Love Welwyn 10K

Two weeks after the Watford Half Marathon and it was still chilly and hilly in Cassiobury Park but Fairlands Valley Spartans had a great turnout for Sunday’s cross country league race.

Racing over six miles ADRIAN BUSOLINI was first in for FVS and top 5% in the race with his 37 minutes 32 seconds (37:32) for 15^th position. It was tight between MIKE JEFFS 27^th in 39:40 and NICK GILL 28^th in 39:41.

OLIVIA HAMILTON was first woman for the club in 48:42 with GEORGIE HOOPER and ELLA CERAULO not far behind in 50:19 (171^st overall) and 51:05 (182^nd).

Olivia was running her first cross country for FVS and it was great to see Ella back.

17 women and 17 men ran for Fairlands Valley Spartans at the event, one of the highest totals for any of the twenty clubs participating.

Position	Name	Time
15	ADRIAN BUSOLINI	37:32
27	MIKE JEFFS	39:40
28	NICK GILL	39:41
52	PAUL SHELLEY	41:30*
65	ADRIAN DONNELLY	42:09
114	STEVE MAYFIELD	46:20
127	MATT GIFFORD	47:07
135	CHARLIE ARNOLD	47:31
145	BRIAN WHITE	47:57
156	OLIVIA HAMILTON	48:42
168	SIMON HAIGH	50:00
171	GEORGIE HOOPER	50:19
182	ELLA CERAULO	51:05
184	DAVID RIDDELL	50:59
262	LLOYD DIAS	56:34
271	HAZEL SMITH	57:33
286	JANE RIDDELL	58:38
294	THOMAS SAUKA	59:36
300	DAVID ACKERY	60:37
310	KIRSTEN LIGHTBODY	61:41
315	MEGAN SUTTON	62:03
316	PENNY SCHENKEL	62:13
320	TIM ROBINSON	62:52
328	MARK FREEMAN	64:23
332	JUDY KING	65:24
336	JIM BROWN	65:51
341	NIKKI NATION	67:29
348	SHARON CROWLEY	72:48
351	SAM SUTTON	73:25
352	CALLIE CHAPMAN	73:53
361	BECKY RAYNER	78:15
364	SALLY PHILLIPS	80:49
369	NICHOLA DURRANT	96:36
370	NIKI PLUMB	96:36

Love Welwyn 10K.

Meanwhile four Spartans were at the Love Welwyn 10K in Welwyn Garden City.

SUE HAMER ran 3 minutes 48 seconds faster than last year and set a new personal best of 54:27. MICHAEL FISHER finished 20^th in 40:21; TONY RANDFIELD in 45:36 and MARIE COLUCCI in 56:52. There were 364 finishers.

Pos	Bib	Name	Chip Time
20	296	Michael FISHER	40:21
61	343	Tony RANDFIELD	45:36
163	288	Sue HAMER	54:27
196	39	Marie COLUCCI	56:52

Parkrun Highlights Saturday 15^th February

There were at least 46 Spartans at 14 different parkruns on Saturday 15^th February. 29 Spartans were among the 493 finishers at Stevenage.

ANDREW PATTERSON from FVS won the Stevenage run with 17 minutes 5 seconds (17:05) and ASHLEY SCHOENWETTER was second woman with 21:55.

Spartan ANNABELLE WHITE enjoyed herself at the Hunstanton Promenade parkrun. Lovely and flat if a bit windy on the out and back course. Her time of 22 minutes 43 seconds (22:43) will have boosted her enjoyment.

On a trip back to Edinburgh GRANT RAMSAY ran the Holyrood parkrun in 19:25.

More than seventeen Spartans have already entered the Baldock Beast Half Marathon which will be on Sunday 23^rd February.

Position	Gender Position	FVS parkrunner	Time
1	1	Andrew PATTERSON	17:05
19	19	Simon JACKSON	20:49
33	2	Ashley SCHOENWETTER	21:55
36	34	Tony RANDFIELD	22:07
85	78	Daniel VILJOEN	24:09
91	83	Martin DUDLEY	24:18
123	110	Ryan DUNNING	25:44
138	16	Karen ELLIS	26:14
154	23	Lorraine HILL	26:50
167	28	Sue HAMER	27:13
173	141	Jay PAPA	27:22
189	154	Matt CLARKE	28:07
198	159	Maurice BALLARD	28:22
219	42	Jessica CLARKE	29:00
229	179	Jim BROWN	29:12
287	209	Paul JENNINGS	30:36
298	217	Thomas SAUKA	30:53
300	218	Nick KLEANTHOUS	30:57
312	83	Monica SMITHSON	31:41
317	88	Debbie BLANTERN	31:52
327	94	Pamela VILJOEN	32:17
377	244	Lloyd DIAS	34:17
405	144	Chloe CHAPMAN	36:17
422	155	Hannah MANTON	37:39
434	165	Tracy HAYGARTH	38:34
445	172	Niki PLUMB	39:17
446	173	Nicola HATHERLY	39:22
461	185	Jane WADEY	42:17
462	186	Rebecca RAYNER	42:47

Fairlands Valley Spartan Jonathan Parr to Represent Hertfordshire!

