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 5,591^st so well in the top 20% in a big city marathon.

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

Parkrun Highlights – Stripey Saturday 6^th 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 170^th 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.

Position	Gender Position	FVS parkrunner	Time
2	2	Nick GILL	18:14
3	3	Simon JACKSON	18:45
57	55	Mike JEFFS	23:38
58	56	Jay PAPA	23:39
74	3	Suzy HAWKINS	24:11
87	7	Annabelle WHITE	24:53
95	85	Martin DUDLEY	25:05
117	102	Peter SACH	25:41
131	109	Darren EMMERSON	26:05
154	128	Ryan DUNNING	26:59
168	24	Alice WELCH	27:42
185	29	Lorraine HILL	28:07
191	32	Jodie WILSON	28:23
205	162	Jim BROWN	28:46
219	46	Sarah ILLINGWORTH	29:33
255	57	Alison SHELLEY	30:40
256	58	Hazel SMITH	30:40
278	200	David ACKERY	31:36
303	81	Hayley PEACH	32:37
305	83	Samantha SUTTON	32:38
304	82	Sally PICKLES	32:38
327	96	Debbie BLANTERN	33:36
335	103	Lindsay PATEMAN	34:01
336	104	Caroline CROFT	34:06
337	105	Carole SHELDRICK	34:07
345	227	Stephen SMITHSON	34:43
355	230	Keith MANTON	35:09
404	149	Niki PLUMB	39:44
410	154	Julie MANTON	40:39
423	249	Roger BIGGS	48:51
424	163	Julie BUDDEN	49:09
425	164	Elizabeth CROWLEY	49:10
434	171	Nichola DURENT	59:12
440	175	Sharon CROWLEY	63:25