Tag: Great Yarmouth

HALF MARATHON FUN FOR SPARTANS

Post author By Peter Sach
Post date March 1, 2026
No Comments on HALF MARATHON FUN FOR SPARTANS

The first day of Spring, meteorological – we’ll come to the astronomical in three weeks, saw many Spartans at races or on club training runs.

Southwold

BECKY RAYNER completed the Southwold Half Marathon, finishing with a chip time of 2:18:39. That’s a 5 minutes 24 seconds improvement on her PB (personal best).

She said this was her first time doing this race. It was a mixed terrain course incorporating roads and tracks around Southwold and the nearby village of Walberswick. Very picturesque, well supported and a very well organised event with the bonus of a cookie and a donut at the finish line. What’s not to like?

London Half

LEE POTTER celebrated the first day of meteorological Spring with a 25 minutes 4 seconds personal best at the London Half Marathon based in the Queen Elizabeth Park. Only a week after his previous best at the Baldock Beast he finished in 2 hours 32 minutes 53 seconds.

Great Yarmouth

It was Great Yarmouth for JESSICA CLARKE where she ran the half marathon in 1:52:21.

Berkhamsted Half Marathon

Completing the Half Marathon fun ANDREW SHAW ran the Berko Half. The Berkhamsted Half was Andy’s third go at racing over the half marathon distance. It is a hilly course but take in some spectacular views of Ashridge House. Andy really enjoyed completing the event and was chuffed to finish in 1:35:23, a 9 minute PB that he attributes to joining FVS and the Tuesday evening intervals.

He was 176^th out of the 1263 finishers. It’s lumpy but great once you get to nine miles!

Wanna Half? Entries have OPENED for the Stevenage Half Marathon which will be on Sunday 18^th October.

Friday Fun

JIM BROWN ran the Last Friday of the Month 5K. A nice little trundle around Hyde Park on Friday after some difficult running weeks.

First kilometre took a nervous 5:59 but Serpentine 5K completed in 28:40. Jim says this is a friendly lunch-time race with a very convenient café. Nice open start so you can go as fast, or not, as you like.

Parkrun Highlights

Fairlands Valley Spartans were second and third in Saturday’s Stevenage parkrun. KIRK ran the 5K in 17:50 and SIMON JACKSON in 17:58. Simon got the highest age grade score on the day, 82.10%.

Despite the very wet morning there were 510 finishers including 210 women and 29 Spartans. KAREN ELLIS was the fastest female from Fairlands in 27:36 which gave her 150^th overall.

There was a new parkrun personal best for LINDSAY PATEMAN, 31:49.

51 plus Spartans ran a parkrun on Saturday. Those elsewhere included their furthest from Fairlands runner MIKE REYNOLDS who ran the Wanaka parkrun on the South Island of New Zealand in 27:55 and ADAM HILL in Poland running the Krakow parkrun in 23:38.

HAYLEY PEACH improved to 30:04 at the Albert parkrun in Middlesbrough with ANDREW SMITH finishing in 30:05.

BECKY RAYNER ran the notoriously hard Great Yarmouth North Beach parkrun, all on sand, in 48:59; NIKKI NATION was on the High Peak trail completing the Black Rocks parkrun in 35:18 and ROWENA ROUTLEDGE at the Penrose parkrun, Helston in Cornwall with 31:46.

Not quite so far away CHARLES ARNOLD finished the Jubilee parkrun in Bedford with 24:23; WILLIAM MORLEY was sub 20 with 19:18 at Coldham’s Common near Cambridge and ALICE WELCH ran the Pocket parkrun at St Neots in 31:29.

GRANT RAMSAY ran the Wimpole Estate event in 22:55 with JONATHAN JONES in 35:13. JOHN HARRIS and LEWIS GREEN went round the Letchworth parkrun in 24:34 and 25:17. JAY PAPA and JESS CLARKE were glowing after their Sizewell parkrun with 26:55 and 28:38.

Stripes on Saturday next Saturday as it will be the first Saturday of the month.

