Bedford Running Festival was back with a bang over the weekend (2-3 September 2023) with 2,000 runners actively involved in four different races from the Raring2Go Mini Miles to the full-fat Bedford 20 – an early opportunity for endurance athletes to test preparations for the forthcoming marathon season, with 1 September being the meteorological start of autumn.

Bedford Run Fest is promoted by Active Training World (ATW) and the running races are just part of a free, family-orientated festival in Russell Park that includes live music with Glyn Devey and The Station; the 'world's largest mobile bar' by Showtime Inn; seven yoga classes for all abilities by Charli VanNess & Co.; Children's Fun Fair; Kids Zone by Kula Kidz; Street Food Market by Eat Feast and an Open Air Cinema by Sundown Cinema. 

With so much to see and do the running was ancillary but still of a high standard. It all kicked off with 338 finishers in the Bedford 5K inside an hour. The winners were Matt Ashby (Gade Harriers, 16:50) and Ashley Berry (Smart Charity, 18:39) as 16 athletes beat 20 minutes.

After wearing out the kids in the Raring2Go Mini Miles it was time for the Twilight 10K on Saturday evening, with 679 runners home inside two hours. The top three men were Jacques Caignard (M40 Winchester AC, 34:35), William Shippin (Redway Runners, 35:03) and Matthew Studd (M40 St Neots Riverside Runners, 36:06). The leading women were Chloe Lence (44:26), Kellie Judd (St Neots Riverside Runners, 45:14) and junior under-20 Sarah Percival (45:37).     

It was all about the distance at 9:30am on Sunday morning as the Bedford Half Marathon and Bedford 20 runners shared a joint start line before diverging. First back to Russell Park were M40 masters Michael Aldridge (Wootton Road Runners, 1:11:19) and Neil Pollard (Newmarket Joggers, 1:17:22). Ben McMahon (1:18:26) was third in the 13.1-mile race. 

The top three women in the half marathon were Emily Varley (Biggleswade AC, 1:26:36), W40 Takami Moodie (Bedford Run Club, 1:34:57) and Ellie Sherriffs (Bedford Harriers, 1:36:16). There were 715 finishers in 4:14:07. 

Just one man beat two hours in the 20-mile race in the rising temperatures as summer finally appeared in autumn! Sean Collum (M40 Watford Joggers, 1:56:55) was an impressive winner from Henry Chamberlayne (2:00:12) and Sam Richardson (Serpentine RC, 2:02:21). Harriet Carr (Wymondham AC, 2:09:08) took the women's race from W40 Tracy English (Halstead RRC, 2:14:12) and W40 Alison Armstrong (Wymondham AC, 2:17:39) as 212 finished in 4:41:44. 

Results and previous event reports are available via runABC South race listing here.

Photos courtesy Bedford Running Festival and Facebook

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