In 2025, Full Factory Winnerswear sponsored athlete Rebecca Flaherty made her Easter Festival of Running debut in spectacular fashion. She became the second consecutive Oxford University runner to win the overall women’s Festival title, following Naomi Kingston’s victory in 2024.
Rebecca delivered outstanding performances across the weekend, winning both the IQ-EQ Good Friday 10K in 35:33 and The Outback Sportsbar Douglas 5K in 17:16. She also finished third in the Full Factory Winnerswear Peel Hill race, securing enough points to take the overall title.
Rebecca is a former World Mountain Running Champion in the women’s U20 category and has represented Great Britain at both the European and World Cross-Country Championships.
From Yorkshire, she runs for Bingley Harriers and is currently sponsored by Martin Bullock through Full Factory Winnerswear.
We recently caught up with Rebecca to hear her thoughts on the Easter Festival of Running and why it’s such a special event.
Rebecca you won the 2025 Easter Festival of Running, how did that feel and what was your favourite part?
My favourite part was the celebration and awards on Sunday evening, as all the runners from every university came together to celebrate and it was a lovely way to spent time with other runners away from racing! It was also a fun evening of dancing, even though everyone was very sore from all the races!
What’s one thing about running in the Festival that people should know before they do it?
There is a lot more running to be done than just the races! The festival is incredible because not only are there the races, there are events, such as a running pub crawl on Saturday evening, which really add to the experience!
Which race is your favourite and why?
My favourite race is the 10km race on the Friday, maybe because it is the first race and so you aren’t tired and sore going into it! I also love that everyone races together, as it means there are loads of other runners around me to help carry me round, and the atmosphere is amazing with spectators cheering at every section.
What makes the Easter Festival of Running special compared to other events?
The festival is so special as it brings university students, alumni and other people who love running together, and being able to compete multiple times really helps to form friendships and mutual respect! The differences between each race is also so unique, as it is rare to do a fell race anyway, let alone less than 24 hours before a super flat and fast road 5km.
Given that it is three races over three days, how does this change your preparation and training leading up to the event?
I will reduce my milage and training during the week leading up to the event, as I want to make sure I am very fresh and recovered going into the first race.
What do you recommend eating before the event?
As each race is at a different time of day, it is hard to give just one answer, but I always go for porridge and banana for breakfast on a race day! For afternoon/evening races, I would recommend just sticking to simple carbs throughout the day, like bagels, flapjacks etc and make sure to keep well fuelled!
What’s the biggest mistake you saw runners make in the 2025 Festival?
I think the biggest mistake I saw runners make was underestimating how tough the fell race is and going off too hard, as you pay the price on the descent as well as the 5k the next day!
If you could give one piece of advice to someone running the Festival for the first time, what would it be?
I would say that the entire experience is so much more than just the races and so make sure to get involved with all the activities and events throughout the weekend, even if they may not be the best way to recover between races!
