On the weekend of 16th-17th May, Hillingdon Athletic Club once again took on the challenge of the Green Belt Relay – one of the most unique and demanding team events on the running calendar. This marked the sixth time that the club has fielded a team, following appearances in 2019, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025. What began as an exciting club adventure has become something of an annual tradition and it’s safe to say we’re completely hooked, despite collective mentions of “I’m knackered” (other words were muttered) before we even finished day 1!
With runners tackling stages across the scenic countryside surrounding London, the event once again delivered a fantastic mix of teamwork, endurance, camaraderie and exhaustion.
Hillingdon Athletic Club were 1 of 60 teams that competed in this year’s Green Belt Relay, with a blend of familiar faces and fresh recruits lining up in club colours on the start line at Hampton Court Palace. Amongst them was a Green Belt Relay debut for Nikki Penty-Alvarez, while Mel Spencer made a welcome return to the squad, following an absence last year. Ed Harrison was a late call-up also making his Green Belt Relay debut following an unfortunate injury to Zoe Dobbs on Day 1.
The Green Belt Relay (GBR) is a long distance running event held annually and organised the the Stragglers Running Club. The event is a 220 mile relay race, divided into 22 stages which range between 6 to 13.5 miles that takes place over 2 days. The course traces the perimeter of London along the Green Belt. Each stage is given a difficulty rating between 1 and 10 (with 10 being most difficult). The four mountain stages (4, 5, 16, 19) are the toughest and times in these count towards the Kings and Queens Of The Mountains awards.
Each team consists of 11 runners taking on 2 stages, one on each day whilst supporting their teammates with transport and logistics throughout the event! Teams are responsible for transporting their runners between stages, marshalling duties and ensuring they learn their stage as they have to navigate themselves!
Learn more about each stage: Course
Entering the Green Belt Relay isn’t as simple as turning up on the day with your running shoes and race number. Months of preparation go into making the event happen, not only from our team captain, but from the organisers at the Stragglers Running Club and every other club participating – we all have our marshal duties throughout the weekend!
For Hillingdon AC, that responsibility once again fell to team captain Andy Wood, who once again did a fantastic job of rallying the troops and coordinating another successful campaign around the Green Belt. Each member of the team are asked to select their preferred stages they’d like to run months in advance from the start ensuring all 22 stages are covered. So far, we’ve managed an impressive feat and somewhat side quest: no Hillingdon AC runner has ever repeated a Stage. Finding new stages for returning runners is however becoming increasing difficult, but we’re keeping that streak alive!
This year’s event brought some notable milestones. Andy Wood and Sam Hurley have now each completed 12 different stages, reaching the remarkable benchmark of having run 50% of the entire relay, only 6 more years to go for the full set, lads!
Disclaimer: Andy has not changed his name to Nikki
Clive Wickham moves up to double figures, with 10 stages completed. Adam Laing, Patrick Griffin and Spencer Harding all reached 6. Alice Coburn, Deepak Pandiyarajan and Mel Spencer now have 4 stages to their name. Nikki Penty-Alvarez completes her first Green Belt Relay with 2 Stages under her “Green Belt”. Meanwhile, Ed Harrison earned perhaps the most unique statistic of all, having been drafted in as a late replacement, he leaves the weekend with an odd number of Green Belt Stages completed – 1!
Green Belt Relay Stages Completed
12: Andy Wood & Sam Hurley
10: Clive Wickham, Zoe Dobbs
8: John Dobbs
6: Adam Laing, Gabe Segall, Karen O’Rourke, Patrick Griffin & Spencer Harding
4: Alice Coburn, Deepak Pandiyarajan, Jeremy Cox, Mel Spencer
2: Catriona Paterson, Charlotte Wood, Dan Spinks, Dan Thompson, Debbie Brown, Hannah Laing, Heather Davidson, James Laing, Jen Harvey, John Hughes, Kathryn Carruthers, Kirk O’Rourke, Lyndsey Browne, Nikki Penty-Alvarez, Paul Spencer, Vicky Brownlee
1: Ed Harrison
Saving further waffling, we’ll get stuck into the action. Each team is tasked with certain marshal duties every year. For previous years we have been tasked water station duties at Dobbs Weir, coupled with a course marshal post near Walton Bridge. This year, however, we were given a different assignment and were spared water station duties altogether.
