GOLD, SILVER AND BRONZE FOR SPARTANS AT PM5
There were gold, silver and bronze medals for Fairlands Valley Spartans in the Paul Maguire Memorial Five Mile Road Race which included the county championships for seniors and veterans.
JO LAING was fastest woman and won the county senior and veterans championships with a time of 32 minutes 34 seconds. She led the GOLD winning women’s team which included ANN TRYSSESOONE, bronze medal in the women’s 45 plus category in 38 minutes 9 seconds — a PB (personal best) by 2 minutes 40 seconds, and NICKY LORIMER with a time of 39 minutes 52 seconds.
JIM BROWN won an individual silver medal in the Vet 60 category with his time of 36 minutes 2 seconds and contributed to a silver medal winning performance by the Spartan veterans with DAVID BOWKER, bronze in the men’s 50 plus category in 31:20); PETER SMITH (34:59) and MARK GOODWIN with a new personal best of 35:43.
David Bowker, TODD GRAY (31:33), ADRIAN DONNELLY (33:00) and Pete Smith also won silver in the senior team category.
Showing strength in depth among the Spartan women KAREN ELLIS (40:57); MARIA THORNE (44:42) and LORRAINE THOMAS (47:29) took team bronze medals for female runners aged 35 plus.
SIMON BELL was the fastest Spartan, seventh overall in 29 minutes 52 seconds, but he is not eligible for Hertfordshire awards.
The race was organised by Fairlands Valley Spartans with LISA JERROM doing a superb job as race director. The course included the cycleways on Fairlands Way, Grace Way, Martins Way and a loop within Fairlands Valley Park.
|
Position |
Name |
Time |
Comments |
|
7 |
SIMON BELL |
29.52 |
(Not Herts) |
|
19 |
DAVID BOWKER |
31.20 |
V50 County Bronze. Team Silver. Vets Team Silver. |
|
20 |
TODD GRAY |
31.33 |
Team Silver. |
|
23 |
JO LAING (F) |
32.34 |
1st Woman. County Gold. Team Gold. |
|
25 |
ADRIAN DONNELLY |
33.00 |
Team Silver. |
|
37 |
PETER SMITH |
34.59 |
Team Silver. Vets Team Silver. |
|
41 |
KIERAN FEETHAM |
35.22 |
|
|
45 |
MARK GOODWIN |
35.43 |
Vets Team Silver (PB) |
|
48 |
JIM BROWN |
36.02 |
V60 County Silver. Vets Team Silver. |
|
57 |
JON SYPULA |
37.21 |
|
|
58 |
VISHAL SHAH |
37.26 |
|
|
60 |
PAUL FORDE |
38.08 |
|
|
62 |
ANN TRYSSESOONE (F) |
38.11 |
FV45 Bronze. Team Gold (PB) |
|
67 |
IAN SIMPSON |
39.11 |
|
|
68 |
ANDREW PRIOR |
39.43 |
|
|
70 |
NICKY LORIMER (F) |
39.52 |
Team Gold |
|
71 |
ANTHONY WHITE |
40.07 |
|
|
72 |
STEPHEN PIKE |
40.09 |
|
|
77 |
RACHEL PAYNE (F) |
40.54 |
|
|
79 |
KAREN ELLIS (F) |
40.57 |
Vets Team Bronze |
|
82 |
PAUL MARSHALL |
41.17 |
|
|
93 |
KHILAN SHAH |
43.39 |
|
|
95 |
MARIA THORNE (F) |
44.42 |
Vets Team Bronze |
|
106 |
LORRAINE THOMAS (F) |
47.29 |
Vets Team Bronze |
|
110 |
SARAH HUKIN (F) |
49.20 |
|
|
112 |
KERRY SETTERFIELD (F) |
50.48 |
Stockholm
BEV HARLOW says the Stockholm Half Marathon was a very well organised and run in a beautiful city. She finished in 1 hour 56 minutes exactly.
Roger and Phil in Shetland Marathon
ROGER BIGGS and PHIL GALE travelled to the Island of Shetland for the UK’s most Northerly Marathon at a little over 60 degrees north.
The race was an out and back from Scallaway, north to the hamlet of Nestling, and back again, while the half marathon finished at the turnaround point in Nestling. The islands were certainly getting better weather than the south, although the hilly course and cold easterly winds made for a tough day out.
Roger completed the marathon in 4 hours 9 minutes and Phil the half in 1 hour 33.
Wet and Windy Swansea
Robert Evans completed a very wet & windy Swansea Bay 10K in 45min 42 secs narrowly missing his PB (personal best) time by 2 seconds.
Green Chain Trail Marathon
Recently ROGER BIGGS and CLAIRE WHITTLE ran the Green Chain Trail Marathon from New Eltham in SE London. The course followed the ‘Green Chain Way”, which links parks & wooded areas in the Capital, including four miles on the South Bank of the Thames. It was not flat and had 600 metres of climb. They finished together in 5 hours 20 minutes 34 seconds.
Many Spartans helped organised the Stevenage “Race for Life” on Saturday which was won by RHIANNON GRIFFIN in 42 minutes 40 seconds.
Enter Now!
The club host the County Championship Half Marathon on Sunday 4th November. The race is in Stevenage and is for seniors and veterans. The championships are within an open race — everyone can have a go. Enter now. There are details on www.fvspartans.org.uk
Coming Events
Many Spartans will be enjoying a busy programme of races, social and training events over the next few weeks including the:
- Serpentine 5K on Friday 28th September.
- Standalone 10K in Letchworth on Sunday 7th October.
- Great Eastern (Peterborough) Half Marathon on Sunday 14th October.
- Handicap 5K on Thursday evening 25th October.
- Stevenage Half Marathon on Sunday 4th November.
Join The Spartans
Live in or near Stevenage? Like running? Fairlands Valley Spartans is your local running club and is on the up! The club was voted the UK’s Best Running Club in 2010. It now has over 400 members and encourages participation by all. The Spartans have a varied training programme to suit those who want to run 5 kilometres through to full marathons.
The Spartans weekday training sessions are on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. Go along to drama studio next to the gymnastics centre at Marriotts School — a Sports College, Telford Avenue, Stevenage (SG2 0AN) at 7p.m. Up to five running groups go out on training nights — there will be one to suit you!
The Spartan Starter group starts from Marriotts at 7.30p.m. every Monday (except public holidays) and 7p.m. every Thursday.
Most long Sunday morning training sessions start 9.30a.m. sharp. Spartan track training sessions are held at Ridlins Athletics Track, Woodcock Road, Stevenage most Saturdays from 9.15a.m. There are events to enter every Sunday. Newcomers are very welcome — those who have not done very much running yet might prefer to start with a Thursday, Saturday or Monday session.
Try a few sessions before joining. Membership is only £27 per year. Concessions are available. Membership forms are available on the Spartans website www.fvspartans.org.uk Please ask if you would like a paper copy.
If you want to know more about the Spartans please contact Jim Brown (01438 354505 or 0793 968 7509), Stephanie Mayfield 01438 815859 or visit their website www.fvspartans.org.uk