The cross country league season started off surprisingly early in the year on what seemed like a summer’s day but thirty Spartans travelled to Cheshunt to enjoy the sunny conditions.
The team results won’t be available for a while but the Spartan women’s “A” team consisted of ZOE JACKSON 251st overall in 41:44; KELLY McHALE 267th in 42:35; CLAIRE EMMERSON 347th in 48:13, VICKY ARCHER 348th in 48:15 and JANE WADEY 392nd in 55:17.
The men’s teams consisted of eight runners. First in for the Spartans was ADRIAN BUSOLINI 25th in 31 minute 9 seconds. CHARLIE WHITE 30th in 31:40 and GRANT RAMSAY 38th in 32:21 were next in. They were supported by PAUL HEWETT 65th in 33:27; STUART ARCHER 75th in 33:50; DANNY SCANLON 96th in 34:49; STEVEN DOBNER 151st in 37:11 and DAVID PATTMAN 152nd in 37:14.
(All the Spartan times and the team results should be included in next weeks news!)
International Selection and a Record for Yuko
There was an amazing double for YUKO GORDON at the weekend.
There was a selection race for the England Team for the Masters International Cross Country at Markeaton Park, Derby on Saturday afternoon. YUKO GORDON won her age group and was selected to represent England for the forthcoming international championships to be held in Dublin in November.
Returning from Derby late in the evening, she finished a quick pizza dinner and had a short sleep before heading south for another race, the Great South Run ten miles in Portsmouth on Sunday morning.
Yuko said, “I anticipated a very exciting event by just looking at the number and colourful coffee coupons they sent me and it was as fantastic as I had expected.  Number 1 reason for that was the sheer number of loos, absolutely no queues! Car parking space for any thousands of cars in the waterfront adjacent to start/finish area. The course was truly flat, my racing form has been this season only around 8 minutes per mile pace even at Parkruns but the course tuned my legs into 7:20 minutes pace while I kept worrying if I’m over pacing but I managed the even pace till the end after all. I went through 5K and 10K both in my season’s best time. My 74 minutes 7 seconds (74:07) gives me the UK’s all time best record for a woman aged over 70.
If I put more effort into Tuesday club sessions and had no selection race the day before, I might be able to improve more, hopefully.
I’m glad to know that I am finally recovering from the lengthy distraction of a hamstring injury and Covid.”
Great Eastern Run
The Great Eastern Run is a popular half marathon in Peterborough which attracts over 2000 runners. This year, its 30th year, 2301 finished
DAN HUKIN said his confidence was a bit low as he had not run for 10 days prior to the race with a small injury but decided to go for it anyway, he suffered towards the end but hung in there for a new PB with an official chip time of 1:21:17. He was 72nd overall.
STEVE WELLS was 289th and fourth man 60 plus in 1:31:58.
JIM BROWN decided to go into the sub two hour starting area and thought if he could maintain an average of nine minutes per mile he should come under the 2 hours. He did with 1 hour 57 minutes 25 seconds and was second man 70 plus.
Running the furthest distance that he’s done in a while was PAUL HOLGATE and he came in with 3:15.13.
York Marathon
Spartans NICK GILL and JOHN HARRIS ran the York Marathon.
Nick Gill improved his marathon personal best (PB) by a massive 21 minutes with 3 hours 21 minutes 58 seconds. His previous best was 3:43:27 at the Great Welsh Marathon in 2019.
Nick ran with John Harris for the first half and then Adrian Sherwood from NHRR from mile 14 until mile 21… when he got cramp!
He had been running at 3:15:00 pace and feeling good, but his legs had other ideas. A painful finish after getting cramp in the other leg at mile 24 meant he had to walk, but was able to get going again and was super happy with the time.
JOHN HARRIS said his York Marathon was a marathon of two halves. He ran well for the first half then an ankle injury hampered him in the second half. However he still finished in 3:37:08 which is a Good For Age qualifying time.
Great South Run
The Great South Run is a ten mile race in Portsmouth.
In addition to YUKO GORDON’s record breaking 1:14:07, PHILIP POTTER finished in 1:20:29. JUDY KING 2:08:31; NICOLA HATHERLY 2:08:43 and SALLY PICKLES 2:11:16 all three ladies had a fabulous day and love their new medals!
Birthday Half
ABBIE WHITROW celebrated her 21st birthday by running her first half marathon in Amsterdam! She finished in 3 hours and 37 seconds (3:00:37) with JANE WHITROW (3:00:36).Â
Parkrun
For all the Parkrun Spartan results from the weekend please follow this link – Parkrun 15th October 2022