Nineteen Spartans ran in the virtual national 5K for masters (veterans). JONATHAN PARR finished in the top one per cent at 31st out of 3,283 with 15 minutes 37 seconds.
SIMON JACKSON was in the top ten percent at 316th with 17:12; ANDREW PATTERSON was 384th in 17:29; PAUL SHELLEY was 937th in 18:55 and SAMANTHA PRETTY the club’s fastest woman with 19 minutes 23 seconds.
BRIAN WHITE was 10th veteran aged 65 plus with 19:44.
In the team result for men aged 55 to 64 JOHN HARRIS (20:11); DAVE STEPHENSON (22:48) and GRAHAM BLACKBURN (23:18) were 50th and NICK KLEANTHOUS (26:32); MICHAEL O’KEEFE (29:29) and PAUL HOLGATE (31:43 were 70th. Three runners in the current age category were needed to make a virtual relay team.
Others in Team Spartan were Adrian DONNELLY 20:10; JIM BROWN 25:52; LOUISE PACK 26:31: HAZEL SMITH 26:45; LIZ CARVELL 29:17; TESSA STEPHENSON 30:10 and PETER CARPENTER 41:57.
The British Masters Athletic Federation virtual 5K replaced a “real” event which was cancelled due to the Covid-19 restrictions. Instead of travelling athletes ran a 5K near home. The full table of Spartan results can be found near the end of this release.
The England Athletics Virtual 5K Road Running Championships on 11 to 13th July are open to all ages but you must register.
Spartan Seconds In Solstice 10K
Two Spartans were in SILVER positions in the virtual Solstice 10K which was run over the weekend.
New club member CHARLOTTE SMITH was second in the women’s under 35 category with 45 minutes 38 seconds and JIM BROWN second in the men’s over 60 with 53:16.
The event would have been on a flat course in St Albans on Sunday. In fact they were racing around Fairlands Way, Gunnels Wood Road, Six Hills Way and finishing in the park on Saturday.
Charlotte was 59th out of the 401 finishers and Jim 143rd. In the same event PAUL HOLGATE was 297 in 66:01. He said that was 2 minutes 39 seconds quicker than his fastest real 10K in 2019.
Spartans Virtually in Iran…….
Fairlands Valley Spartans are still finding novel ways to keep running despite the current restrictions. Recently they’ve included the club’s own challenge to run at least 5K four times a week and the British Masters virtual relays.
Now they are visiting all of Stevenage’s four twin towns.
On Saturday 20th they covered 344 miles with 62 members posting a distance. By the end of the day they were at Mary in Turkmenistan.
Then on Sunday 384 miles were recorded by 50 members. In addition 242 bonus miles from the week were added for those not on Facebook so by Monday morning the club were in Tehran, Iraq.
So far they have covered 5,753 miles in 21 miles and are now on the way to Kadoma in Zimbabwe, the fourth of the twin towns.
They have already been to Autun 498 miles, and Autun to Ingelheim 349 miles, Ingelheim to Shymkent another 3,436 miles and now Shymkent to Kadoma will be 7,535 miles.
In Turkmenistan despite all the restrictions? Well actually no. Spartans are sending their training miles in and around Stevenage to head coach Brian White every day. He adds them up and maps the club’s progress.
Fly 5K – Event 3
Three Spartans took part in the third Fly 5K virtual event. They were Grace Dorothea 95th in 24:29; Nick Kleanthous 110th in 26:32 and Paul Holgate 145th in 31:56.
This time 170 times were recorded compared with 94 for event one and 135 for event two.
Parkrun Roundup 20th June 2020
Fairlands Valley Spartans and many others are looking forward to the 200th Stevenage Parkrun which will be the first local parkrun when the events can restart. The 199th parkrun was on Saturday 14th March. It’ll be some party when they restart.
However six Spartans took part in a (not) Stevenage Park Run virtual version. They were Nick Kleanthous 26:32; James McSweeney 26:42; Marian Morley 27:26; Paul Jennings 29:47; Charlotte Kearney 30:50 and Paul Holgate 31:56.
Coming Events
The Spartans are looking forward to a busy programme of races, social and training events when it is possible for events to start again, maybe in July, including (please check as, obviously, race dates may change depending on government and UKA guidance):
- St. Albans 10K on Sunday 2nd August (Check with ATW).
- Bearbrook 10K in Aylesbury on Sunday 2nd August (CANCELLED).
- Burnham Beeches Half Marathon on Sunday 9th August (CANCELLED).
- Clacton Half Marathon and 10K on Sunday 16th August.
- EMAC Track and Field fourth league meeting on Wednesday 2nd September (NOW may be an open event).
- Milton Keynes Marathon Weekend 5th – 6th September (NEW DATE).
- St Albans Stampede on Saturday 5th September.
- Bedford Half Marathon and 20 miles on Sunday 6th September (CANCELLED).
- Edinburgh Marathon on Sunday 6th September (NEW DATE).
- Peterborough Marathon on Sunday 13th September (NEW DATE).
- Brighton Marathon Weekend, Friday 18th to Sunday 20th September (NEW DATE).
- Stevenage 10K on Sunday 20th September (VIRTUAL EVENT).
- EMAC (Eastern Veterans) Track and Field League Final in Bedford on Saturday 26th September (CANCELLED).
- London Marathon on Sunday 4th October (NEW DATE).
- Standalone 10K (including County veteran championships) on Sunday 4th October (DATE MAY CHANGE).
- Manchester Marathon on Sunday 11th October (NEW DATE).
- Great Eastern Run (half marathon) in Peterborough on Sunday 11th October (CANCELLED).
- Chelmsford Marathon on Sunday 18th October (CANCELLED).
- Stevenage Half Marathon (including County senior championships) on Sunday 1st November.
- Silverstone Half Marathon, 5K and 10K on Sunday 15th November.
- Bass Belle ten miles on Sunday 29th November.
Tables
BMAF 5K
Position | Name | Category | Cat Position | Time |
31 | Jonathan PARR | M35 | 21 | 15:37 |
316 | Simon JACKSON | M40 | 99 | 17:12 |
384 | Andrew PATTERSON | M35 | 142 | 17:29 |
937 | Paul SHELLEY | M50 | 102 | 18:55 |
1101 | Samantha PRETTY | W35 | 25 | 19:23 |
1224 | Brian WHITE | M65 | 10 | 19:44 |
1369 | Adrian DONNELLY | M40 | 321 | 20:10 |
1375 | John HARRIS | M55 | 95 | 20:11 |
2242 | David STEPHENSON | M55 | 183 | 22:48 |
2372 | Graham BLACKBURN | M55 | 189 | 23:18 |
2840 | Jim BROWN | M65 | 68 | 25:52 |
2925 | Louise PACK | W35 | 208 | 26:31 |
2928 | Nick KLEANTHOUS | M55 | 224 | 26:32 |
2948 | Hazel SMITH | W45 | 232 | 26:45 |
3141 | Liz CARVELL | W60 | 63 | 29:17 |
3156 | Michael O’KEEFE | M55 | 234 | 29:29 |
3187 | Tessa STEPHENSON | W55 | 136 | 30:10 |
3219 | Paul HOLGATE | M60 | 127 | 31:43 |
3281 | Peter CARPENTER | M75 | 15 | 41:57 |