Spartan SIMON JACKSON took a fantastic top ten position out of the 1127 runners and the prize for third veteran in Sunday’s St Neots Half Marathon. He was ninth in 1 hour 18 minutes 26 seconds.
It was windy and damp underfoot but 29 Fairlands Valley Spartans completed the race, with many great performances.
CHRIS HOLLAND ran a new personal best of 1:42:25, an improvement of 2 minutes 43 seconds. He gained most of that in the last three miles and means his total PB improvement in two weeks of 5 minutes 57 seconds!
There were other personal best for MIKE GREEN 1:26:25; KERSTIN WEINER 1:56:49 and SUE HAMER 2:00:36.
Spartan JAMES KILROY completed number ten of his half marathon challenge this year.
This, in 1:55:25, was his third one back after four months out injured and his times have steadily been going back in the right direction.
This was TIM ROBINSON’s third half in November for Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month.  He finished in 1:56:08. You can find him on JustGiving with Tim-robinson11.
Four Spartans achieved a standard of 70% or more. They were Simon Jackson (76.5% for his top ten 1:18:26); JIM BROWN (70.6% for his season’s best 1:44:57); PHILIP GALE (70.6% for 1:35:36) and KAREN LIDDLE (70.2% for her 1:56:39). The standards are related to age and gender.
JAN FRY was third female veteran (65 plus) in 2 hours 24 minutes 56 seconds. NICOLA TOUT was fastest Fairlands female in 1:54:30 with TRICIA HOPPER not far behind in 1:55:02.
There was also a season’s best for ROGER BIGGS of 1:59:45 and ANDY JAY ran a year’s best 1:49:02.
All the Spartan times:
Position | Name | Cat. Pos. | Cat. | Time | Rate | Standard | Comments |
9. | Simon Jackson | 3. | MV40 | 1:18:26.0 | 05:58min/mile | 76.5% | Third veteran |
59. | Mike Green | 32. | SM | 1:26:25.3 | 06:36min/mile | 67.7% | PB |
131. | Liam Herbert | 56. | SM | 1:32:33.6 | 07:04min/mile | 63.0% | |
188. | John Nelms | 63. | MV40 | 1:35:33.4 | 07:18min/mile | 66.4% | |
192. | Philip Gale | 31. | MV50 | 1:35:36.2 | 07:18min/mile | 70.6% | |
262. | Dave Smith | 84. | MV40 | 1:39:30.6 | 7:37min/mile | 60.7% | |
275. | Richard Hazledene | 90. | MV40 | 1:39:55.1 | 07:39min/mile | 61.4% | |
326. | Chris Holland | 106. | SM | 1:42:25.0 | 07:50min/mile | 57.6% | PB (2:43) |
381. | Mark Goodwin | 66. | MV50 | 1:44:16.6 | 07:59min/mile | 67.7% | |
416. | Jim Brown | 12. | MV60 | 1:44:57.5 | 08:05min/mile | 70.6% | SB |
496. | Andy Jay | 81. | MV50 | 1:49:02.7 | 08:20min/mile | 60.8% | YB |
611. | Jon Sypula | 177. | MV40 | 1:54:09.0 | 08:48min/mile | 52.5% | |
614. | Nicola Tout | 37. | FV45 | 1:54:30.9 | 08:48min/mile | 61.2% | |
629. | Trisha Hopper | 39. | FV45 | 1:55:02.3 | 08:50min/mile | 63.6% | |
635. | James Kilroy | 160. | SM | 1:55:25.2 | 08:52min/mile | 51.6% | |
654. | Tim Robinson | 186. | MV40 | 1:56:08.5 | 08:55min/mile | 54.6% | |
666. | Andy Prior | 187. | MV40 | 1:56:28.5 | 08:57min/mile | 54.9% | |
667. | Kerstin Weiner | 44. | FV45 | 1:56:49.5 | 08:57min/mile | 60.6% | PB |
671. | Karen Liddle | 8. | FV55 | 1:56:39.2 | 08:57min/mile | 70.2% | |
776. | Robert Wright | 193. | SM | 2:00:07.7 | 09:15min/mile | 48.7% | |
782. | Roger Biggs | 29. | MV60 | 1:59:45.1 | 09:16min/mile | 64.4% | SB |
