Spartan GRANT RAMSAY won the Hertfordshire County Championships on Sunday. He took the 5,000 metres GOLD on Watford track in 16 minutes 43 seconds. Although he may not have been fully race fit, following two recent sub 3 hour marathons in eight days, he was very pleased with his time and position”.
Mid Week Masses
Sixty six Spartans made the tricky after work journey to Bishops Stortford on Wednesday for the first in this summer’s series of Mid Week Road Race League events.
GRANT RAMSAY ran into a top ten spot, seventh out of the 400 or so runners in 35 minutes 2 seconds. 66 Spartans. A total of eight Spartans beat the 40 minute barrier on the undulating course which included farm tracks and country lanes. The others were SIMON JACKSON, 12th in 35:46; ANDREW PATTERSON, 14th in 35:54; STEFFAN FORD, 20th in 36:46; CIARAN McANERY running his first 10K in 38:15; RICHARD SPRINGALL his first 10K in 38:36; DANNY HUKIN 39:08 and BRIAN WHITE 39:20. Brian was the first 60 plus man in the race.
New member NUALA CARSON was the fastest female for Fairlands. Another first timer she was eighth woman, 120th overall, in 43 minutes 52 seconds. Next came another newcomer, CARLA HOWELL in 45:25. Six other women beat 50 minutes. They were ISABEL GREEN in 46:19; HANNAH NEALE with a tremendous finish in 48:09; CLAIRE WHITCHURCH in 48:28; RUTH REILLY taking 3:52 of her PB with 48:45; VERITY FISHER following a determined sprint for a new personal best of 48:56 and LAUREN DEIGHTON in 49:22 for her first 10K.
The Spartans were fourth overall with 557 points behind Harlow on 694 but well ahead of Hitchin on 941. The men’s team were third.
The next mid week league race will be in Stevenage on Wednesday evening 24th May.
Results for all 66 Spartans:
| Position | Name | Time | Comments | Team |
| 7 | Grant Ramsay | 35:02 | 6th male; 4th V40; YB | MA |
| 12 | Simon Jackson | 35:46 | 5th V40; YB | MA |
| 14 | Andrew Patterson | 35:54 | SB (0:40) | MA |
| 20 | Steffan Ford | 36:46 | 6th V40; SB (0:28) | MA |
| 39 | Ciaran McAnery | 38:15 | 1st 10K | MA |
| 43 | Richard Springall | 38:36 | 1st 10K | MA |
| 51 | Danny Hukin | 39:08 | SB (0:17) | MA |
| 53 | Brian White | 39:20 | 1st V60; SB (0:50) | MA |
| 72 | Steve Green | 40:30 | SB (0:12) | MA |
| 84 | Stuart Haycroft | 41:32 | PB (2:48) | MA |
| 90 | David Bowker | 42:06 | 9th V50. SB (10:11) | MA |
| 100 | Thomas Sauka | 42:48 | YB | MA |
| 102 | Tim Saban | 42:48 | YB (0:45) | |
| 109 | Mark Collins | 43:08 | 1st 10K | |
| 114 | Dean Carpenter | 43:18 | SB (1:15) | |
| 115 | Mike Wenn | 43:31 | 1st 10K | |
| 120 | Nuala Carson (F) | 43:52 | 8th Female; 1st 10K | FA |
| 125 | John Nelms | 44:16 | YB | |
| 127 | Nick Gill | 44:23 | 1st 10K | |
| 132 | Paul Harris | 44:42 | YB | |
| 146 | Mark Goodwin | 45:22 | SB (0:03) | |
| 147 | Carla Howell (F) | 45:25 | 1st 10K | FA |
| 155 | Chris Holland | 46:04 | PB (2:08) | |
| 161 | Darren Emmerson | 46:10 | YB | |
| 164 | Isabel Green (F) | 46:19 | YB | FA |
| 172 | Mark Beasley | 46:35 | YB | |
| 177 | Paul Batterbee | 46:49 | YB | |
| 178 | Robert Evans | 46:57 | SB (0:54) | |
| 188 | Martin Dudley | 47:18 | YB | |
| 199 | Hannah Neale (F) | 48:09 | 1st 10K | FA |
| 204 | Claire Whitchurch (F) | 48:28 | 1st 10K | FA |
| 209 | Ruth Reilly (F) | 48:45 | PB (3:52) | FA |
| 212 | Verity Fisher (F) | 48:56 | PB (0:55) | FB |
| 223 | Lauren Deighton (F) | 49:22 | 1st 10K | FB |
| 224 | Tim Robinson | 49:24 | YB | |
| 229 | Ken Jude | 49:40 | SB (0:23) | |
| 234 | Karl Shreeve | 50:00 | PB (3:57) | |
| 238 | Hazel Smith (F) | 50:17 | 1st 10K | FB |
| 243 | Juliet Fullwood (F) | 50:40 | 1st 10K | FB |
| 244 | Callum Beasley | 50:41 | YB | |
| 247 | Neil Robinson | 50:51 | 1st 10K | |
| 256 | Lisa Gray (F) | 51:20 | 8th V45; YB | FB |
| 259 | Andy Jay | 51:34 | YB | |
| 261 | Lee Pickersgill | 51:38 | PB (1:20) | |
