Friends unite to form a very competitive running club

A group of friends from Peterborough and Stamford would meet at Helpston to embark on their long runs.

And when the idea to form a club was mooted the name Helpston Harriers was a popular choice, despite none of the members actually living in the village.

Harriers chairman Thomas Musson explained. “A group of friends got together. We only really cared about running well and getting faster.

“We also wanted to be able to share that with others. It seemed like a good reason for creating a running club.

“We figured out the minimum we could charge for membership and the minimum number of committee members we’d need.

“I padded the application to England Athletics a bit, but I remember being shocked that they accepted it so quickly.

“We’re in an in-between phase at the minute, between new club and growing membership, but in the current climate a year of back to basics will be good.

“We’re making the most of our social channels to engage with the whole running community.”

As is usually the case with distance running, once a club start making a name for themselves other good runners gravitate in their direction.

The club boast England veteran internationals John Herbert and Philippa Taylor amongst the membership along with talented athletes such as Steve Robinson, Ruth Jones, Jim Morris, Micky Moore, Paul Lunn and Michael Channing.

Senior England Internationals Aaron Scott and Josh Lunn are second claim members, with Scott heavily involved in the social media side of the club.