Barcelona Marathon - Fairlands Valley Spartans

The 20s are coming. Why are 20 mile races popular at this time of year? Great preparation for a Spring marathon.

Fairlands Valley Spartans had five finishers in Sunday’s Essex 20. It was dry, flat but windy at the Debden Airfield and ANDY PRIOR was 270^th in 2:46:56; KERSTIN PRIOR 345^th in 3:01:47; SIMON HAIGH 348^th in 3:02:39; JIM BROWN 388^th in a season’s best 3:12:12 and CHARLES ARNOLD 391^st in 3:13:22.

Andy said “Myself and Kerstin took on the ATW Essex 20 in our build up to Spring Marathons. Initially the sun was out and everything looked rosy, then the wind picked up and it became really hard work to get the job done.”

This was the first 20 mile race they have ever run.

Realistically said Jim I would have been more than happy with 3 hours 20 minutes, or 200 minutes equivalent to ten minute miling, so 3:12:12 and faster than last year, giving a season’s best by 3 minutes 11 seconds was great. In fact, in metric, it was a little bit better than six minutes per kilometre. Considering sometimes I can’t beat 30 minutes for a parkrun…..

Altogether there was a total of 509 finishers.

Some other 20s coming up fast include the Hertfordshire County 20 mile Championships included in the Hillingdon 20 on 22^nd March and the Oakley 20 on 29^th March. Fairlands Valley Spartans have a 20 mile club training run on 5^th April.

Barcelona!

And getting in fast with those Spring Marathons Spartan KRISTIAN ATANASOV was sub-three hours in the Barcelona Marathon. A bit windy but he finished in 2 hours 56 minutes 22 seconds for 1,706^th in a race that sold all 32,00 places.

Hertfordshire Veterans Cross Country

Four Spartans made a return trip to Cassiobury Park, Watford. This time for the Hertfordshire County Cross Country Championships for veteran runners.

Men ran 9,600 metres (about six miles) and women 7,000 metres.

Stephen Massey was 23^rd in the men’s race in 50 minutes 47 seconds. In the women’s event Jayne Riddell was 41^st in 40:28; Sharon Crowley 48^th in 43:56 and Callie Chapman 52^nd in 48:15.

Olympic Park 5K

MARTYN DOWLING ran alongside his 13 year old daughter Amelie in her first ever proper 5K race. This was at a RunThrough event in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Amelie got a fantastic time of 26:30. Next generation of Spartan in training😊

Martyn finished in 26:35. Both were third in their age groups. Martyn men 50 plus (MV50) and Amelie under 17.

Martyn paced her to sub 27 as that was her goal. Then she did a bit better.

Wanna Half? Entries have OPENED for the Stevenage Half Marathon which will be on Sunday 18^th October.

Parkrun Highlights

Three Fairlands Valley Spartans in the top ten at Saturday’s Stevenage parkrun. The club had 31 members running. KIRK NDUGU was first in 17:26; CHARLIE WHITE fourth in 18:08 and SIMON JACKSON seventh in 19:35.

KAREN ELLIS was the fastest female from Fairlands in 26:49 with LORRAINE HILL second in 27:07. LINDSAY PATEMAN ran a new parkrun personal best of 30:19 and KEITH MANTON a new PPB of 31:42. DEBBIE BLANTERN ran her 200^th parkrun in 32:16 and PETER SACH his 140^th in 27:12.

Altogether there were 54 Spartans at parkruns on Saturday.

Those elsewhere included WILLIAM MORLEY running the Brook Leys (Girton, Cambridge) parkrun in 19:02; SUZY HAWKINS Gunpowder (Waltham Abbey) in 22:13; STEVE WELLS Ferry Meadows (Peterborough) in 22:59; ALICE WELCH Luton Wardown in 29:18; and NICK KLEANTHOUS in Huddersfield with 30:58.

Three went to Great Denham which is getting a reputation for fast times. SALLY PICKLES came in with 27:12; SAMMIE SUTTON with 27:16 and NIKI PLUMB with 36:03.

Another three were at the Wimpole Estate – GRANT RAMSAY in 20:26; WAYNE SIMMONS in 26:33 and JAY PAPA in 26:39.

