One notable omission from the Bels squad that took a fantastic silver in the Surrey League opener was Sam Gebreselassie, who had run so brilliantly at Sutton Park the weekend before.

That’s because Sam was tapering for a brilliant half marathon debut in Oxford. And he wasn’t the only Bel with designs on a PB over 21.1km…

Oxford

Sam Gebreselassie has very quicky become a reliable, beloved and absurdly quick member of our team since he joined during lockdown. The Oxford Half was another big step in the right direction for Sam who had never officially run anything this long since he started training. There was an informal lockdown TT in Battersea Park, we are told, but that doesn’t really count, does it? It quickly became clear that this one would be fought between Sam and Hercules Wimbledon’s Jonny Cornish - the Surrey League rivalry that had unfolded on the grass of Richmond Park the day before had just landed in Oxford too! In the end, Cornish floated away in the final mile and left Sam to pick up silver in a phenomenal 67:55 debut. There is no shame in losing to Jonny, who is not only a great guy but also a redoubtable competitor over any distance. This is only the beginning for Sam and we can’t wait to see where he will take our colours in the future.

Cambridge

There were four Belgravians in Cambridge. Unfortunately, Daniella Maggs who had run such a brilliant PB in the Bristol Half a month prior was unable to compete in Cambridge due to a foot injury. She is on the mend and will be back racing shortly. Stay tuned!

The men’s contingent was led home by TM Arne Dumez who had moved to North Yorkshire with his partner five months prior. While still fulfilling TM duties since then, he hasn’t been able to physically represent his club in team fixtures over the summer and in his beloved Surrey League. However, he was hellbent on making up for it here. Moving through the early crowds, he quickly found himself in a small group of four that only splintered at the 10Mi mark. Pushing through a tough solo final 5km, he crossed the line in 10th place with a grin from ear-to-ear - a 70:44 finish meant he had just run a 2min PB.

Only four spots behind Arne was coach Matt Welsh. In the Bristol Half, Matt made the mistake of over-committing to the pace in the early miles and paying for it in the latter stages. This time, he would try the opposite and build into the pace. At the 10Mi mark, he realised his plan had worked and that he had quite a lot left to give, so he started pushing on and closed hard. A 72:02 PB rewarded him for his patience and clever racing.

Alex Mills had run a few half marathons this year already, but most of them just for fun or with his work with running brands. This time, he meant business.

Also donning the white away vest, Alex attacked the streets of Cambridge with one objective in mind - run a PB. Well, the Bels went 3 for 3 on Midsummer Common as Mr Mills stopped the clock on 76:15. That’s a handy 35s off his previous best set on the Goodwood racing circuit in Chichester in April. Considering he had suffered from an injury since then, it’s fair to say training has paid off big time for the young gun.

Amsterdam

Belgravians Sarah Chadwick and Will Johnson moved to the Dutch capital over the summer due to the relocation of the former’s employer Nike. It was a very sad day but we’ve forgiven them, just. What’s the best way to keep motivated for training throughout an international move? What’s the best way to get acquainted with a new city? The Amsterdam Half Marathon, of course!

Sarah had only done a virtual attempt at a half during lockdown and found herself confronted by the Battersea Park crowds when she did it - we’ll gladly vouch for the fact that those are not conducive to fast times. The time to beat for her was just over 1:44. Well, she need not have worried, panicked or doubted for a second that she could do it. The final word was 1:37:18! And with that, she is a strong contender for the biggest PB of the day competition. Will had had a rough two weeks in the buildup to this - he caught a nasty cold and was also sent to Paris for a full week of long hours in a warehouse. Not exactly ideal if you’re trying to cautiously taper down and get those last little efforts in. Even so, Will ran a fantastic first 15km before succumbing to “a bit of a wobble” at the 18km mark. He pushed through as best he could to claim a 1:19:13 PB. There was more in there, but it just wasn’t the day for it; it’s happened to us all. We look forward to seeing Will and Sarah’s running progress in the Netherlands!

Twickenham

Not a half marathon, but we must give an honourable mention to Belle Sarah Astin who won the prestigious Cabbage Patch 10Mi in a fantastic 57:06, several minutes ahead of the 2nd female. We can’t say we’re surprised - these things tend to happen when you run the 5th fastest time of the day at the National Road Relays!

Nick Buckle was also going at the Patch, but seeing as he’d run a beautiful XC race for us the day before, he eased off the pace a bit and just enjoyed the ride. What a team player, giving the team score priority. We love you, Nick!