hatfield 10k - Fairlands Valley Spartans

A super six Spartans took on the Fred Hughes 10 mile race on the outskirts of St Albans.

They were MIKE JEFFS 1:07:44; LUCY PAUL 1:31:54; KARL SHREEVE 1:33:12; SHARON CROWLEY 1:37:47; REBECCA RAYNER 1:44:41 and NICHOLA DURENT 2:20:43. There were 981 finishers.

Sharon achieved the highest age score of the Spartans with 69.61%. She was fourth woman 65 plus. Becky beat her Buntingford time, set only three weeks ago, by more than three minutes for a new personal best (PB) of 1:44:41. An improvement of 3 minutes 2 seconds.

Lucy Paul said the weather conditions were perfect and she didn’t even mind the hills!

Nichola Durent was a bit nervous before the start after having a bad run at Buntingford a few weeks before but she finished in 2:20:43 gaining a 1 minute 24 seconds PB. The course was nice with some hills as expected. Everyone was so supportive. Nichola said she would definitely do this event again.

Meanwhile large numbers of Spartans enjoyed one of three club training sessions on Sunday morning.

Hatfield

Recently Spartans LEANNE and JODIE WILSON ran the Hatfield 10K. Leanne was 174^th in 55:29 and Jodie 176^th in 55:31. There were 350 finishers.

Update – Panshanger Cross Country

Last weekend’s turnout of 22 men and 16 women Spartans for the fourth cross country league race was fantastic. That’s more than two complete men’s and women’s teams.

DAVID HARRIS-CHERGUIT was third man 40 plus in the race and the fastest for Fairlands Valley with 31 minutes 36 seconds (31:36) for the 8.6 kilometres. That gave him tenth overall.

There were 411 finishers. The FVS combined team were fifth out of 18 clubs at this race.

GEORGIE HOOPER was the club’s quickest women with 40:27 giving her 22^nd place out of 159 female finishers. New member SHAUNA LAWLESS was next at 28^th with 42:19.

There will be an opportunity to move up one or two places at the fifth and final league race this season which will be in Watford on 15^th February.

Pos	Name	Official
10	DAVID HARRIS-CHERGUIT	31:36
18	ADRIAN BUSOLINI	32:24
71	NICK GILL	35:57
79	ADRIAN DONNELLY	36:36
82	DECLAN TRAYNER	36:48
86	MIKE JEFFS	37:00
141	GEORGIE HOOPER	40:27
143	STUART ARCHER	40:29
163	STEVE MAYFIELD	41:51
168	DANNY SCANLON	42:08
171	CHARLIE ARNOLD	42:16
172	SHAUNA LAWLESS	42:19
249	DAVID RIDDELL	45:37
250	MATT COOKE	45:41
259	TONY VICKERS	46:12
270	JAY PAPA	46:44
271	ANDY PRIOR	46:44
275	STEPHEN MASSEY	47:06
311	ALICE WELCH	49:51
318	PETE COOK	50:12
319	JAYNE RIDDELL	50:16
328	MARK FREEMAN	51:37
339	LINDA GEORGE	52:35
344	SIMON SYPULA	53:24
349	JIM BROWN	53:58
353	CLAIRE EMMERSON	54:08
354	PENNY SCHENKEL	54:14
358	LUCY PAUL	54:43
363	SHARON CROWLEY	55:21
370	STEVE TINGLEY	56:16
381	BECKY RAYNER	57:49
384	CALLIE CHAPMAN	58:54
389	SAMANTHA SUTTON	59:17
390	SAM GENTRY	59:17
391	HAZEL SMITH	59:18
402	PAUL HOLGATE	65:40
404	LIZ CROWLEY	65:41
405	AMANDA VICKERS	66:48

Parkrun Highlights

56 Spartans ran parkruns on Saturday and 32 were in Stevenage. Overall numbers are recovering well after the bad weather cancellation two weeks ago. This week 586 finishers which would have been considered exceptional not long ago.

Amongst the Spartans KIRK NDUGU was third overall 18:38. SIMON JACKSON has just one to go to his century milestone. He ran his 99^th parkrun in 19:34 for tenth place. It was good to see GRANT RAMSAY back in Stevenage. Grant was 12^th in 19:38.

GAIL MACKIE was the fastest female from Fairlands this week with 24:35. ANDREW JORDAN ran a new parkrun personal best (PPB) of 27:34 and LINDAY PATEMAN a new PPB of 32:16. Others achieving mini-milestones included SARAH ILLINGWORTH 230^th parkrun in 29:31; SIMON FRASER 40^th parkrun in 29:51; MONICA SMITHSON 130^th with 31:08; STEVE SMITHSON 120^th in 34:15; NICK KLEANTHOUS 270^th in 35:19; MEL BROWN 30^th in 48:53 and ROGER BIGGS 230^th in 60:42. ROGER HEAD was first man 80 plus in 38:54!

