Fairlands Valley Spartans WON the team prize at Sunday’s Hitchin 10K road race plus ANDREW PATTERSON was second man and ASHLEY JOHNSON second woman overall.
Only a week after an outstanding run in the London Marathon Andrew was second in the race with 34 minutes 26 seconds, a new season’s best by 1 minute 22 seconds.
Ashley was second woman overall, first in her age category and ran a new 10K personal best (PB) by 38 seconds with 41 minutes 59 seconds (41:59).
The other Spartan team counters were DAN HUKIN 13th overall in 38:05, his best this year, and fourth in age category, and DANNY SCANLON 41st in 41:05, a season’s best by 2 seconds. The FVS team won by 1 minute and 1 second.
PENNY SCHENKEL expected she was going to take 70 minutes but took 1 minute 48 seconds off her season’s best time when she finished in 1:00:27.
JIM BROWN said he was pleased to finish the Hitchin 10K only 28 seconds outside his best time of the year with 56:06.
MICHAEL O’KEEFE was another Spartan who ran at London. He maintained a sensible 10 minutes per mile pace and finished the 10 kilometres (6.2 miles) in 1:00:06.
JANE WADEY said she was pleased with her results. 65:40 was just 38 seconds short of her PB despite running with a sore ankle.Â
(Photo Credit, Main Photo – Marie Colucci)
County Track and Field ChampionshipsÂ
There were eight members of the club at the County Track and Field Championships for veterans at Ridlins on bank holiday Monday.
In the 1500 metres MO WARILLOW won GOLD in the women 45 plus race with 6 minutes 57.56 seconds (6:57.56); SHARON CROWLEY won GOLD in the women 55 plus event with 8:06.10; PAUL HOLGATE won GOLD in the men’s 60 plus category with 8:23.88 and JIM BROWN won GOLD in the 70 plus race with 7:47.26.
DAVID PATTMAN won 1500 metre SILVER in the MV40 category race with 5:37.81 and STEVEN DOBNER MV40 BRONZE with 5:43.94. THOMAS SAUKA just missed out on the medals with 5:50.56.
In the sprints DAVE STEPHENSON won the men 60 plus 100 metres in 14.2 seconds and the men 60 plus 200 metres in 29.45 seconds.
SHARON CROWLEY took SILVER in the hammer with 16.32 metres.
Photo Credit -Dave Stephenson
Serpentine
Jim Brown ran Friday’s Serpentine 5K in 27 minutes 54 seconds (27:54). He was second MV70.
Three Spartans took part in the iconic 126th Boston Marathon in the USA last week.
The Boston weather can be unpredictable. You can experience four seasons in one day, to the infamous headwind blowing up from the sea to storms and glorious sunshine.
. As far as Boston weather was concerned, MICHELLE REEVES, STUART HAYCROFT and JACKIE DOWNES struck it lucky with glorious sunshine lighting up the New England streets bringing incredible support all the way!
Stuart and Michelle boarded the yellow school buses to transport them to the streets ready to start their race in Hopkinton just after 10am, with Jackie Downes starting after 11:15.
Michelle and Stuart ran the first 20 miles together to the sound of “Way to go Stuart” “Keep it up Stuart” from the crowds, and were focused on taking in the whole experience.
At mile 16, there’s the Newton Hills. A series of mini crests in prime position when a marathon just starts to feel tough, finishing with the infamous “Heartbreak Hill” at mile 20.
Michelle, feeling good after the hills pushed on in the last six miles to finish in 3 hours 6 minutes 21 seconds. A result she was really pleased with after the main goal of “enjoying the experience”.
Stuart finished in 3:18:16, spending a bit longer to high five the crowds who loved the guy with “Stuart” and a Union Jack on his top. Jackie finished in a great 4:15:23.
All celebrated with a pint in the famous Cheers pub after!
Golds Galore at County Track and Field ChampionshipsÂ
There were seventeen (17) GOLD medals and one silver for Fairlands Valley Spartans in the Hertfordshire County AAA Veteran Championships at Ridlins on Saturday.
TESSA STEPHENSON and ANDREA WESTCOTT each won three GOLD medals. Tessa in the 100 metres, 200 metres and shot, Andrea in the shot, javelin and high jump.
The other multiple GOLD medal winners were SHARON CROWLEY in the hammer and 1500 metres; JIM BROWN in the 1500 and 5000 metres.
STUART ARCHER won GOLD in the senior men’s 1500 with 5 minutes and half a second (5:00:5), PAUL SHELLEY gold in the male 50 plus 1500 with 5:19.0 and THOMAS SAUKA took silver in the male 45 plus with 5:45.4.
The Spartan men running 1500m
SUZY HAWKINS won GOLD in the women’s 45 plus with 5:46.8; SUSAN McANENY gold in the women’s 40 plus with 6:24.9 and Sharon Crowley taking gold in the women’s 60 plus with 8:14.6.
Our 1500m women
DAVE STEPHENSON won the male 55 plus 100 metres in 14.2 seconds and CIARAN McANENY won the male 45 plus 5,000 metres in 17 minutes 57.3 seconds.
CAROLYN LINSELL and JIM BROWN provided entertainment for some of the officials and spectators by running sensibly but side by side all the way round 12.5 laps to finish in exactly the same time of 28 minutes 2.8 seconds and win two gold medals in their 65 plus categories in the 5,000 metres.
Birthday Boy at Dorney Lake
Birthday Boy PETE SMITH turned sixty and won his age category at the Dorney Lake Marathon on Sunday. He finished in 3 hours 24 minutes 40 seconds and was 46th male and 49th overall.
Happy Birthday Pete!
SAM SIMMONS and CHLOE CHAPMAN ran the half marathon at Dorney. Sam finished in 1:44:49 and Chloe in 2:05:50
Chloe was pleased with that three weeks after the Manchester Marathon.
Chloe and Sam all smiles at Dorney Lake!
Parkrun Highlights 23rd April
In this week’s roundup of Spartans on the Parkrun circuit, we have members running at home around Fairlands as well as far afield as the weather starts to brighten up and the temperatures are rising.
Stevenage: 311 runners took on the course and GRANT RAMSAY managed to finish fourth with a time of 18:48. Afterwards Grant said: Would have won it if it was not for those meddling kids half my age!! It was my best 5K time since February 2020. With no barriers and water jumps, it was relatively easy compared to last weekend’s 3K steeplechase. 
Other results at the lakes were: Craig Bacon 24-31 (72nd), Darren Emmerson 24-42 (77th), Nick Kleanthous 25-00 (89th), Alison Shelley 26-26 (119th), Nicola Andersson 28-08 (153rd), Debbie Blantern 29-07 (180th), Mark Beasley 30-03 (204th), Chloe Chapman 30-39 (216th), Tracy Haygarth 33-29 (241st), Simon Sypula 38-28 (283rd) and Roger Biggs 50-39 (305th). 
Stevenage Parkrun
Other away day results:
Panshanger (Hertford, Herts): Mike Reynolds 26-39 (93rd out of 201 runners). 
Letchworth (Herts): Nick Gill 21-44 (14th out of 126 runners), Georgie Hooper 28-10 (66th).
Wimpole Hall Estate (Cambs): David Pattman 28-34 (134th out of 249 runners), Mo Warrillow 28-35 (135th), Steven Dobner 28-36 (136th).
Henlow Bridge (Beds): James McSweeney 26-05 (18th out of 79 runners). 
Squerryes Winery (Kent): Michael o’Keefe 31-15 (109th out of 145 runners). 
Rugby (Warwickshire): Darryl Stevens 37-01 (125th out of 134 runners).
