Ealing Half

Hitchin 5K

Eight Spartans enjoyed Sunday’s Hitchin 5K.

There was a solid run from TERRY SAWYER who finished in 19:52.

SALLY PICKLES was so pleased. Her chip time was 29 minutes and 36 seconds. That’s her PB (personal best) by 23 seconds. Over the moon.

OLI LACIGOVA was the fastest female from Fairlands with 21:29.

It was not to be, not quite, but CHRIS WATLING had hoped to get under 25 minutes. So close, 25:03, but next time.

The quickest Spartans was ANDREW PATTERSON fifth out of the 404 finishers in 17:32.

Pos	Cat	Gen	Name	Cat	Time	Chip
5	2	5	Andrew PATTERSON	M40	17:32	17:32
25	8	25	Terry SAWYER	M40	19:54	19:52
63	22	59	Paul MOULD	M40	21:28	21:20
64	2	5	Oli LACIGOVA	F40	21:31	21:29
157	41	135	Chris WATLING	M30	25:11	25:03
172	46	144	Matt TUTTON	M40	25:39	25:28
269	3	82	Sally PICKLES	F60	29:50	29:36
306	29	109	Calantha CHAPMAN	F40	31:07	30:53

Welwyn Half and 10K

Another weekend, another marathon training run for me – this time including the Welwyn Half Marathon. I did 7 miles before the race, then ran the half at marathon pace – crossing the line in 1:27:36. It was great to feel strong at the end and finish on the track! An added bonus/surprised was a 9th place finish and being first in my age category. NICK GILL.

JIM BROWN said it was just as well he was only trying to see if he could run the 13.1 miles rather than get a spectacular time but it was not what some who might have been trying to get under about two hours might have expected.

There were only 302 half marathon finishers this combined with 170 who started a 10K at the same time.

Sadly the course and the organisation wasn’t really up to it.

However Jim finished in a tired 2:14:14 for second in his category. SIMON SYPULA ran a good steady pace all the way round and came in with 2:11:16.

Filip Bogucki ran a 47:37 in the 10K.

Running Through The Glen

There was a new personal best for CRAIG BACON at the Nottingham Robin Hood Half Marathon. He finished in 1:38:01, an improvement of 71 seconds.

GERRY ROSEN took part in the Ealing Half on Sunday. He said “there was me thinking a 1000 people or so taking part. How wrong I was, must’ve been in excess of 6/7000 there. It’s lumpy mainly at the beginning with a few “lumps” twists & turns galore.

The support was incredible, lots of bands including the turbanators, a steel band and army cadets, masses of encouragement all within the confines of Ealing and nearby neighbourhoods and all on closed roads (it’s surreal), excellent marked out course ,great Marshalls.

I’ll definitely go back next year and the good thing is, plenty of establishments in the centre of Ealing, obligatory chicken for post show food. And it didn’t rain until after we finished.

On a personal note I managed not to go off stupidly quick, kept the pace sensible, walked the 3 or 4 hills and just a few walks for gel /hydration consumption, a good day at the office , wanted a time under 2h 30.”

He did it in 2:29:51. 4,369 finished the half marathon.

Gerry’s next stop will be the Abingdon Marathon.

New Best in Vitality 10K

There was a new season’s best for CHARLIE ARNOLD in the Vitality London 10K.
He finished in 42:43. That’s an “SB” by over a minute.

Resolution 5K

MATT TUTTON ran the Resolution 5000 on Wednesday night. This edition of the 5k race was held at the track at Westminster Lodge in St Albans. He ran in Wave 1 and finished in 25:08 which is better than his most recent runs. It was a quick field with 26 of the 41 runners running sub 20. Wave 2 and 3 were blink and you miss it races

Yuko Selected

Spartan Yuko GORDON travelled up to Crewe, East Cheshire to run the England Team Selection Race for International Cross Country Team in November in Leeds.

