By race director Sam Carpenter of Sole Sisters Running Club.

For the 12th consecutive year, Sole Sisters organised the Bradley Stoke 10k, which has now become an integral part of the festival weekend. With an entry limit of 650 runners, the race sold out in record time.

From 6am on Sunday, members of Sole Sisters were either getting the Jubilee Centre set up at Race HQ or were out on the course delivering the water, putting up warning signs and generally getting ready for 8am when the runners started arriving to pick up their race numbers.

Six lead marshals gathered their own group of mile marshals, all equipped with goodie bags, and set-off to their marshal stations covering the entire 10km (6 mile) route. Each year, we need between 80 and 100 marshals for the event, and that includes two water stations. As in previous years, we’ve received such lovely feedback on how great and supportive our marshals were. We were ably assisted by 1st Bradley Stoke Guides at the start/finish, 1st Stoke Lodge Guides at Water Station No. 1 and Stoke Gifford Guides at Water Station No. 2.

The Bradley Stoke 10k has become a key race in the running community calendar and 566 entrants turned up for the race in near perfect conditions (although it was still quite warm if you were running!) and we had a mixture of club and non-club runners. The festival is often the first official engagement for the new Bradley Stoke mayor and we were pleased that newly appointed Cllr Ben Randles was on hand to give the runners some words of encouragement and for the prize-giving.

More: Maciej seals victory with a final push in last kilometre »

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Entries have opened for the 2018 renewal of the Bradley Stoke 10k Run, to be held on Sunday 10th June as part of the town’s community festival. But you’ll need act quickly if you wish to take part, as more than 470 of the 650 places available have already been snapped up.

Organised by local ladies-only running club Sole Sisters, the race starts and finishes at the Jubilee Centre.

The race route takes in much of the Three Brooks Local Nature Reserve as well as stretches along Brook Way and Bradley Stoke Way.

As well as supporting the mayor’s charities, Sole Sisters will this year be donating £1 per entry to raise funds for the Frenchay Brain Injury Rehabilitation Centre (BIRU).

Penny Greenwood, Sole Sisters chair, explains:

“In September 2017 one of our dearest club members Dr Bex Mitchell and her family were involved in a horrific car accident which her partner did not survive. Her two children had extensive internal injuries; thankfully they are now fully recovered and being cared for by close family.”

“Bex herself has a traumatic brain injury. Since November, she has been treated at the BIRU in Frenchay, the unit specialises in the treatment of patients, from 16 years and upwards, who have severe physical and/or cognitive problems resulting from a brain injury. The centre is led by a consultant neuropsychiatrist who is supported by two consultants in rehabilitation medicine and another consultant neuropsychiatrist. They work with a team of psychologists, speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, nurses and support workers with decades of experience in neuro-rehabilitation.”

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A field of 574 runners contested Sunday’s Bradley Stoke 10k, organised by Sole Sisters, on the final day of the 2017 Bradley Stoke Community Festival.

Entries for the popular event, which has its start and finish at the Jubilee Centre, had sold out on 7th March, more than three months ahead of raceday.

The weather was bright, yet not too warm, as the runners followed the multi-terrain route along the pavements and tracks of  Bradley Stoke.

Both the men’s and women’s races saw repeat victories for the 2016 winners, with both shaving a few seconds off last year’s times.

Victory in the men’s race went to Maciej Bialogonski (Bristol & West AC), in a time of 34:07 (4 seconds faster than 2016), well clear of second man Daryl Phillips (Bristol & West AC, 37:05), followed closely by Stephen Honight (unattached, 37:11).

Honight’s performance also secured the special prize for the top-finishing Bradley Stoke resident.

First home in the women’s race, and an impressive second overall, was Helen Newberry (Bristol & West AC) in a time of 37:00 (19 seconds faster than 2016). The second woman to finish was Louise Cronin (Great Western Runners, 43:07) followed by Kerry Whitton (Great Western Runners, 46:39) in third.

Above: Race winners Maciej Bialogonski and Helen Newberry.

More info: Full race result (DB Max)

The Journal’s photos of the 2017 Bradley Stoke 10k

• Runners cross the start line (166 pictures on Facebook)
• Runners pass through the nature reserve (136 pictures on Facebook)
• Runners approach the finish (475 pictures on Facebook)

Links to more photos and videos of the race can be found here.

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A field of 548 runners contested Sunday’s Bradley Stoke 10k, organised by Sole Sisters, on the final day of the 2016 Bradley Stoke Community Festival.

Entries for the popular event, which has its start and finish at the Jubilee Centre, had sold out on 31st March, more than two months ahead of raceday.

Local residents turned out in force on a bright and warm morning to support the runners as they followed the multi-terrain route along the pavements and tracks of  Bradley Stoke.

Victory in the men’s race went to Maciej Bialogonski (Bristol & West AC), in a time of 34:11, comfortably clear of 2015 winner Ciaran McQuade (North Bristol Running Group, 34:42) in second place, followed by local youngster Adam Wilson (Yate AC, 35:04) in third.

McQuade’s performance also secured the special prize for the top-finishing Bradley Stoke resident.

First home in the women’s race, and seventh overall, was Helen Newberry (Bristol & West AC) in a time of 37:19, almost two minutes ahead of second-placed Rebecca Awde (Bristol & West AC, 39:07) with Elizabeth Smith (Westbury Harriers, 41:29) in third.

Above: Race winners Maciej Bialogonski and Helen Newberry.

More info: Full race result (DB Max)

The Journal’s photos of the 2016 Bradley Stoke 10k

• Runners cross the start line (174 pictures on Facebook)
• Runners approach the finish (465 photos on Facebook)
• Race overview (48 pictures on Facebook)

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