Woodland Whippets 2026 - 2027

Whippet Report – Summer 2026

WOODLAND WHIPPETS - Woodland Running Club

Phew – Hot, Hot, Hot

At the time of writing, the mayor of Paris has issued a statement requesting people not to go running in the city due to the excessive temperatures. He has largely been ignored. Running gets in the blood and when you need a trot – you need a trot!

It always impresses me the level of commitment that some of our Whippets show to the cause. A child who leaves primary school having run a hundred plus times in a Park Run is quite frankly amazing; and we have had a few over the years. What about this lot:

Nour Kholief – 354

Adrijans – 303

Kady Hall – 167

Amber McAndlish – 163

Layla Hall – 145

Lewis Johnson – 107

Daniel Stockton – 108

Ronnie Murray – 123

Bella Holden – 144

Jacob Finch-Spencer – 216

Nikki Schofield – 182

Matilda Finch-Spencer – 249

Holly Johnson – 132

Mohammad Kholief – 243 (plus a million volunteering)

Charlotte Finch-Spencer – 130

There is a group of children who will very soon become members of our esteemed ‘100 club’. Let’s not forget all the adult Whippets who have also reached at least a century and who also volunteer. They will get their moment in a future edition.

A special mention to Mohammad who now is the run director of Ormskirk Junior Park Run as well as being Run Director of Edgehill and Tawd Valley 5k Park Runs. This is a massive achievement and we could not be more proud.

I will, however, pay tribute to our first ever Whippet to win a 5k Park Run. Patrick Taberner beat the field at Newborough, in Wales, last Saturday by over 50 seconds. Our first victory in our 10th year and I don’t think it will be our last.

Once again, thanks to everyone who has supported these successes; mainly parents, who become chauffeurs, chaperones, trainers, psychologists. It won’t be long until Jacob passes his driving test and makes his own way to Park Runs – at that point he will probably have run about 12,000.

Team Whippet

Happy Running!!

Mr T, Miss B, Mrs T

Whippet Report - Spring

WOODLAND WHIPPETS - Woodland Running Club

Here’s one for you!

What does rock super-group Oasis, the British and Irish Rugby Union Lions and the Woodland Whippets all have in common?

Answer: They have all embarked on momentous tours in 2025!

Admittedly, the Whippets didn’t get as far as London, Chicago, Rio and Sydney like Oasis and The Lions. But, we have been on the road, enjoying the far flung joys of Ormskirk, Crosby and Southport. And this is only the beginning. It has been great to receive warm welcomes, see surprised faces of our hosts; these kids can really run, and promote our school and club. Despite the cold weather our young athletes appear to have had a really good time – the hot chocolate helps.

Running on the beach at Crosby was a novel experience. Spare a thought for poor Miss Beeley. She gave her all sprinting, trying to catch a distant figure before the finishing line. Getting closer and closer, before realising the figure was one of Anthony Gormley’s statues!

More trips are planned with lots to look forward to. On the home front our senior Whippets are presently preparing for the upcoming Indoor Athletics competition. They certainly look up for the challenge and hopefully will do themselves proud on the day.

It has been good to see some new faces appearing at Park Run. Sisters Taylor and Amara Healey, Grace and Ellie Roberts, Ethan Clarke, Jack Preston, Charlotte Beeley, Rosie Rowlands have become regular attenders at Sunday’s 2k event. We also have a group of Year 6 boys, including Gary, Jacob, Luca, Lennox, Pauli who are getting faster over the 5k Saturday course. Thank goodness they are all aged 11 because we cannot keep up with them. Finally, well done to Harvey Rigby who has been volunteering at the finish line at the 5k – I need to teach him how to give me a faster time!

Of course, none of the above would be possible without the continued support and commitment of parents, carers, staff and members of our school community. Have you people nothing better to do?

Happy Running!!

Mr T, Miss B, Mrs T

Whippets Report - Autumn 2025

WOODLAND WHIPPETS

10 Years and counting……….

This is the first Whippet Report of our tenth year of our existence as an official running club. We did actually do a few runs at Ormskirk Park Run – mixing with Olympians, before we actually became known as the Whippets. Since then, we have literally gone from strength to strength. Our statistics are incredible and one day I will compile a comprehensive list of numbers. In the meantime, consider this:

107 Whippets have completed 1,854 5k runs.

232 Whippets have completed 4,401 2k runs.

As a school we feel very proud of our commitment to running, and sport in general, over the last 10 years. It is something to celebrate and how do runners celebrate such achievements? Of course, they go for more runs and that is what we are going to do. On the weekend of 17/18th October we are putting a call out to all Whippets, past and present to join us to do either the Saturday 5k or the Sunday 2k for under 14s. So, time to dust out the old trainers and get back into it and of course newcomers will be welcome. We are planning other events, days out etc. and at some point, will produce a list of dates for your diaries.

The big shoutouts in this report goes to Amber McCandlish, who has just run her 50th 5k Park Run and to Lottie Finch-Spencer who, at the ripe old age of 6, has run her 100th 2k Park Run. Incredible achievements for two of our most committed Whippets. Also noteworthy are the antics of Emma Finch-Spencer who is a parent and Governor at Woodland. She has evolved from parent support, to volunteer, to runner and now Skem Junior Run director – in charge of the whole thing! (Emma, of course, is partly responsible for the hordes of Finch-Spencers we see running around Skem at the weekend).

So, I will need to go and find my party clothes for our year of celebrations. I wonder if I will still be running when we celebrate our 20 years?

Keep running

Mr T, Mrs T, Miss Beeley

If you wish to register for Parkrun please follow the link below. 
https://www.parkrun.org.uk/register/form/