CROSS COUNTRY TROPHIES

 

A fantastic last race in the series of five cross country league fixtures moved Fairlands Valley Spartans men up to second overall.  On the day the club’s combined men and women were second on 2198 behind Trent Park first on 1873 but ahead of host club Royston who were third with 2471.  The nineteenth club scored 13,609.

In a tough hilly event on Therfield Heath ANDREW PATTERSON was second in the race in 35 minutes 1 second and confirmed his second place in the series.  SIMON JACKSON was seventh in 36:24 which moved him up to third veteran (40 plus) in the series.  23^rd in 38:14 was enough for GRANT RAMSAY to clinch the top spot as winner in the veteran series.  JASON ANDERSON was in the top twenty of the 299 finishers on 15^th in 37:50.

The Spartan men won the league masters’ trophy with 93 fixture points.  Overall the men were second on 84 fixture points having squeezed ahead of Royston and St Albans Striders both on 81.

Thirty four Spartans, 22 men and twelve women ran in the final race.  MICHELLE REEVES was the club’s fastest woman and 20^th female in the race in 48:35.  The rest of the women’s “A” team consisted of ISABEL GREEN, 28^th in 50:57; CLAIRE PULLEN, 30^th in 51:05; LAUREN ING, 42^nd in 52:39 and HAZEL CLARK, 49^th in 53:33.

ZOE JACKSON led in the “B” team at 67^th in 57:29, supported by KELLY McHALE, 70^th in 57:45; CLARE COX, 85^th in 61:02; SOPHIE COWAN, 86^th in 61:03; and SUE HAMER, 87^th in 61:07.

 

Position	Name	Time	Comments
2	ANDREW PATTERSON	35:01	Series second man.  Men’s “A”
7	SIMON JACKSON	36:24	Series 3rd Vet 40.  Men’s “A”
15	JASON ANDERSON	37:50	Men’s “A”
23	GRANT RAMSAY	38:14	Series 1st Vet 40.  Men’s “A”
32	STEFFAN FORD	39:20	Men’s “A”
52	RICHARD SPRINGALL	41:08	Men’s “A”
53	TODD GRAY	41:15	Men’s “A”
65	TOM SAUKA	42:25	Men’s “A”
109	JAY PAPA	45:53	Men’s “B”
123	STEVE MAYFIELD	46:43	Men’s “B”
131	PETE SMITH	47:29	Men’s “B”
148	MICHELLE REEVES (F)	48:35	“A” 20th woman
154	NICK CROWLEY	48:51	Men’s “B”
155	DARREN EMMERSON	48:53	Men’s “B”
168	MARK GOODWIN	50:20	Men’s “B”
171	ISABEL GREEN (F)	50:57	“A” 28th woman
174	CLAIRE PULLEN (F)	51:05	“A” 30th woman
182	NEIL ROBINSON	51:22	Men’s “B”
195	LAUREN ING (F)	52:39	“A” 42nd woman
205	HAZEL CLARK (F)	53:33	“A” 49th woman
207	ANDREW SMITH	54:01	Men’s “B”
234	TIM ROBINSON	57:00
236	ZOE JACKSON (F)	57:29	“B” 67th woman
241	KELLY McHALE (F)	57:45	“B” 70th woman
262	CLARE COX (F)	61:02	“B” 85th woman
263	SOPHIE COWAN (F)	61:03	“B” 86th woman
264	SUE HAMER (F)	61:07	“B” 87th woman
265	CALLIE CHAPMAN (F)	61:15
278	KARL SHREEVE	64:05
285	SHARON CROWLEY (F)	66:28
288	KARTIK GHARMA	67:45
293	PAUL HOLGATE	70:04
294	PETER CARPENTER	71:41
296	STEVE GOUGH	71:51

 

The Mid Week Road Race League starts in May.

 

Love Welwyn 10K

Running her first race and the furthest she’s ever run LISA SMITH very nearly broke the hour when she finished Sunday’s Welwyn Love 10K in one hour and seventeen seconds (1:00:17).  ELLA GOWER came in with 1:08:24.

It was only SHANI HUNT’s second 10K and she improved by three minutes to 1:10:23 and considering the weather conditions she was happy with that.  MARIA QUICKE finished in 1 hour 11 minutes 21 seconds.

