Letchworth 5K - Fairlands Valley Spartans

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.

ROUND THE GARDEN 5K

There was a win for Spartan JOHN HARRIS in the Letchworth Round the Garden 5K. He dipped under 20 minutes for a season’s best 19:59, first male 60 plus and 24^th overall.

The other Spartans racing in Letchworth were DAVID KENNEDY 22:56; MONICA SMITHSON in a new season’s best (SB) of 28:32; SAMANTHA SUTTON 33:00; JANE WHITROW 34:22; and ROGER BIGGS 43:16.

Ciaran Second In Norfolk

CIARAN McANENY ran in the Positive Steps Norfolk 100km race from Castle Acre along the Peddars Way to the North Norfolk Coast, then along the coastal path to Sheringham.

It was a long day out in the sun and he says he wasn’t quite in top form; but still finished in second place overall in 10 hours 26 minutes. Some 1 hour 30 minutes behind the winner who was in a different class on the day.

Ciaran said it was another great event again from the Positive Steps team. Lovely course (despite around six kilometres of it being on soft sand and shingle beaches) and a really friendly atmosphere.

Parkrun Highlights Saturday 18^th June

In this week’s roundup of Spartans on the Parkrun circuit, we have members running at home around Fairlands and around the country as far as the Isle of Wight this week.

In Stevenage 228 runners took on the course. MIKE JEFFS was first Spartan home second overall finishing in 18 minutes 48 seconds which was a course PB (personal best on that parkrun course). ANN TRYSSESOONE was first female home for the club finishing 67th in 26-25.

Other results at the lakes were: STEVEN DOBNER 22-55 (28TH), MATT CLARKE 23-51 (39TH), MARTIN DUDLEY 24-21 (45TH), ANDREW MCGUINNESS 24-58 (53RD), JAMES MCSWEENEY 26-15 (66TH), DAVID PATTMAN 26-39 (70TH), BRIAN WHITE 26-47 (73RD), MO WARRILLOW 26-52 (77TH), JIM BROWN 28-19 (101ST), DEBBIE BLANTERN 30-27 (126TH), CHLOE CHAPMAN 32-21 (158TH), FIONA CLARKE 32-22 (159TH), GRANT RAMSAY 34-31 (180TH), TRACY HAGARTH 35-05 (188TH), HILARY DAVIES 35-28 (189TH), CRAIG BACON 36-20 (194TH), SIMON SYPULA 37-17 (202ND) AND ROGER BIGGS 46-737 (223RD). 

Other away day results:

Medina (Isle of Wight): Nick Kleanthous 27-12 (86th out of 214 runners). 

Roberts Park (Shipley, West Yorkshire): Tony Randfield 21-13 (22nd out of 303 runners).

Tidworth (Wiltshire): Darryl Stevens 40-47 (91st out of 111 runners). 

Barclay (Hoddesdon, Herts): Annabelle White 31-19 (66th out of 103 runners).

Letchworth (Herts): Georgie Hooper 32-26 (75th out of 105 runners), Nick Gill 32-27 (76th out of 105 runners). 

Panshanger (Hertford, Herts): Mike Reynolds 28-10 (84th out of 182 runners).

Henlow Bridge Lakes (Henlow, Beds): Michael O’Keefe 30-21 (70th out of 126 runners). 