The St Albans 10K has the potential to be fast and 24 Spartans were there for the Spring race on Good Friday which had well over 1,000 finishers.
GEORGIE HOOPER was first Spartan woman home and finished first in her age group (women 35 plus, W35-39) with 44:32. She decided to give a big personal best (PB) a go despite still recovering from illness, and was paced by ROSS GALLAGHER (44:31), NICK GILL (44:33) and MICHAEL FISHER (44:39). The race didn’t quite go to plan, but it was the fastest Georgie has run that course.
There was a brilliant new personal best (PB) for ALICE WELCH. Paced by club captain MIKE JEFFS she took 3 minutes 24 seconds off her old best time to finish in 44:35 only three seconds behind Georgie. Alice says she’s really looking forward to the mid week league which starts on 21st May.
SIMON JACKSON was first Spartan. Thirteenth out of 1049 finishers and second in his category with 36:11. CHARLIE WHITE was second Spartan at 15th with 36:18. There was a new PB for PERRY GENTRY at 21st place with a 2:23 improvement in a sub forty 37 minutes 2 seconds.
SHARON CROWLEY was very pleased with her chip time of 57:00 mins. That was more than seven minutes quicker than last year. She was third in her age group in what was her fastest 10K for many years! After the fall at the Hillingdon 20, this race she stayed on her feet!
New Spartan KATIE BARNARD ran a new personal best of 51 minutes 4 seconds (51:04).
SAM GENTRY ran a fantastic new personal best (PB) time of 56:06. Knocking 2:31 off her 10K time. She said she had great pacing support from fellow spartan Annabelle White at the beginning and Marie Colucci pacing her for the last four miles to help her get her PB.
HAYLEY PEACH said “After missing out on a 10K PB two weeks ago at Lee Valley by two seconds I had to have another pop at it so on the way home I booked into the St Albans Easter 10K. At St Albans I got a 37 second PB, beating my 10k time from 13 years ago.”
| Pos | BiB | Name | Chip |
| 13 | 394 | Simon JACKSON | 36:10 |
| 15 | 748 | Charlie WHITE | 36:18 |
| 21 | 242 | Perri GENTRY | 37:02 |
| 133 | 409 | Georgie HOOPER | 44:32 |
| 134 | 208 | Nick GILL | 44:33 |
| 135 | 855 | Ross GALLAGHER | 44:31 |
| 139 | 726 | Alice WELCH | 44:35 |
| 140 | 911 | Mike JEFFS | 44:36 |
| 141 | 749 | Michael FISHER | 44:39 |
| 187 | 236 | Toby ECCLESHALL | 45:42 |
| 215 | 56 | Craig BACON | 47:33 |
| 308 | 526 | Katie BARNARD | 51:04 |
| 509 | 338 | Marie COLUCCI | 55:11 |
| 510 | 241 | Sam GENTRY | 56:07 |
| 558 | 807 | Jim BROWN | 58:46 |
| 576 | 1078 | Sharon CROWLEY | 57:00 |
| 632 | 586 | Annabelle WHITE | 59:12 |
| 636 | 1011 | Joe WELLER | 59:09 |
| 657 | 257 | Sally PICKLES | 59:50 |
| 740 | 964 | Hayley PEACH | 1:02:32 |
| 995 | 67 | Niki PLUMB | 1:14:21 |
| 1029 | 431 | Lee POTTER | 1:21:03 |
| 1044 | 730 | Nichola DURENT | 1:30:45 |
| 1048 | 767 | Emma CHAPMAN | 1:37:55 |
ATW Half and 10K
On Easter Monday Spartan DANNY SCANLON ran a half marathon on the old FVS course in Stevenage in sunny conditions. He finished in 1 hour 38 minutes 55 seconds (1:38:55) and was 39th out of the 256 finishers. He was encouraged by cheers from a number of Spartans along the route. Not far behind TONY RANDFIELD was first man aged 65 plus with 1:39:25.
It was under two hours for JODIE WILSON with a great 1:53:48 run. She was third woman 20 plus and in the top 100 in the race.
JIM BROWN used the event to try out his Stevenage Community Trust fundraising kit. He finished in 2 hours 4 minutes 19 seconds and won his age group. He’s after sponsorship. LORRAINE HILL was not far behind with 2:11:26.
LEE POTTER completed the Spartan Six with his 1:38:55.
In the ATW 10K GAIL MACKIE came in first woman 35 plus and 24th overall out of 231 finishers with 45 minutes 36 seconds. Four other Spartans ran the 10K. LEANNE MILLBROW 1:02:53; JANE WADEY 1:17:03; JAYNE DYMOKE 1:21:03 and EMMA CHAPMAN in 1:46:18.
