HASLEMERE Borders members, like all other sports clubs, have seen their regular training sessions and races cancelled during lockdown.

But this has not deterred members from continuing their training and maintaining their fitness levels, while adhering to the lockdown rules.

Weekly club training sessions have been provided by the club coaches and individual members have attempted to follow these sessions, maintaining social distancing and lockdown rules.

Social media has enabled runners to keep in contact with others, set individual fun challenges and follow achievements in a virtual world.

With the cancellation of many races, months of marathon training was not wasted as members set about participating in their own ‘marathon’.

The disappointment of the Paris marathon being cancelled did not deter Caroline Snape, who completed the 26.2 miles by cycling and running.

On April 26, when the streets of London should have been full of crowds cheering on the London Marathon runners, Colin Butfield chose to run the ‘VLM’ around Haslemere. With less support and a few more hills, the 26.2-mile route was definitely a lot harder.

Others took part in a high-intensity interval training session, with 26 intense anaerobic exercises, repeated 26 times.

Individual challenges have seen members complete a number of virtual races, with many choosing to participate in virtual events supporting the NHS and other good causes.

Other challenges have seen locations being set, with the challenge of running, cycling or walking to the location.

The opportunity to discover new local areas, trails or to try out different sports have all been taken, while adhering to lockdown rules.

There have been some notable personal achievements, among them Philomel Bennett, who has completed the ‘Ben Nevis’ challenge.

The idea was to run the same hill as many times as it takes to run the whole elevation of Ben Nevis’ 4,421ft (1348m) elevation, which could be done over a number of days.

Farnham Lane was the setting for Philomel to take on the challenge, and a total of 15 hill reps was required to reach the 4,421ft elevation.

Always one to rise to the challenge, Philomel set off at 6.30am and completed all 15 hill reps – a total distance of 56.7km – in an incredible time of 5:47:58, and achieved a personal-best time for 50km.

Lockdown has also given some members time to fully recover from niggling injuries and in recent weeks it has been great to see some back out exercising again.

Club runner Steve King has built up his fitness after injury by cycling 50k to work and back every day, enjoying the traffic-free roads and is now back to running again.

Dave Bateman has also joined Steve and Peter Varnes at Longmoor to complete his first 10k for 16 weeks.

While members have kept themselves busy, the new Get Up And Run group for those new to running had been due to complete their ten-week course – run by HBAC coaches – on March 21 with a Parkrun at Alice Holt.

Despite the pandemic delaying the completion of their course, the group have kept running throughout lockdown and all chose to complete their 5k run on June 3, Global Running Day.

The triumphant group of Sarah Chapman, Janice Brittain, Nicky Bateman, Phil O’Connor, Caroline Cullen and Julian Smith all completed the virtual 5k and have eventually received their first running medal.

It is a great credit to them all that they have kept running during this period and the club look forward to welcoming them all to the club, when they are allowed to start training again.