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SPEEDY SPARTANS AT ST NEOTS

Yuko in Derry * Inaugural Half From Knebworth House

 

A third place overall, a winner and lots of personal bests for the 22 Spartans at St Neots on Sunday.

Spartan CRAIG HALSEY raced round the St. Neots Half Marathon to finish in third place out of more than 1,000 finishers and cut his already impressive personal best by one minute to 1 hour 14 minutes 11 seconds.

In her first race as a Spartan ROSIE LYON-SMITH was first female for the club and took seven minutes off her personal best with 1 hour 37 minutes 4 seconds.  BRIAN WHITE was clear winner in the Vet 60 category in 1:28:13.

There were other personal bests for PAUL HEWETT 1:23:14); CHRIS HOLLAND in his first half under 100 minutes at 1:39:18; JO BOWDERY over the moon cutting her PB by another seven minutes to 1:49:35; KERSTIN WEINER 1:52:08 and ERICA GRAYSON 1:57:37;

On a chilly but sunny and wind free morning JIM BROWN went round his monthly half marathon in 1:46:32.  The other Spartan finishers were STEFFAN FORD 1:21:07; JOHN NELMS 1:40:49; MARK GOODWIN 1:41:34; PAUL MAGUIRE 1:42:16; ANDREW SMITH 1:47:21; ANDY PRIOR 1:54:54; JON SYPULA 1:57:48; CAROL PAUL 1:58:13; BARRY KING in a season’s best 1:58:17; ROBERT WRIGHT 2:01:06; MARIA SWIFT 2:03:43; STEPH MAYFIELD 2:07:05 and CAROLINE CROFT 2:11:37.

 

Position Name Time Age Rel. Comments
3 CRAIG HALSEY 1:14:11 79.9% Third overall.  PB (1 min).
28. STEFFAN FORD 1:21:07 74.5%  
41. PAUL HEWETT 1:23:14 70.1% PB.
96. BRIAN WHITE 1:28:13 82.4% 1st MV60
252. ROSIE LYON-SMITH 1:37:04 67.6% PB (7 minutes).  11th FS.
294. CHRIS HOLLAND 1:39:18 59.7% PB (first under 100)
310. JOHN NELMS 1:40:49 63.7%  
333. MARK GOODWIN 1:41:34 70.2% 6th MV60.
354. PAUL MAGUIRE 1:42:16 64.8%  
467. JIM BROWN 1:46:32 70.3% 12th MV60.
472. ANDREW SMITH 1:47:21 55.2%  
522. JOANNE BOWDERY 1:49:35 59.5% PB (7  minutes)
581. KERSTIN WEINER 1:52:08 63.8% PB
648. ANDY PRIOR 1:54:54 56.2%  
712. JON SYPULA 1:57:48 51.4%  
723. CAROL PAUL 1:58:13 67.0% 9th FV55.
726. ERICA GRAYSON 1:57:37 61.5% PB (2 minutes)
756. BARRY KING 1:58:17 55.5% SB
823. ROBERT WRIGHT 2:01:06 48.4%  
869. MARIA SWIFT 2:03:43 55.7%  
914. STEPHANIE MAYFIELD 2:07:05 54.2%  
984. CAROLINE CROFT 2:11:37 53.8%  

 

Soph in Cyprus

SOPH GEORGIOU ran the first Larnaca, Cyprus half marathon with a personal best (PB) of 2 hours 6 minutes 34 seconds.

There were about 1000 runners in the half and the weather was a sunny 23C.

 

Result of British and Irish Cross Country International on 18.11.17 in Derry

England won both men’s and women’s team.  Individually, YUKO GORDON was 5th (F65) over the 6km swampy parkland course and won the team bronze for the age group behind Ireland and Scotland.  She was the second scoring runner for the England team.  It was very close, just 1 point between each top three teams.

Yuko was happy with her debut run of the Cross Country International considering she had a massive hamstring muscle rupture 5 weeks ago and had only three weeks back in training against advice from my physio and GP.

 

Hertfordshire Half Marathon

Another eleven Spartans were at Knebworth House for the inaugural Hertfordshire Half.  This was on an undulating course with a brutal hill for the last 800 metres.

At 1 hour 56 minutes 10 seconds VICTORIA BRETT and CLAIRE HYDE ran new PBs both taking 7 minutes from the time of their last half marathon.

Being a Knebworth resident STEVE GREEN had to give the race a try.  He finished in 1:30:22.  RICHARD SPRINGALL was the fastest Spartan.  He was 53rd out of the 2,038 finishers in 1:29:11.  MARK COLLINS trimmed his PB to 1:30:37.

DAVID SCOTT cut a massive 25 minutes of his PB with 2:05:48.  TIM ROBINSON got back to the stately home in 1:52:51.

It proved a tough course with many undulations but all the FVS runners showed great determination and grit to get their medal.

 

Position Name Time Comments
53 RICHARD SPRINGHALL 1:29:11  
72 STEVE GREEN 1:30:22  
75 MARK COLLINS 1:30:37 PB
600 TIM ROBINSON 1:52:51  
602 PAUL WHYTE 1:52:41  
724 VICTORIA BRETT 1:56:10 PB
725 CLAIRE HYDE 1:56:10 PB
771 NEIL ROBINSON 1:57:14  
876 KELLY EVANS 2:00:04  
1195 DAVID SCOTT 2:05:48 PB (25 minutes)
1574 ROGER BIGGS 2:18:58  

 

Brighton 10K

The Brighton 10K turned out to be a fast flat race in perfect weather conditions alongside the seafront and ANN TRYSSESOONE ran a season’s best 49 minutes 36 seconds.

