A fabulous fifty Spartans enjoyed a two lap course over the fields and stony paths of Trent Park, near Cockfosters, in the second race of this season’s cross country league. That’s five more from Fairlands compared with the first race and it showed in the results.
Racing the five miles in just 27 minutes 30 seconds CALLUM STEWART was second out of more than 500 runners from twenty clubs. CHRIS WESTCOTT and SIMON JACKSON also beat thirty minutes with 29:00 and 29:43 for 13th and 19th positions.
A superb run by SUZY HAWKINS saw her round in 36 minutes 14 seconds for 183rd overall. NUALA ROBINSON was less than a minute behind in 37:04 for 209th. NATALIE LAWRENCE 38:00; MICHELLE REEVES 38:08 and YUKO GORDON 38:52 made up the rest of the women’s “A” team. NICOLA KENNEDY was also under 40 minutes with 39:55.
JOHNNY PENNELL, 25th in 30:06; BRIAN BRACKSTONE, 28th in 30:23; STEFFAN FORD, 37th in 30:54 and PAUL HEWETT, 47th in 31:16 also achieved top 50 positions.
Results for all 32 Spartan men.
| Position | Name | Time | Comments |
| 2 | CALLUM STEWART | 27:30 | “A” team |
| 13 | CHRIS WESTCOTT | 29:00 | “A” team |
| 19 | SIMON JACKSON | 29:43 | “A” team |
| 25 | JOHNNY PENNELL | 30:06 | “A” team |
| 28 | BRIAN BRACKSTONE | 30:23 | “A” team |
| 37 | STEFFAN FORD | 30:54 | “A” team |
| 47 | PAUL HEWETT | 31:16 | “A” team |
| 93 | ADRIAN BUSOLINI | 33:09 | “A” team |
| 99 | TODD GRAY | 33:19 | “B” team |
| 104 | BRIAN WHITE | 33:29 | “B” team |
| 106 | MARK COLLINS | 33:30 | “B” team |
| 169 | TIM SABAN | 35:40 | “B” team |
| 172 | RICHARD KENNEDY | 35:52 | “B” team |
| 187 | STUART ARCHER | 36:20* | “B” team |
| 203 | STEVE GREEN | 36:50 | “B” team |
| 214 | PETE SMITH | 37:20 | “B” team |
| 217 | THOMAS SAUKA | 37:23 | “C” team |
| 223 | NICK CROWLEY | 37:33* | “C” team |
| 249 | STEVE MAYFIELD | 38:11 | “C” team |
| 267 | GARETH COWELL | 39:00 | “C” team |
| 277 | CLIVE CANNON | 39:52 | “C” team |
| 301 | MARK GOODWIN | 39:59 | “C” team |
| 336 | DAVE SMITH | 41:26 | “C” team |
| 339 | JAMES KILROY | 41:27 | “C” team |
| 364 | TIM ROBINSON | 42:28 | “D” team |
| 370 | KARTIK SHARMA | 43:13 | “D” team |
| 379 | ANDY JAY | 43:23 | “D” team |
| 387 | VISHY SHAH | 43:35 | “D” team |
| 388 | BARRY KING | 43:42 | “D” team |
| 414 | STEVE PIKE | 45:05 | “D” team |
| 453 | MARK FREEMAN | 47:20* | “D” team |
| 468 | ROB SHAW | 47:53 | “D” team |
Results for all 18 women. These are overall positions including all the men.
| Position | Name | Time | Comments |
| 183 | SUZY HAWKINS | 36:14 | “A” team |
| 209 | NUALA ROBINSON | 37:04 | “A” team |
| 242 | NATALIE LAWRENCE | 38:00* | “A” team |
| 248 | MICHELLE REEVES | 38:08* | “A” team |
| 268 | YUKO GORDON | 38:52 | “A” team |
| 300 | NICOLA KENNEDY | 39:55* | “B” team |
| 315 | ISABEL GREEN | 40:46* | “B” team |
| 348 | JULIE SIMMONS | 41:47* | “B” team |
| 422 | SARAH PIKE | 45:08 | “B” team |
| 424 | PETA WILSON | 45:55* | “B” team |
| 433 | WENDY THARANI | 46:15* | “C” team |
| 440 | TRUDY MOLLOY | 46:30 | “C” team |
| 455 | KAREN LIDDLE | 47:30* | “C” team |
| 493 | STEPH MAYFIELD | 49:48* | “C” team |
| 502 | CATHY CRAIG | 50:24* | “C” team |
| 508 | SHARON CROWLEY | 51:21 | |
| 514 | IRIS HORNSEY | 52:00* | |
| 519 | DIANE RESKER | 52:30* |
In the cross country league women’s teams consist of five runners while men’s team have eight though clubs can have several teams. After two events the Spartan lie in fourth place overall. The men’s A team is in fourth place while the Masters team leads. The women’s A team are in eighth with the Masters team in ninth place.
Santa Cruz de Tenerife Marathon – Sunday, 12th November 2017
Santa Cruz is the Joint Capital City of the Canary Islands with Las Palmas. Generally the Islands are known for their all year round mild weather, but today warm turned to hot for the time of year, as temperatures pushed above 25C (shade).
The course was two laps, the 1st half of each lap was in the City with 3 hills to climb. The 2nd half was an out and back, basically flat and keeping close to the Atlantic Ocean. While not actually quoting a time limit for the whole course, you had to get thru halfway in 2hrs 30min, then they left you alone to finish.
Roger Biggs went through halfway in 2:24:54, before slowing in the warm conditions to complete his 895th marathon in 5:18:43.
