News Release 24th March 2013
OAKLEY CANCELLED
Where’s Wally?
Our interesting Spring weather caused the cancellation of the popular Oakley 20 road race. This 20 miles event is usually a last long run for many Spartans running the London Marathon. However there was some race action over the weekend and several club members got some training miles done in the snow.
Dawdle With No Daffodils
Despite winter returning with a vengeance, five Spartans braved the snow and biting wind in the Daffodil Dawdle off-road marathon, just outside Newmarket in Suffolk.
Knee deep in snow, calf deep in icy water and ankle deep in very slippery mud, the run felt more like a 40 mile event, rather than the 26.7 measured miles, and while there was no sign of any daffodils there was plenty of dawdling – not least because that was the only way you could stay upright on most of the course.
CAROL PAUL finished in 5 hours 48 minutes 18 seconds; CHRIS LEIGH in 6 hours 22 minutes 59 seconds; MIKE NEWBITT in 6:42:08; PAUL HOLGATE in 6:54:54 and SHARON CROWLEY in 7:17:53.
Where’s Wally?
Where’s Wally fun run was great fun and went ahead in Victoria Park, London. LIAM HERBERT lined up alongside hundreds of fellow Wallys, thanks to ingenious stripy costumes provided by the organizer.
The Fastest Wally
The race was a last minute sign-up for Liam, he was invited to run with a number of librarians from his work just one week ago. On a cold, windy flat course and despite being dressed in a red and white stripy jumper, hat and glasses he would have earned a personal best time of approximately 38 minutes dead on if it had been an accurate and timed 10K race. He was the first and fastest Wally over 10K!
In fact, over the course of the two lap circuit, which allowed runners to choose 5K or 10K options, Liam led from the combined start and opened up a big lead over the second and third placed runners that could not be closed. At the end of lap 1 (5K), he was comfortably in the lead and maintained this with a strong finish home. Liam’s reward for this was a novel Where’s Wally medal, his costume to take home and the satisfaction of knowing that he had raised £100 (and counting) for the National Literacy Trust in the process. All in all, a great fun run!
Coming Events
Many Spartans will be enjoying a busy programme of races, social and training events over the next few weeks including the:
- Handicap 5K in Stevenage on Thursday 28th March.
- Serpentine 5K in Hyde Park on Friday 29th March.
- Flitwick 10K on Sunday 14th April.
- Virgin London Marathon on Sunday 21st April.
- County Five Miles Championships in Pednor on Monday 6th May.
- County Track and Field Championships in Stevenage on Monday 6th May.
- County Veterans 10K Championship at St. Albans on Sunday 12th May.
- Mid Week League 10K in Stevenage on Tuesday 14th May.
- Fairlands Valley Challenge on Sunday 21st July.
- Relays in the Park in Stevenage on Thursday 25th July.
- Herts Senior 5K Championships in WGC on Tuesday 24th September.
- County 10K Championships in Letchworth on Sunday 6th October.
- Herts Veterans 5K Championships in WGC on Tuesday 8th October.
- Stevenage Half Marathon on Sunday 3rd November.
- County Ten Miles Championship in Buntingford on 30th December 2013.
- Watch for announcements about the County Marathon Championships.