WOMEN TAKE LEAD IN SOGGY WATFORD - Fairlands Valley Spartans

Apart from the mud, hills and rain Fairlands Valley Spartans had a great evening at the third Mid Week League race which was in Watford.

67 Spartans ran meaning that 116 different club members have participated in the MWL so far this year – it’s looking good to see 100 plus out for the fourth fixture in Stevenage on the 26^th June. The hills of the Watford course made it difficult for improvements but that still did not stop six Spartans running a new 10K personal best.

ANDREW PATTERSON was fourth man in the race with 36 minutes 31 seconds and ASHLEY KING fourth woman with 43:08. While the next man was tenth, SIMON JACKSON in 37:13 MICHELLE REEVES was fifth woman in 43:26 and GAIL MACKIE seventh in 44:18.

Ashley, Michelle and Gail together with YUKO GORDON, first woman 65 plus in 47:47; EVA RAMSEY, 48:21; KAREN ELLIS, 51:56; GEORGIE HOOPER 51:57 and ROS INGRAM 52:37 they helped to move the Spartan women into first place after three out of the four counting races.

In the promotion battle Fairlands Valley Spartans are just three points behind Bishops Stortford.

The fourth and final counting race will be in Stevenage on Wednesday evening 26^th June and it will be on tarmac! The Spartans have a target of 100 club members running.

(All 67 Spartan results can be found near the end of this release).

Run Britain – John o’Groats to Lands End

Spartan REECE McCULLAGH is running from John O’Groats to Lands End. At the end of Day 22 Reece was currently resting in the town of Hereford after a 26 mile run. In total Reece has run approximately 650 miles, averaging 30 miles every single day, all of it totally unsupported, carrying all the kit he needs. By the time Reece reaches Lands End he would have run 1000 plus miles on this epic journey.

Social media interest on Reece’s challenge continues to increase as Reece goes deeper into the challenge. This weekend TV Celebrity and Fitness guru Nell McAndrew tweeted her best wishes to Reece and one lovely lady from Shropshire who read of Reece’s challenge on Social media linked up with Reece to keep him company for some mileage on Saturday afternoon – wonderful to see people coming out to support.

Reece expects to cross the River Severn and enter the Bristol area by Monday, after that it’s the West Country – Devon, Cornwall and then eventually reaching the end of the land!

Round the Garden 5K

Twelve Spartans competed in the Round the Garden 5K at Letchworth on Sunday. DAN McALPINE was third overall in 17 minutes 15 seconds. TANYA BRAZIER ran an impressive 20:52 to be second woman 35 plus while SUSAN McANERY achieved a new personal best (PB) of 23:48. CAROLE SHELDRICK improved on last year’s time with 24:35, came third woman 45 plus and then ran the one mile event in 7 minutes 39 seconds.

Carole said, “This was my second year running this race and once again. I totally enjoyed it, managing to better last year’s time for the 5K (This year I completed it in 24.35. Last year I ran 25.50 ). This year I decided to also enter the 1 Mile Race ( running it in 07.39 ) this started shortly after the 5K.

The support out on the course was fantastic and the whole event was organised very well.

But the best part of the day was having my son Ben join me to compete in his first ever race, running his fastest 5k time of 27:57.”

LEE PIROTH said, “For some reason I really struggled with the 5K. My legs felt like lead weights but somehow I still managed to get a 5K PB of time was 27:02. MONICA SMITHSON finished in 27:16 and ROGER BIGGS in 34:11.

CIERAN McANERY was fifth in the mile with 5 minutes 12 seconds.

Position	Name	Time	Comments
3	DAN McALPINE	17:14
23	JOHN HARRIS	19:56
36	TANYA BRAZIER	20:52	2^nd FV35
89	NEIL ROBINSON	23:23
97	SUSAN McANENY	23:48	PB
107	CAROLE SHELDRICK	24:35	3^rd FV45
146	LEE PIROTH	26:51	PB
156	MONICA SMITHSON	27:16
173	NIKKI LUFKIN	27:47
211	ANGIE KEELING	29:25
277	ROGER BIGGS	34:11
284	EMMA SOUTHERINGTON	34:50

Endure 24

TIM ROBINSON was part of a team of four in the Endure 24 relay race at Wasing Park in Reading. Each runner in a team took it in turn to run a cross country lap of approximately five miles, running continuously from midday Saturday to Sunday. Tim ran five laps in 43:40, 45:58, 50:40, 58:00, and 59:36. The team came 33rd in the small male team category. Conditions underfoot were hard going following the rain during the week and frequent heavy downpours throughout the day and night.

ERICA GRAYSON was in another Endure 24 team. She said, “What an experience! Camping, wind, rain, sleep deprivation as well as night running, dawn running and making new running friends.

I did three of the 5 mile loops which were not easy by any stretch of the imagination. Part of the course was changed due to the amount of rain. Will I do it again? …. in a heart beat. Planning next year’s.”

Suffolk Trail Festival

Six Spartans took part in the Suffolk Trail Festival which consisted of a series of five mile laps. The six in the Suffolk Trail were Neal Muggleton 50 miles in 18.5 hours; Jenny Garrett 40 miles in 18.5 hours; John Nelms 30 miles in 6.5 hours; Julie Shadbolt and Hazel Smith 25 miles in 6 hours; and Callie Chapman 20 miles in 4 hours 55 minutes.

Hazel said, “I’m very proud of Neal and Jenny who smashed the miles out!”

Parkrun Highlights 15^th June 2019

Thirty eight Fairland Valley Spartans headed out to run at twelve different Parkrun venues on 15^th June 2019.

Simon BELL was the quickest Spartan running at Bedford with a time of 19:15. Gail MACKIE was the quickest female Spartan with a time of 20:54 at Stevenage.

There was a new PB for Ed HARE at Stevenage finishing at 23:38.

The highest position finisher was Dean CARPENTER at Aldenham in 19:31, finishing as 3^rd man.

Rebecca Barrow completed her first Parkrun at Stevenage in 32:47.

Seven Spartans tried out new venues with Dean CARPENTER and Sofia CARPENTER (29:19) at Aldenham, Grace BROWN (34:04) at Bushy, Tracy STILES (31:00) at Exmouth, John ROXBOROUGH (21:25) at Isabel Trail, Mark BEASLEY (23:48) at Pegwell Bay and Alison SHELLEY (29:30) at Wimpole Estate.

On the Wimpole Estate course, Steven DOBNER ran his 70^th event in 30:58.

(All the Spartan Parkrun results can be found in a table near the end of this release)

Tables

Spartans at the Watford Mid Week League 10K race:

FVS

Race

M/F

Cat

Vet

Time

Name

Surname

Cat.

M/F

Team

Comments

36:31

Andrew

Patterson

4^th in race

37:13

Simon

Jackson

V 40

10^th man