-race group photos.
Once on the sands, we huddled together to keep warm and wait for the off, grateful for the fact that, although the wind was bitterly cold, it was going to behind us for the run. In fact, once we got going, conditions were pretty good, with the grass and trail sections dry and hard – I even left the beach with my feet still dry! Combined with the tail wind, some good times could be expected – and were, indeed, achieved.
Harry Mawdsley easily broke the 40 minute barrier, and finished in a fantastic 5th place. Harry’s preparation for the race had been to attend a beer festival in Manchester the day before, not arriving back in Newcastle until late that night. You won’t find this in any coaching manual, but I think we have our favourite for the Beer Mile!
There were other good times too. I know that Tara Hipwood set her course PB, and Peter Noble thinks that the first 10K were his fastest ever – some achievement as that includes the beach, a climb in sand and some rough terrain. We didn’t manage to have any age category winners this year, so unfortunately none of the wonderful glass trophies will be gracing Claremont mantelpieces, but we did have some close calls. Lynne Cornell was 2nd in her age group, with Julie Cross and Tom Tinsley 3rd in theirs.
The goody bag didn’t disappoint, with a nice bag, flask, beer, snacks and the traditional glass lighthouse. However the weather meant that all the seafront cafes were full, and it was a bit cold for al-fresco dining, so let’s hope for a sunnier day next year.
| Position | Runner | Time |
| 5 | Harry Mawdsley | 38:58 |
| 22 | Mark Anderson | 42:09 |
| 73 | Roberto Marzo | 45:59 |
| 96 | Peter Noble | 46:55 |
| 108 | Laurie Johnson | 47:28 |
| 131 | Tom Tinsley | 48:23 (3rd M60) |
| 218 | Julie Cross | 51:54 (3rd F60) |
| 237 | Holly Porter | 52:18 |
| 238 | Nicki O’Brien | 52:18 |
| 270 | David Lydall | 53:06 |
| 359 | Tara Hipwood | 55:44 |
| 365 | Cate Walker | 55:53 |
| 433 | Lynne Cornell | 57:19 (2nd F60) |
| 627 | Aaron Mansell | 1:02:07 |
| 653 | Hazel Juggins | 1:02:46 |
| 687 | Liz Denyer | 1:03:20 |
| 696 | Rose Hawkswood | 1:03:30 |
| 802 | Eddie Smith | 1:06:04 |
| 803 | Luke Woodend | 1:06:04 |
| 879 | Janet Palmer | 1:07:42 |
| 1021 | Gill Milne | 1:11:04 |
| 1100 | Cath Robson | 1:13:41 |
| 1201 | Ann Smith | 1:16:40 |
| 1257 | Becky Webster | 1:19:15 |
