Festive Five Faster for Fairlands
The Festive Five was faster than Hatfield. So said several Fairlands Valley Spartans after Sunday’s race.
There were five new personal bests (PB); five new season’s bests (SB) and two first timers among the sixteen Spartans who ran.
Two of the personal bests were enormous. PETER SACH improved by 13:58 to 43 minutes 24 seconds (43:24) and ELIZABETH CROWLEY by 6:36 to 46:26. She was the third woman 35 plus.
The other PBs came from PETE COOK, better by two minutes exactly to an excellent 42:47; LEANNE WILSON better by 58 seconds to 44:25 and SAMANTHA SUTTON better by 21 seconds to 45:37.
SHARON CROWLEY was a winner. She was first woman 65 plus and improved her season’s best (SB) time by 13 seconds to 45:07. The others with new SBs were JIM BROWN by 37 seconds to 43:50; HAZEL SMITH by 50 seconds to 45:08; PENNY SCHENKEL by 3:44 to 53:04 and NICHOLA DURENT by 2:03 to 1:09:53. SBs were the best times in 2024 or 2025.
Sharon said, “After a late evening running the London Christmas lights 10k, it was up early to make the short trip to Welwyn to run the Festive 5. Somehow the legs worked and I finished in 45.07, 13 seconds quicker than Hatfield 5, two weeks ago! It also meant I was first veteran women 65 plus.”
Jim was very surprised but delighted. He said he was pleased to get under 45 minutes at Hatfield which is promoted as a fast flat course but confessed to a small panic when he checked his time at two miles in Welwyn Garden City thinking this is far too fast to sustain. He did and finished 37 seconds than Hatfield with his 43:50. Second in his age category was a nice bonus.
JODIE WILSON ran her first five mile race in 44:26. Getting under 45 minutes on a first attempt is pretty good going. SALLY PICKLES ran her first five in 49:07.
MIKE JEFFS was the fastest from Fairlands Valley Spartans. He was in the top ten with 31 minutes 9 seconds (31:09) and said it was great to get back into a race environment after a few weeks away. ANNABELLE WHITE was the club’s quickest woman with 41:02.
JUDY KING went round in 51:52 and JAYNE DYMOKE in 1:08:29.
All this on a two lap pavement based race starting and finishing near Stanborough Lakes. And not bad considering many of the Spartans were dressed for Christmas. Every finisher was rewarded with a seasonal chocolate bar. The Festive Five was a lovely local club organised event, by our friends in Garden City Runners.
| Pos | Cat Pos | MF | BiB | Name | Chip Time | Cat |
| 10 | 5 | 10 | 3914 | Mike JEFFS | 31:08 | MV40 |
| 61 | 5 | 13 | 3260 | Annabelle WHITE | 40:57 | FS |
| 73 | 15 | 59 | 3467 | Pete COOK | 42:47 | MV50 |
| 80 | 14 | 63 | 3010 | Peter SACH | 43:24 | MS |
| 82 | 2 | 65 | 1300 | Jim BROWN | 43:50 | MV70+ |
| 84 | 7 | 19 | 1264 | Leanne WILSON | 44:25 | FS |
| 85 | 8 | 20 | 1344 | Jodie WILSON | 44:26 | FS |
| 95 | 1 | 26 | 3900 | Sharon CROWLEY | 45:07 | FV65 |
| 96 | 12 | 27 | 1595 | Hazel SMITH | 45:08 | FV45 |
| 100 | 15 | 31 | 3534 | Samantha SUTTON | 45:37 | FV45 |
| 107 | 3 | 34 | 3221 | Elizabeth CROWLEY | 46:26 | FV35 |
| 129 | 8 | 46 | 4936 | Sally PICKLES | 49:07 | FV55 |
| 144 | 14 | 57 | 1588 | Judy KING | 51:52 | FV55 |
| 148 | 16 | 59 | 1391 | Penny SCHENKEL | 53:04 | FV55 |
| 187 | 34 | 94 | 4476 | Jayne DYMOKE | 1:08:29 | FV45 |
| 189 | 35 | 96 | 1224 | Nichola DURENT | 1:09:53 | FV45 |
Secret London Run Christmas Lights Tour
Dozens of Spartans could be seen running around central London on Saturday night. They were enjoying the Secret London Run Christmas Lights Tour, a 10K run that started from Charing Cross station at 6.30p.m. All dressed up. Mike Jeffs, club captain, was the grinch.