Away Spartans included STEVE WELLS 22:06 at Milton Keynes; CHARLES ARNOLD 23:42 at Panshanger; MATTHEW COOKE 24:01 at Frank’s Farm (Elsworth near Cambridge); LEWIS GREEN 24:33 at Coldham’s Common (Cambridge); MARTIN WOOD 25:37 at Endcliffe (Sheffield) 25:37; SUZY HAWKINS 27:16 and CRAIG BACON 28:33 at Letchworth; JAY PAPA 30:18 and JESSICA CLARKE 30:19 at Milton Keynes.

Altogether 56 Spartans ran parkruns on Saturday.

Position	Gender Position	FVS parkrunner	Time
3	3	Kirk NDUGU	18:38
10	10	Simon JACKSON	19:34
12	12	Grant RAMSAY	19:38
28	27	Mike JEFFS	21:37
54	51	Tony RANDFIELD	23:09
98	7	Gail MACKIE	24:35
110	97	Daniel VILJOEN	24:49
111	98	Lee PICKERSGILL	24:50
151	130	Martin DUDLEY	26:39
182	26	Lorraine HILL	27:15
193	160	Andrew JORDAN	27:34
199	165	Ryan DUNNING	27:52
224	181	Keith HOOKER	28:36
233	185	James SOUTH	28:50
241	188	Nick GILL	28:59
259	52	Sarah ILLINGWORTH	29:31
263	55	Claire EMMERSON	29:34
266	202	David ACKERY	29:40
272	205	Simon FRASER	29:51
278	208	Jim BROWN	29:59
306	220	Steve PLATT	31:01
311	80	Monica SMITHSON	31:08
333	88	Debbie BLANTERN	31:50
342	92	Lindsay PATEMAN	32:16
352	97	Caroline CROFT	32:39
399	263	Stephen SMITHSON	34:15
401	125	Linda GEORGE	34:22
426	145	Angie KEELING	35:16
428	270	Nick KLEANTHOUS	35:19
434	149	Hannah MANTON	35:25
493	296	Keith MANTON	38:09
503	305	Roger HEAD	38:54
518	310	Lee Francis POTTER	40:38
528	201	Julie MANTON	41:07
531	204	Tracy HAYGARTH	41:41
554	217	Penny SCHENKEL	48:52
555	218	Melody BROWN	48:53
583	330	Roger BIGGS	60:42

ADRIAN IS ON THE SPINE

Amazing ADRIAN BUSOLINI is tackling the Montane Winter Spine Race.

The Montane Winter Spine is widely regarded as Britain’s Most Brutal endurance race. It’s a non-stop, 268 mile (432 kilometres) race along the most iconic and demanding national trail in Britain; the Pennine Way. Beginning from Edale in Derbyshire, runners have a time limit of 168 hours to reach the elusive village of Kirk Yetholm in the Scottish Borders. They climb over 10,000 metres as the route crosses some of the most beautiful but difficult terrain found in England, including the Peak District, Yorkshire Dales, Northumberland National Park, Hadrian’s Wall and the Cheviots. It’s a truly epic challenge that will tests physical resilience and mental fortitude. The up to 150 participants will experience the full intensity and ferocity of the British Winter including deep snow, storm force winds and driving rain.

Spartan Adrian started from Edale, Derbyshire at 0800 on Sunday 12^th January and has to be finished at Kirk Yetholm in the Scottish Borders by 0800 on Sunday 19^th. He will encounter daytime temperatures between zero and 10 degrees but night times between minus ten and plus degrees.

After 8 hours 51 minutes and 31 miles (50K) Adrian crossed the M62 near Green Withers reservoir. By 6p.m. Sunday he was on Chelburn Moor, not far from Todmorden and heading for the first check point at Hebden Bridge in West Yorkshire which he got to at 8.01p.m. with 42 miles (68K) completed.

Wearing number 122 Adrian can be tracked here

Hybrid Hatfield 10K

It was seriously cold Saturday night and into Sunday morning and the only way the Hatfield 10K went ahead was with a course change to avoid a section of the Alban Way that had flooded and then frozen. That introduced a 500 metre cross country section on each of the new two laps.

Spartan NICK GILL was 18^th out of the 374 finishers with 38 minutes 44 seconds (38:44); new member LORRAINE HILL 202^nd with 55:11; CONOR ECCLESTON 229^th with 56:43; JIM BROWN 259^th with 57:59 and JUDY KING 294^th with 62:18.

