Newcastle 10k & Half-Marathon, 13th July 2025
Becky Webster gives us her account of a good morning’s running:
“My two aims for this run was not to cry and not to melt. Given the heat on the Saturday it seemed like an impossible task! I’ve only ran a half marathon in the Great North Run, so wanted to see what I could do at a quieter event.
The race started at Kingston Park Stadium, where we were greeted with a lovely event village with a wide range on offer. Pre and post run massages, free gels and of course the PB bell which I, like many others, had my eye on. After a guided warm up, that reminded all of us of a Wednesday night, the volunteers separated us out into our predicted times and marched swiftly to the start line.
Before I knew it we were off and running. The roads up towards Dinnington were beautifully scenic with lots of trees and a few nice downhill sections. The marshalls on course were very enthusiastic. I was keeping an eye out for fellow Claremonters who were running the 10k and already turned around, which kept me going. Jack and Aoífe zoomed past.
Passing the 10k turn around point and waving goodbye the runners on their way back, this is where the real grit of the race started. Dinnington greeted us with a steady incline that felt like it was never ending! I spotted my dad cheering us on around 7k who complained when I stopped and gave him a hug. I knew I had to do the Dinnington loop strong as he was waiting for me to turn around. I soon passed Harry looking more like he was out for a Sunday plod than in a race.
The loop was scenic but testing; a route race organisers would call “undulating” but I would class as hilly! Some of the uphills were sneaky but the downhills were very welcomed. The water stops were a blessing as it was starting to heat up. Knowing that I had my dad and that allusive bell waiting for me I put my head down and focused on putting one foot in front of the other.
Finishing the loop and coming out of the woods I knew I was on the road to the finish line. I spotted my dad, giving me the boost I needed (although he was shouting to not stop this time). Going back down the roads we just came up somehow felt like they were longer. The sun was coming out and the heat was getting hotter so everything felt so much harder on the up. Thankfully the miles kept ticking over and I was still holding back on having a crying meltdown.
Finally I was at the finishing section. I’ve done 12 miles, just one more. Passing the familiar sights from when we started and felt a lot fresher. The run down past the stadium I heard Peter giving me the biggest cheer! Crossing the finish line inside the stadium was a nice touch and seeing my time on my watch, I knew I just hit a massive PB. I can finally ring the bell!
A massive thanks to my friend Andy who paced me and boosted my spirits! Thankfully, no tears, only slightly melted but I had a great time. Well done all runners.”
Well done Claremonters, and congratulations to Lynne, Julie and Ken for making up a full podium, coming 1st, 2nd and 3rd in their respective categories.
| 10k | ||
| 107 | Aoífe Monaghan | 47:31 |
| 127 | Lynne Cornell (1st V60) | 49:10 |
| 420 | Nina Jensen (70 min pacer) | 69:22 |
| 483 | Ken McCormick (3rd V70) | 79:39 |
| Half-marathon | ||
|---|---|---|
| Position | Runner | |
| 13 | Harry Mawdsley | 1:19:39 |
| 63 | Peter Noble | 1:29:37 |
| 288 | Julie Cross (2nd V55) | 1:47:05 |
| 435 | Jenny Roberts | 1:56:08 |
| 605 | Lena Lou | 2:08:59 |
| 757 | Becky Webster | 2:32:35 |