Position	Gender Position	FVS parkrunner	Time
2	2	Kirk NDUGU	17:50
3	3	Simon JACKSON	17:58
94	80	Daniel VILJOEN	25:54
111	92	Paul MAGUIRE	26:20
150	24	Karen ELLIS	27:36
159	126	Andrew JORDAN	27:57
184	142	Ryan DUNNING	28:39
191	37	Alison SHELLEY	28:49
210	46	Lorraine HILL	29:19
254	185	Jim BROWN	30:33
257	60	Sarah ILLINGWORTH	30:36
276	199	Keith HOOKER	31:11
294	75	Lindsay PATEMAN	31:49
305	81	Debbie BLANTERN	32:10
354	235	Keith MANTON	33:53
357	109	Callie CHAPMAN	34:04
365	114	Pamela VILJOEN	34:17
386	123	Nicola HATHERLY	35:03
398	254	James SOUTH	35:26
402	255	Paul HOLGATE	35:39
408	135	Niki PLUMB	35:48
409	136	Sally PICKLES	35:49
463	170	Julie MANTON	40:32
465	172	Tracy HAYGARTH	40:46
483	187	Rosemary ONABAWORIN	45:01
499	283	Thomas SAUKA	52:24
510	201	Sharon CROWLEY	64:07

Tags Great Yarmouth, Last Friday of the Month, London Half, parkrun, Southwold Half

News Race Results

20s PLENTY AT OUNDLE

SAMANTHA TOPHILL ran the Oundle 20 mile race on her birthday. Sam finished in 3 hours 14 minutes 8 seconds (3:14:08) and was second in her age group.

Berko is not Flat

After a ceilidh on Saturday evening. JIM BROWN and PENNY SCHENKEL’s long “easy” run turned out to be the Berkhamsted Half Marathon. Not flat! It was a lovely sunny morning but there was still some black ice on the course after the previous night’s low temperatures. There were a record 1400 entries. Jim finished in 2:03:56 and Penny ran her fastest recent half marathon with 2:20:54.

By the Seaside

Spartan ROBERT WRIGHT ran the Great Yarmouth Seafront Half Marathon in 1:37:25.

Burghley Seven

On Sunday morning MATT TUTTON ran the Burghley 7 mile Road Race in a chip time of 58:49 which he was very happy with. He said conditions were perfect under the clear blue sky with the finish outside Burghley House.

John Harris Muddy in Letchworth

JOHN HARRIS was second in the muddy first Saturday in the month 5K race in Letchworth. He finished in 22:24.

Serpentine Last Friday of the Month

It might have been frosty leaving Stevenage that morning but it was sunny, mild and with a light breeze in Hyde Park, London for Serpentine’s Last Friday of the Month 5K. JIM BROWN finished in 28:26.

This was the first of Jim’s races in three days.

Parkrun Highlights Saturday 1^st March – stripey Saturday

There were sixty Spartans at parkruns on Saturday 1^st March – stripes day.

39 from Fairlands Valley won at their local parkrun in Stevenage. SIMON JACKSON was second in 17:21 and GRANT RAMSAY seventh in 19:05.

LINDA GEORGE and JUDY KING both ran new parkrun personal bests. Linda in 27:03 and Judy in 29:13.

PETE COOK ran his 30^th parkrun in 25:50. HANNAH MANTON ran her 25^th in 33:01; and PAUL HOLGATE his 80^th in 35:49.

Despite a large turnout of 581 runners ALISON SHELLEY and JIM BROWN worked their way through and helped each other to their fastest parkruns so far this year. Jim coming in with 28:14 and Alison with 28:29.

Spartans elsewhere included MATTHEW NEWTON at Ingrebourne Hill parkrun (Rainham) which he finished in 19:57; JESSICA CLARKE and JAY PAPA at England’s most easterly town, Lowestoft, where they finished in 22:30 and 23:31; ANDY JAY on Tooting Common in 28:51 and SAMANTHA SUTTON and MATTHEW PATTMAN were in Cheshire completing the Delamere parkrun in 42:11 and 53:03.