Nick’s goal for Sunday’s Hatfield 10k was sub-40, so he was very pleased to get round in 38:44. Yes the course had to be changed and cut short due to the wintry conditions, but getting this time when running in trail shoes felt fantastic. Well done to the organisers for getting the race on.

Jim said it felt bitterly cold arriving at the event and it stayed significantly below zero for the whole race. With the course change runners were advised to use trail shoes but after studying the new course map I tried an old pair of marathon trainers. Actually it was fine. The only significant challenge was a frozen puddle right across the track just before getting back on tarmac though wow my lungs weren’t wild about heavy breathing that cold air. I set out with stiff legs complaining about the temperature for the first kilometre and doubting that under an hour was likely but did that so content.

Lorraine enjoyed her first race in a Spartan vest.

Back in the USA

ALISON SHELLEY was back in the USA and ran the San Diego Resolution Run Half Marathon in California on Saturday 11 January.

She had originally booked to run it two years ago but was unable to travel due to a skiing accident injury.

Alison said, “I had to cancel this race and the Chicago Marathon, and rehab for a year. So it was really good to finally get to run it! (And to wear my stripes in the US for the second time in 6 months!). It was a very cold start at 07:15 am but once the sun came up it was beautiful conditions and lovely route around the waters edge. I had a chatty run and was very happy with my time of 2:09:30.”

Doughnut Dash

Only four days before GERRY ROSEN was in the Caribbean and 30° heat, by Sunday morning he was taking part in the Phoenix running doughnut dash and it was -5° (minus five).

Although he wasn’t sure how he was going do after a week of inactivity, it went surprisingly well, half marathon done in 2 hours 31 minutes 30 seconds (2:31:30), and his just reward was two doughnuts afterwards and a giant medal

Parkrun Highlights Saturday 11^th January

Minus three degrees but that didn’t stop 476 turning up for Saturday’s Stevenage parkrun. 32 were from Fairlands Valley Spartans.

The birds were sitting on ice in the middle of the lake but the light was fantastic and the company good.

Spartan SIMON JACKSON was second overall in 18 minutes 12 seconds. While the two fastest females from Fairlands this week were GAIL MACKIE in 23:07 and new member ELLA CERAULO in 23:43. Another new member, LORAINE HILL came in with 30:06.

SUSAN MCANENY ran her 25^th parkrun in 31:42; SHARON CROWLEY her 80^th in 40:09 and MARK BEASLEY his 140^th in 27:30.

Altogether 42 Spartans ran parkruns on Saturday. Those away from Stevenage included GRANT RAMSAY fifth at Wimpole Estate in 19:49; MATT NEWTON 25:20 at Pymmes; MATT TUTTON 26:38 at Panshanger; SUZY HAWKINS 27:33 at Wendover Woods; MAURICE BALLARD 27:45 at Castle Park; NICK GILL 28:30 at Letchworth and MICHAEL O’KEEFE 31:37 at Leavesden Country.

Position	Gender Position	FVS parkrunner	Time	Comments
2	2	Simon JACKSON	18:12	Second overall
48	6	Gail MACKIE	23:07	Fastest FVS female
58	52	Tony RANDFIELD	23:32
65	57	Jay PAPA	23:52
81	71	Martin DUDLEY	24:30
83	73	Daniel VILJOEN	24:34
118	11	Ella CERAULO	25:43	New member
136	116	Ryan DUNNING	26:21
145	123	Darren EMMERSON	26:54
152	127	Matt CLARKE	27:08
162	24	Fiona CLARKE	27:24
164	135	Mark BEASLEY	27:30	140 parkruns
167	26	Andrea WESTCOTT	27:35
218	41	Claire EMMERSON	29:33
251	56	Lorraine HILL	30:06	New member. 340 parkruns
266	193	Jim BROWN	30:35
280	200	Ciaran MCANENY	31:01
295	76	Susan MCANENY	31:42	25 parkruns
309	84	Elizabeth CROWLEY	32:18
310	215	Nick KLEANTHOUS	32:19
313	216	Paul JENNINGS	32:21
317	88	Jessica CLARKE	32:31
320	90	Monica SMITHSON	32:38
321	91	Pamela VILJOEN	32:40
330	221	Jonathan JONES	33:07
354	117	Caroline CROFT	33:56
358	121	Annabelle WHITE	34:01
391	140	Hilary DAVIES	35:48
435	171	Sharon CROWLEY	40:09	80 parkruns
434	170	Nicola HATHERLY	40:09
438	172	Tracy HAYGARTH	40:28
474	261	Stephen SMITHSON	62:57