Brighton 10k

A magnificent seven Spartans had a great time, or times, at the St Neots Half Marathon.

LINDA GEORGE from Fairlands Valley Spartans completed the St Neots Half Marathon on Sunday with a chip time of 1:57:15, which is a 2 minute 43 second personal best (PB) from her 2024 Cambridge Half. This also marks her third consecutive PB in the last three weeks – starting with the cross country race, followed by the FVS 10 Mile Handicap, and now the half marathon.

Linda said a big shout-out to MARTIN JACOB, who paced her throughout the race and finished just behind her in 1:57:16.

Goodness said JIM BROWN. I started further back but finished in 1 hour 57 minutes 6 seconds (1:57:06).

It took me twelve attempts this year to get under two hours now I’ve beaten last week’s time by another 1 minute 11 seconds and looking at the official result it looks like I’ve hit a magic round number age target of 70% which I thought was unachievable.

That’s a new season’s best (SB). Jim’s fastest half in 2024 was 1:58:59 and until now his fastest half in 2025 was 1:58:17. Certainly shows that the Wednesday daylight runs haven’t done any harm. Jim said it was great to have Linda and Martin a few seconds ahead or behind for a lot of the race after the first climb through Abbotsley and me nearly stalling on Pitsdean Road after the brook. To compensate for those climbs the last 5K was wonderful. Despite being tired it took me 27:18 – faster than I’ve run a parkrun this year!

What’s happening? Jim said it’s a pity the year is running out particularly for road races. Maybe I should have lined up a second marathon (quiver, quiver) to make up a bit for the roasting experience in April……

It was BECKY RAYNER’s first time doing the St Neots Half Marathon. She didn’t even remember entering it. In fact she was certain that she hadn’t entered due to the 2.5 hour cut off, which would mean improving on her year’s best from the Stevenage Half just one month ago by over 20 minutes. Imagine her surprise when she realised two weeks ago that she had obviously had a moment of madness and had actually entered.

After being reassured that they were not too strict on the cut off and checking previous years’ results Becky decided to give it a go and just try my best.

It was a lovely course, and not only did she beat her time at Stevenage by 26 minutes and 54 seconds, but she also beat her PB from 2023 by 11 minutes and 4 seconds! Coming in under the cut off in 2:24:03. Something she did not think was possible. Absolutely over the moon

JAY PAPA was the fastest Spartan with 1:26:31. He was 62^nd. Jay said he had a very enjoyable morning. That was his third year doing it. He loves this race. This was his fastest on this course by two minutes and his second quickest half marathon time overall. He was really chuffed with how it went this morning. Felt strong.

ROSS GALLAGHER included his race in a long 21 mile training run and finished 72^nd with 1:27:04. And KARL SHREEVE should be very pleased with his 2:11:43.

There were 1015 finishers.

Pos	BiB	Name	Cat Pos	Category	Gun Time	Chip Time
62	879	Jay Papa	33.	MS 17-39	1:26:36	1:26:31
72	1370	Ross Gallagher	1	MV50-59	1:27:08	1:27:04
647	458	Linda George	50.	FV35 -44	1:57:47	1:57:15
648	626	Martin Jacob	120.	MV40-49	1:57:49	1:57:16
655	171	Jim Brown	4.	MV70+	1:58:02	1:57:06
868	1057	Karl Shreeve	144.	MV50-59	2:12:52	2:11:43
956	966	Rebecca Rayner	82.	FV35 -44	2:25:32	2:24:03

JODIE KANTAS ran the popular Brighton 10K race in 45 minutes 37 seconds. She was 831^st out of the 2933 finishers.

Gerry Goes Ultra for Ultra

GERRY ROSEN had a 32 miles dress rehearsal for the Country to Capital on Saturday. The full ultra marathon event will be 43 miles but he ran from Wendover to West Drayton via Chesham, Chorleywood and Uxbridge fortified with peanut butter sandwiches and sausage rolls with some mud to keep him entertained.

Wish him well for 10^th January 2026.

Cross Country Update

Detailed results just released by the Sunday Cross Country League show that Fairlands Valley Spartans maintained their sixth out of 18 position after the second fixture. Their men are sixth and women eighth.

240 men and 173 women ran in the second race. The third race will be in Stevenage on Sunday 21^st December.

