Perfect running conditions helped all 15 Spartans who ran this month’s Handicap 5K to finish ahead of their handicap time. The event which was in Stevenage on Thursday evening was won by Tim Robinson 4 minutes 46 seconds (4:46) better than handicap with a season’s best (SB) time of 26 minutes 29 seconds (26:29).
Sally Pickles was winning woman equalling her previous season’s best (SB) time of 30:39, 3:21 better than handicap. Jayne Dymoke was second lady in a new (personal best) PB time of 36:11, finishing together with Sharon Crowley who was third lady. Charlie Arnold was second man in 22:04 and Paul Maguire third man with 25:55.
Charlie’s 22:04 was the fastest time of the night with Craig Bacon second quickest in 22:56. Jo Cooksley was the fastest woman with 24:45 and Yuko Gordon second quickest lady in 25:42, while new member Jodie Wilson was third fastest lady in 29:13.
Thank you Mike Crowley and Mark Freeman for their assistance with the start and finish and to Paul Holgate for organising the event.
In handicap events the slower runners start first and the others based on recent performances set off at intervals to chase them and each other. If everyone runs “to form” they will all finish together. In fact the best improver, while maybe not the fastest runner on the night, crosses the finish line first and wins.
The final handicap 5K of the year will be in Stevenage on Thursday evening 18th September.
| Pos | First Name | Last Name | Time | Hcap | Finish Time | Comp Hcap |
| 1 | TIM | ROBINSON | 26:29 | 13:45 | 40:14 | 4:46 |
| 2 | SALLY | PICKLES | 30:39 | 11:00 | 41:39 | 3:21 |
| 3 | JAYNE | DYMOKE | 36:11 | 6:15 | 42:26 | 2:34 |
| 4 | SHARON | CROWLEY | 36:11 | 6:15 | 42:26 | 2:34 |
| 5 | YUKO | GORDON | 25:42 | 16:45 | 42:27 | 2:33 |
| 6 | JUDY | KING | 29:48 | 13:15 | 43:03 | 1:57 |
| 7 | MARLEEN | VAN ZWIETEN | 38:39 | 4:45 | 43:24 | 1:36 |
| 8 | JODIE | WILSON | 29:13 | 14:15 | 43:28 | 1:32 |
| 9 | CHARLES | ARNOLD | 22:04 | 21:30 | 43:34 | 1:26 |
| 10 | LEANNE | WILSON | 29:22 | 14:15 | 43:37 | 1:23 |
| 11 | PAUL | MAGUIRE | 25:55 | 17:45 | 43:40 | 1:20 |
| 12 | KARL | SHREEVE | 28:16 | 15:30 | 43:46 | 1:14 |
| 13 | SAMANTHA | SUTTON | 29:46 | 14:15 | 44:01 | 0:59 |
| 14 | CRAIG | BACON | 22:56 | 21:15 | 44:11 | 0:49 |
| 15 | JO | COOKSLEY | 24:45 | 19:30 | 44:15 | 0:45 |
Alice in London
New Spartan ALICE WELCH ran the LDNX London 10K in a new personal best (PB) of 1 hour 5 minutes 18 seconds (1:05:18). Well done Alice all those Kenyan Hills and joining a running club has massively paid off! There is more to come from Alice. The Spartans are so proud of you. There were 4,665 finishers.
Adrian in Gosfield
A win for ADRIAN BUSOLINI at the Gosfield Backyard Ultra with 31 laps or 207 kilometres in 31 hours.
Adrian said, “It was a lovely fair weather weekend for another backyard ultra, this time in Gosfield, Essex. A compact 6.7km course full of twists and turns, loops and loopbacks, marked by hundreds of little orange flags in the grass. Every hour, on the hour, run a lap and get back to the corral ready to go again. Last one standing wins the trophy.
A friendly bunch of 51 souls set out on this loopy backyard adventure. Seven of us made it 24 hours (100 miles); including me, in spite of some pretty dippy decisions like running a yard in sandals. One of the 24 hour runners was Jemima, who set a new women’s record. Given she only had a couple of ultras under her belt, the ease with which she flew around those 24 laps blew me away.