 

Snetterton

Altogether 34 Spartans ran a half marathon at the weekend.  CHRISTOPHER JOHANSEN ran his very first half marathon in a gun time of 3 hours and 15 minutes.  He chose the hard inaugural Snetterton Half Marathon.

 

South to North

TOM SAUKA did the Peaks South to North Ultra which was split into two days.  The first was 30 miles of the White Peak from Ashbourne to Edale which ended up being 53km with a time of 7 hours 7 minutes.  The second day from Edale to Marsden which was 45km in a time of 7 hours 17 minutes.

 

Shillington Shuffle

In perfect conditions with wonderful views Michael Andrews & Paul Holgate together with wife/daughter Aimee Andrews walked the Shillington Shuffle off-Road marathon through Barton-le-clay, Lilley, Offley,  Pirton, Holwell, Stondon, Meppershall and Hexton in 8 hours 7 minutes.  Sharon & Mike Crowley completed in 7:29.  Aimee’s first time further than 16 miles and Mick’s first time past 21 miles, but training going perfectly for Disney marathon in Florida on the 7th January.

 

parkrun Highlights

ASHLEY SCHOENWETTER finished 8th overall and first woman at Barclay parkrun, Hoddesdon in a time of 22:20 while NATALIE LAWRENCE was third woman at Luton Wardown in 23:03.

At Stevenage MARTIN DUDLEY was first Spartan finisher in 22 mins 07 seconds in 32nd place, with MICHELLE REEVES first Spartan woman in 3rd place in 22:15.  There was also a new course PB of 22:53 for RYAN DUNNING in 44th place.

Highlights elsewhere were a new course PB of 22:35 for MADELEINE PRITCHARD at Beckton where she finished as second placed woman.  HANNAH NEALE again improved her PB at Bath Skyline, now down to 23:10, while RICHARD KENNEDY also improved his Nobles course PB to 22:18.

Finally two Spartans were in action much further afield with MICHAEL O’KEEFE running his 28:00 close to the equator at East Coast parkrun in Singapore, and PENNY SCHENKEL clearly won the prize for most distant Spartan.  She was running in the southern hemisphere at Main Beach on the Gold Coast in Australia with 28:35.

Full parkrun times for 18th November were as follows:

Luton Wardown          
  Pos Gen parkrunner Time Notes
  47 3 Natalie LAWRENCE 00:23:03  
           
Newcastle          
  Pos Gen parkrunner Time Notes
  300 228 Roger HARDMAN 00:27:38  
           
Bath Skyline          
  Pos Gen parkrunner Time Notes
  46 10 Hannah NEALE 00:23:10 New course PB
           
Main Beach          
  Pos Gen parkrunner Time Notes
  76 18 Penny SCHENKEL 00:28:25 In Australia (Gold Coast)
           
Nobles          
  Pos Gen parkrunner Time Notes
  13 12 Richard KENNEDY 00:22:18 New course PB
           
Stevenage          
  Pos Gen parkrunner Time Notes
  34 32 Martin DUDLEY 00:22:07  
  37 3 Michelle REEVES 00:22:15
  44 41 Mark BEASLEY 00:22:45  
  47 44 Ryan DUNNING 00:22:53 New course PB
  65 60 Lee PICKERSGILL 00:23:35  
  73 67 Barry OSBORNE 00:23:45  
  89 8 Julie SIMMONS 00:24:24  
  92 84 Daniel SUTTON 00:24:30  
  109 99 Nick GILL 00:24:53  
  134 17 Hazel SMITH 00:26:27  
  146 22 Karen PALMER 00:27:12  
  160 133 James SOUTH 00:28:01  
  189 152 Roger BIGGS 00:29:23  
  195 41 Callie CHAPMAN 00:29:44  
  204 45 Verity FISHER 00:30:06  
  216 53 Sally PHILLIPS 00:31:15  
  251 172 Tim ROBINSON 00:34:37  
  262 88 Emma POULTER 00:37:15  
           
Beckton          
  Pos Gen parkrunner Time Notes
  16 2 Madeleine PRITCHARD 00:22:35 New course PB
           
East Coast          
  Pos Gen parkrunner Time Notes
  37 30 Michael O’KEEFE 00:28:00 In Singapore!
           
Panshanger          
  Pos Gen parkrunner Time Notes
  55 51 Andy JAY 00:24:05  
           
Barclay          
  Pos Gen parkrunner Time Notes
  8 1 Ashley SCHOENWETTER 00:22:20  

 

 

Coming Events

 

Many Spartans will be enjoying a busy programme of races, social and training events over the next few weeks including:

 

  • Spartans AGM in Stevenage on Friday 24th November.
  • Wolverton Five at Milton Keynes on Saturday 25th November.
  • Hertfordshire Five Mile Championship for Veterans and open race at Hatfield on Sunday 26th Nov.
  • Bass Belle 10 near Royston on Sunday 26th November.
  • Herts Sports Partnership Awards at Hatfield on Tuesday 28th November.
  • Bedford Harriers Half Marathon on Sunday 3rd December.
  • Spartans Christmas Party with an 80s theme 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 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.
  • Baldock Beast on Sunday 25th 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.

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