As a result of doing so well in the County Cross Country race, speedy Spartan Jonathan has been selected to represent Hertfordshire Senior Men at the Inter Counties Cross Country race in Loughborough on the 12th March!

Subsequent to his selection he scored another top ten place in Sunday’s cross country league race on Therfield Heath.

Up, Down and Around Therfield for the Cross Country League

The final race in this season’s cross country league took place on Sunday and 32 Spartans were on Therfield Heath for the encounter. JONATHAN PARR and ADRIAN BUSOLINI were both in the top twenty with Jonathan tenth with 36:31 and Adrian 15^th with 37:36.

CHRISTINE LATHWELL had a fantastic run. She was third Spartan to finish and fifth woman in the whole race with 39 minutes 56 seconds.

In this the last race the Spartan men were sixth out of 19 and their masters (or veterans) team eighth. The club’s women were mid-table at 10^th out of 19.

Over the whole series the men were also sixth and the women tenth. In the combined scores, women and men, the Spartans were sixth.

Not quite the 14^th February but fourteen Spartans enjoyed the Love Welwyn 10K and six were under 50 minutes. MIKE JEFFS and ANDREW VAUGHAN were pretty much locked together for the last couple of kilometres but Mike got away by just seven seconds at the very end to be 22^nd overall in 41 minutes 35 seconds with Andrew 23^rd in 41:42. NICK GILL was also in the top thirty at 27^th in 42:30.

MARK GOOWIN just missed out on a podium place with fourth in the 60 plus category with 47 minutes 53 seconds.

CAROLE SHELDRICK was the fastest woman from Fairlands with 53 minutes 46 seconds.

The other Spartans were CRAIG BACON 46:10; DAVID KENNEDY 48:34; CHRIS SAUNDERS 56:06; JIM BROWN 56:18; SUE HAMER 57:38; ERICA GRAYSON 58:43; MONICA SMITHSON 63:04; JONATHAN JONES 67:15 and DZENANA TOPIC in 68:40.

Stamford 30K – Yuko

YUKO GORDON went to one of her annual fixtures. The Stamford 30K.

This was a very very hilly road race and one of the toughest road races in the region. The only positive was the beauty of the course. Yuko said she had often run poorly in this event in the past and Sunday was no exception. The wet and gusty condition over the uphills made her really think ‘why am I running?’ Still she was glad that she didn’t drop out but was 10 minutes slower than two years ago with 2 hours 30 minutes 7 seconds – still wining the 70 plus category.

41^st Fat Choi

The 41^st Fat Choi run celebrates the year of the tiger and YUKO GORDON ran this with CATHY CRAIG at Fairlands Valley Park.

It was a virtual 8k run and you could run between the 1^st and 15^th February. Yuko came in with a time of 52.51 and Cathy 53.23. Yuko used to belong to the Hong Kong Ladies Road Runners Club and it was a race that they did annually. Yuko has kept up the tradition.

Parkrun Highlights 12^th February.

There were only four venues covered this week but lots of Spartans were out getting their parkrun fix in Stevenage on Saturday.

GRANT RAMSAY was second in Stevenage in 19:10 and Alison Wood was first woman with 21:47. MARIAN MORLEY got a new PB of 25:47 on her 43^rd parkrun. SAMANTHA SUTTON completed her 99^th parkrun in 36:23.  Former Chair and recently returned to the Club, TONY WILLSON, ran his first parkrun in 34:57.

Further afield DARRYL STEVENS was at Brockenhurst (39:03).  

A Spartan trio of PAUL SHELLEY, GEORGIE HOOPER and NICK GILL made a trip to Letchworth.  Paul was 3^rd overall in 21:46.  Georgie and Nick finished in 28:55.

There were 29 Spartans at the Stevenage parkrun where there was a total of 303.

Our four legged Spartans also like to take part in Parkruns!

