Dear Chasers, We hope you’ve had an excellent week and are ready for a newsletter full of racing achievements, volunteering news, course chaser social updates and a heart felt Chicago Marathon race report from Elizabeth Aryeetey. Volunteering News Beginners’ Course The Chaser beginners' course is going strong, and next Tuesday will be week 7. We need your help to encourage them through the session, which is at the same time as the social run. This is great if you’re coming back from injury, fancy a shorter run, and/or simply want to give support to new potential club members and starting out runners. Sign up to volunteer here. MC Regent’s Park Winter Series 10k We are in the build-up to the second of the MC Regent’s Park Winter Series on Sunday 2nd November. Please sign up to volunteer here. Volunteering will get a free entry for another race in the series. If you can’t volunteer for this race, why not see if you can volunteer for any of the other races in the season? Sign up at the links below: Sunday 7th December Sunday 4th January Sunday 1st February Sunday 1st March Socials The Autumn/Winter season has plenty of Chaser socials to keep us going as the days shorten and the temperature drops. Cabbage Patch Social Sunday 19th October The Fox, Twickenham is booked for 12pm, just 2 minutes away from the Cabbage patch. Come along if you’re running or cheering! More info here. Spooky run The infamous spooky run is making a comeback for the 2025 season. Come to the usual Tuesday run at Talacre, 4th November, 7pm. Dress to impress (scare!), bring a headtorch (or borrow one from the club) and be prepared to survive a bone tingling run through the Heath! Pace of the slowest, more info here. Christmas party Remember, 5th December is Chaser Christmas party day, keep it free! More info soon... Cross Country News The first met league event was last Saturday at Claybury Park. It was tough race on a warm day. Despite the grind, there was a good turnout (5 women and 9 men) and runners were rewarded with lots of post-race baked goodies! The next race that you can sign up for in the cross country calendar is Eastbrookend Country Park, Saturday 1st November (2nd Chingford League fixture). This a trail race, and is a good course for beginners, since it’s not too hilly and (depending on weather) not too muddy, so trail shoes are often a good shoe choice.  Sign up here. **If you are not sure about cross country and want to find out more, have a look at the new guide/ FAQs.** Race shout outs Well done to all the Chasers who have been busy racing hard over the last week! Jacob Shilling ran a PB in his first race flying the Chasers flag in Peterborough Half Marathon. Bruno ran Le Semi des Rois. Kat and Juliette repped chasers on the continent in the Halle Half Marathon. Maeve & her partner Chris – came 7th in their age category in the Gdansk Hyrox. We had excellent Chaser representation and a smattering of PBs at the Chicago Marathon last Sunday. Huge congratulations to Elizabeth, David, Nelson, Callum, Jonny and Rendy. A special well done to Nelson who achieved the coveted Abott Medal for completing all the World Major Marathons. Congratulations Nelson! Hopefully a nice break for the legs next..? Congratulations to all the Royal Parks Half Marathoners last Sunday: Andrew, Jamie, Kate, Tony, Nicholas, Nabil, Ursula, Beth, Connor and Jocelyn. Some fantastic performances and PBs. Great running all! Well done to Annie Henderson, Phillip Gan and any other Chasers who ran the Battersea Half Marathon today. Do share any pictures or a race report and we will give you a another shout out next week! Good luck to Chasers racing over the weekend and next week: Cabbage Patch Sunday 19th October marks the famous Cabbage Patch 10 mile race and our annual club championships. Good luck to everyone running! Don’t forget to head to The Fox for refreshments and post-race debrief. Good luck to the Marathoners this weekend! Kelly, Tina, Viola, Jessie, Diane and Jasper are running the Amsterdam Marathon, and Patrick, Alice, Sarah and Matt are running the Abingdon Marathon. Send us lots of pics! Race Report Elizabeth Aryeetey tells us about her experience racing Chicago Marathon and her preparation. Thanks so much for sharing such a personal account! "My approach to Chicago, my 3rd majors' marathon, was different from previous races. After Berlin last year, I made the decision to commit to running in a different way. I wanted to see what I was capable of. Donal agreeing to coach me in this new phase of my running journey was the best news, albeit I was nervous that he may be too tough on me! We started the journey together in November last year and weathered the storm of inevitable injury that changed London from a target race to a mental achievement. I had no doubt that achieving a respectable 4:14 was down to the training that had preceded the injury and the new found strength and conditioning essentials, supported by Puregym visits with son, David, and inspirational