Spartans Cathy Craig, Hazel Smith, Jenny Garrett and Vicky Archer joined women across the country to run 5K in pairs at 8pm Saturday night, lighting up the night to celebrate the life of Sarah Everard in the Run for Sarah. They each donated to the ‘Womans Aid’ charity which helps to raise vital funds to help build a world where domestic abuse is not tolerated.
Sharon on the South Downs Way
After the North Downs Way of course comes the South Downs Way! Sharon Crowley has just finished the 200 hundred miles from Winchester to Eastbourne and back (virtually) with a week to spare, saying hopefully not too long before we can get out on the trails for real!
Racing Round England
The Fairlands Valley Spartans team have already covered a total of 13,344.1 kilometres and are now scattered between Cornwall and Lincolnshire.
PENNY SCHENKEL has consolidated the lead she took last week, she is the first Spartan through the half way mark and has reached Holbeach in Lincolnshire with 1597 kilometres.
Second placed BRIAN WHITE is very nearly at halfway (1485 kilometres). He is in Cromer on the Norfolk coast with 1482 kilometres. In third place JIM BROWN has caught up a little and is approaching Happisburgh, Norfolk with 1450 kilometres.
SHARON CROWLEY has crossed the Thames and is in Essex at South Woodham Ferrers with 1247. She is fourth.
HAZEL SMITH remains in fifth place. She’s at Brighton Marina with 966. However KEN JUDE has got between daughter and mother. He’s between Portslade and Hove on 958.
There’s not much in it as CATHY CRAIG is seventh on 945 and is in Worthing. LIZ CROWLEY is steadily ticking off the distance and has reached Chichester Harbour with 895 and eighth place.
Meanwhile PAUL HOLGATE is enjoying the North Solent National Nature Reserve at 816 kilometres and TRACY PEZ completes the Spartan Top Ten on 702 kilometres. She is at West Bay near Bridport.
The event, the Virtual Coast of England Challenge started in Bristol and Fairlands Valley Spartans together with many others are running, walking or cycling 2,970 kilometres anti-clockwise round the coasts and borders of the country.
LIZ CARVELL (667 at Dunscombe Manor); JON SYPULA (665 at Salcombe Regis); WENDY THARANI (511 at Lansallos) and LEE PICKERSGILL (443 on the Lizard) continue their chase.
There’s still plenty of scope for catching up. All aim to finish by the end of the year. The team total so far is 13,344 kilometres – the equivalent of going round the course four and a half times.
Position | Name | Distance | Last Week | Location |
1. | PENNY SCHENKEL | 1596.6 | 1,426.6 | Holbeach near Spalding. |
2. | BRIAN WHITE | 1482.2 | 1,387.1 | Cromer, Norfolk. |
3. | JIM BROWN | 1450.1 | 1,286.4 | Happisburgh, Norfolk. |
4. | SHARON CROWLEY | 1247.3 | 1,145.8 | South Woodham Ferrers. |
5. | HAZEL SMITH | 966.1 | 878.5 | Brighton Marina. |
6. | KEN JUDE | 958.3 | 856.0 | Portslade – Hove. |
7. | CATHY CRAIG | 945.1 | 875.2 | Worthing. |
8. | LIZ CROWLEY | 894.7 | 822.7 | Chichester Harbour. |
9. | PAUL HOLGATE | 816.4 | 743.5 | North Solent National Nature. |
10. | TRACY PEZ | 701.9 | 665.9 | West Bay near Bridport. |
11. | LIZ CARVELL | 667.2 | 600.2 | Dunscombe Manor. |
12. | JON SYPULA | 665.3 | 590.6 | Salcombe Regis. |
13. | WENDY THARANI | 510.8 | 452.6 | Lansallos, Cornwall. |
14. | LEE PICKERSGILL | 442.6 | 402.3 | Lizard, Cornwall. |
How far can they get by the end of the month?
Fly 5K #45
Spartan PENNY SCHENKEL ran her 20th Fly 5K and a new Fly personal best of 28 minutes 52 seconds on Saturday morning. That also gave her a new (not) parkrun PB. She was 199th. JIM BROWN ran exactly the same time and was third in his category.
PAUL HOLGATE was 247th in 30:55. He has run 44 of the 45 Fly 5K events.
The virtual Fly races started during lock down to help keep people active.
(Not) Parkrun
In addition to those using the same effort to record Fly 5K times on Saturday NICOLA ANDERSSON ran a 29:39 (not) parkrun on Thursday.
(Not) Parkruns can be run on any day of the week.
30,000 Miles Done In Americas Relay
Yes they can. Fairlands Valley Spartans ran more than 30,000 miles in their relay race across the Americas. By Saturday night they had run 29,880 miles and on Sunday, day 140, they ran 335 miles to give a total of 30,215 miles.
The challenge ended on Sunday 28th March, the first day of summertime and the day before group training could restart.