Two Mikes and a Sharon at Sundon

Sharon Crowley, Mike Crowley and Mike Newbitt, took part in the Sundon Saunter, starting and finishing from Barton -le-Clay. They were pleasantly surprised how firm the ground was after all the rain!

They all completed the long route of 27.89 miles. Sharon and Mike Crowley in 8 hours 35 minutes. Mike Mewbitt in 9 hours 36 minutes.

Parkrun Highlights – Saturday 15^th November 2025

Thirty Spartans ran the Stevenage parkrun. After Saturday CLAIRE EMMERSON is only one short of her century so a 100 milestone celebration will be along very soon. JOSHUA WELCH was a first timer with 30:17 and ALICE WELCH also 30:17 ran a new parkrun personal best (PPB). JULIE SHADBOLT ran her 20^th parkrun in 36:27.

Julie Manton ran a new Parkrun PPB on Saturday at Stevenage 38.03 with the help of Hannah Manton 38:04 keeping her going! Together with Keith (35:48) it was a family outing. And she said she had loads of support from the lovely FVS Run Together Group too!

Suttons in Hove

Megan, Rose and Samantha Sutton all ran at Hove Promenade parkrun. Both Megan and Samantha got a parkrun 5K PB. Samantha’s was a 58 second PB with a time of 27.37 and Megan’s around 1 and a half minutes with a time of 23.13. Rose ran an excellent time of 32.34 having not run for a couple of months.

HAYLEY PEACH was in Wales running the Aberystwyth parkrun. She was visiting her son at university. This was her second park run here. It’s a pancake flat course on tarmac. She first did the course on 13 September 2025 with a time of 37.35. This week it was a park run pb of 32.10, an improvement of 5 minutes 25 seconds. MICHAEL O’KEEFE pushed the parkrun tourism a little further with 33:34 at the Zuiderpark event in Den Haag.

Altogether there were 57 Spartans running parkruns in the UK and in the Netherlands.

Position	Gender Position	FVS parkrunner	Time
35	34	Tony RANDFIELD	21:59
64	59	Stuart ARCHER	23:19
89	81	Daniel VILJOEN	24:19
110	101	Martin DUDLEY	24:48
115	104	Charles ARNOLD	24:58
144	130	Darren EMMERSON	26:18
149	15	Annabelle WHITE	26:23
153	135	Martin JACOB	26:28
192	27	Lorraine HILL	27:33
203	31	Fiona CLARKE	27:47
212	174	Ryan DUNNING	28:00
224	181	Matt CLARKE	28:24
268	62	Elizabeth CROWLEY	30:01
269	63	Claire EMMERSON	30:02
278	206	Joshua WELCH	30:17
279	69	Alice WELCH	30:17
337	99	Ada JANUSIENE	31:44
373	121	Caroline CROFT	32:52
390	132	Erica GRAYSON	33:09
391	250	Ahaan SHARMA	33:11
392	251	Kartik SHARMA	33:12
394	133	Pamela VILJOEN	33:19
399	136	Lindsay PATEMAN	33:32
443	269	Keith MANTON	35:48
447	270	Stephen SMITHSON	36:14
449	271	Jim BROWN	36:25
450	170	Julie SHADBOLT	36:27
451	171	Penny SCHENKEL	36:28
479	186	Julie MANTON	38:03
480	187	Hannah MANTON	38:04

Fairlands Valley Spartans JONATHAN PARR has won another race. He won the Kew Gardens 10K on Saturday with a time of 33 minutes 54 seconds. It was part of the Richmond Running Festival and he beat 1886 other runners.

Great Welsh Half

Carmarthenshire was the setting for a great result for JOHN HARRIS. He ran the Great Welsh Half Marathon in 1 hour 31 minutes 4 seconds, was 38^th out of the 576 finishers and first runner aged 55 plus. The event started and finished in Pembrey Country Park and was along the Welsh scenic coastal path.

Essex

THOMAS SAUKA completed the Essex walker LDWA challenge marathon, in 5 hours 47 minutes. He said the event is run in a lovely area, starting at Galley Wood Heritage Centre, which is a lovely wooded area, going out to Ingatestone and back to the start, some lovely villages and lanes around the course as well as woodland.

This was his first marathon of the year. He said he’s a bit out of practice but looking forward to the next one.