Instead, our responsibility was to course mark on Stage 4. Ahead of the weekend, Andy and Spencer met up with GBR chief and legend Peter Kennedy to assess potential areas of trouble that could be faced by runners between Little Marlow and Great Kingshill. The trio identified potential trouble spots and made sure the course was clearly marked, helping runners navigate the stage with confidence and avoid any unwanted sightseeing detours. Trust me on this one, you didn’t want to go wrong…
Throughout the years, Andy Wood has kept statistics following each GBR, from stages completed per participant to HAC course record holders! A few records were set this year:
Day 1
Nikki Penty-Alvarez Stole the women’s record on Stage 2 from Karen O’Rourke, with a 2 minute improvement. Adam Laing pinched the men’s Stage 3 crown from Spencer Harding, by a margin of over 5 minutes.
Mel Spencer absolutely smashed the previous women’s record on Stage 6 set by Zoe Dobbs by nearly 10 minutes. Spencer Harding narrowly missed out on the men’s record set by Patrick Griffin on Stage 7, by a miniscule 14 seconds!
Day 2
Nikki Penty-Alvarez set her second Stage record of the weekend on Stage 14 by improving on Mel Spencer’s time by just under a minute. It was 2nd time lucky for Spencer Harding, as her beat Clive Wickham’s record on Stage 17 by just over 2 minutes. Mel Spencer was the 1st female to complete Stage 18, so she takes the record automatically and has set an impressive benchmark for others.
Adam Laing also picked up his 2nd record of the weekend on Stage 19, removing Jeremy Cox from his throne with a near 3 minute improvement. It’s tricky to compare records on Stage 22, with the Stage length changing 3 times over the years. Patrick Griffin came in 28 seconds quicker than Jeremy Cox in 2025.
Overall, we beat our time from last year by around 20 minutes, happy days!
Day 1
Stage 1
Hampton Court Palace to Staines
12.70 miles – level 6
With a comprehensive driving schedule very carefully set out by Andy, with Spencer double, triple and maybe even quadruple checking, we knew our Saturday morning plans. Zoe set out to pick up Clive, Patrick and Nikki before making advance to Hampton Court Palace. Sam collected Mel and Alice, who had already made a already lengthy journey from High Wycombe via train! Deepak picked up Andy, Adam and Spencer.
The team met at the start line, gathering for our final brief and team photo before wishing Deepak good luck stage 1. Time passed and the race began at 8:30am, Deepak took the honours of starting us off, running from Hampton Court Palace, taking on 12.70 miles to Staines. The first and last stages are dubbed, by us at least as the ‘glory runs’! In fact, Deepak was leading us off on both days! Deepak completed the stage in 1:41:26 in 37th place.
Stage 2
Staines to Boveney Church
9.70 miles – level 3
All the cars departed from Hampton Court Palace and made their way to Staines to see Nikki start Stage 2. Nikki took to the start line in Staines, marking her GBR debut. Nikki completed the stage in 01:16:17 in 29th place and 4th in age category.
Stage 3:
Boveney Church to Little Marlow
11.20 miles – level 5
The cars departed from Staines and now separated to drop off their runners and commence marshal duties. The trip to Boveney Church was somewhat interrupted…
Adam was taking us through Stage 3, starting at Boveney Church, alongside the Thames before turning away from the river and into Little Marlow. Adam completed the stage in 01:26:43 in 28th place.
After 3 stages, HAC rank 27th in the leaderboards.
Stage 4:
Little Marlow to Great Kingshill
11.80 miles – level 10
Stage 4, the first of four ‘Mountain Stages’, featuring a total ascent of 470 metres! Arguably dubbed the toughest Saturday stage by the organisers, featuring steep hills with rugged and remote woodland sections. Sam took on this stage, finishing in a time of 01:55:54 in 50th place!
I knew this one would be hilly, but that seems like an understatement. My fitness was no match for the 470 metres of elevation, not to mention a 75 metre climb on the 18th kilometre alone. Good luck to whoever wants this stage next year!
