GB make history, earning their first ever medals in Run Archery.
At Sherwood Forest, the historic home of archery in the UK, the Run Archery European Cup was held in the UK for the first time. From Friday 11 to Sunday 13 October, around 90 competitors from 7 different countries competed for the titles up for grabs. The event also grabbed the attention of the BBC and ITV local news stations!
One of the GB athletes and co-team manager, Liz Whitworth, came away with two medals from the competition. Along with Olympian Tom Hall, the pair earned a bronze medal in the mixed team division.
Tom said: “Run archery is still so new in the UK so we did go in as underdogs, but I'm really impressed with how we stepped up to it. The atmosphere was electric, especially in the team races. When you find yourself sprinting into a shooting range at the leading edge of a race, it's just an amazing energy. And then getting that boost as you run past the crowd again towards the finish line. Just awesome.”
The next day, Liz also won a bronze medal in the women’s team category with Harriet Kelsey and Victoria Powell. Tom Hall also earned himself a second medal alongside Glenn Smith and Richard Stedham for the men’s team.
Liz said: “It feels amazing, especially to have the rest of the GB team there cheering you on. Knowing they were watching definitely pushed me to give 101%.”
The GB men ready to race. Credit: Chloe A'Bear
In the individual competition, GB won two medals: bronze in the 50+ division for Sue Wolfendale, and U21 archer, Becky Stacey, earned the silver.
The atmosphere at the event according to the athletes, rivalled any other international they’ve attended. Onlookers enquired how they get can get involved in the sport, and cheers could be heard from across the field.
Liz told us: “What got me the most was the smiles, everyone seemed happy to be there, and though there was disappointments, everyone celebrated and commiserated together, we were all aiming for one thing, to enjoy ourselves.”
Do you want to try run archery and see what the buzz is about for yourself? Click the link below to register to express your interest for events in 2025.
