Enjoy the Ryde — Hills Included
It was an early start and a successful outing for 16 members of Alton Runners on Sunday, 1st February, as they crossed the Solent to take on the 2026 Ryde 10. Part of the Hampshire Road Race League (HRRL), the event offered a scenic but challenging 10-mile route. Starting at the sea wall by Ryde Harbour, the single-lap course took runners through Puckpool, Seaview, St Helens, and Nettlestone, testing their mettle with a series of undulating coastal and countryside hills.
The weather was favourable for the first couple of miles before the rain arrived, but the change in conditions failed to dampen spirits for the 535 participants who completed the course. The standout performance of the day came from Alton’s own Rachel Walsh, who claimed victory in the women’s race after a gritty tactical battle. Walsh, who also serves as the women’s captain, trailed the leader for much of the morning before making her move. "I had a battle on my hands from the start to catch up the lady ahead of me. I managed to catch up at mile six, overtook her at mile eight, and held on to finish first lady – and over a minute and a half quicker than last year," Walsh noted.
She was followed home for the club by Lydia Andrews, who secured a significant personal best (PB). Reflecting on the day, Andrews said: "I was overjoyed to take more than five minutes off my PB and equally enjoyed the fish and chips with my teammates afterwards. It’s a long day out at Ryde, but it is great to spend that extra time with everyone from the club." Kathryn Powell finished as the third Alton lady, describing the event as a "really wonderful Sunday". The women’s team placed 23rd overall.
On the men’s side, Alex Hall led the club home with an impressive 11th-place finish overall, clocking a superb sub-60-minute time and a course PB. "I felt really strong throughout and felt like I have carried on my recent form. Elated!" Hall said. He was followed by men’s captain Christian Coles, who earned a course PB and 2nd place in the M45 category, and Andrew Lowton, who took 3rd in the M60 category with a course PB of his own. These strong individual performances propelled the men’s team to 10th place in the overall standings. Other notable results included Richard Bacon, who secured 3rd place in the M70 category, while newcomer Jonathan Roles celebrated his first Ryde 10 by successfully conquering the course’s notorious hills.
While the official HRRL standings are still being processed at the time of writing, the club is hopeful that these performances will see an improved league position for their five teams. As medals were awarded to all finishers, the atmosphere remained high despite the physical toll of the undulating terrain. Captain Christian Coles summarised the day as "lovely, as always," praising the great running displayed by the entire Alton contingent.
In what has now become a club tradition, the runners refuelled with fish and chips on the esplanade following the race. Looking ahead, the next race in the HRRL is the Solent Half Marathon in March, which already sees 20 Alton Runners members signed up to compete.
For those looking for their next 10-mile challenge, the following 10-mile event in the league calendar will be the Alton 10, hosted by Alton Runners on Sunday 10th May. Anyone interested in joining the race should sign up and secure their place.