Position	Gender Position	FVS parkrunner	Time
1	1	Kirk NDUGU	17:26
4	4	Charlie WHITE	18:08
7	7	Simon JACKSON	19:35
65	62	Lee PICKERSGILL	24:26
136	119	Keith HOOKER	26:35
137	120	Matt CLARKE	26:36
142	17	Karen ELLIS	26:49
147	127	Steve TINSLEY	27:02
149	19	Lorraine HILL	27:07
157	133	Peter SACH	27:12
161	136	Brian WHITE	27:25
239	189	Daniel VILJOEN	29:18
245	48	Alison SHELLEY	29:22
252	52	Sarah ILLINGWORTH	29:39
263	202	Jim BROWN	29:51
274	59	Lindsay PATEMAN	30:19
301	72	Monica SMITHSON	31:17
322	228	Keith MANTON	31:42
327	231	Stephen SMITHSON	31:51
329	232	Maurice BALLARD	31:57
334	93	Debbie BLANTERN	32:16
347	240	Andy JAY	32:41
350	99	Linda GEORGE	32:44
356	101	Pamela VILJOEN	32:55
400	265	Lloyd DIAS	34:22
413	130	Julie SHADBOLT	34:44
462	285	James SOUTH	36:48
485	179	Jane WADEY	38:35
494	186	Julie MANTON	39:11
540	211	Nichola DURENT	48:47
542	312	David SCOTT	49:40

GOLD AND BRONZE SPARTANS

Fairlands Valley Spartans brought home GOLD and BRONZE medals from Sunday’s County 20 mile championships.

SIMON JACKSON flew around the four lap Hillingdon course in 2 hours 2 minutes 8 seconds for the Hertfordshire County Bronze for men 40 plus.

JIM BROWN had a hard time of it in the second half with the trippy pavements, kerbs and generally not being in a good place but persisted getting a terrible time of 4:04:58 but holding on to win County Gold for men 70 plus. He said seventy smiling marshals helped get home round and certainly, in minutes per pound, he got good value for his entry fee.

Barcelona Marathon

Kristian ATANASOV ran a fantastic sub three race at the Barcelona Marathon. He finished in 2 hours 51 minutes 57 seconds (2:51:57).

Wymondham

Today Carol Paul ran the Wymondham 20 in Norfolk, just to the south/west of Norwich.
The race started in the Town and went 2 miles out of town through the country lanes where the competitors completed a 8 mile loop twice and then back to Wymondham. The course was undulating with a big hill in the last mile. Conditions were quite humid and Carol finished in 3:28:26, 5th in her age group F60-64 and 382nd out of 462. The race was really well organised with loads of marshals.

Twin Lakes

BRIAN WHITE ran the Twin Lakes 20 in 2 hours 42 minutes 1 second (2:42:01). He was 87^th out of the 572 finishers in the multi-terrain event.

Ashridge Sam

It was a first time for SAM TOPHILL at the Ashridge Boundary Run. She said it was not her usual running terrain !! – but she went round the 17.5 miles in 3:09:06.

TIM ROBINSON finished in 3:54:31. The off road course with 1600ft of ascent took in Ivinghoe Beacon and a section of stairs through the woods! Was a tough run with most of the trails dried out, exposed tree roots, and heavily rutted tracks. The prize for completion was the traditional Beanie.

Classic Cross Country

Spartan MATTHEW NEWTON ran the classic cross country Orion 15 in the Epping Forest near Chingford. He finished in 2 hours 33 minutes 38 seconds.

Lee Valley PB Matt

On Sunday morning, MATT TUTTON ran the 10K at the Lee Valley Run Fest with a few other Spartans. It was a flat course starting and finishing at the Olympic White-Water centre venturing through the Lee Valley Country Park. Conditions were decent and he managed a chip time of 51:37 which is now is new 10k PB. He was very happy to take a chunk of time off my personal best!

DANNY SCANLON ran the same race in 44:57.Two Spartans ran the ATW Run Fest Half Marathon. SIMON HAIGH with 1:43:30 and MARTIN HAIGH with 2:09:28.

Preparing for Spring Events

42 Spartans took part in the FVS club 5, 10, 15 and 20 mile training runs on Sunday.

Parkrun Highlights Saturday 22^nd March

A total of 498 parkrunners were at the 393^rd Stevenage parkrun and despite it being the start of a very busy weekend 23 were Spartans. SIMON JACKSON was third in 18 minutes 30 seconds (18:30). He was running his 60^th parkrun.

Altogether 40 Spartans were at parkruns across the country.

Position	Gender Position	FVS parkrunner	Time
3	3	Simon JACKSON	18:30
11	10	Grant RAMSAY	19:46
27	23	Tony RANDFIELD	21:34
37	29	Matthew COOKE	22:21
67	53	Martin JACOB	23:33
85	66	Daniel VILJOEN	24:15
161	118	Darren EMMERSON	26:46
172	125	Matt CLARKE	26:56
177	128	Ryan DUNNING	27:05
184	132	Mark BEASLEY	27:14
217	150	Jim BROWN	28:26
237	48	Fiona CLARKE	28:56
241	163	Peter SACH	29:01
252	53	Claire EMMERSON	29:17
254	168	Paul JENNINGS	29:19
313	193	Steve PLATT	30:41
336	91	Debbie BLANTERN	31:36
368	224	Kartik SHARMA	33:18
392	109	Pamela VILJOEN	34:48
420	125	Chloe CHAPMAN	36:12
421	126	Nicola HATHERLY	36:16
451	143	Hannah MANTON	38:49
488	261	Roger BIGGS	47:05