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Club News Race Results

GOLD AND SILVER FOR SPARTANS

Sunday’s Stevenage Half Marathon was a huge success and Fairlands Valley Spartans took first and second in the 13.1 miles races. 

Spartan ANDREW PATTERSON won the event overall in a new personal best (PB) of 1 hour 12 minutes 53 seconds and also took GOLD in the Hertfordshire County Championships.  SIMON JACKSON was second in 1 hour 15 minutes 48 seconds and took SILVER in the county champs.  Together with DAVID HARRIS CHERGUIT (PB 1:19:25) and STUART ARCHER (PB 1:26:27) they won GOLD in the County team competition and won the team contest in the race. 

Mens Gold County team winners!

The Spartans won GOLD in the county team competition with LIZ SMITH after a rapid acceleration in the last five miles finishing with 1 hour 53 minutes 59 seconds; ALISON SHELLEY (PB 1:57:22) and WENDY THARANI (1:57:50).  Three to count in the women’s competition. 

Our smiling Ladies Gold County team winners!

And Bronze for Women and Men 

Then there were County team BRONZE medals for the women’s team of ANN TRYSSESOONE (2:01:14), CHLOE CHAPMAN (improving her PB by more than nine minutes to 2:01:39) and KERSTIN WEINER (2:04:07) and the men’s team of GRANT RAMSEY (1:27:32); DANNY SCANLON (1:28:56); TONY RANDFIELD (1:33:34) and PAUL SHELLEY (1:36:57). 

Ladies Bronze County team winners!
Mens Bronze County team winners!

David Harris Cherguit was first man aged 40 plus in the race and Tony Randfield, running his first half as a Spartan, was first man aged 60 plus. 

The Spartans topped and tailed the event with a total of 38 runners.  Dozens more Spartans and their friends marshaled, rode lead and sweep bikes, provided water stations, supervised the shuttle buses and did the other jobs that made it a success. 

A handful of our wonderful marshals, chief marshal, lead bike and yummy cakes that were for sale (there were lots more!)

On a cold but mainly sunny morning the race started on Ridlins Athletics track then followed two equal laps on cycleway and footpaths via Gresley Way, Six Hills Way, Fairlands Valley Park north and south, football club, Broadhall Way to cross Woodcock Road and into the second lap before finishing on the track. 

This time there was a welcome tailwind in the south part of Fairlands Valley Park.  After a one year gap due to Covid it was back and it was great. 

There were several half marathon first timers including MIKE JEFFS (1:31:22); NICK KLEANTHOUS (1:57:45); CHRIS SAUNDERS (2:12:32); NICHOLA DURENT (3:16:32) and JUDY KING (3:18:39).  LEE PICKERGILL ran a new PB of 1:47:45; NIGEL STRONGITHARM ran a new PB of 1:48:08, and NICHOLA ANDERSSON a new PB of 2:04:48.  STEPH BIGGAR ran her first ever real race, everything else has been virtual, and finished in 3:16:32. 

TIM ROBINSON was aiming for sub 2 hours and managed to improve on his target and achieve 1:54:33 in his fastest half since 2017. The long incline at mile 8 was hard going, sapped a lot of energy and lost some time but was the only part of the course that presented any real difficulty. 

JIM BROWN was apprehensive after two recent disaster half marathons including a DNF (did not finish) but improved his time from August (2:04:05) by 5 minutes 56 seconds to 1:58:09 to get under two hours by maintaining almost exactly nine minute miles all the way round. 

The first woman in the race was ELIZABETH PARRY from Garden City Runners in 1 hour 22 minutes 45 seconds with KERRIE HAMLIN from Ampthill and Flitwick Flyers second in 1:26:38 and JUSTINE LYNCH from Belgrave Harriers third in 1:26:50. 

The Last Fly 

Fairlands Valley Spartans were represented in the last Fly 5K in the current series on Saturday.  This virtual free run anywhere event on a Saturday morning helped to get a lot of people through lockdown when all in person events were cancelled.  More than 15,000 Fly 5K runs have been recorded since the series was launched.  This was race 80. 

