New Year's Day 10k - Fairlands Valley Spartans

Fairlands Valley Spartans had a fantastic few days over Christmas and New Year including:

A boost in the Sunday cross country league.
57 Spartans were among 911 finishers in the record breaking Christmas Day parkrun in Fairlands Valley Park.
GOLDS and SILVER as 32 Spartans ran the Hertfordshire 10 mile championship.
Great turnout on a sunny day for the FVS Daylights Run on New Year’s Eve.
KIRK NDUGU won the Stevenage New Year’s Day parkrun.
JIM BROWN was the first Spartan to finish a licensed race in 2026. He raced round the New Year’s Day 10K in Hyde Park.
47 Spartans ran the New Year’s Day parkrun in Stevenage.

Resolved To Run On New Year’s Day.

JIM BROWN and PENNY SCHENKEL got themselves out of bed, onto the train and were the first Spartans to complete a licensed race in 2026. They ran the New Year’s Day 10K in Hyde Park, London.

It was very cold before the start and Jim decided it was a gloves and long sleeves morning but once he got going he ran a 52 second negative split to finish in 54:55. That’s 25 seconds faster than two years ago. He was second in his age group. The race was not held on New Year’s Day in 2025 due to bad weather.

The NYD 10K was on an interesting course in Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens which went close to the Albert Memorial.

Penny finished in 69:52. One on the board for 2026 plus medals and free socks! There were 563 finishers.

Then they both went to see the 8,000 performers in the London Parade. The New Year’s Day parade which started at Green Park. Only a short walk from the finish line. 10K and a New Year celebration. Not a bad day out.

A Last One

Squeezing in a last race of the year 2025 four Spartans made a New Year’s Eve trip to St Albans. SIMON JACKSON was top ten at ninth in 36 minutes 5 seconds. He was first man 45 plus. JAY PAPA and NICK GILL finished in 39:04 and 39:05 and KARL SHREEVE came in at 57:44. There were 942 finishers.

County Cross Country

Two Spartan women ran in the Hertfordshire County Cross Championships on Saturday. Over 8,000 metres (about five miles) JACKIE PERRY was 35^th in 42:29 and SHARON CROWLEY 38^th in 47:02.

In the senior men’s race over 11,750 metres (about 7.3 miles) ADRIAN BUSOLINI was 20^th in 40:48 and RALPH DADSWELL 38^th in 45:52. There were 64 finishers.

That event was not affected by the icy conditions in the same way as for some road runs though there were some very cold volunteer marshals in Fairlands Valley Park!

Parkrun Highlights

Spartan KIRK NDUGU won the New Year’s Day Stevenage parkrun in 18 minutes 19 seconds. This time NATALIE WHITE was the fastest female from Fairlands with her 25:20.

SAMANTHA SUTTON ran a new parkrun personal best of 27:34.

There was a big milestone for JAY PAPA who ran his 100^th parkrun in a celebratory 32:27.

47 Spartans ran the 435^th Stevenage parkrun. There were 598 finishers including 294 men and 276 women (some names unknown).

Stevenage parkrun saw its 150,000 finisher on New Year’s Day. That run brought the total up to 150,215.

Visits to family and friends helped encourage some parkrun tourism over the holiday period. Parkruns visited on New Year’s Day included Barnstaple (Sally Pickles 29:27); Blickling, Norwich (Becky Rayner 34:33); Holkham, Wells-next-the-Sea (Claire and Darren Emmerson 29:49 and 27:33); Letchworth (Charles Arnold 23:46 and Lewis Green 28:24); Panshanger (Nicola Pattman 36:42); Rotherham (Sharon and Mike Crowley 29:42 and 44:47); Sizewell (Nick Kleanthous 33:07) and Stanborough (Mark Goodwin 30:57).

Icy patches forced the cancellation of several parkruns, including Stevenage, on Saturday 3^rd January. However ten Spartans made their way to Henlow Bridge Lakes, an off road course, where SIMON JACKSON was second in 18:45. New parkrun personal bests were run by TONY RANDFIELD 24:42 and SAMANTHA SUTTON 28:40. The other Spartans were CHARLES ARNOLD 24:28; JOHN NELMS 24:39; SUZY HAWKINS 25:23; NICK GILL 30:17; GEORGIE HOOPER 30:18; ALICE WELCH 32:55 and MICHAEL O’KEEFE 43:58.

