Last Sunday, the RVC put on the third edition of their Hawkshead Hobble 5 and 10k races around their Potters Bar campus. It sounds as though it went incredibly well, so see the following report from race directors Luke Gunter and Eleanor Evans:
“The Hawkshead Hobble 2019 was a resounding success, and we are incredibly grateful to everyone that helped our event run smoothly.
We would firstly like to say thank you to our amazing sponsors, Orbital Climate Solutions and Health & Vitality Centre Welwyn Garden City. The massage therapy was hugely popular with our runners, and undoubtedly helped us improve our entry numbers. It was brilliant to see Orbital’s very own Steve Welsford compete in the 10km – it is a privilege for us to share this event with the generous companies that helped make it possible. Thanks to both Orbital Climate Solutions and Health & Vitality Centre Welwyn Garden City, we are able to donate an amazing £867.77 to the Potters Bar Foodbank.
The event could not have gone ahead without our amazing marshals. It was brilliant to see how thankful the runners were for their words of encouragement on quite a tough course. For many, this will no doubt be their first cross-country experience, and the unwavering cheers and support from the marshals made that possible. We were blown away by how many friends and relatives came together to help us, with special thanks to Anna Gunter for her brilliant race photography. Photos can be viewed here.
We also owe a huge thank you to the Royal Veterinary College – we are very lucky to have access to their facilities and their team of staff were always on hand to help us. We would like to personally thank Jennie Winterbottom of RVC events for her help and continuous support, John Hunt and Sally Burton of Estates for providing equipment and approval, Charlie Verity for allowing us to use the farm fields and Mick and Lesley at security as well at Gorprit Singh for helping with parking logistics and campus access. Lastly, we would like to thank the amazing team of staff at the Sports and Wellbeing Centre (especially Bryony and Paloma) for supporting us throughout the event from advertising to set-up on the day. This event could not have happened without you.
We hope that our event is becoming a staple in the local race calendar. A huge thank you to Will Jenkins at Buff for supplying what one runner remarked to be “the largest arch they’ve ever seen in Hertfordshire”. Our goal for record turnout of 100+ entries was supported by Christine Munden and London Universities and Colleges Athletics organisation (LUCA), who helped advertise our event in the running community. It was also a great pleasure to see MP Grant Shapps in attendance once again – we hope the event lived up to your expectations.
Thank you all once again – we had a brilliant day yesterday and we hope you all did too. We hope to see you all next year for another (hopefully) sunny day of gruelling cross country.”