Grand Union Canal Half Marathon
Five Spartan women took the coach down to Cowley Recreation Ground, Uxbridge to run the Grand Union Canal Half Marathon and run back to Cassiobury Park, Watford. It was a lovely point to point course and even better when the sun came out. Flat, scenic, unusual, multi-terrain course and traffic free apart from one minor road crossing. The race is organised every April and November.
Saying it was an adventure thoroughly enjoyed adventure ERICA GRAYSON was the first Spartan to finish with her 2 hours 6 minutes 32 seconds. The others were SUE HAMER 2:15:34; SOPHIE COWAN 2:19:03; with CLAIRE EMMERSON and HAYLEY YENDELL finishing together in 2:19:06
Rock ‘n’ Roll
CALLIE CHAPMAN and HAZEL SMITH ran the Rock ‘n’ Roll 10K in Las Vegas in 57 minutes 56 seconds.
parkrun highlights
At Stevenage parkrun CRAIG HALSEY was first finisher in 16 mins 59 seconds. STEVE GREEN was 4th in a new course PB of 19:46, while TIM SABAN also scored a new course PB of 21:14. MARK BEASLEY in 35th became the latest Spartan to complete 50 parkruns.
Highlights elsewhere were a new course PB of 24:08 at Bath Skyline for Hannah Neale, and Verity Fisher’s 4th overall and first woman to finish at the second running of the Anacostia parkrun in the States. With an impressive 23:04.
Full parkrun times from the weekend were as follows:
| Stevenage | ||||
| Pos | Gender | parkrunner | Run Time | Notes |
| 1 | 1 | Craig HALSEY | 00:16:59 | |
| 4 | 4 | Steve GREEN | 00:19:46 | Course PB |
| 14 | 13 | Nick GILL | 00:21:05 | |
| 16 | 15 | Tim SABAN | 00:21:14 | Course PB |
| 33 | 30 | Chris HOLLAND | 00:22:35 | |
| 34 | 31 | Martin DUDLEY | 00:22:36 | |
| 38 | 35 | Mark BEASLEY | 00:22:49 | 50th parkrun |
| 52 | 45 | Barry OSBORNE | 00:23:56 | |
| 65 | 12 | Kelly EVANS | 00:24:40 | |
| 70 | 55 | Lee PICKERSGILL | 00:25:00 | |
| 75 | 59 | David SCOTT | 00:25:22 | |
| 76 | 60 | Sam SIMMONS | 00:25:26 | |
| 101 | 20 | Tracy PEZ | 00:26:22 | |
| 134 | 29 | Karen PALMER | 00:27:44 | |
| 141 | 110 | James SOUTH | 00:28:02 | |
| 206 | 141 | Daniel GREEN | 00:31:53 | |
| 208 | 67 | Isabel GREEN | 00:31:57 | |
| 211 | 70 | Beverley HARLOW | 00:32:10 | |
| 271 | 158 | Trevor BROOM | 00:40:18 | |
| Newcastle | ||||
| Pos | Gender | parkrunner | Run Time | Notes |
| 406 | 315 | Roger HARDMAN | 00:29:01 | |
| Bath Skyline | ||||
| Pos | Gender | parkrunner | Run Time | Notes |
| 88 | 17 | Hannah NEALE | 00:24:08 | Course PB |
| Brockenhurst | ||||
| Pos | Gender | parkrunner | Run Time | Notes |
| 132 | 90 | Darryl STEVENS | 00:40:22 | |
| Anacostia | ||||
| Pos | Gender | parkrunner | Run Time | Notes |
| 4 | 1 | Verity FISHER | 00:23:04 |
Coming Events
Many Spartans will be enjoying a busy programme of races, social and training events over the next few weeks including:
- St Neots Half Marathon on Sunday 19th November.
- Spartans AGM in Stevenage on Friday 24th November.
- Wolverton Five at Milton Keynes on Saturday 25th November.
- Hertfordshire Five Mile Championship for Veterans at Hatfield on Sunday 26th Nov.
- Bass Belle 10 near Royston on Sunday 26th November.
- Herts Sports Partnership Awards at Hatfield on Tuesday 28th November.
- Bedford Harriers Half Marathon on Sunday 3rd December.
- Spartans Christmas Party with an 80s theme on Friday 8th December.
- Festive Five at Welwyn Garden City on Sunday 10th December.
- Cross Country League at Willian on Sunday 17th December.
- Witham Five on Tuesday 26th December.
- Buntingford Year End 10 on Sunday 31st December.
- New Year 10K in Hyde Park on Monday 1st January 2018.
- County Cross Country Championships at Cassiobury Park on Sunday 7th January.
- Cross Country League at Watford on Sunday 14th January.
- Fred Hughes 10 miles including county championships at St. Albans on Sunday 21st January.
- Southern Cross Country Championships on Saturday 27th January.
- Watford Half Marathon inc. veteran championships on Sunday 4th February.
- Bramley 20/10 (20 miles or 10 miles) on Sunday 11th February.
- St Valentine’s 30K at Stamford on Sunday 11th February.
- Cross Country League at Royston on Sunday 18th February.
- Baldock Beast on Sunday 25th February.
- Welwyn Half Marathon on Sunday 4th March.
- Finchley 20 miles (including Herts County) on Sunday 18th March.
- Oakley 20 miles on Sunday 18th March.
- Orion 15 at Chingford (Epping Forest) on Saturday 24th March.
- London Marathon on Sunday 22nd April.
- Stirling Marathon on Sunday 29th April.