Tables

All 32 Spartans at Sunday’s Cross Country League Fixture:

Position	Name	Time	Cat	Comments	Pace
10	Jonathan Parr	36:28	SM	MA	6:40
15	Adrian Busolini	37:39	SM	MA	6:53
37	Christine Lathwell	39:56	FV45	5^th woman. FA	7:18
40	Paul Hewett	40:17	SM	MA	7:22
46	Grant Ramsay	40:32	V40	MA	7:25
87	Danny Scanlon	43:21	V40	MA	7:56
105	John Harris	44:43	V50	MA	8:11
112	Stuart Archer	45:07	SM	MA	8:15
113	Steve Wells	45:13	V50	MA	8:16
137	Tony Randfield	47:12	V60		8:38
151	Thomas Sauka	48:21	V45		8:50
192	Daniel Bates	51:20	SM		9:23
199	Tracy Pez	52:15	FV45	FA	9:33
222	Luke Gurney	53:51	SM		9:51
234	Andy Jay	55:03	V50		10:04
260	Nick Kleanthous	58:33	V50		10:42
265	Karen Ellis	59:20	FV45	FA	10:51
275	Tim Robinson	1:00:27	V50		11:03
277	Mark Freeman	1:00:52	V60		11:08
278	Nicola Andersson	1:00:55	FV45	FA	11:08
280	Simon Sypula	1:01:27	V40		11:14
288	Linda Nolan	1:02:48	FV60	FA	11:29
305	Marian Morley	1:07:00	FV55		12:15
306	Vicky Archer	1:07:32	FV35		12:21
307	Jenny Garrett	1:07:35	FV45		12:21
311	Sharon Crowley	1:08:54	FV60		12:36
313	Claire Emmerson	1:09:44	FV45		12:45
314	Christine Zverev	1:09:45	FV35		12:45
319	Taher Tharani	1:12:14	V50		13:12
322	Callie Chapman	1:13:33	FV35		13:27
325	Judy King	1:16:13	FV55		13:56
326	Nicola Hatherly	1:16:14	FV45		13:56

FA = women’s “A” team. MA = men’s “A” team.

All 14 Spartans at the Love Welwyn 10K:

Pos	BIB	Name	Time	Category	Cat Pos	Gender	Gen Pos	Percent	Pace
22	160	Mike JEFFS	41:35	Ages 20 – 39	13	Male	21	64.89	4:09 min/km
23	10	Andrew VAUGHAN	41:42	Ages 50 – 59	5	Male	22	71.14	4:10 min/km
27	40	Nick GILL	42:30	Ages 20 – 39	14	Male	26	62.19	4:15 min/km
62	103	Craig BACON	46:10	Ages 50 – 59	13	Male	56	64.72	4:37 min/km
77	245	Mark GOODWIN	47:53	Ages 60 – 69	4	Male	70	70.20	4:47 min/km
85	131	David KENNEDY	48:34	Ages 20 – 39	31	Male	77	54.92	4:52 min/km
151	132	Carole SHELDRICK	53:46	Ages 45 – 54	15	Female	35	61.01	5:24 min/km
185	37	Chris SAUNDERS	56:06	Ages 20 – 39	55	Male	138	47.94	5:38 min/km
188	260	Jim BROWN	56:18	Ages 60 – 69	12	Male	141	62.55	5:39 min/km
202	242	Sue HAMER	57:38	Ages 45 – 54	19	Female	57	58.61	5:48 min/km
215	241	Erica GRAYSON	58:43	Ages 45 – 54	21	Female	67	58.19	5:55 min/km
255	75	Monica SMITHSON	1:03:04	Ages 55 – 64	15	Female	97	56.96	6:20 min/km
287	167	Jonathan Clive JONES	1:07:15	Ages 50 – 59	37	Male	170	46.33	6:45 min/km
291	207	Dzenana TOPIC	1:08:40	Ages 55 – 64	17	Female	120	51.73	6:54 min/km

Spartans at parkruns Saturday 12^th February

Spartans 29 out of 303 finishers.

Position	Gender Position	parkrunner	Run Time
2	2	Grant RAMSAY	00:19:10
14	14	Tony RANDFIELD	00:21:13
20	1	Alison WOOD	00:21:47
28	26	Matt CLARKE	00:22:43
43	39	David PATTMAN	00:23:52
46	42	Ryan DUNNING	00:23:58
61	53	Luke SILVER	00:24:42
62	54	Danik BATES	00:24:45
68	58	Callum BEASLEY	00:24:55
87	72	Sam SIMMONS	00:25:38
92	13	Marian MORLEY	00:25:47
102	18	Alison SHELLEY	00:26:14
113	89	Mark BEASLEY	00:26:44
127	98	Nick KLEANTHOUS	00:27:20
166	127	Karl SHREEVE	00:29:17
170	34	Debbie BLANTERN	00:29:24
191	136	Steven DOBNER	00:30:47
203	54	Erica GRAYSON	00:31:33
204	55	Caroline CROFT	00:31:36
215	62	Chloe CHAPMAN	00:32:23
216	63	Fiona CLARKE	00:32:27
223	68	Mo WARRILLOW	00:32:56
238	77	Jane WADEY	00:34:27
245	156	Stephen SMITHSON	00:34:49
247	158	Tony WILLSON	00:34:57
263	91	Samantha SUTTON	00:36:23
285	104	Helen HARRIS	00:39:33
291	107	Callie CHAPMAN	00:41:41
302	178	Roger BIGGS	00:49:40