I first joined the club 20 years ago, while getting ready to run my first marathon in 2005. What started as a way to train quickly became so much more. Gade Valley Harriers has been with me through breakups, job losses, and struggles with physical and mental health. But it’s also been there for new relationships, new roles, and amazing experiences.

At its heart, I believe Gade Valley Harriers is a place where people from all abilities and backgrounds are welcome, united by a shared love of running. One of the best examples of this is the pride I feel every time I put on my club vest and toe the start line of a muddy cross-country. It’s a race where we each push ourselves individually, but our efforts all contribute to the team’s result.

It’s an honour to serve as Chair for GVH and give back to the club I love.

I joined Gade Valley Harriers in the summer of 2022 with some previous experience but having not been part of a club since school.  Lockdown reignited my love of running but it was quite a lonely experience and I found that, approaching my 40s, I wasn’t making any progress.  The advice of those I spoke to was to join a local running club. 

Over the next 18 months I have achieved a PB in every distance up to and including marathon.  GVH has been instrumental in helping me achieve my goals and has introduced me to some wonderful, like minded people.  

It is a truly inclusive club that helps runners of all abilities and I am happy to play a very small part in supporting others on their running journey.

I have been with GVH since 2007 and in that time have run multiple marathons and various other road and cross country events. Since joining I have seen our training programmes go from strength to strength and this has helped me improve as a runner and achieve PBs that wouldn’t have been possible without the help of the club. I have been Treasurer now since 2013 and enjoy giving something back to the club!

I have been a member of Gade Valley Harriers for over 3 years. I love been part of such a friendly running club and can honestly say it’s one of the best decisions I have ever made towards improving my fitness and developing my running. Through the support of the club I have been able to train successfully for different events including different half marathons and 2 marathons.

I think what makes our club so special is the support club members give each other, and the different events that the club organise for people to socialise together as friends.

Hi, I’m Ines –  a spirited woman in her early forties, who has transformed her life through the joy of running. Despite starting this invigorating pursuit after the birth of my three children, I continuously strive to better myself. My journey began modestly – I graduated from a “Learn to Run” programme in 2019 which was hosted by Gade Valley Harriers, it was a milestone that marked a huge personal achievement. Since then running has blossomed into a passion that resonates with both my personal and professional goals. What began as a casual exercise to improve fitness soon transformed into a long-distance running adventure that exhilarates me every day.  Now, as a dedicated running assistant coach, I lead the school’s running club where I work helping children, aged 8 to 11, find the same passion for running I have. I love cheering on young (and old!) athletes as they conquer each lap with determination. I would like to say that I embrace my role as a lifelong learner, constantly expanding my running knowledge and techniques. Whether it’s participating in workshops or discovering new running trails, I believe that learning never stops. I’m dedicated to both my own development and that of my young runners as well as club members maintaining that it’s never too late to pursue your passions.

I have been a member of GVH since April 1991 just after it formed. I’ve run many events over the years both road (from 5K up to Marathon) and Cross Country events. I have a marathon PB of 3hrs 35mins and a 5K PB of 19mins 47secs. I’ve also run 80 Chiltern League cross country fixtures and many other challenging off-road events.I obviously have a great fondness for the Club and it’s ethos and background, which led me to serve as Men’s Captain for 5 years and Chairman for a further 5 years.

One of the roles I also undertook was maintaining the website and member database so following a year’s break from Committee roles I was very pleased to help out again with this new role and great new website.

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As an office worker, I appreciate running and exploring our wonderful countryside and feeling the stress ebb away. Running is a great time to think too.

As a coach, I am very keen to support our Club’s regular learn to run programme, which helps new runners into our great sport. I also enjoy helping runners train for marathons…especially the all important first one when everything can feel so daunting.

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Robert is a qualified Coach in Running Fitness (CiRF)

Nick loves to run. Over the last 10 years, Nick has completed 20  marathons and ultra marathons both on road and on the trails.  Included amongst these are two double marathons across the South Downs and traversing the full length of the Lake District in the Lakes in a Day 50 mile ultra race plus the Wendover Woods 50.   On the speed front, Nick has twice finished the tough Beachy Head trail marathon in 3 hours 45 mins, came 12th in the Chiltern Ridge Ultra 50k race and, after a few attempts, finally joined the ‘sub 3’ marathon club at Manchester in 2021.

Turning 30 and being overweight Nick needed a challenge. This took the form of the Three Peaks Challenge, which meant scaling Great Britain’s three highest mountains – Snowdon, Scafell Pike and Ben Nevis within 24 hours … including driving between them. It was during the training for this event that Nick was bitten by the running bug and has been hooked ever since, trying whenever possible to combine this with his other two loves – his family (wife, daughter + Ruby the Cockapoo) and travelling. Highlight of this was the 2017 City to Surf race in Sydney which the whole family ran.

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Nick is a qualified Leader in Running Fitness (LiRF)

When I was a student living in Bath I started running as a means of exploring the area. I started on a small section of old railway line behind my house, and before long I was travelling to the surrounding villages, hills, rivers and beyond. I love the routine of running regularly and being able to completely switch off from everything else. I also love getting home afterwards and having a cup of tea and a piece of cake.

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Naomi is a qualified Leader in Running Fitness (LiRF)

I’m an average runner, music lover and biscuit connoisseur…

Looking to escape from my mixed-gender twins born in 2016, I joined Gade Valley Harriers in 2017.

Running with likeminded individuals and chewing the fat on an unsuccessful London Marathon in 2014, I vowed never to run a marathon again!

I have since ran Brighton Marathon (2023), Manchester Marathon (2024) and even ran a 50k Ultra Trail Marathon…

Being part of an inspiring and supportive club gave me a platform to achieve goals I thought only dreams were made of.

It also allows me to continue to eat biscuits 😉

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Gary is a qualified Leader in Running Fitness (LiRF)

Paul (aka ‘Mo’) was Gade Valley Harriers Chairman between 2002-2013.  He joined the club in 1993 and served as kit manager and press and comms officer before taking over as chair in 2002.  He continues to be an integral part of the club and also goes under the name of ‘Shouty Man’ as he’s one of the club’s most vociferous supporters and can be seen flying the flag for GVH at the Cutty Sark every year at the London Marathon.

Paul was awarded lifetime membership in 2013 for services to the club following stepping down as Chair.

Helen joined the club in 1993 as part of the junior training section that we originally had. She served on the committee for 10 years, during which time she was Kit Manager where she helped develop and widen the GVH kit range, and she also took on the critical role of Chief Marshal Co-ordinator for the Marathon Training Runs , which required an enormous amount of effort and persistence to recruit up to 50 marshals for the training runs. She continues to manage the club handicap runs, which she did whilst on the committee.

Helen was awarded lifetime membership in 2018 for services to the club following stepping down from the core committee.