Stage 5:
Great Kingshill to Chipperfield
13.50 miles – level 10
The second ‘Mountain Stage’, the longest stage of the Green Belt Relay at over half marathon distance. The stage takes runners through the Chilterns and the South Bucks Way.
Zoe took on the challenge of stage 5, unfortunately Zoe suffered a calf injury not long after setting off and made a sensible call to not continue. The GBR has a cut-off time for each stage, so if you don’t complete the stage at all, or exceed the cut-off time, you will receive the cut-off time regardless. We’re all wishing you a speedy recovery, Zoe!
Stage 6
Chipperfield to St. Albans
8.50 miles – level 3
The stage with the cricket players, we meet at Chipperfield! Stage 6 is the second shortest Saturday stage at 8.5 miles, although with its challenges, notably a climb out of Kings Langley. Mel commenced stage 6 which starts at 2:08pm.
Mel finished in 01:03:13 in 21st place, 2nd in age category!
Mel had a strong finish, with exemplary running form that we hope our coach’s would be proud of!
The first two miles were tough with 11 kissing gates and narrow paths, compounded by D of E walkers. The route featured road, canal, and rail bridges, passing through a town, housing estates, farms, woods, crop fields, a church, and a country pub. The finish at St Albans Park was busy with pedestrians, bikes, and dog walkers.
Stage 7
St.Albans to Letty Green
11.60 miles – level 7
Stage 7 is a fairly flat, but long stage over 11.60 miles. The start of the stage is along a very narrow footpath and includes a narrow bridge crossing, it can get congested!
Spencer took to this stage, finishing in a time of 01:22:56, returning in 18th place.
This was my third year participating in the GBR for HAC and I was coming off a series of injuries. For day one, I chose stage 7 St Albans a 11.6-mile, 7/10 difficulty route. Arriving slightly later than planned, I was anxious about the challenge ahead. The route was mostly a flat and straight paved old railway line so I gradually settled into my stride. However, after two-thirds of the way I encountered numerous turns and trails. Seeing the finish in sight, I pushed hard to finish quickly at Letty Green. I finished in a proud 1 hour 22 minutes and 18th place out of 60. My Strava stats even showed a 10-mile personal best!
Stage 8
Letty Green to Dobbs Weir
10.70 miles – level 4
A 10.70 mile and an almost flat stage along a cycle path and through the town of Hertford, leading onto a towpath for the majority of the stage! Clive took on Stage 8, coming home in 01:27:34 in 37th place!
Starting off next to a former train platform on the Cole Green Way this scenic stage passes through Hertford Castle Grounds and then follows the River Lea/ Lee Navigation past Ware to Dobbs Weir. Having squeezed in just enough hamstring rehab to toe the start line, I was very pleased to maintain a steady pace throughout and finish the dead flat 10.7 mile route in one piece in 37th place. All credit to the superb marshals who helped us navigate some busy roads in Hertford town centre.
Stage 9
Dobbs Weir to High Beach
10.20 miles – level 7
The famous ‘Dobbs’ stage for HAC! Andy got us underway on stage 9 (clearly raring to go). The stage is mostly flat… until the 8 mile mark which sees a sharp climb of 120 metres towards the end of the stage! Andy finished the stage in 01:19:40, finishing in 28th place.
A nice flat run along the River Lea Navigation, then just when your legs start suffering, you fork left and head up, up, up into Epping Forest. A lovely view from the top, if you survive that hill !
Stage 10
High Beach to Toot Hill
9.00 miles – level 6
The penultimate stage of day 1 saw 9 miles of Epping Forest awaiting Alice who led us through stage 10. The stage is a tough and largely offroad run with a history of slippery conditions and perhaps some fallen trees!
Alice finished the stage in 01:32:43, finishing in 58th place!
Stage 11
Toot Hill to Blackmore
7.50 miles – level 3
The final stage of the day! Patrick took the honour of bringing day 1 to an end, unfortunately the heavens opened and it started to become a little damp! We arrived ahead of time, so we took cover in the pub before the start. Patrick set off over 7.5 miles from Toot Hill to Blackmore, finishing in 00:58:36 in 27th place and 2nd in age category.
