Run Silchester event helping Food Pantry and bringing village community together
Hundreds of runners turned out to take part in an annual charity run at the weekend.
Three different challenges at the Run Silchester event on Saturday (May 3), offered a distance for everyone.
And the event supports the Tadley Community Food Pantry, which was there on the day to help let people know they are there if they needed them. All runners and spectators were also encouraged to bring food and toiletries along to the collection point on the day and the pantry left with a number of boxes of goods.
There was the Run Silchester Fun Run, a 2.5-mile race aimed at encouraging children and families to take part in a community challenge; Run Silchester 5, a five-mile trail run; and then the Run Silchester 7, a seven-mile technically challenging run with even more elevation.
One of the organisers, Steve Mcavoy, said: “It’s about the community. Most of the volunteers come from the village and it gives people a chance to come out and chat.
“It’s crazy that people need food banks and food pantries in a first world country, so it’s about supporting them too.”
This year was the 25th running of the fun run and the Silchester 5.
Mr Mcavoy has been involved in every one of the Run Silchester events; the first 17 as a runner himself.
He said they added the Silchester 7 three years ago to keep the event fresh and offer something new to the runners.
“Run Silchester is organised by a small team of local residents but on the day over 50 volunteers, mostly from the village support the event both on the course and providing refreshments at the finish,” Mr Mcavoy added.
“The event couldn't take place without their amazing support.
“The Tadley Food Pantry were again our guests and runners and spectators were invited to provide food for this much appreciated local resource.”
There were plenty of prizes given out to the runners on the day too.
They went to the top three boys and top three girls aged 12 and under in the fun run, with Ralph Odlin coming home first boy and Cressida Morris, the first girl.
In the Silchester 5, Jack Mackinder was the first boy (under 16) and the first villager home, in a time of 34.49 minutes.
The first male was Simon Thatcher, in 29.05 minutes, with Freya Martin the first female, in 34 minutes.
The first villagers was Joanna Jones.
The first girl (under 16) was Annie Warner, in 40.42 minutes, with John Bigg, a villager, the first veteran male, in 35.34 minutes, and Bonnie Boyd the first veteran female in 45.22 minutes.
In the Silchester 7, Edward Buckley was the first male to finish in a time of 44.17 minutes and Jennifer Crossley was the first female across the line, in a time of 49.05 minutes. Both are Silchester villagers.
The winners of the vets categories were Lisa Phipott, from Burghfield Running Club, and Paul Leonard.
The annual event is organised by Silchester Sports Pavilion Charity and enjoys a festival atmosphere on the village playing fields.
The oldest runner was 78-year-old Ambrose Scott-Moncrief who completed the seven mile course in an impressive 1hr 10 mins.
The races all begin on the fields before going along the ancient Roman wall that once enclosed the town of Calleva Atrebatum and past the 12th century St Mary-the-Virgin church.
On the village playing fields there were also food stalls, a bar, children’s entertainment fun zone, music and the Silchester Village Market.
In a post on social media organisers added: “Thank you to all the sponsors, 60+ marshals and volunteers, Silchester Village Market, 491 participants, and the Run Silchester Committee who made Run Silchester 2025 such a lovely day.
“Every year, we try our best to make it bigger and better than the last, and an enjoyable experience for all spectators and participants.
“We hope you all had a fun-filled day and will join us next year to do it all again. “
Thanks to Pete Hughes for the photographs from the event.
