With fully closed roads and 1,300 finishers, there was a 'big race' feel to the 39th Hatfield Broad Oak 10K on Bank Holiday Monday, 26 May 2025.

Locally known as the Big 'O', the Hatfield Broad Oak 10K celebrates the host village's name, derived from the eponymous broad oak tree mentioned in official records dated 1295. The nearby Hatfield Forest is an ancient woodland and Site of Special Scientific Interest. The forest still contains the fenced remains of a large oak known as the "Doodle Oak", estimated as 850 years old, though it is believed to be a different tree from that which gave the parish its name.

Hatfield Broad Oak 10K is held in the medieval Essex village near Bishop’s Stortford, Hertfordshire, and is organised by St Mary's Primary School PTA. The race is run on a figure-of-eight course on local country roads, giving it a superb atmosphere as residents and spectators cheer runners as they loop through the village to finish on the green.

There were 1,297 finishers in just over 90 minutes, around an hour behind the race leaders. The first three men in a blanket finish were Nick Greenwood (unattached, 33:26 PB), Martin Westley (Harlow Run Tri, 33:37 PB) and William Radley (Witham RC, 33:37). The winner was runner-up in the Colchester Zoo Stampede 10K earlier in May and won the St Clare Hospice 10K last month.

The first 56 finishers were inside 40 minutes, a threshold that was achieved by W40 Sarah Williams (Grange Farm & Dunmow Runners, 38:39) to secure the women's top prize from Tanna Chamberlain (Bishops Stortford RC, 40:59) and W50 Sally Judd (Herts Phoenix AC, 41:43).

Also on the programme is the Little 'O' Family Fun Run held after the main 10K race at 12:40pm. For the small entry fee of £4, all children receive a runner's bib sticker and a medal. Adults (and dogs) run for free, and the fun run typically attracts up to 500 participants.

Hatfield Broad Oak 10K has been granted the British Association of Road Races Gold Standard certification for outstanding race management.

Full race information is available at the Hatfield Broad Oak 10K website here.

Results are on the runABC South race listing here.

Photo courtesy of Hatfield Broad Oak 10K Gallery