Panshanger Cross Country
It was looking a bit doubtful in the days leading up to the weekend but despite a cold start Sunday’s cross country league race went ahead. 38 Spartans, 22 men and 16 women, finished. That’s more than two complete men’s and women’s teams and a great turnout for an away event after some difficult days.
Spartan DAVID HARRIS-CHERGUIT was top ten with just 31 minutes 45 seconds for the undulating two lap 8.6 kilometre course in Panshanger Park. ADRIAN BUSOLINI was not far behind at 18th in 32:24. Men’s teams consisted of the first eight runners from a club.
The male “A” team was completed by NICK GILL 71st in 35:57; ADRIAN DONNELLY 79th in 36:37; DECLAN TRAYNER 82nd in 36:44; MIKE JEFFS club captain 86th in 37:00; STUART ARCHER in 40:26; STEVE MAYFIELD in 41:48.
GEORGIE HOOPER was a strong leader for the Spartan women. She was 141st overall in 40 minutes 25 seconds with new member SHAUNA LAWLESS second in 42:10. There were five runners in women’s teams. The other three in the female “A” team were ALICE WELCH who after a slow start over the first kilometre romped away to finish in 49:41; JAYNE RIDDELL 50:12 and LINDA GEORGE 52:27.
Three of the FVS Wednesday Daylight Runner regulars featured at the front of the women’s “B” team with CLAIRE EMMERSON 353rd overall, PENNY SCHENKEL 354th and LUCY PAUL 358th. They were within 30 seconds of each other at around 54 minutes.
Not all the ice had cleared from the course before the 10.30a.m. start but that did not present any major problems to the more than 400 runners from eighteen clubs who finished.
Times for all 38 Spartans can be found in the tables near the end of this release. The women’s positions and team results should be available from the league organisers in a few days.
The fifth and final league race this season will be in Watford on 15th February.
| Position | Name | Own Time | Gender | |
| 10 | DAVID HARRIS-CHERGUIT | 31:45* | M | Team “A” (M) |
| 18 | ADRIAN BUSOLINI | 32:24 | M | Team “A” (M) |
| 71 | NICK GILL | 35:57 | M | Team “A” (M) |
| 79 | ADRIAN DONNELLY | 36:37 | M | Team “A” (M) |
| 82 | DECLAN TRAYNER | 36:44 | M | Team “A” (M) |
| 86 | MIKE JEFFS | 37:00 | M | Team “A” (M) |
| 141 | GEORGIE HOOPER | 40:25 | F | Team “A” (W) |
| 143 | STUART ARCHER | 40:26 | M | Team “A” (M) |
| 163 | STEVE MAYFIELD | 41:48 | M | Team “A” (M) |
| 168 | DANNY SCANLON | 42:03 | M | Team “B” (M) |
| 171 | CHARLIE ARNOLD | 42:15 | M | Team “B” (M) |
| 172 | SHAUNA LAWLESS | 42:10 | F | Team “A” (W) |
| 249 | DAVID RIDDELL | 45:29 | M | Team “B” (M) |
| 250 | MATT COOKE | 45:40 | M | Team “B” (M) |
| 259 | TONY VICKERS | 46:05 | M | Team “B” (M) |
| 270 | JAY PAPA | 46:38* | M | Team “B” (M) |
| 271 | ANDY PRIOR | 46:41* | M | Team “B” (M) |
| 275 | STEPHEN MASSEY | 46:59 | M | Team “B” (M) |
| 311 | ALICE WELCH | 49:41 | F | Team “A” (W) |
| 318 | PETE COOK | 50:01 | M | |
| 319 | JAYNE RIDDELL | 50:12 | F | Team “A” (W) |
| 328 | MARK FREEMAN | 51:27 | M | |
| 339 | LINDA GEORGE | 52:27 | F | Team “A” (W) |
| 344 | SIMON SYPULA | 53:19 | M | |
| 349 | JIM BROWN | 53:59 | M | |
| 353 | CLAIRE EMMERSON | 53:58 | F | Team “B” (W) |
| 354 | PENNY SCHENKEL | 54:03 | F | Team “B” (W) |
| 358 | LUCY PAUL | 54:31 | F | Team “B” (W) |
| 363 | SHARON CROWLEY | 55:05 | F | Team “B” (W) |
| 370 | STEVE TINGLEY | 56:01 | M | |
| 381 | BECKY RAYNER | 57:38 | F | Team “B” (W) |
| 384 | CALLIE CHAPMAN | 58:46 | F | |
| 389 | SAMANTHA SUTTON | 58:56 | F | |
| 390 | SAM GENTRY | 58:56* | F | |
| 391 | HAZEL SMITH | 58:56* | F | |
| 402 | PAUL HOLGATE | 65:21 | M | |
| 404 | LIZ CROWLEY | 66:31 | F | |
| 405 | AMANDA VICKERS | 66:39 | F |
Gerry’s Ultra
Three Spartans; GERRY ROSEN, JOHN NELMS and MARTIN JACOB took on the arduous Country to Capital Ultra Marathon on Saturday. This was the traditional first ultra marathon of the year.
The country to capital ultra is a 43 mile (69 kilometres) race starting from the top of the Chilterns in Wendover and finishing at Paddington station in central London.
The route covers 20 miles of hills and trails across the Chilterns before joining the Grand Union Canal at Denham for 23 miles of canal path into London.
Conditions couldn’t have been better – blessed with glorious sunshine and lightly frozen ground there was very little of the expected mud on the trails.