EMMA POULTER ran the Welwyn 10K in 1:21:56.  It was only her second 10K.

 

Punchbowl Marathon – Sunday, 12th February 2017

The Punchbowl Marathon is called a marathon, but it is actually 30 miles in the Surrey countryside from the Village of Witley.

The forecast snow did not arrive, but it was wet enough underfoot to make the course very hard going, with plenty of climbing and stony tracks.  ROGER BIGGS completed the 30 miles in 8 hours and 19 minutes.

 

Parkrun Reports

Fastest Spartan parkrunner of the week was STEVE GREEN who completed the Princes parkrun in Liverpool in 19 mins 39 secs for 10^th place in the men’s event on his first visit to the course.

The rest of the Green family were running closer to home at Panshanger Park.  ISABEL was third woman to finish in 23:16 (a new course personal best), joined on the course by daughter Georgina (32:08, also a new course PB) and son Daniel (34:18).  BEV HARLOW was 63^rd woman in 34:47 while JOHN ROXBOROUGH was the sole Spartan male at the course, finishing 25^th in 22:25.

On home soil in Fairlands Valley VERITY FISHER was 6^th fastest woman in 24:20 and has a seemingly unassailable lead in the women’s points competition with two weeks to go.  The other Spartan women in attendance were CLAIRE COX (32:05), HAZEL SMITH (35:05) and CALLIE CHAPMAN (35:58).

CHRIS HOLLAND was fastest Spartan man at Stevenage, achieving a new course PB  finishing 16^th in 21:52, with NICK GILL 17th in 22:01. MARK BEASLEY was 22^nd in 22:46 and MARTIN DUDLEY 26^th in 22:53. The other Spartan running were THOMAS SAUKA (22:59), TIM ROBINSON (23:41, new course PB), DARREN EMMERSON (24:13), DANIEL SUTTON (24:44), PETER CARPENTER (30:49) and JAMES SOUTH (46:30).

Finally DARYL STEVENS ran at Brockenhurst completing in 40:30.

 

Coming Events

The Spartans Presentation Evening is in the Cromwell Hotel, Old Stevenage on Friday 24^th February.

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:

• Veterans County Cross Country Championships on Sunday 19^th February.
• Serpentine 5K in Hyde Park on Friday 24^th February.
• Spartans Presentation Evening in Old Stevenage on Friday 24^th February.
• Roding Valley Half Marathon on Sunday 26^th February.
• Essex 20 and Berkhamsted Half Marathon on Sunday 5^th March.
• Finchley 20 including Hertfordshire Championships on Sunday 12^th March.
• Welwyn Half Marathon on Sunday 19^th March.
• Sandy Ten and Wymondham 20 on Sunday 26^th March.
• Serpentine 5K in Hyde Park on Friday 31^st March.
• Lee Valley 10K and Half Marathon in Waltham Forest on Sunday 2^nd April.
• Brighton Marathon on Sunday 9^th April.
• Maidenhead Easter Ten on Friday 14^th April.
• London Marathon on Sunday 23^rd April.
• County 1500 Championships in Stevenage on Monday 1^st May.
• Dereham 10 (ten miles) on Sunday 7^th May.
• First Mid Week Road Race League match on Wednesday 10^th May.
• Summer Solstice 10K at St Albans on Tuesday 16^th May.
• Stirling Marathon on Sunday 21^st May.
• Mid Week Road Race League in Hitchin on Wednesday 14^th June.
• Herts Veteran 10K Championships at Welwyn on Sunday 25^th June.
• Mob Match on Thursday 13^th July.
• Fairlands Valley Relays in Stevenage on Thursday 27^th July.
• Herts Senior 5K Championships at Hatfield on Wednesday 30^th August.
• Herts Veteran 5K Championships at Hatfield on Wednesday 13^th September.
• Herts Senior 10K Championships at Standalone on Sunday 1^st October.
• Peterborough Half Marathon on Sunday 8^th October.
• Stevenage Half Marathon on Sunday 22^nd October.
• St Neots Half Marathon on Sunday 19^th November (TBC).
• Bass Belle 10 near Royston on Sunday 26^th November.