In the MARIAN MORLEY was 55th and first woman aged 55 plus in 26 minutes 41 seconds; NICOLA ANDERSSON was 71st in 29:02 and PENNY SCHENKEL and JIM BROWN went round together to finish 100th equal in 30:56.  This was Jim’s 58th Fly 5K and he received a special not (virtual) T-shirt for running at least fifty. 

There will be a Christmas edition and a real reunion in 2022. 

St Neots 

CRAIG BACON said, “Sunday at the St Neots Half Marathon was my first mass event since February 2020.  There have been months of solo running and virtual events since the last time I lined up at the start of a race with over 1000 people ready to complete the 13.1 miles. 

There was a chill in the air as I made my way to the start and so I was glad that I had put my woolly hat and gloves in my kit bag.  We gathered at the line and at 10 o’clock we were sent on our way out of St Neots and along the Huntingdonshire country roads.  The route was a figure of eight course with a rise at about 3 miles, another before half way and then a final hill at 9 miles.  The hills did mean there was an opportunity to go downhill too, so every cloud has a silver lining. 

I finished in a time of 1 hour 41 minutes 16 seconds, which is 2 minutes 19 seconds faster than my pre-pandemic Half in 2020.  It was also my fastest Half since May 2016.  I finished 303rd overall, 233rd male and 54th male vet 50.” 

Fellow Spartan John Harding finished in 2:11:10 to finish 823rd overall and 535th male. 

Parkrun Highlights 

This week 30 Spartans participated across 8 different parkrun venues. 

A couple of first timer mentions:  KIERAN FEETHAM at Plymvalley in 23:18 and EVA RAMSEY at Cassiobury in 23:21.  

PETER CARPENTER was at Squerryes Winery parkrun at Westerham running a new PB of 44:19.  GRAHAM HOARE also got himself a new PB 23:29 at Southsea parkrun and YUKO GORDON was second female at Letchworth in 23:50. 

GRANT RAMSAY was first Spartan home out of the 21 Spartans at Stevenage in 19:06.  KEN JUDE was running his 99th parkrun at Stevenage.  MARK GOODWIN was the sole Spartan at Panshanger this week clocking 23:43. 

Tables 

Full results for all Spartans when there are a lot at an event will be listed below.   

Spartan Gun Times At The Stevenage Half Marathon 

Pos Race No Name GunTime Category Cat Pos Gender Gen Pos  
321 Andrew PATTERSON 01:12:55 Top3 Male PB 
218 Simon JACKSON 01:15:50 Top3 Male YB 
179 David HARRIS-CHERGUIT 01:19:30 Ages 40 – 49 Male PB 
26 13 Stuart ARCHER 01:26:33 Ages 20 – 39 12 Male 25 PB 
29 346 Grant RAMSAY 01:27:35 Ages 40 – 49 Male 26  
31 369 Danny SCANLON 01:29:00 Ages 40 – 49 10 Male 28  
37 224 Mike JEFFS 01:31:22 Ages 20 – 39 15 Male 33 New 
46 347 Tony RANDFIELD 01:33:39 Ages 60 – 69 Male 42 New 
79 375 Paul SHELLEY 01:37:02 Ages 50 – 59 17 Male 69 YB 
82 384 Peter SMITH 01:37:07 Ages 50 – 59 18 Male 71 SB 
87 178 John HARRIS 01:37:29 Ages 50 – 59 20 Male 75 SB 
100 277 Reece McCULLAGH 01:40:42 Ages 20 – 39 32 Male 65 SB 
121 140 Nick GILL 01:44:47 Ages 20 – 39 33 Male 102 SB 
135 110 Toby ECCLESHALL 01:48:06 Ages 20 – 39 36 Male 112 YB 
136 399 Nigel STRONGITHARM 01:48:08 Ages 50 – 59 31 Male 113 PB 
137 329 Lee PICKERSGILL 01:48:08 Ages 20 – 39 37 Male 114 PB 
184 387 Liz SMITH 01:54:30 Ages 40 – 49 16 Female 38 YB 
189 357 Tim ROBINSON 01:54:56 Ages 50 – 59 38 Male 150 SB 
206 376 Alison SHELLEY 01:57:42 Ages 50 – 59 Female 47 PB 
211 241 Nick KLEANTHOUS 01:58:10 Ages 50 – 59 41 Male 163 New 
218 411 Wendy THARANI 01:58:26 Ages 40 – 49 20 Female 50 SB 
219 50 Jim BROWN 01:58:27 Ages 60 – 69 Male 169  
222 118 Robert EVANS 01:58:37 Ages 40 – 49 59 Male 170 SB 
243 419 Ann TRYSSESOONE 02:01:30 Ages 50 – 59 Female 59 YB 
244 62 Chloe CHAPMAN 02:02:15 Ages 20 – 39 20 Female 60 PB 
254 437 Kerstin WEINER 02:04:30 Ages 50 – 59 Female 67 SB 
257 406 Jon SYPULA 02:05:10 Ages 40 – 49 66 Male 189 SB 
259 12 Nicola ANDERSSON 02:05:23 Ages 50 – 59 11 Female 70 PB 
270 323 Carol PAUL 02:07:41 Ages 50 – 59 13 Female 75 SB 
288 367 Chris SAUNDERS 02:13:02 Ages 20 – 39 59 Male 207 New 
309 202 Paul HOLGATE 02:23:16 Ages 60 – 69 15 Male 216 SB 
312 362 Gerry ROSEN 02:27:19 Ages 50 – 59 60 Male 218 SB 
313 458 Robert WRIGHT 02:27:19 Ages 20 – 39 62 Male 219  
320 378 Karl SHREEVE 02:32:46 Ages 50 – 59 62 Male 223 SB 
334 444 Jane WHITROW 03:17:05 Ages 50 – 59 22 Female 109 SB 
335 36 Steph BIGGAR 03:17:09 Ages 40 – 49 49 Female 110  
336 107 Nichola DURENT 03:17:10 Ages 40 – 49 50 Female 111 New 
337 236 Judy KING 03:18:39 Ages 50 – 59 23 Female 112 New 

