On Wednesday, TaSH hosted another fantastic Sessay Swift event with 393 runners in total. Race Organiser, Duncan Fothergill, made sure everything was in place and the event ran like clockwork with a great community atmosphere. An amazing turn out for TaSH with over 100 members running and helping. That’s half the club!!
Results can be found here: https://www.ukresults.net/2026/sessay.html
Thirsk & Sowerby Harriers fielded a strong squad at the Sessay Swift 6k, securing impressive performances across all categories.
Tom Levi led the club home in 20:19, followed by Sam Wainwright (21:43), Paul Peacock (22:14), Gary Dunn (22:21), and Ashley Dodgson (22:25). Charles Lamb clocked 22:36, Adam Harper-Walker finished in 23:17, Matthew Morrice recorded 23:40, and Les Williams crossed in 24:02.
Sarah Fairhurst was the first female Harrier across the line in 24:42. She was joined in the sub-30 minute group by Jody Sygrove (25:15), Richard Grant (25:24), Neil Cooper (26:20), Andy Butcher (26:51), Anna Jones (27:15), Brett Edgeworth (27:19), Chris Coates (27:22), Paul Atkinson (27:22), George Jackson (27:33), Sean Parle (27:38), Alan Simpson (27:44), Dave Wood (27:51), Leanne Robinson (28:18), Robert Burn (28:54), Sarah Harrison (29:19), Michael Sanders (29:19), Kirsty Naylor (29:32), Clare Tempest (29:40), Ken Wood (29:40), and Ruth Pollard (29:52).
Sub-35 minute finishes were posted by Vanessa Arthur (30:03), Andrew Pollard (30:13), Martyn Coy (30:25), David Tervit (30:25), Alan Browne (30:48), Alan Longmire (30:55), Ali Williams (31:11), Lazaro Mwandigha (31:23), Stuart Hill (31:27), Sharon Emmott (31:58), Martin Emmott (31:59), Alan Docherty (32:13), Phillip Craig (32:15), Cathy Knott (32:30), Evie Rawling (32:31), Sara Armitage (32:56), Alex Miller (32:59), Adrian Wood (33:25), Peter Molyneux (33:35), Kelly Grieve (34:08), Elizabeth Wordsworth (34:20), and Julia Harland (34:44).
Completing the field for the club were Olivia Griffiths (35:02), Natalie Lyth (35:17), Alison Butcher (35:55), Chris Wordsworth (36:11), Nigel Morgan (36:29), Zoe Lawrence (36:30), Faith Coy (36:36), Tess Grant (36:46), Gillian Fiske (36:48), Tracey Docherty (37:05), Christina Leach (37:14), Carol Longmire (38:09), Nicky Hawkes (38:42), Sue Hoernig (39:34), Caroline Pearce (39:49), Laura Till (39:54), Hugh Jenyns (40:15), Sara Ramon Moore (42:03), Tracy Hayden (43:01), Christine Burn (43:21), Margaret Wikeley (45:08), Carol Thompson (45:25), Maureen Worley (45:31), Denise Gandy (50:10), and Rosie Gatenby (54:14).
Age category wins for Sarah Fairhurst and Paul Peacock and TaSH maintained the trophy for another year.
Phillip Craig kindly provided this race report…
Heat, Grit, and Great Club Spirit: Sessay Swift 6k 2026 Race Report
The village came alive once again as Thirsk & Sowerby Harriers hosted and turned out in force for the 14th running of the annual Sessay Swift 6k. Known for its fast, flat loop sweeping out of the village along country roads and finishing by the cricket club, the event delivered another brilliant evening of road running.
A huge thank you goes out to everyone who made the night such a massive success, with so many positive comments rolling in post-race!
Fantastic Team Effort
It was a true club-wide effort on the night. An impressive 77 runners took to the course, powered by a brilliant team of 35 helpers (including 8 star volunteers who doubled up as runners!) working before, during, and after the event. The energetic atmosphere and constant encouragement along the route gave every runner a fantastic boost.
Runner’s Perspective: Pushing Through the Heat
While the flat profile of the Sessay Swift offers prime potential for fast times, the warm conditions made for a grueling mental and physical battle on the night:
“My race didn’t go to plan—I set off too fast, felt sick in the first mile, and wanted to give up by 3k. I had to stop to walk a few times because it was just too warm. Other runners nearby offered great encouragement, calling out, ‘You can do it, only a mile to go!’ My reply was ‘Yes!’, but that still didn’t stop me from doubting I could finish. In the end, I dug deep and crossed the line in 32:15—which turned out to be 14 seconds faster than last year!”
It was a tough outing in the heat, but fighting through to secure a course personal best proved that the grit and determination paid off!