She managed to squeeze into the third place to gain an automatic selection place (top three) over the short 5 km but hilly and tricky farm ground. Yuko said she didn’t, couldn’t run in full effort as she ran the Berlin Marathon only 6 days before and her legs weren’t happy running over long hills yet. Her time was 23:40.

Here Comes The Stevenage Half

Organised by a local community running club, Fairlands Valley Spartans, and with more than 275 entries so far the Stevenage Half Marathon will be on Sunday 19^th October. Entries are open to all aged 17 plus but it will include the Hertfordshire county senior championships.

The two lap course is on tarmac on the town’s famous cycleways. It will include Fairlands Valley Park, Grace Way, the railway station and various points of interest around Stevenage. The event HQ will be at Hampson Park Community Centre.

Each year the event supports a charity. This time it’s the Willow Foundation.

The event is fully licenced, chip timed and with an accurately measured course. It will be held under UKA (United Kingdom Athletics) rules. UKA 29379 with certificate of course accuracy 24/258.

This is the real thing. Fairlands Valley Spartans have organised the Stevenage Marathon and Half Marathon since 1984. There will be dozens of volunteers from FVS and local organisations such as the Scouts.

The Half Marathon race is open to all entrants aged 17 years or older on race day. The course is suitable for racing wheelchairs.

Fairlands Valley Spartans are delighted that SK Plumbing and Heating; ASK Physio; Andy Prior Personal Training; the Alternative Catering Company; and RHG Insurance are sponsoring the half marathon this year.

Please visit https://stevenagehalfmarathon.org.uk/ for more information and to enter. Standard entries are only £30. There’s £2 discount for members of UKA affiliated clubs. Don’t delay enter today.

Last Friday

JIM BROWN went to his usual Last Friday of the Month haunt. The Serpentine 5K in Hyde Park, London. This time to see what happened after recent setbacks. With care and a steady run he got round in 31:47 so well inside the benchmark 35 minutes. Dry, mild, overcast and with a light breeze. This is another run with a café.

Parkrun Highlights – Saturday 27^th September 2025

50 Spartans ran parkruns. 28 were at the 420^th Stevenage parkrun where there were 475 finishers.

LINDSAY PATEMAN ran a new parkrun personal best of 34:23; GRANT RAMSAY his 180^th parkrun in 20:07 and CAROLINE CROFT her 120^th in 34:05.

Another Spartan has enjoyed running round the city walls of Lucca in Italy. Her first run in four months due to injury NIKKI NATION ran the Murra di Lucca parkrun in 32 minutes 18 seconds. She was very happy with that result.

Fairlands Valley Spartans ran at more than twelve parkrun locations on Saturday. Some of them were Thetford- JAY PAPA third in 20:06; Great Denham – MATT GIFFORD in 21:02; Pocket – DARREN EMMERSON in 25:24; Belton House – DANIEL SUTTON in 26:20; Henlow Bridge Lakes – PETER SACH 26:31, JOHN NELMS 27:20, SALLY PICKLES 36:58 and NIKKI PLUMB 41:16; Letchworth – NICK GILL 27:21; Flegg High – SAMANTHA SUTTON in 29:30; Victoria, Glasgow – LORRAINE HILL in 32:07; Bognor Regis – MONICA SMITHSON 32:32 and TRACY HAYGARTH 40:58; Rutland Water – CHRIS HOLLAND in 36:36; Brockenhurst – DARRYL STEVENS in 59:09.

The first Saturday of the month Spartan stripes are this Saturday, 4^th October.