Chip times were not available at the time of writing. 

Spartans at parkrun â€Ż 

Stevenage parkrun 

A total of 291 runners took part including 21 Spartans. 

Position   Gender Position   parkrunner   Run Time   
Grant RAMSAY 00:19:06 
21 20 Andrew MCGUINNESS 00:21:53 
68 59 James MCSWEENEY 00:24:33 
80 68 Darren EMMERSON 00:25:04 
118 21 Fiona CLARKE 00:27:11 
127 101 Ken JUDE 00:27:37 
156 117 Matt CLARKE 00:28:57 
159 37 Nicola ANDERSSON 00:29:00 
169 41 Debbie BLANTERN 00:29:36 
175 128 Toby ECCLESHALL 00:30:10 
176 44 Gail MACKIE 00:30:14 
177 45 Ashley SCHOENWETTER 00:30:17 
180 47 Catherine CRAIG 00:30:29 
190 131 Jim BROWN 00:30:55 
191 54 Penny SCHENKEL 00:30:56 
201 60 Tracy HAYGARTH 00:31:54 
210 66 Karen PALMER 00:32:55 
215 69 Beth FOLEY 00:33:43 
226 142 Stephen SMITHSON 00:34:37 
289 113 Helen HARRIS 00:53:51 
290 166 Roger BIGGS 00:59:19 

Plymvalley parkrun 

A total of 110 runners took part. 

  

Position   Gender Position   parkrunner   Run Time   
Kieran FEETHAM 00:23:18 

Southsea parkrun 

A total of 357 runners took part. 

  

Position   Gender Position   parkrunner   Run Time   
86 76 Graham HOARE 00:23:29 

Brockenhurst parkrun 

A total of 138 runners took part. 

  

Position   Gender Position   parkrunner   Run Time   
138 62 Darryl STEVENS 00:45:09 

Panshanger parkrun 

A total of 247 runners took part. 

  

Position   Gender Position   parkrunner   Run Time   
34 32 Mark GOODWIN 00:23:43 

Cassiobury parkrun 

A total of 407 runners took part. 

  

Position   Gender Position   parkrunner   Run Time   
77 Eva RAMSEY 00:23:21 

Letchworth parkrun 

A total of 97 runners took part. 

  

Position   Gender Position   parkrunner   Run Time   
17 Yuko GORDON 00:23:50 

Squerryes Winery parkrun (Westerham) 

A total of 86 runners took part. 

  

Position   Gender Position   parkrunner   Run Time   
84 47 Peter CARPENTER 00:44:19