Fourth Birthday of Hatch Warren Runners
March saw HWR reach its fourth birthday and membership peaked at a staggering 275 runners of all ages and abilities – quite a leap from the small group of 10 keen runners who met for a social run outside the local pub in March 2013!
Since day one, the two founder members, Mark and Danielle Butler have been the lynchpins of the club and through their hard work and dedication, the club has grown and flourished. Their enthusiasm and zest for life has made HWR a club that has become celebrated as ‘from the community, for the community’. This ethos is borne out by the club’s reputation for fun-filled, community-focussed and ‘inclusive’ events. At the same time, it must be said that serious training takes place at all levels and abilities and many members have achieved outstanding results at events all over the UK and in Europe from 5km to 50 miles! No one can deny that without the hard work and skillsets Danielle and Mark brought to the club, it would simply not be the remarkable club it is today.
It is, therefore, with a little sadness (but with complete sympathy!) that Mark and Danielle have decided to step down from the club committee in order to focus on their young family and their own running goals. We wish them well and thank them from the bottom of all our Hatchie hearts! They can rest assured that their committee and wider membership are all committed to caring for and nurturing HWR into the future. Danielle and Mark will, of course, continue to be an integral part of HWR and remain Group coaches and leaders, having been made honorary life-members of the club.
Following on from this, if proof of their endeavours were needed, this year HWR received three nominations for awards at the Basingstoke Voluntary Sports Council which took place on the 3rd March at The Apollo Hotel. The nominations were for ‘Senior Volunteer Coach’, ‘Senior Volunteer’ (running) and ‘Club of the Year.
Whilst HWR did not win the awards, it is important to put into context the history and calibre of the other clubs represented at the ceremony. HWR was up against some established clubs including athletics, swimming and hockey clubs with histories dating from as far back as 1948! We were delighted that our local rival club, Chineham Park Running Club took the ‘Club of the Year’ award – having only been around since 2009!
Finally this month we salute all those avid HWR ‘parkrunners’ who get out there every Saturday, come rain, come shine and compete to improve their personal 5k goals! Basingstoke parkrun has become an important part in HWR’s training programme and many of us enjoy the odd ‘parkrun sandwich’ running from Hatch Warren to parkrun, completing the 5k course – then running home!
Taking this to another level, ‘mixing it up’ to take the monotony out of long training runs, many a Hatchie has been seen boarding a train from Basingstoke to Reading or Fleet and running home! Mind you, not all of us travel in such flamboyant style! Simon Brown and Rebecca Vincent ready to tackle Reading to Basingstoke. Just another day at HWR!
HWR meet on Monday & Wednesday evenings with runs starting at various locations in Hatch Warren, Beggarwood. For more details visit www.hwrunners.co.uk, email hwrunners@sky.com or look for Hatch Warren Runners on Facebook.