Position	Gender Position	FVS parkrunner	Time
3	3	Simon JACKSON	18:50
13	12	Grant RAMSAY	20:07
30	26	David RIDDELL	21:30
49	44	Lee PICKERSGILL	22:53
68	62	Daniel VILJOEN	23:29
89	82	Martin DUDLEY	24:32
109	10	Annabelle WHITE	25:16
110	98	Charlie WHITE	25:17
153	130	Mark BEASLEY	27:00
176	148	Ryan DUNNING	27:39
181	27	Ann TRYSSESOONE	27:41
183	153	Matt TUTTON	27:42
236	188	Steve TINSLEY	29:19
290	216	Jim BROWN	31:25
298	221	Chris WATLING	31:36
319	232	Matt CLARKE	32:32
321	82	Fiona CLARKE	32:35
334	89	Pamela VILJOEN	33:03
352	99	Caroline CROFT	34:05
357	248	Michael O’KEEFE	34:15
360	105	Lindsay PATEMAN	34:23
413	268	Lloyd DIAS	38:28
416	137	Jenny GARRETT	38:33
417	138	Julie SHADBOLT	38:34
420	141	Jane WADEY	38:39
439	274	Stephen SMITHSON	41:42
441	154	Melody BROWN	42:07
470	171	Callie CHAPMAN	57:23

Cross Country

There was very early, and very sunny, start to the cross country season on Sunday. 34 Spartans, 15 women and 19 men, finished the first of five races which was at the Lucy Warren open space in Hoddesdon.

About 350 runners ran one small and three large laps to cover approximately 7.8 kilometres.

The first two Spartan men were both under 30 minutes with ADRIAN BUSOLINI 15^th in 29:05 and MIKE JEFFS 23^rd in 29:55.

CHLOE SIMPSON and GEORGIE HOOPER were the first two females from Fairlands. Chloe 120^th overall, 13^th woman with 36:05 and Georgie 122^nd, 15^th woman in 36:13. ANITA WELTZ was 34^th woman in 39:08.

Spartans in top third of the eighteen teams. They are sixth in the combined scores with 744. The FVS veteran women are doing particularly well in second place.

The second race will be in Trent Park on Sunday 2^nd November.

Position	Name	Time	Official	Category
15	ADRIAN BUSOLINI	29:05	29:05	MS
23	MIKE JEFFS	29:55	29:56	M40
40	JAY PAPA	31:14	31:14	MS
62	ADRIAN DONNELLY	32:48	32:45	M40
97	DAVID RIDDELL	35:03	35:00	M60
109	CHARLIE ARNOLD	35:38	35:39	M60
120	CHLOE SIMPSON	36:05	36:13	W35
122	GEORGIE HOOPER	36:13	36:15	W35
142	STEPHEN MASSEY	38:01	37:12	M50
147	MARTIN WOOD	37:31	37:32	M60
156	MATT COOKE	37:57	37:59	MS
165	MARTIN JACOB	38:46	38:43	M40
173	ANITA WELTZ	39:08	39:11	W35
176	SIMON HAIGH	39:12	39:13	M50
179	TONY VICKERS	39:22	39:22	M50
193	ANNABELLE WHITE	39:53	39:53	WS
206	DARREN EMMERSON	40:26	40:29	M50
211	NICK GILL	41:00**	41:07	MS
253	JAYNE RIDDELL	43:30	43:32	W55
263	JACKIE PERRY	44:02	44:05	W55
265	MARK FREEMAN	44:09	44:10	M60
284	SAM GENTRY	46:05	46:04	W45
285	JODIE WILSON	46:06	46:05	WS
289	LEANNE WILSON	46:22	46:15	WS
294	JIM BROWN	46:31	46:31	M70
295	CLAIRE EMMERSON	46:41	46:43	W45
316	SHARON CROWLEY	51:30	51:32	W65
320	KARTIK SHARMA	52:30	52:32	M40
322	CALLIE CHAPMAN	52:50	52:57	W35
327	MICHAEL O’KEEFE	56:07	56:09	M60
328	AMANDA VICKERS	56:17	56:19	W45
334	BECKY RAYNOR	60:50	60:51	W35
338	AHAAN SHARMA	62:32**	64:26	MS
340	JANE WADEY	65:37	65:46	W55