Four Spartans were at Letchworth KRIS WESTCOTT 22:32; JOHN HARRIS 24:56; LEWIS GREEN 25:30 and YUKO GORDON getting back to running and very pleased to dip under 30 minutes with 29:37.

Meanwhile STEVE TINSLEY ran Great Notley, Essex in 29:09; CHARLIE WHITE Oakland College in 19:26; LORRAINE HILL ran Panshanger in 30:40; JAY PAPA Pymmes, Edmonton in 20:08; CHRIS HOLLAND Rutland Water in 29:59; STEVE WELLS Snowden Field, Peterborough in 23:03; JAMES SOUTH Stanborough in 30:10; GRANT RAMSAY 20:26 and JONATHAN JONES 35:29 were at Wimpole Hall

Position	parkrunner	Gender	Age Group	Time
1	Kirk NDUGU	Male	VM35-39	18:19
1	86 parkruns \| Member of the 50 Club	1/294	73.98% age grade	PB 16:39
8	Simon JACKSON	Male	VM45-49	19:08
8	96 parkruns \| Member of the 50 Club	8/294	76.48% age grade	PB 16:53
26	Charlie WHITE	Male	SM30-34	20:53
26	161 parkruns \| Member of the 100 Club	25/294	62.49% age grade	PB 17:53
54	Kris WESTCOTT	Male	VM40-44	22:42
54	95 parkruns \| Member of the 50 Club	49/294	61.53% age grade	PB 18:14
69	Toby ECCLESHALL	Male	VM35-39	23:23
69	193 parkruns \| Member of the 100 Club	63/294	56.74% age grade	PB 20:56
81	Matthew COOKE	Male	SM30-34	24:12
81	244 parkruns \| Member of the 100 ClubMember of the Volunteer 50 Club	69/294	54.20% age grade	PB 18:33
117	Natalie WHITE	Female	VW35-39	25:20
117	22 parkruns	18/276	59.41% age grade	PB 20:53
125	Peter SACH	Male	SM30-34	25:50
125	135 parkruns \| Member of the 100 Club	106/294	50.52% age grade	PB 25:41
129	Lloyd DIAS	Male	VM35-39	25:58
129	60 parkruns \| Member of the 50 Club	108/294	51.41% age grade	PB 25:32
142	Tanya BRAZIER	Female	VW45-49	26:37
142	10 parkruns	25/276	59.67% age grade	PB 24:25
143	Susan MCANENY	Female	VW45-49	26:37
143	32 parkruns \| Member of the 25 Club	26/276	61.49% age grade	PB 24:09
150	Martin JACOB	Male	VM40-44	26:56
150	47 parkruns \| Member of the 25 Club	120/294	51.42% age grade	PB 21:52
160	Jodie WILSON	Female	SW25-29	27:09
160	28 parkruns	30/276	54.51% age grade	PB 26:14
178	Samantha SUTTON	Female	VW50-54	27:34
178	207 parkruns \| Member of the 100 ClubMember of the Volunteer 50 Club	40/276	60.82% age grade	New PPB!
192	Lorraine HILL	Female	VW55-59	27:57
192	368 parkruns \| Member of the 250 ClubMember of the Volunteer 25 Club	48/276	66.55% age grade	PB 25:15
199	Andy PRIOR	Male	VM55-59	28:09
199	44 parkruns \| Member of the 25 Club	146/294	55.54% age grade	PB 23:28
200	Lucy PAUL	Female	VW45-49	28:12
200	20 parkruns	51/276	57.45% age grade	PB 27:18
201	Kerstin WEINER	Female	VW55-59	28:14
201	59 parkruns \| Member of the 50 Club	52/276	63.28% age grade	PB 24:16
205	Karen ELLIS	Female	VW55-59	28:27
205	40 parkruns \| Member of the 25 Club	54/276	64.50% age grade	PB 24:38
208	Lee PICKERSGILL	Male	VM40-44	28:31
208	118 parkruns \| Member of the 100 Club	151/294	48.98% age grade	PB 22:41
216	Mike REYNOLDS	Male	VM60-64	28:39
216	131 parkruns \| Member of the 100 Club	158/294	58.00% age grade	PB 23:37
