New Year's Day Parkruns
January may have brought frosty mornings but despite the chill, our runners stayed active and kicked off 2026 with the bonus New Year’s Day Parkruns.
• Will - Burgess
• Ana - Gunnersbury
• Gemma and Alex - Sutcliffe
• Tony, Yat, Patty and Christos stuck to home turf at Thames Path

Although icy conditions caused some cancellations this month, TRC members continued seeking Parkruns, and could be found running, walking or volunteering at: Burnham‑on‑Crouch, Whitecliffe Lake, Barclay, Alderley, Northala Fields, Mote Park, Finsbury Park, Banstead Woods, Beckton, Peckham Rye and Bexley.
Congratulations to Will who is on no 69 of his tourism streak!
Aoibheann’s 25th and Ana’s 50th Parkrun milestones were also celebrated, joined by many club members to mark their achievements (and to eat their cookies) - well done both!
If you are looking for some inspiration for your 5km walks or runs, the free "5K" app is great for Parkrun challenges.

Medal Mondays!
Race season quietly kicked off, with the first RunThrough events of 2026 attended by:
• Ana – Queen Elizabeth Park 10km
• Christos – Lee Valley Velopark Half Marathon
• Sarah D – Crystal Palace Half Marathon
Also: Shelley, Deb, Deniz & Richard got their glow sticks (aka neon medals) out at Friday Night Lights for a fun run in the city.

Club Run Highlight
Lola’s Saturday sessions have seen the growth of recent Couch to 5k graduates and returning runners, building on distance and time-on-feet. Many are reaching new milestones with Lola each week!
Huge congratulations to Leanne, who is very pleased to have completed her first 10km since having baby Kai.

Trail Runners
Patty led Kevin and Christos on a trail adventure in Oxleas Woods.
If you’re thinking of trying out trails for the new year, remember Andrew leads a monthly club trail run on the last Sunday of the month. If you want to try out a shorter trail, before commiting to 10km+ of rolling hills and forest terrain with Adrew, there are other trail events of shorter distances, attended by TRC members, that you can be directed to. Just ask in the chat and they will happily signpost and may even join you!

Who Needs the Lizzie Line Anyway?!
After months of talking about it… they finally did it! Patty, Andrew, Simon, Christos and Tony “Ran the Elizabeth Line”—from Abbey Wood to Paddington, stopping for a photo at every station. They averaged around 28km each, and no-one gave up and hopped on the train. Incredible effort!

The Run Club That Remembers “Running Isn’t Always Possible”
If you don't feel up to running, or if you are unable at the moment, there are opportunities to connect with others through gentler movements. We all go through peaks and troughs, but we don't need to go through them alone!
Debbie's Saturday morning is open to members wishing to either walk or run, at a pace that suits them with the support of others, this month Debbie has been a listening ear and cheerleader to anyone who just wanted to get out of the house, to those with walking or running goals ranging from 1km - 5km.
Caroline’s monthly Walk & Talk returns on 7th February, with a special Thames Path Parkrun route edition to celebrate Roger and Caroline’s 200th.
Rein continues to teach Monday yoga classes at The Nest (near Southmere Lake), open to all levels. Book here: https://rein.fyi/book-yoga

Runner of the Month: 
Huge congratulations to Jean, who completed her first marathon-distance 42km at the London Winter Walk, raising money for South London Rape Crisis. Jean joined the club last summer and has always supported those around her and brings a smile to every challenge she sets herself. Well done Jean, we hope your feet have recovered!

Member Discounts:
Remember that there is a range of discounts available to club members that you can access through your England Athletics account. Including, but not limited to:
SportsShoes.com
Science in Sport (SIS) gels & supplements
Coaching events
+ More
Visit: https://www.englandathletics.org/about-us/our-partners/ 

Dates for your Diary:
Whether you want to sign up or come along to cheer for your fellow TRC members, here’s some dates for February!
Saturday 7th February - Walking the TP Park Run for Caroline & Rogers’ 200th , coffee social after.
Sunday 15th February - London 10km Winter Run
Sunday 22nd February - Dartford Half Marathon