friend, Kat. Most importantly on the day, I was supported through the first 14 miles by Juliette, my longtime parkrun and coffee buddy. So to Chicago. A great training block interspersed with improving Summer League performances and a switch to early morning runs. Then a gradual introduction of longer runs. Having done the majority of my training solo, joining Alice, Marcos and Ellie for my 18 miles, then Alice for 20 miles was a huge boost in confidence and well -being. My last long run was in Oslo on a cold and dark Sunday morning. Circuits of a lake, to ensure I didn't get lost. I felt ready and confident that this marathon was going to be a good one. However, in the final weeks of tapering I picked up a cold that eventually meant resting and skipping some runs. Not ideal mentally but I trusted in the process and knew that this wasn't going to undo the months of consistent training. I made the decision to travel alone to Chicago. My first solo long haul flight. I arrived on Tuesday evening - plenty of time to relax and catch up on sleep. The apartment was central so not too much travelling to all the key places. A few shakeout runs kept the legs ticking over. Carb loading started in earnest on Thursday but my stomach was having none of it. Nothing would stay down and I worked through pre-race days with constant stomach cramps and no appetite. Keep hydrated, Donal's advice resonated in my mind constantly and I fought the urge to panic and mentally give up on a good race. Not a great fan of expos, I was in and out pretty quickly on Friday - bib collected - job done! Saturday evening I joined a newly made friend at a Runna event with Anya Culling and a local Chicago coach. They talked us through the course, re-ran tips on prep, fuelling and managing the mental mindset of the race. I felt calm and positive. Just prayed that my stomach would behave and I had enough glycogen stores to keep me strong throughout the race. I slept surprisingly well despite the nerves and was woken by the 5am alarm. Heeding the advice of the local coach I arrived 90 mins before the race not the advertised 2 hours. It was still dark and strangely eerie. Heading straight for the toilets before dropping my bag was a good call as the lines grew and panicked participants in earlier waves were pushed forward by obliging comrades. Hats off to one guy who decided to marshall the loos to ensure each line got equal priority over the cubicles as they became vacant! Bag dropped and still 45 mins to go, I tried to find somewhere for a warm up. Some dynamic stretches and a very limited jog was all I could manage then entered my coral. 10 mins later the nervous wee urge took me out again to pee behind a bush with the men! I could do no more! Just wait for the start. The sun was out now but still a comfortable 18 degrees C. The excitement was palpable as we approached the start line and I slotted in 10 metres behind the 3:55 pacers. We were off to the cheers of spectators and runners alike. The first 5 miles were inevitably crowded with the usual, mainly good-natured, jostling. As we had been warned the GPS was wacky so I didn't panic as a 7:50 min/mile flashed up on my watch. I put my trust in the pacers and fought hard to ignore the cramps that had started again in my stomach. I fuelled as planned and focused on positive energy - how lucky I was to be running in this beautiful city - the friends and family who had been part of my journey here. Then on repeat, the names of those people in my head. When the going was tough it was shortened to my mum and son, David. The miles flew by as we passed through the many different neighbourhoods with their unique vibes and energy. There's nothing quite like an American shouting your name, telling you that you're amazing and that you've got this girl! I believed them! The legs felt strong and the gels stayed down. Water or energy drink at every aid station and an eye on the pacers at all times! Half way felt good and a relief to begin ticking off the second half miles. Familiar runners still with me - the American woman who I'd chatted to at the start and a couple of guys who were also grittily sticking to the pacers. I was locked in now - I knew I was in it to get a PB and it felt possible. Manifesting the finish line felt good. For a mile or so I was slightly ahead of the pacers but kept it steady, fixed in a rhythm that was still mainly comfortable. 