The next couple of laps took a few scalps, so it wasn’t long before only three of us remained. We were probably the predictable trio. Dom had been struggling earlier but seemed to have bounced back like a man on a mission. Jan had started the race with an injury but appeared his usual ebullient self, radiating energy and positivity. I, in contrast, was probably quite inscrutable. Unbeknownst to those around me I had no intention of DNF’ing here. So when Dom hung up the towel, and it was just the BYU (Back Yard Ultra) master Jan and I left slogging it out, it appeared we could be in for a very long stretch.
Fortunately Jan didn’t fancy spending the week weaving around Gosfield School’s sports field for the second year on the trot, so after 30 laps & some 200km Jan genially bowed out for the assist (second place), leaving the final lap for me to hammer round in a segment course record. I was home in time to rest up and enjoy the Benington Chilli Festival the following day, to be rounded off with a jar of Jan’s exceptional homemade jam. A long weekend to be savoured with plums and habaneros.”
31 yards, 31 hours, 207km
Parkrun Highlights, Saturday 23rd August
29 Fairlands Valley Spartans enjoyed the Stevenage parkrun on Saturday morning. DAVID HARRIS-CHERGUIT won in 17:45; SIMON JACKSON was fourth in 18:20 and PERRI GENTLY fifth in a new parkrun personal best (PPB) of 18:39. That’s three Spartans in the top five.
GAIL MACKIE was second woman with 22:18.
SAM GENTRY ran her tenth parkrun in a new PPB of 30:13; CAROLE SHELDRICK her fortieth in 34:27 and LINDSAY PATEMAN a new PPB with 39:40. JIM BROWN was first man 70 plus with 27:48. A former Spartan, ROGER HARDMAN donned the celebration cape for his 100th milestone and was second man over 75 with 32:34.
50 Spartans ran parkruns on Saturday. Some of those at other parkruns included DAVID RIDDELL 22:58 and JAYNE RIDDELL 27:11 at Holkham; ANDY PRIOR 23:21 and KERSTIN PRIOR 26:06 at Scunthorpe; CHARLES ARNOLD 24:14; DAVID VILJOEN 24:46 and PAMELA VILJOEN 32:04 at Letchworth; JESSICA CLARKE 24:36 at Kings Lynn; DARREN EMMERSON 25:30 and CLAIRE EMMERSON 29:27 at Pocket; JOHN NELMS 25:36 at Ross-On-Wye; LORRAINE HILL at Glasgow Victoria Park; PETER SACH 28:11 and SALLY PICKLES 30:43 at Henlow Bridge Lakes; NICOLA HATHERLY 37:40 in Rickmansworth and TRACY HAYGARTH in Westmill.
| Position | Gender Position | FVS parkrunner | Time |
| 1 | 1 | David HARRIS-CHERGUIT | 17:45 |
| 4 | 3 | Simon JACKSON | 18:20 |
| 5 | 4 | Perri GENTRY | 18:39 |
| 25 | 24 | Tony RANDFIELD | 21:18 |
| 36 | 2 | Gail MACKIE | 22:18 |
| 51 | 46 | Jay PAPA | 23:05 |
| 76 | 69 | Matthew COOKE | 24:09 |
| 81 | 73 | Martin DUDLEY | 24:25 |
| 111 | 96 | Toby ECCLESHALL | 25:29 |
| 121 | 14 | Claire PULLEN | 25:42 |
| 126 | 15 | Rhiannon GRIFFIN | 25:55 |
| 159 | 131 | Steve TINSLEY | 27:04 |
| 172 | 140 | Ryan DUNNING | 27:45 |
| 173 | 141 | Jim BROWN | 27:48 |
| 236 | 57 | Sharon CROWLEY | 29:32 |
| 246 | 62 | Sam GENTRY | 30:13 |
| 256 | 65 | Fiona CLARKE | 30:24 |
| 261 | 68 | Penny SCHENKEL | 30:33 |
| 270 | 73 | Eva RAMSEY | 30:55 |
| 273 | 76 | Debbie BLANTERN | 31:00 |
| 346 | 120 | Carole SHELDRICK | 34:27 |
| 347 | 121 | Caroline CROFT | 34:28 |
| 408 | 232 | Lloyd DIAS | 38:11 |
| 423 | 172 | Lindsay PATEMAN | 39:40 |
| 439 | 184 | Beverley HARLOW | 41:43 |
| 442 | 187 | Rebecca RAYNER | 42:49 |
| 445 | 190 | Niki PLUMB | 43:53 |
| 453 | 196 | Carolyn LINSELL | 48:00 |
| 454 | 238 | Roger BIGGS | 48:02 |