More than one hundred from three Stevenage running clubs came together for a 20/20 session on Thursday evening.
It was a tremendous success and a great enjoyable evening as nearly 120 runners from three Stevenage running clubs – Fairlands Valley Spartans, Stevenage Striders and Stevenage Phoenix came together for a 20/20 training session on Tuesday evening.
20/20? Run out for 20 minutes then back trying to get back to the start in slightly under 20 minutes. Running volunteers blew whistles at exactly 20 minutes.
And at a social after the event the human fruit machine raised some more money for this year’s Spartan charity EDS – Ehlers-Danlos Support UK. Hence the zebras in the fruit machine.
1500s
22 Spartans were at Ridlins on Saturday morning to record a 1500 metre time.
CHARLIE WHITE was fastest with 4 minutes 45.9 seconds with MIKE JEFFS just behind in a new personal best of 4:49.1. PETE GENTLE was third with 5:16.7.
SUZY HAWKINS was the fastest women in 6:01.0 and JO COOKSLEY second with 6:28.3.
Many Spartans were running their first ever 1500 metres. A new experience.
| Position | Name | Time |
| 1 | Charlie WHITE | 4:45.9 |
| 2 | Mike JEFFS | 4:49.1 |
| 3 | Pete GENTLE | 5:16.7 |
| 4 | David BENNETT-HALLIDAY | 5:24.0 |
| 5 | Melvin AUBURN | 5:37.3 |
| 6 | Steve MAYFIELD | 5:44.4 |
| 7 | Lewis GREEN | 5:51.0 |
| 8 | Adam HILL | 5:55.5 |
| 9 | Suzy HAWKINS | 6:01.0 |
| 10 | Craig BACON | 6:09.2 |
| 11 | Simon HAIGH | 6:22.6 |
| 12 | Charlie ARNOLD | 6:25.8 |
| 13 | Jo COOKSLEY | 6:28.3 |
| 14 | Brian WHITE | 6:51.9 |
| 15 | Martin DUDLEY | 6:53.9 |
| 16 | Jon SYPULA | 7:02.1 |
| 17 | Sharon CROWLEY | 7:18.3 |
| 18 | Tim ROBINSON | 7:24.5 |
| 19 | Simon SYPULA | 7:25.5 |
| 20 | Jim BROWN | 8:45.5 |
| 21 | Paul HOLGATE | 9:36.4 |
| 22 | Jane WADEY | 9:49.8 |
Parkrun Highlights
The long hot summer continues and 22 Spartans plus organisers were attracted to the opportunity to run a 1500 metres race at Ridlins on Saturday morning but there were still 32 FVS on the Stevenage parkrun out of a total of 476.
SIMON JACKSON was first in for the Spartans at fifth with 18 minutes 28 seconds (18:28). STEVE WELLS was sub 20 with 19:29.
SUSAN McANENY was the fastest female from Spartans in 25:02 and BRONYA BROWN second in 26:28 and ALICE WELCH third with 30:08.
Spartans elsewhere included PAUL MOULD running 20:10 at the Eden Project; SARAH ILLINGWORTH 30:07 at Tyne Green, Hexham; MICHAEL O’KEEFE 46:08 at Dietenbach, Freiburg; KRIS WESTCOTT 26:04 at Mersea Island; CLAIRE EMMERSON 27:48 at Pocket, St Neots with SALLY PICKLES 29:02 and NIKI PLUMB 41:22 both at Panshanger.
| Position | Gender Position | FVS parkrunner | Time |
| 5 | 5 | Simon JACKSON | 18:28 |
| 13 | 13 | Steve WELLS | 19:29 |
| 35 | 35 | Toby ECCLESHALL | 21:14 |
| 40 | 40 | Ralph DADSWELL | 21:24 |
| 79 | 74 | Paul SHELLEY | 23:34 |
| 96 | 91 | Matthew COOKE | 24:20 |
| 101 | 96 | Richard MOORE | 24:36 |
| 112 | 106 | Daniel VILJOEN | 24:57 |
| 115 | 8 | Susan MCANENY | 25:02 |
| 128 | 116 | Matt WALTON | 25:24 |
| 139 | 126 | James SOUTH | 25:56 |
| 158 | 19 | Bronya BROWN | 26:28 |
| 172 | 150 | Martin JACOB | 27:14 |
| 213 | 184 | Ryan DUNNING | 28:46 |
| 255 | 210 | Jay PAPA | 30:03 |
| 260 | 44 | Alice WELCH | 30:08 |
| 263 | 45 | Alison SHELLEY | 30:13 |
| 270 | 219 | Maurice BALLARD | 30:42 |
| 276 | 224 | Steve PLATT | 30:51 |
| 291 | 230 | Kartik SHARMA | 31:11 |
| 312 | 67 | Linda GEORGE | 31:55 |
| 345 | 86 | Caroline CROFT | 33:13 |
| 353 | 258 | Nick KLEANTHOUS | 33:29 |
| 358 | 90 | Pamela VILJOEN | 33:49 |
| 372 | 96 | Hayley PEACH | 34:47 |
| 408 | 121 | Zoe NEWELL | 38:02 |
| 409 | 122 | Rebecca RAYNER | 38:18 |
| 430 | 137 | Hannah MANTON | 41:50 |
| 437 | 143 | Tracy HAYGARTH | 43:57 |
| 457 | 154 | Julie MANTON | 52:23 |
| 458 | 155 | Emma WELCH | 52:24 |
| 459 | 156 | Nichola DURENT | 52:24 |
| 466 | 292 | David SCOTT | 54:16 |