CATHY CRAIG celebrated her 65th birthday in style by running the Lisbon Marathon with her daughter Hazel in temperatures that peaked at 35 degrees Celsius! Cathy was fourth in her age category completing in 5 hours 38 minutes 22 seconds.
HAZEL SMITH completed her FIRST marathon in 4 hours 23 minutes 47 seconds after only eight weeks training due to a bike accident.
Birmingham Biggs
ROGER BIGGS ran his 893rd marathon on Sunday. The Great Birmingham Marathon was the first marathon in the city for at least twenty years. On a course that went straight through the city centre Roger finished in 5 hours 27 minutes 45 seconds.
A Win In Leicester
JAN FRY ran the Leicester Marathon in 5:14:55 coming FIRST in the V60 Women’s category! There were a total of 516 runners and Jan really enjoyed the course
Stevenage Half Marathon This Sunday
Organised by Fairlands Valley Spartans the Stevenage Half Marathon is the town’s biggest and best running event, and has been organised for more than thirty years. Entries have opened and 580 have already signed up.  This year it will be on Sunday 22nd October and the race starts from Ridlins Athletic Track at 10a.m. Have a look on www.fvspartans.org.uk or go straight to https://www.activetrainingworld.co.uk/events/2017/10/22/stevenage_half_marathon
Hawkins Wins At Hatfield House
Spartan SUZY HAWKINS was first woman and third overall at the Hatfield House 5K with a time of 21 minutes 51 seconds.
Elsewhere MOLLIE SMITH ran the Amsterdam marathon in 4:11:46 and ROBERT WRIGHT the Manchester Half Marathon in 2:05:38.
parkrun reports
The Spartans all ran locally this weekend, with a handful at Panshanger, but most at Stevenage where CRAIG HALSEY was again first to finish in a time of 16:56 (just five seconds outside his best round here).  KEITH COUGHLIN was next home in second, in 18:10 with ALLAN GARCIA 24th in a new course PB of 21:48 and MARTIN DUDLEY also just getting a top 30 finish in 22:23.  JOHN NELMS (22:37), MARK BEASLEY (22:50), CHRIS HOLLAND (23:00), DAVID SCOTT (new course PB, 23:56), JIM BROWN (new parkrun PB, 24:10); DANIEL SUTTON (25:28), JAMES SOUTH (28:39), MICHAEL O’KEEFE (30:19) and STEVE DOBNER (33:07) also ran, with DARREN EMMERSON (48:49) operating as tail-walker.
ALLISON WOOD made it a double-first for the Spartans, as she was first woman finisher in 19:56. Â VERITY FISHER was 6th in 24:25, CLAIRE EMMERSON and TRACY PEZ 11th and 12th respectively in 25:20, with CAROL PAUL also making the top thirty in 27:30. Other Spartans running were KAREN BROOM (29:35), SALLY PHILLIPS (new course PB, 29:41) and IRIS HORNSEY (30:46).
Over at Panshanger IAN STRETCH was first Spartan to finish in 27:28, with Anthony OSBORNE completing in 40:05 to round out the Spartan men. Â For the women BEV HARLOW completed in 32.35 with LIZ M0RGAN finishing in 35.32.
Coming Events
Many Spartans will be enjoying a busy programme of races, social and training events over the next few weeks including:
- Stevenage Half Marathon on Sunday 22nd October.
- Serpentine 25th Anniversary 5K from the boat house on Friday 27th October.
- First Cross Country League race at Cheshunt on 29th October.
- Cross Country League at Trent Park on Sunday 12th November.
- St Neots Half Marathon on Sunday 19th November.
- Wolverton Five at Milton Keynes on Saturday 25th November.
- Hertfordshire Five Mile Championship for Veterans at Hatfield on Sunday 26th Nov.
- Bass Belle 10 near Royston on Sunday 26th November.
- Bedford Harriers Half Marathon on Sunday 3rd December.
- Spartans Christmas Party on Friday 8th December.
- Festive Five at Welwyn Garden City on Sunday 10th December.
- Cross Country League at Willian on Sunday 17th December.
- Witham Five on Tuesday 26th December.
- Buntingford Year End 10 on Sunday 31st December.
- New Year 10K in Hyde Park on Monday 1st January 2018.
- County Cross Country Championships at Cassiobury Park on Sunday 7th January.
- Cross Country League at Watford on Sunday 14th January.
- Fred Hughes 10 miles including senior county championships at St. Albans on Sunday 21st January.
- Southern Cross Country Championships on Saturday 27th January.
- Watford Half Marathon inc. veteran championships on Sunday 4th February.
- Bramley 20/10 (20 miles or 10 miles) on Sunday 11th February.
- St Valentine’s 30K at Stamford on Sunday 11th February.
- Cross Country League at Royston on Sunday 18th February.
- Welwyn Half Marathon on Sunday 4th March.
- Finchley 20 miles (including Herts County) on Sunday 18th March.
- Oakley 20 miles on Sunday 18th March.
- Orion 15 at Chingford (Epping Forest) on Saturday 24th March.
- London Marathon on Sunday 22nd April.
- Stirling Marathon on Sunday 29th April.