05/07/2026
🏃♀️ THANK YOU, WARE FESTIVAL OF RUNNING! 🏃♂️
What an incredible day! None of it would have been possible without our army of volunteers — well over 100 marshals and dozens more behind the scenes, all giving up their time to make today happen. From every single one of us, THANK YOU.
Huge thanks to:
🏗️ Everyone who helped set up and dismantle the HQ
🛠️ The course set-up team, out before dawn
🚗 Our car park monitors, taming the traffic chaos
📦 Our logistics and equipment officers, sorting the stuff nobody sees but everyone needs
🎽 Our registration team, the first faces of race day
🎤 Our compere on the PA, keeping the energy up all day
🤸 Our warm-up co-ordinator, setting the tone for an injury free race
🚩 Our amazing race marshals, pointing the way and cheering runners on
🚸 Our kids' race team, overwhelmed by last minute requests to register
🚲 Our lead bikers, guiding the way up front
🚶♀️ Our tailwalkers, keeping you safe at the back
🍰 The bakers, who made all those yummy cakes
☕ The refreshments team, keeping everyone fuelled
💧 Our water station helpers, keeping runners hydrated
⏱️ The timing team, making sure every second counted
👕 Our t-shirt and medal designer, for that cool swag
🏅 The medal and trophy distributers, handing out that hard-earned bling
🩹 Our first aid team, patching up blisters and bruises
📸 Our photographer, capturing all the highs (and the huffing and puffing)
📱 Our social media poster, for trying to keep up!
Gosh, hope I didn't miss anything obvious! It genuinely takes a village to put on an event like this. You are all awesome.
🌟 A very special shout-out to Isla Threlfall, who produced the sprint of the day — not on the course, but across the cricket pitch, heading off a breakaway group of keen young ladies who fancied running their own unofficial race instead of the 100m back to their intended finish line. Ware Joggers, we may have found our next recruit (or several)!
🙌 And finally, a massive well done to our Race Director, Jill Maria Patel, for pulling the whole event together yet again. She may or may not have been overheard trying to recruit her own successor for next year so she can retire happy — Jill, if you're reading this, we see you. The search begins.😄
Thank you everyone — see you out there again soon! 🧡