Ibiza Relay Marathon

Callie CHAPMAN and Hazel SMITH ran the relay marathon in Ibiza. Hazel ran the first half then handed over to Callie before they both reunited to cross the finish line together.

It was hot and hilly but both were over the moon with their combined time of 4 hours 35 minutes 18 seconds.

The girls living their best lives in Ibiza!

Flitwick

CATHY CRAIG had to run her 20 miles training run on a very windy Thursday instead of the weekend after discovering midweek that she had an entry in Sunday’s Flitwick 10K. Sunday was a perfect day for a run in beautiful hilly countryside with a nice downhill finish. She ran it in 63:31, third in her age category, a nice way to start tapering for her marathon.

Brighton Marathon and 10K

WENDY THARANI completed the Brighton marathon in 5.12.22 only a week after running the Manchester Marathon! She now deserves a massive rest! EMMA SOUTHERINGTON finished in 6 hours 20 minutes 18 seconds.

The amazing Wendy and Emma all smiles in sunny Brighton!

SAMANTHA SUTTON took part in the Brighton 10K on Sunday and finished with a time of 1 hour 12 minutes 54 seconds.

Sam getting stuck into the running life of a Spartan!

Calderdale Hike

On Saturday Sharon and Mike Crowley took part in the 42nd Calderdale Hike back after a break of two years. The walk started and finished in Sowerby Bridge, the suggested route followed part of the Pennine Way and over the M62. The route involved over a 1000 metres of climb, the pair completed the short walk of 27 miles in 8 hours and 45 minutes, Sharon being second lady home.

Parkrun Highlights 9^th April

SIMON JACKSON won the Stevenage parkrun in 17 minutes 2 seconds, a parkrun PB for him.

Twenty six Spartans headed out to nine different venues for Parkrun last Saturday with Darryl STEVENS running at Stadspark, Netherlands!

Grant RAMSAY also achieved a top ten finish at Stevenage, with a time of 19:24.

Stevenage parkrun winner Simon with other Spartans.

Congratulations to Jenny GARRETT and Michael O’KEEFE who have achieved unofficial milestones of 40^th and 130^th Parkruns. Jim BROWN achieved his own unofficial milestone of 75 parkruns, halfway to his next T shirt, and this was his first run of any kind since an encounter with Omnicron.

There were 211 runners at Stevenage including 18 Spartans.

John ROXBOROUGH tried out another new venue at Bury Field, Newport Pagnell. That’s John’s 101^st different parkrun venue.

Spartan parkrunners on Saturday 9^th April

Stevenage parkrun
Position	Gender Position	parkrunner	Run Time
1	1	Simon JACKSON	17:02	Winner
7	7	Grant RAMSAY	19:24	Top Ten
17	17	Tony RANDFIELD	21:06
38	35	Sam SIMMONS	23:58
46	43	Toby ECCLESHALL	24:17
58	53	Darren EMMERSON	25:14
105	84	Matt CLARKE	27:33
110	21	Debbie BLANTERN	28:00
145	42	Fiona CLARKE	31:20
146	43	Chloe CHAPMAN	31:22
151	102	Jim BROWN	31:34	75th
152	46	Jenny GARRETT	31:35	40th
166	55	Tracy HAYGARTH	33:39
199	76	Gail MACKIE	41:40
204	80	Angie WATERS	44:52
208	120	Roger BIGGS	46:48
Gunpowder parkrun
Position	Gender Position	parkrunner	Run Time
85	24	Mo WARRILLOW	27:15
86	59	David PATTMAN	27:16
Brandon Country Park parkrun
Position	Gender Position	parkrunner	Run Time
41	31	James MCSWEENEY	26:56
Panshanger parkrun
Position	Gender Position	parkrunner	Run Time
71	62	Mike REYNOLDS	25:34
Teignmouth Promenade parkrun
Position	Gender Position	parkrunner	Run Time
42	35	Andy JAY	24:17
Stadspark parkrun
Position	Gender Position	parkrunner	Run Time
21	9	Darryl STEVENS	39:42	Netherlands
Henlow Bridge Lakes parkrun
Position	Gender Position	parkrunner	Run Time
47	26	Michael O’KEEFE	32:54	130th
Bury Field parkrun
Position	Gender Position	parkrunner	Run Time
16	15	John ROXBOROUGH	24:57

Brighton 10K