Tags Berkhampstead Half Marathon, Burghley, Great Yarmouth, Letchworth 5K, Oundle, parkrun, Serpentine

Club News Race Results

NICK AND GEORGIE BESTS IN STAFFORD

Post author By Vicky Archer
Post date March 20, 2022
No Comments on NICK AND GEORGIE BESTS IN STAFFORD

Stafford Half Marathon

There were perfect conditions for NICK GILL and GEORGIE HOOPER at the Stafford Half Marathon. They made the most of a fast course and both achieved substantial personal bests. Nick ran a 1:34:01 PB. His previous best was 1:37:50 at the Stevenage Half Marathon in 2017. Georgie ran a 1:48:58 PB. Her previous PB was 1:54:22 at the Richmond Half in 2019.

Great Yarmouth Endurance Weekend

Several Spartans enjoyed a weekend of running at Great Yarmouth.

After several disappointing runs this year JIM BROWN was a bit happier with his half marathon at Great Yarmouth managing to get under two hours with 1 hour 57 minutes 3 seconds, a year’s best by 5 minutes 22 seconds.

ELLIE McDERMOTT ran the half in 2 hours 28 minutes 18 seconds. A bit of a cold north easterly breeze but it stayed dry.

In the Great Yarmouth 10K CHRISTINE ZVEREV raced up and down the seafront and finished in 64 minutes 29 seconds.

Ashridge Boundary Run

SUSAN McANENY and ZOE JACKSON had a beautiful spring day to enjoy the scenic and very undulating course of the Ashridge Boundary trail run.

They thoroughly enjoyed the run, taking it at a casual pace and walking some of the bigger hills. They enjoyed reaching Ivinghoe beacon and the views that rewarded them with.

They finished the 16.5 miles in 3 hour 10 minutes and enjoyed the homemade cake at the finish!

THOMAS SAUKA finished in 2:42:39 and WENDY THARANI in 3:42:36.

Parkrun Highlights 19^th March

Twenty-four Fairlands Valley Spartans ran in the Spring sunshine at Parkrun events this weekend, making it a Saturday morning of milestones.

TOBY ECCLESHALL ran his 100th event on the Stevenage course in a time of 23 minutes and 26 seconds while DARRYL STEVENS ran for the 190th time at the Brockenhurst event in 45 minutes and 48 seconds.

At Woodhouse Moor, Leeds PAUL MAGUIRE ran a parkrun PB times of 23 minutes and 9 seconds. Paul said, “This was a three lap run around the park with a hill climb at the end of each lap and the end. It was a big field of 450 runners and I was very pleased with my time of 23:09. I was 97th overall and third in my age category.”

NICK KLEANTHOUS ran a parkrun PB at Preston Park with 25 minutes and 25 seconds.

In addition, STEVE WELLS was third overall in Thetford running a time of 20 minutes and 24 seconds.

Tables

Spartans at Parkrun on Saturday 19^th March

Parkrun	Position	Gender Position	Parkrunner	Time
Stevenage	24	22	Matt CLARKE	00:22:24
	26	24	Craig BACON	00:22:30
	32	30	Toby ECCLESHALL	00:23:26
	36	34	Andrew MCGUINNESS	00:23:46
	59	55	Steven DOBNER	00:24:52
	110	99	Darren EMMERSON	00:27:49
	123	18	Claire EMMERSON	00:28:07
	127	106	David PATTMAN	00:28:27
	128	22	Mo WARRILLOW	00:28:28
	132	25	Debbie BLANTERN	00:28:42
	137	27	Fiona CLARKE	00:28:57
	166	42	Sharon CROWLEY	00:30:38
	178	51	Caroline CROFT	00:31:41
	268	150	Roger BIGGS	00:47:54
	271	109	Hazel SMITH	00:56:34
	272	110	Callie CHAPMAN	00:56:38

Woodhouse Moor	97	78	Paul MAGUIRE	00:23:09

Gunpowder	118	64	Paul JENNINGS	00:33:51

Brockenhurst	124	68	Darryl STEVENS	00:45:48

Thetford	3	3	Steve WELLS	00:20:24

Preston Park	147	111	Nick KLEANTHOUS	00:25:25

272 finishers at Stevenage.

Tags Ashridge Boundary, Great Yarmouth, Stafford Half