HAC finished day 1 in a total time of 16:37:02, sitting in 44th place.
By this point, Zoe had made it back home safe and sound, but we were calling out for a replacement. The superhero of the weekend and stepping up to the team with no previous Green Belt Relay experience was Ed Harrison, joining the team towards the end of day 1, settling in with our evening meal, welcome to the team, Ed!
With the day’s racing coming to a close, the entire team dashed to Blackmore to cheer Patrick home! One of the great things about the Green Belt Relay is the team spirit, and there was a fantastic atmosphere at the finish line of stage 11, with everyone gathered to cheer runners home. From there, it was straight off to Chelmsford, where our accommodation for the night was. A quick freshen up (we’re talking 20 minutes here) it was time for a well established Green Belt tradition for us; a well earned trip to Wagamama! By this point, it’s become as much part of the weekend as the running itself, even without Gabe collecting dinner orders before stage 2!
Sadly, there wasn’t much time for a leisurely evening. An early start in the morning was on the agenda, with stage 12 due to begin at 8am, it was back to the hotel and off to bed. Our departure the following morning was so early that even the hotel breakfast was out of reach, porridge pots it is.
Check out our day 1 summary on our socials!
Day 2
Stage 12
Blackmore to Thorndon Park
10.75 miles – level 6
Rise and shine, it’s time for day 2 of the Green Belt Relay! Stage 12 starts at 8am, with an arrival time of 7:15am, so it was an early start! We gathered in the hotel reception, with a rather confused look from the receptionist, that’s before we stated what our weekend plans were! A quick photo opportunity, or a fit check? Back to the cars it was and Blackmore was the destination!
The start of stage 12 is just around the corner from where we finished yesterday. Some red and white face paint was purchased and we got our #gofaster stripes on!
Deepak took the reigns, once again kicking off the starting leg and the resumption of the Green Belt Relay on day 2. We were able to give Deepak a cheer as we drove past and later stopped on the course and found ourselves assisting another club with water station duties! Deepak powered on and completed the stage in 01:26:38.
Stage 13
Thorndon Park to Cranham
6.60 miles – level 2
A mostly flat stage with some tricky navigation! Nikki took us out over this one, racing well to a 25h placed finish and 2nd in age category, in a time of 48:39!
Stage 14
Cranham to Davy Down
9.00 miles – level 4
A mostly flat 9 miler, with around half of the stage being ran on remote footpaths along the Mardyke Way stage with some tricky navigation! Sam took HAC through stage 14 in a time of 01:17:43 and 38th place!
Slightly better today, no noticeable hills at least. Safe to say I'm absolutely broken. There was a tight battle towards the end of that stage, jostling positions with 3 other runners. I enjoyed the battle but I was hanging on throughout, any uplift in pace was too much. The battle didn't end well, body said no!
Stage 15
Stone Lodge to Lullingstone Park
9.40 miles – level 6
A downhill and then mostly flat 9.4 miles from Stone Lodge into Lullingstone Park, Clive tackled this one, completing the stage in a time of 01:15:33 in 33rd place!
I really enjoyed running this picturesque (apart from the narrow road side start!) 9.4 mile route from Dartford to Lullingstone Country Park, much of it alongside the River Darent. I was really drawn into the racing in the 2nd half when a competitor who'd gone significantly off-course appeared and I upped the pace to stay ahead of him on the undulating country lanes to the finish, for 33rd position.
Stage 16
Lullingstone Park to Tatsfield
13.10 miles – level 10
A stage routed in Green Belt Relay history, famous for James Laing’s sprint finish and stage win from 2022 – the closest finish in any stage!
Stage 16 is a ‘Mountain Stage’ and the first of two on day 2. Stage 16 features two climbs, each of over 200 metres elevation! Debutant Ed Harrison had to tackle this stage, name a more brutal GBR introduction (sorry Ed).
Ed rallied hard through the rolling hills to Tatsfield finishing in 47th place in a time of 1:59:45.
Hard
I may’ve shortened that review by a word that preceded ‘hard’… editors rules and all, but you get the gist.
