After three days in the City of Quebec, a European city in the East of Canada, with wall to wall blue skies and temperatures in the mid to high 20s, all did not bode well for Roger Biggs and the Quebec Marathon.
Worry not, Roger woke to find a cloudy skies and a significant drop in temperatures, plus a cooling light wind, almost perfect! The marathon started in the city of Levis on the Southern banks of the St Lawrence River, crossing the Pont de Quebec before turning East to Quebec, mostly right next to the Northern shore of the St Lawrence River. With favourable conditions, Roger ran his best marathon of 2016, by some 13 minutes to finish in 4:27:18, plus his best since October 2014.
Last Friday Faster
Despite the heat and a cycle race less than two days beforehand Jim Brown ran a year’s best of 24:16 at Friday’s Serpentine 5K. An improvement of 54 seconds. He was 136th and fourth in his category.
Parkrun Report
Lots of Spartans ran and volunteered in the #IAmTeamGB parkruns this weekend. 21 Spartans ran in Fairlands Valley. STEFFAN FORD finished in fourth place overall in his first park run in 18:29. TODD GRAY, also making his parkrun debut finished in 12th place overall in 20:35. MARK BEASLEY was in 20th place in a new PB of 21:20. DAVE SMITH was 25th (21:56). For the women, OLWEN BATTY ran a new PB of 24:12 to finish as 4th lady. CAROL PAUL was 6th lady in 25:21 and NIKKI WILBY ran a new PB of 25:25 to finish as 7th lady.
There were also course PBs for CHRIS HOLLAND (24:06) and DANIEL SUTTON (24:31). Other Spartans running at Stevenage were LIAM ERRINGTON (22:23), MARTIN DUDLEY (22:46), DARREN EMMERSON (24.06), TIM ROBINSON (24:15), CLAIRE COX (26:39), JENNY GARRETT (27:38), HEATHER MALONEY (30:44), JOHN WALSH (31:46), KARENA TRUMAN (35:28), KAREN BROOM (35:44), JANE SWEET (42:21) and VERITY FISHER (tail runner) (51:37).
At Panshanger, TRACY PEZ was 7th lady in 24:00. Other Spartans running at Panshanger were VISHY SHAH (25:42), ANDY JAY (27:00) and Club Chairman NICK WITCOMBE in 31:08.
At Milton Keynes, JOHN ROXBOROUGH finished in an excellent 22:18. GRAHAM HILL also ran in course PB of 33:25.
Coming Events
Many Spartans will be enjoying a busy programme of races, social and training events over the next few weeks including the:
- Harlow 10 at 10a.m. on Sunday 4th September.
- Spartans Family Fun and Charitable Day at 2p.m. on Sunday 4th September.
- Herts 5K senior championships in Hatfield on Wednesday 7th September.
- Herts 5K veteran championships in Hatfield on Wednesday 21st September.
- FVS Handicap 5 / 10 in Stevenage on Sunday 25th September.
- Standalone 10K including County Vets Championships on Sunday 2nd October.
- Open 5K race in Hatfield on Wednesday 5th October.
- Peterborough Half Marathon on Sunday 9th October.
- Abingdon Marathon on Sunday 23rd October.
- First Cross Country League Race in Cheshunt on Sunday 23rd October.
- Stevenage Half Marathon, a Stevenage 70 event, on Sunday 6th November.
- Second Cross Country League Race on Sunday 13th November (new date).
- St Neots Half Marathon on Sunday 20th November.
- County Five Miles Open Championship in Hatfield on 27th November.
- Spartans Christmas Social on Saturday 10th December.
- Third Cross Country League Race on Sunday 18th December.
- Boxing Day Five in Witham on Monday 26th December.
Join The Spartans
Live in or near Stevenage? Like running? Fairlands Valley Spartans is your local running club and is on the up! The club was voted the UK’s Best Running Club in 2010. It now has hundreds of members and encourages participation by all. The Spartans have a varied training programme to suit those who want to run 5 kilometres through to full marathons.
The Spartans weekday training sessions are on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. Go along to the new sports centre at Marriotts School – a Sports College, Telford Avenue, Stevenage (SG2 8UT) at 7p.m. Up to five running groups go out on training nights – there will be one to suit you!
The Spartan Starter group starts from Marriotts at 7.30p.m. every Monday (except public holidays) and 7p.m. every Thursday.
Most long Sunday morning training sessions start 9a.m. sharp. Spartan track training sessions are held at Ridlins Athletics Track, Woodcock Road, Stevenage most Saturdays from 9.15a.m. There are events to enter every Sunday. Newcomers are very welcome – those who have not yet done very much running might prefer to start with a Thursday, Saturday or Monday session.
Try a few sessions before joining. Membership is only £37 per year, £25 without UKA affiliation. Concessions are available. Membership forms are available on the Spartans website www.fvspartans.org.uk Please ask if you would like a paper copy. You can also join online.
If you want to know more about the Spartans please contact Jim Brown (0793 968 7509), Andy Neatham 0777 197 5499 and 01438 816889; or Karen Palmer (07734678566) or visit their website www.fvspartans.org.uk