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RUNNING TO THE CHAPEL

You know Christmas is coming when Fairlands Valley Spartans are off on their annual club run to Minsden Chapel.  There was no crying in the chapel.  They enjoyed that outing on Sunday.

Minsden Chapel is a scheduled monument neat Preston in Hertfordshire.  The club offered a choice of 11, 8 or 4.5 mile off road runs from Stevenage or nearby and 25 took up the challenge.

Jodie’s MK Winter Half

JODIE KANTAS ran the Milton Keynes Winter Half Marathon in 1 hour 47 minutes 40 seconds (1:47:40).  She said, “It’s my third time at this event.  Lovely course, I did a PB on it 2 years ago.  1:42:19 but didn’t have it in the tank this year.  It’s along the canal.  Scenic and also a nice first time half marathon.  I really enjoy the course.”

Three Sub Three At Valencia Marathon

Four Spartans were among the 30,523 runners who completed the Valencia Marathon in Spain.  And three beat the three hour barrier.

Ross Gallagher said it was a fantastic course and he equalled his personal best from Tokyo with 2:59:26.  He was 5,591st so well in the top 20% in a big city marathon.

DAVE COOK was top 10% at 2,174th in 2:45:52, KIRK NDUGU 5,437th in 2:59:19 and PETE GENTLE 6,683rd in 3:06:02.

Parkrun Highlights – Stripey Saturday 6th December 2025

A big jump up from the 301 of last week when 440 enjoyed the Stevenage parkrun on Saturday morning.  Among them were 34 Spartans and increase of eight on last time.  This was stripey Saturday and some standout Spartans included NICK GILL second overall in a new parkrun PB of 18:14 and SIMON JACKSON third in 18:45.

SUZY HAWKINS was the fastest female from Spartans and third woman overall with 24:11 and ANNABELLE WHITE top ten at seventh with 24:53.

PETER SACH ran a PPB of 25:41.  JODIE WILSON achieved a milestone, 25 parkruns, finishing in 28:23 and CAROLE SHELDRICK the 50 parkruns milestone in 34:07.  ALICE WELCH ran a new PPB of 27 minutes 42 seconds.  ALISON SHELLEY ran her 170th parkrun in 30:40.  JIM BROWN and ROGER BIGGS seem to be tracking each other on their way to their next big milestone.  They are both on 225 with Jim finishing in 28:46 and Roger in 28:51.

HAYLEY PEACH ran a new parkrun personal best (PPB) in 32:37 running with Spartans SAMANTHA SUTTON 32:38 and SALLY PICKLES 32:38 all the way round.

Altogether 52 Spartans ran parkruns.  Some of the FVS parkrun tourists included MARTIN JACOB 25:47 and LINDA GEORGE 26:42 at the Tokoinranta parkrun.  The race was by the beautiful Eläintarhanlahti Bay near Helsinki in Finland. 

The Mura di Lucca parkrun in Italy has attracted a fair number of Spartans in recent years and JACKIE DOWNES was there running round the city walls in 29:07.

NICK KLEANTHOUS is well on the way to recovering his form and says he’s getting there.  He ran the Brighton and Hove parkrun in 28:31, his fastest since April 2024.  PAUL MAGUIRE ran the Coventry event in 29:41.

TONY RANDFIELD was fast in the forest.  21:29 at the Millenium County parkrun in the Forest of Marston Vale.

PositionGender PositionFVS parkrunnerTime
22Nick GILL18:14
33Simon JACKSON18:45
5755Mike JEFFS23:38
5856Jay PAPA23:39
743Suzy HAWKINS24:11
877Annabelle WHITE24:53
9585Martin DUDLEY25:05
117102Peter SACH25:41
131109Darren EMMERSON26:05
154128Ryan DUNNING26:59
16824Alice WELCH27:42
18529Lorraine HILL28:07
19132Jodie WILSON28:23
205162Jim BROWN28:46
21946Sarah ILLINGWORTH29:33
25557Alison SHELLEY30:40
25658Hazel SMITH30:40
278200David ACKERY31:36
30381Hayley PEACH32:37
30583Samantha SUTTON32:38
30482Sally PICKLES32:38
32796Debbie BLANTERN33:36
335103Lindsay PATEMAN34:01
336104Caroline CROFT34:06
337105Carole SHELDRICK34:07
345227Stephen SMITHSON34:43
355230Keith MANTON35:09
404149Niki PLUMB39:44
410154Julie MANTON40:39
423249Roger BIGGS48:51
424163Julie BUDDEN49:09
425164Elizabeth CROWLEY49:10
434171Nichola DURENT59:12
440175Sharon CROWLEY63:25

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