Stage 17
Tatsfield to Merstham
10.50 miles – level 7
Stage 17 is set mostly on the North Downs Way, with some very steep uphill sections. Spencer led the charge with one, running to an impressive 18th place finish in a time of 1:16:38!
Stage 18
Merstham to Burford Bridge
9.60 miles – level 9
The final ‘Mountain Stage’ of the Green Belt Relay, taking runners to Box Hill. This stage had Mel’s name on it and Mel made it hers, a fantastic 21st place finish, 2nd in age category, finishing in 1:21:59. To think Mel worried about making the cut-off time for this stage, the cut-off was 1:49:00. More than comfortable – even so Mel finished before the Italian Job v2 arrived to pick her up!
We started quietly between cricket bowls, immediately tackling the daunting Reigate hill, which seemed endless. This was followed by a long, undulating section on uneven paths hidden in the woods. I regained my rhythm on the main road before Box Hill but got confused on the second climb, thinking I was on the wrong path. My fellow HAC runners waited at the steep ascent, where I likely complained again. Unfortunately I didn’t enjoy the views as I was focused on the descent, where I reclaimed 5 places, and finished strong.
Stage 19
Burford Bridge to West Hanger
8.55 miles – level 7
Stage 19, these stages are coming thick and fast now. Talking fast, Adam took us around this one, a strong 26th placed finish, 1:09:46 on the clock and a new HAC record to boot, thumbs up.
Stage 20
West Hanger to Ripley
6.00 miles – level 1
Into the twenties! 6 miles on mostly roads and largely downhill! Alice, you’re up! 54:51 on the clock and 51st position, that’s another stage checked off!
Stage 21
Ripley to Walton Bridge
8.40 miles – level 2
The penultimate stage of the Green Belt Relay, Andy ran from Ripley to Walton Bridge in a time of 01:03:31, finishing in 23rd place!
This stage marked our final marshalling point, at 6.80 miles along stage 21, navigating runners over the bridge and through a hard to spot alleyway. A great spot to cheer runners, on their way through the final 2 miles of the stage!
Another river bumble for me, following the River Wey and out onto the Thames. Legs definitely struggling after the previous days climb, so started cautiously and built pace towards the end. Finished at Walton Bridge and had a nice surprise with my Dad cheering me across the finish line
Stage 22
Walton Bridge to Bushy Park Sports Centre
8.20 miles – level 1
The final stage! Finishing both day 1 and 2, it’s Patrick! A flat 8.20 miles across towpaths and pavements leading towards Bushy Park Sports Centre. It’s always a rush from all teams to reach the finish in time to cheer their final runner home! Patrick crosses the line in 1:02:14 and 33rd place. Cheers.
Check out our day 2 summary on our socials!
Stage 23
Bushy Park Sports Centre – I got carried away
There’s only 22 stages, no one was exactly queuing up for another run! Before heading home, there was still time for the traditional end-of-weekend proceedings. Team debriefs were held, the race organisers conducted their final team captains’ meeting, and attention turned to the award ceremony. Sadly, HAC didn’t win any trophies this year, but our Green Belt Relay experience has always been about far more than silverware. Well… with one exception.
The most hotly contested prize of the weekend is undoubtedly the infamous HAC Toilet Brush Award, presented annually to the club member who has ventured the furthest off course. Unsurprisingly, nominees are rarely keen to put themselves forward, and evidence is often debated long on the journey home. Strava will rat you out on this one.
This year’s leading contender appears to be Spencer Harding, whose navigation may’ve led him wayward. However, at the time of writing, the jury remains out, investigations are ongoing, and the final verdict is yet to be delivered. I will say, I don’t plan to add anything further to this article, so we can settle it now?
Here it is in all its glory!
To round this one off, a big congratulations to everyone for such a fantastic effort throughout the 2 days, it’s never easy but it’s always great fun! Thank you to our captain Andy. The fantastic preparation and planning that goes into making this possible as we make our way around the 220 mile route! Thank you to every member of the team for contributing, from drivers, marshals and runners!
A big thank you to the Stragglers Running Club for hosting the event, we’ll be back again, still recovering though!
Hillingdon Athletic Club finished the Green Belt Relay in a total time of 1.06:14:19, finishing in 38th place out of 60 teams.