232	Suzy HAWKINS	Female	VW45-49	29:03
232	95 parkruns \| Member of the 50 Club	59/276	57.03% age grade	PB 19:38
234	Claire PULLEN	Female	VW55-59	29:10
234	60 parkruns \| Member of the 50 Club	60/276	64.69% age grade	PB 22:03
237	Georgie HOOPER	Female	VW35-39	29:14
237	72 parkruns \| Member of the 50 Club	62/276	52.00% age grade	PB 23:24
272	Erica GRAYSON	Female	VW55-59	30:24
272	41 parkruns \| Member of the 25 Club	78/276	59.54% age grade	PB 26:50
318	Steve PLATT	Male	VM50-54	31:42
318	103 parkruns \| Member of the 100 Club	206/294	47.27% age grade	PB 25:25
346	Harriet PACE	Female	SW20-24	32:19
346	17 parkruns \| Member of the 10 Club	119/276	45.80% age grade	PB 29:56
352	Jay PAPA	Male	SM30-34	32:27
352	100 parkruns \| Member of the 100 Club	218/294	39.86% age grade	PB 18:43
353	Wayne SIMMONS	Male	VM60-64	32:27
353	47 parkruns \| Member of the 25 Club	219/294	50.28% age grade	PB 24:08
355	Nick GILL	Male	VM35-39	32:29
355	145 parkruns \| Member of the 100 Club	221/294	41.10% age grade	PB 18:14
364	Ada JANUSIENE	Female	VW40-44	32:41
364	28 parkruns \| Member of the 25 Club	129/276	47.78% age grade	PB 28:36
370	Debbie BLANTERN	Female	VW55-59	32:50
370	191 parkruns \| Member of the 100 Club	133/276	55.13% age grade	PB 27:47
417	Carole SHELDRICK	Female	VW50-54	34:10
417	52 parkruns \| Member of the 50 Club	163/276	50.29% age grade	PB 26:35
418	Caroline CROFT	Female	VW50-54	34:11
418	131 parkruns \| Member of the 100 Club	164/276	51.58% age grade	PB 28:28
427	Linda GEORGE	Female	VW40-44	34:21
427	22 parkruns	169/276	44.78% age grade	PB 26:34
463	Jayne DYMOKE	Female	VW45-49	36:09
463	10 parkruns	194/276	45.83% age grade	PB 35:11
472	Paul HOLGATE	Male	VM65-69	36:47
472	86 parkruns \| Member of the 50 Club	262/294	46.90% age grade	PB 26:27
481	Sam GENTRY	Female	VW45-49	37:18
481	14 parkruns	205/276	44.41% age grade	PB 30:13
504	Hannah MANTON	Female	SW25-29	38:48
504	40 parkruns \| Member of the 25 Club	220/276	38.14% age grade	PB 28:00
526	Jane WADEY	Female	VW55-59	41:37
526	73 parkruns \| Member of the 50 ClubMember of the Volunteer 50 Club	233/276	45.33% age grade	PB 31:31
533	Tracy HAYGARTH	Female	VW55-59	42:09
533	182 parkruns \| Member of the 100 Club	239/276	43.53% age grade	PB 28:30
534	Julie MANTON	Female	VW60-64	42:13
534	53 parkruns \| Member of the 50 Club	240/276	45.32% age grade	PB 38:03
540	Michael O’KEEFE	Male	VM60-64	42:43
540	233 parkruns \| Member of the 100 ClubMember of the Volunteer 25 Club	282/294	37.89% age grade	PB 25:07
570	Thomas SAUKA	Male	VM50-54	49:30
570	177 parkruns \| Member of the 100 ClubMember of the Volunteer 25 Club	287/294	29.80% age grade	PB 19:39
577	Julie BUDDEN	Female	VW45-49	54:30
577	3 parkruns	268/276	29.72% age grade	PB 46:38
584	Yuko GORDON	Female	VW70-74	59:10
584	54 parkruns \| Member of the 50 Club	273/276	40.25% age grade	PB 22:33
588	Jessica CLARKE	Female	SW25-29	59:41
588	76 parkruns \| Member of the 50 Club	276/276	24.80% age grade	PB 24:47