| 263 | Claire Emmerson (F) | 51:37 | YB | FB |
| 272 | Karen Ellis (F) | 52:11 | YB | |
| 276 | Jenny Garrett (F) | 52:21 | PB (2:37) | |
| 285 | Kelly McHale (F) | 53:19 | 1st 10K | |
| 287 | Barry King | 53:33 | YB | |
| 288 | Callie Chapman (F) | 53:46 | 1st 10K | |
| 289 | Wendy Tharani (F) | 53:49 | 1st 10K | |
| 297 | Rob Shaw | 54:06 | 7th V60; YB | |
| 298 | Carol Paul (F) | 54:08 | 3rd V55; SB | |
| 303 | Simon Sypula | 54:30 | YB | |
| 307 | Sarah Pike (F) | 54:48 | YB | |
| 329 | Steve Pike | 56:47 | YB | |
| 331 | Erica Grayson (F) | 56:48 | 1st 10K | |
| 332 | Sue Hamer (F) | 56:48 | YB | |
| 333 | Claire Hyde (F) | 56:45 | PB (0:15) | |
| 348 | Karen Palmer (F) | 57:55 | YB | |
| 351 | Mick Andrews | 58:32 | PB (5:50) | |
| 358 | Paul Holgate | 59:00 | YB | |
| 365 | Sharon Crowley (F) | 59:51 | 8th V55; SB (2:38) | |
| 381 | Alexandra Whitehouse (F) | 62:52 | 1st 10K | |
| 382 | Cathy Craig (F) | 63:10 | YB | |
| 388 | Steve Gough | 64:57 | YB |
Battersea Bowker
David Bowker went to Battersea Park on Tuesday for the monthly Veterans’ Athletic Club five miles race walk league. He finished fourth overall and second man in a recent personal best of 50 minutes 11 seconds.
Parkrun Reports
JOHN HARRIS went to Ellenbrook Fields and was 11th in 19:07 for the fastest parkrun time by a Spartan this weekend. Â He was joined at the Hatfield venue by BARRY OSBORNE who ran a new course PB (personal best) of 20:36 to finish 20th.
Fast woman of the weekend was NATALIE LAWRENCE who was first woman to finish at Stevenage in 19:23, as the venue moved back on to its normal course following completion of the bridge works in the top half of the park. Â ASHLEY SCHOENWETTER was 3rd woman in 21:41 on her first run in a parkrun, and VERITY FISHER was 21st in 27:01. CLAIRE EMMERSON (27:08), JO BOWDERY (27:25 in her first parkrun), KAREN PALMER (29:39) and SALLY PHILLIPS with a new course PB of 31:17 also ran.
For the men at Stevenage RYAN DUNNING was 38th in 23:28, a new course PB, with TIM ROBINSON 56th in 24:59 and DARREN EMMERSON 59th in 25:28. KEN JUDE (25:51), ANDREW SMITHÂ (26:40), KARTIK SHARMA (27:09) and ROGER BIGGS (34:24) also ran.
JOHN ROXBOROUGH was at Panshanger, finishing 44th in 23:20, while finally DANIEL SUTTON was in Edinburgh and finished 62 at Portobello parkrun in 23:51.
Coming Events
Many Spartans will be enjoying a busy programme of races, social and training events over the next few weeks. The opportunities include the County 1500 and other track championships in Stevenage on Monday 1st May. Others are:
- Summer Solstice 10K at St Albans on Tuesday 16th May.
- Stirling Marathon on Sunday 21st May.
- Second Mid Week Road Race League in Stevenage on Wednesday 24th May.
- EMAC Track and Field at Cambridge on Wednesday 7th June.
- Third Mid Week Road Race League in Hitchin on Wednesday 14th June.
- Herts Veteran 10K Championships at Welwyn on Sunday 25th June.
- Fourth Mid Week Road Race League from Ridlins on Wednesday 28th June.
- EMAC Track and Field at Milton Keynes on Wednesday 5th July.
- Mob Match at Welwyn Garden City on Thursday 13th July.
- Fairlands Valley Challenge from Stevenage on 15th and 16th July
- EMAC Track and Field at Stevenage on Wednesday 26th July.
- Fairlands Valley Relays in Stevenage on Thursday 27th July.
- Herts Senior 5K Championships at Hatfield on Wednesday 30th August.
- Herts Veteran 5K Championships at Hatfield on Wednesday 13th September.
- Herts Senior 10K Championships at Standalone on Sunday 1st October.
- Peterborough Half Marathon on Sunday 8th October.
- Stevenage Half Marathon on Sunday 22nd October.
- St Neots Half Marathon on Sunday 19th November. Enter fast.
- Hertfordshire Five Mile Championship for Veterans at Hatfield on Sunday 26th Nov.
- Bass Belle 10 near Royston on Sunday 26th November.