16-18 miles was more difficult - I could feel the energy slowly ebbing. The temperature had risen significantly and the sun was fully out. My spirits started to drop and the pacers edged away from me. Is this it, I thought? Have I paced it wrong, fuelled badly or just haven't got it in me to finish what I started. Negative energy started to creep in. My mind started to take over. I'm not entirely sure what sparked the change back. As always, it was probably my mum - remembering the battle she fought against MND - the sheer and utter determination to preserve her independence, dignity and self. What would she say to me now? What would David think if I gave up? What would Donal's advice be? Juli and Kat? They all played their part in shaking me up and making me dig deep. I had a target and a point to prove to myself. I'd done the training, but could I execute the race? I would never have a better opportunity. Come on, Liz - get the job done! I picked up the pace - not a lot, but enough to be back alongside the pacers. Dig in. Look up. How many parkruns left?? The mile markers seemed to get further and further apart. Decisions about whether to stop at every aid station got more difficult. Out of gels I took one offered. It was too much - I threw up and decided it was just water and electrolytes for the last 5 miles. For the first time my lower calves started to ache. Every one of those last miles was pure stubborn determination and effort! I remembered the warning about the incline before the last 200m sprint to the end. "It will seem like a hill when any other day it will be a mere speed bump" They were right! Fellow runners passed me as I laboured up the incline and then the downhill and end in sight. Never so relieved or determined to put in a last effort to catch the pacers! And it was over! A slight stagger to the side and an ungainly vomit confirmed I had left nothing out there. On the day, it was the best race I could run, physically and mentally. The sun was shining in Chicago and also in my heart. I had done the job and been faithful to those who had helped me along the way. Chicago I will never forget you! 🇺🇸 Boston - excited to meet you!" As always, message us on WhatsApp (Emily Martyn or Jas Patel) or email us newsletter@chaser.me.uk if you want anything included in the newsletter or have a race report to share. Have a great week, Em & Jas Calendar Here's whats happening over the next few weeks other than our usual Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday runs. You can find our full calendar on the website. 19/10/2025 Amsterdam Marathon I'm in Amsterdam! 19/10/2025 Cabbage Patch 10 Mile - club champs race Running 02/11/2025 JTBC Seoul marathon I'm running 19/10/2025 The Abingdon Marathon I'm running 15/11/2025 Met League - Fixture 2 - Horsenden Hill Sign-up to run - deadline 2025-11-13 01/11/2025 Liddiard Trophy - Fryent Country Park, Kingsbury, London 25/10/2025 North London XC Association Champs - Trent Park, Cockfosters 08/11/2025 London Cross Country Championships - Parliament Hill Sign-up to run 01/11/2025 Chingford League - Eastbrookend 🏃 Run - deadline 2025-10-24 02/11/2025 MCRC Regent's Park 10k Volunteering Volunteer (7 of 14 left) - deadline 2025-11-01 04/11/2025 Spooky Run 21/10/2025 Beginners Week 7 Volunteer (4 of 5 left) 28/10/2025 Beginners Week 8 Volunteer (4 of 5 left) 19/10/2025 Cabbage Patch Social @ The Fox, Twickenham We are also currently taking names for the following events. 25/01/2026 Sevilla Half Marathon I'm running 16/11/2025 St Neot's Half Marathon (get the bus!) Get the Bus (11 of 34 left) 01/03/2026 Tokyo Marathon 2026 Join 🙋🏽‍♂️ 29/03/2026 Sheffield Half Marathon I'm running, with (Hendersons) Relish Results If you want to upload a photo or your results are missing, log in to our website and update your picture and Power of 10 ID. Nationale-Nederlanden Warsaw Marathon (Warsaw, POL), 28/09/2025 Mar Paul Dickens 4:16:00 (4:16:00) [49.39%] Parkrun 11/10/2025 Ally Pally Thomas English 18:47, 2 (1) [70.28%]   Clare Janew 32:09, 299 [49.30%] Clair Finlay Brown 25:08, 32 [51.72%]   Emily Morgan 32:40, 80 [45.20%] Finsbury Park Ellie Holloway 25:25, 200 [58.10%]   Stephen West 59:31, 674 [24.98%] Grovelands Mike Hurford 20:42, 20 (1) [81.16%] Hampstead Heath Jade Peel 19:07, 6 (1, 1) [77.24%]   Daniel Gallagher 22:13, 58 [58.74%]   Paul Dickens 31:18, 353 [43.82%] Hasenheide, GER Juliette Westbrook 27:06, 107 [54.49%]   Katrina Kelly 27:06, 108 [54.49%] Highbury Fields Lizzy Muggeridge 31:39, 489 [52.76%] Kraków, POL Brandon Leung 21:18, 21 [67.68%] Lordship Recreation Ground Lauren Longhurst 19:57, 14 (1, 1) [75.02%] Luton Wardown Paul Sant 28:25, 81 [50.73%] Moors Valley Liam Moroney 17:59, 2 (1) [72.29%] Valentines Paul Matthews 35:42, 256 (1) [61.06%] Start Fitness Metropolitan League (Claybury), 11/10/2025 4.2KXC Stephen West 26:49, 19 8.1KXC Rory Clark 28:55, 80   Tom Hill 35:10, 265   Janine Makaronidis 36:21, 63   Daniel Berry 37:45, 327 (9)   Fiona Russell 37:57, 82 (-, 2)   Emily Martyn 39:41, 101   Daniel Lewis 43:08, 390 (46)   Anna Patterson 44:42, 145   Paul Dickens 45:28, 398 (46)   Gary Homewood 45:31, 399 (24) Bank of America Chicago Marathon (Chicago IL, USA), 12/10/2025 Mar Jonathan Gorner 2:55:36, 2919 [70.02%] NEW PB Royal Parks Half Marathon (London), 12/10/2025 HM Sam Smout 1:17:37 (1:17:37), 25 (7) [76.47%] NEW PB Manchester Half Marathon (Manchester), 12/10/2025 HM Rebecca Askins-Gast 01:30:29 (01:30:29) [72.13%] Links Send your stories to newsletter@chaser.me.uk. 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