After eight months preparation but Spartan GERRY ROSEN finished Saturday’s 43 miles Country to Capital Ultra in eleven hours. His longest ever race. He was delighted.
Gerry said “I took part in the Country to Capital Ultra, a race of 43 miles that starts in Wendover in the Chiltern Hills and winds its way down to Denham before picking up the Grand Union Canal, the first part in the Chilterns is 21 miles and the relentless slog on the Canal 22 miles.
My own particular race started ominously, my back pack broke before the start but luckily a temporary repair was done and at 8.45am we were off, all was going well, through the first two checkpoints without a hitch, a change of shoes and clothes. I was feeling good, then slipped over and the backpack broke again, losing more time, we eventually made it to Checkpoint 3 inside the cut off time by 15 minutes, the organisers had asked that we buddied up in pairs as from here on in, the light would fade and for safety as well, I buddied up with a lady from Germany (She was a veteran of the previous 11 C2C’s) who lived in London, we were now both tired but determined to finish, we walked very quickly, we talked and put the world to rights, it was hard going, endless long straights of nothing in pitch darkness, we made it to Checkpoint 4 bang on the cut off time. A quick refuel stop and on our way, we were told not to worry about cut off times, just to get home ASAP, checkpoint 5 came and went and it was a straight run to the finish, never has the sight of the A40 flyover at Paddington seem so beautiful and at bang on 7.30pm 11 hours after the start, 43 miles covered in 86000+ steps we crossed the line. I saw a friendly Spartan face in John Nelms who briefly waited to welcome me back .
I’m completely in bits as I write this, I’m having to replace a backpack and a new rain jacket as it got torn to shreds by brambles and thorns in the dark, I’ve lost my headphones as well. Simply put, it’s a day I won’t forget in a hurry, would I do it again? Watch this space……….”
That’s a fantastic achievement. The change in Gerry over the last year has been amazing.
John Nelms finished in 9 hours 16 minutes in his ninth finish at this event.
Martin Jacob finished just behind John in 9:42:11.
Parkrun Highlights
It was great to be back at the Stevenage parkrun after last week’s cancellation due to bad weather and unsafe conditions. Care was needed on a couple of sections which slowed the times for many but 546 including 32 Spartans were obviously keen to go and did.
Spartan ADAM HILL ran a new parkrun personal best (PPB) of 25:51 while LORRAINE HILL ran her 370th in 28:18 and JIM BROWN his 230th in 32:17.
Many other parkruns were cancelled but the Spartans who ran “away” included GRANT RAMSAY at Milton Country in 20:08; MATT COOKE at Mile End in 23:25; LEWIS GREEN 25:03, CHARLES ARNOLD 26:23, GEORGIE HOOPER 28:29 and YUKO GORDON 29:11 at Letchworth; CHRIS HOLLAND 26:38 at Rutland Water; JAY PAPA 28:03 and WAYNE SIMMONS 28:14 at Dunstable Downs; SUZY HAWKINS 28:05 at Wendover Woods and KARL SHREEVE 29:38 at Brook Leys.
Altogether 48 Spartans ran parkruns on Saturday.
| Position | Gender Position | FVS parkrunner | Time | Comments |
| 22 | 21 | Mike JEFFS | 21:15 | |
| 34 | 31 | Simon JACKSON | 21:52 | |
| 42 | 38 | Steve WELLS | 22:20 | |
| 56 | 50 | Toby ECCLESHALL | 23:09 | |
| 68 | 62 | Tony RANDFIELD | 23:37 | Volunteer |
| 137 | 119 | Adam HILL | 25:51 | New PPB |
| 147 | 125 | Daniel VILJOEN | 26:13 | |
| 168 | 141 | Darren EMMERSON | 26:54 | |
| 179 | 25 | Karen ELLIS | 27:16 | Fastest Female From Fairlands |
| 202 | 166 | Ryan DUNNING | 28:11 | |
| 208 | 30 | Lorraine HILL | 28:18 | 370 parkruns |
| 212 | 172 | James SOUTH | 28:21 | |
| 258 | 199 | Nick KLEANTHOUS | 29:32 | |
| 290 | 63 | Carole SHELDRICK | 30:49 | |
| 317 | 75 | Alice WELCH | 31:19 | |
| 362 | 248 | Jim BROWN | 32:17 | 230 parkruns |
| 398 | 122 | Erica GRAYSON | 33:17 | |
| 397 | 121 | Debbie BLANTERN | 33:17 | |
| 410 | 129 | Samantha SUTTON | 33:36 | |
| 411 | 130 | Annabelle WHITE | 33:37 | |
| 445 | 153 | Hilary DAVIES | 35:07 | |
| 449 | 155 | Nicola PATTMAN | 35:16 | |
| 456 | 160 | Hannah MANTON | 35:40 | |
| 488 | 288 | Keith MANTON | 38:35 | |
| 505 | 190 | Sally PICKLES | 40:21 | |
| 507 | 192 | Hayley PEACH | 40:47 | |
| 509 | 194 | Julie MANTON | 40:48 | |
| 508 | 193 | Niki PLUMB | 40:48 | |
| 532 | 298 | Thomas SAUKA | 52:03 | |
| 542 | 303 | Roger BIGGS | 59:41 | |
| 543 | 218 | Sharon CROWLEY | 59:42 | Volunteer |
| 544 | 219 | Rebecca RAYNER | 59:43 | Volunteer |