ATW Half Marathon
While the big numbers were elsewhere at the weekend some Spartans ran the ATW Marathon or 10K.
ADRAIN BUSOLINI and TONY RANDFIELD both ran season’s bests (SB) in the half. Adrian with 1:19:41 and Tony with 1:39:46. LIAM WELLER ran his first 13.1 miles event in 1:54:10. In the 10K NICK GILL finished in a new personal best (PB) of 36:56 – a 23 second improvement. LEWIS GREEN came in with 59:06 and NICK KLEANTHOUS with 1:06:32.
Parkrun Highlights – Saturday 13th December 2025
The numbers at Stevenage parkrun were up again. This time 471 compared with 440 the previous week and 301 the week before that.
Many Spartans were distracted by the Festive Five, Secret Lights Run in London and other events but there were still 29 FVS at the Stevenage parkrun and others at parkruns elsewhere.
MATTHEW COOKE should be achieving a major parkrun milestone early in the New Year. On Saturday he ran his 240th in 24:17. RYAN DUNNING ran his 140th in 26:33. KAREN ELLIS was the fastest female from Fairlands this time with her 27:28.
CHARLIE WHITE was in Barnet where he won the Oak Hill parkrun in 18:10.
JAY PAPA 18:41 and JESS CLARKE 26:05 ran the Brook Leys parkrun in Cambridge; SOPHIE PARSONS ran Bedford in 28:03 and CLARE HOWELL Letchworth 35:04.
| Position | Gender Position | FVS parkrunner | Time |
| 47 | 46 | Simon JACKSON | 22:45 |
| 69 | 65 | Lee PICKERSGILL | 23:42 |
| 72 | 68 | Tony RANDFIELD | 23:56 |
| 74 | 70 | Paul MAGUIRE | 24:02 |
| 81 | 76 | Matthew COOKE | 24:17 |
| 102 | 94 | Martin DUDLEY | 25:03 |
| 125 | 111 | Daniel VILJOEN | 25:56 |
| 138 | 121 | Ryan DUNNING | 26:33 |
| 150 | 130 | Matt CLARKE | 26:58 |
| 162 | 24 | Karen ELLIS | 27:28 |
| 190 | 37 | Fiona CLARKE | 28:38 |
| 203 | 160 | Peter SACH | 28:51 |
| 205 | 161 | Jim BROWN | 28:57 |
| 216 | 47 | Alison SHELLEY | 29:16 |
| 243 | 57 | Sarah ILLINGWORTH | 30:03 |
| 278 | 205 | Clive CANNON | 31:32 |
| 287 | 212 | Nick KLEANTHOUS | 31:56 |
| 304 | 79 | Erica GRAYSON | 32:21 |
| 313 | 83 | Debbie BLANTERN | 32:43 |
| 326 | 93 | Lindsay PATEMAN | 33:08 |
| 381 | 127 | Annabelle WHITE | 36:08 |
| 387 | 130 | Nicola HATHERLY | 36:34 |
| 391 | 134 | Hilary DAVIES | 37:04 |
| 417 | 153 | Tracy HAYGARTH | 41:28 |
| 428 | 161 | Alice WELCH | 42:05 |
| 440 | 263 | Roger BIGGS | 48:43 |
| 454 | 172 | Samantha SUTTON | 52:54 |
| 456 | 173 | Niki PLUMB | 52:59 |
| 461 | 276 | Thomas SAUKA | 56:48 |