783. | Claire Cox | 63. | FV45 | 2:00:36.3 | 09:16min/mile | 58.1% | |
784. | Sophie Cowan | 99. | FV35 | 2:00:36.0 | 09:16min/mile | 55.0% | |
785. | Sue Hamer | 64. | FV45 | 2:00:36.4 | 09:16min/mile | 58.7% | PB |
852. | Stephanie Mayfield | 119. | FV35 | 2:05:28.6 | 09:41min/mile | 54.5% | |
870. | Caroline Croft | 79. | FV45 | 2:06:10.9 | 09:45min/mile | 55.6% | |
951. | Victoria Brett | 151. | FV35 | 2:11:34.6 | 10:09min/mile | 51.2% | |
958. | Paul Holgate | 139. | MV50 | 2:13:09.6 | 10:10min/mile | 53.0% | |
1068. | Jan Fry | 3. | FV65+ | 2:24:56.6 | 11:07min/mile | 62.3% | Third FV65 plus |
1071. | Tracy Stiles | 125. | FV45 | 2:25:17.4 | 11:08min/mile | 49.8% |
Steppingley Step
It was with some relief that storm Angus did not come too far north and was over by Sunday morning, for Liz, Mike and Sharon Crowley. Â Sticking together they completed the 26.2 mile Steppingley Step from Barton Le Clay in 7 hours 59 minutes 23 seconds. Â They were pleased to get in under eight hours and in daylight!
Parkrun Report (19 November)
At Stevenage parkrun NATALIE LAWRENCE was first woman finisher, crossing the line in 22 minutes 4 seconds. Â CLAIRE PULLEN was third in 22:51 and VERITY FISHER sixth in 24:43. CAROL PAUL finished 11th in 25:58. The other Spartan women running were CALLIE CHAPMAN (26:49), HEATHER MALONEY (30:35) and CAREN THAIN (37:08), a new course PB (personal best) by nearly a minute.
For the men, RICHARD SPRINGALL was fifth in 19:39, knocking an impressive 38 seconds off his course PB, DARREN EMMERSON was 16th in 21:56 and MARTIN DUDLEY 24th in 22:33. DAVE SMITH (23:47) and ROGER BIGGS (28:05) completed the Spartan contingent in Fairlands Valley Park.
At Gunnersbury KELLY McHALE was 12th woman to finish in 24:24, while regular traveller DARRYL STEVENS was at Exeter Riverside and recorded a time of 41:50. Finally LUCY FIELD ran at Oxford, finishing in 27:28.
Grand Union
TIM ROBINSON ran the Grand Union Half recently in 1 hour 52 minutes 57 minutes.
Coming Events
Many Spartans will be enjoying a busy programme of races, social and training events over the next few weeks including cross country league. The opportunities include:
- Wolverton Five on Saturday 26th November.
- County Five Miles Open Championship in Hatfield on 27th November.
- Spartans Christmas Social on Saturday 10th December.
- Third Cross Country League Race at Willian on Sunday 18th December.
- Boxing Day Five in Witham on Monday 26th December.
- Serpentine New Year 10K in Hyde Park on 1st January 2017.
- Herts Cross Country Championships at Haileybury on Sunday 8th January.
- Fourth Cross Country League Race at Watford on Sunday 15th January.
- Fred Hughes 10 at St Albans on Sunday 22nd January.
- Southern Seniors Cross Country at Parliament Hill Fields on Saturday 28th January.
- Watford Half Marathon inc. County Senior Champs on Sunday 5th February.
- Fifth and Final Cross Country League Race at Royston on Sunday 12th February.
- Veterans County Cross Country Championships on Sunday 19th February.
- Finchley 20 on Sunday 11th March.
- County 1500 Championships in Stevenage on 2nd May.
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