Berlin Half
Recently Two Spartans ran the Berlin Half Marathon. ROSS GALLAGHER came in with 1:28:15 and JESS CLARKE with 1:49:10.
Judy in Prague
Judy King ran the Prague Half Marathon on Saturday 28th March on a cold and sunny morning. The race went along the river crossing backwards and forwards on different bridges, past the dancing building and through the old town. There were many cobbled roads which meant a concentrated effort to keep lifting your feet up to avoid tripping up. It was a great atmosphere, plenty of water stations and bananas / orange segments given out, so a bit slippery in parts!
Her daughter came to support and take photos, then took her on a 30 minute walk straight after the race to a ‘super cute cafe’!! Judy’s official time was 2:22:26.
Club 20
After racing lots of 20 mile races in recent weeks lots of Spartans turned out for Fairlands Valley Spartans Spring 20 mile training run on Sunday. As well as 20 miles for those preparing for marathons other distance options were available.
Parkrun Highlights
There were 479 finishers at Stevenage’s parkrun including a massive 46 Spartans despite being in the middle of the Easter weekend.
Several Spartans ran new parkrun personal bests (PPBs) including BECKY RAYNER. It was her 40th parkrun and on stripy Saturday it was a ppb by 2 mins 1 sec, and her first ever sub-30 at 29:35.
JODIE KANTAS also ran a new PPB, 24:24 and was third woman overall; ALICE WELCH ran a new PPB of 25:24; ADA JANUSIENNE a new PPB of 27:56; JULIE MANTON a new PPB of 37:52; and JULIE BUDDEN a new PPB of 45:04.
Spartan DAVID HARRIS-CHERGUIT was second with 17:59.
Papa Personal at Pontypridd.
Jay speeds under 18. Spartan JAY PAPA ran a parkrun in under 18 minutes for the very first time with his 17 minutes 55 seconds at Pontypridd in South Wales. He was tenth in the event.
At the same event KARL SHREEVE finished in 27:33 and JESSICA CLARKE in 31:49.
Altogether there were 71 Spartans on parkruns on Saturday. They also included SARAH ILLINGWORTH who ran the Tyne Green (Hexham) parkrun in 28:05; VICKY ARCHER 30:21 and STUART ARCHER 30:22 were at Sheringham; MARTIN JACOB 25:43 and LINDA GEORGE 29:47 at Poppintree, Dublin.
| Position | Gender Position | FVS parkrunner | Time |
| 2 | 2 | David CHERGUIT | 17:59 |
| 16 | 15 | Perri GENTRY | 21:25 |
| 57 | 54 | Tony RANDFIELD | 23:06 |
| 76 | 72 | Charles ARNOLD | 23:53 |
| 90 | 84 | Daniel VILJOEN | 24:21 |
| 92 | 3 | Jodie KANTAS | 24:24 |
| 96 | 89 | Richard MOORE | 24:30 |
| 104 | 96 | Brian WHITE | 24:49 |
| 105 | 5 | Marie COLUCCI | 24:50 |
| 106 | 97 | Lee PICKERSGILL | 24:50 |
| 108 | 6 | Susan MCANENY | 24:57 |
| 120 | 9 | Alice WELCH | 25:24 |
| 127 | 112 | Martin DUDLEY | 25:43 |
| 140 | 119 | David RIDDELL | 26:05 |
| 149 | 20 | Lorraine HILL | 26:25 |
| 154 | 23 | Jayne RIDDELL | 26:30 |
| 155 | 127 | Peter SACH | 26:33 |
| 178 | 32 | Claire EMMERSON | 27:32 |
| 189 | 36 | Ada JANUSIENE | 27:56 |
| 192 | 149 | Darren EMMERSON | 27:59 |
| 201 | 45 | JODIE WILSON | 28:18 |
| 223 | 55 | Samantha SUTTON | 29:22 |
| 224 | 160 | Matt CLARKE | 29:27 |
| 226 | 162 | Keith ABRAHAMS | 29:31 |
| 227 | 56 | Monica SMITHSON | 29:31 |
| 232 | 58 | Rebecca RAYNER | 29:35 |
| 239 | 170 | Maurice BALLARD | 29:45 |
| 244 | 61 | Fiona CLARKE | 29:52 |
| 255 | 179 | Steve PLATT | 30:06 |
| 270 | 188 | Nick GILL | 30:35 |
| 278 | 192 | Nick KLEANTHOUS | 31:11 |
| 298 | 83 | Debbie BLANTERN | 31:48 |
| 316 | 212 | Keith MANTON | 32:41 |
| 349 | 106 | Julie SHADBOLT | 34:34 |
| 350 | 107 | Penny SCHENKEL | 34:35 |
| 359 | 232 | Lee Francis POTTER | 34:55 |
| 369 | 120 | Hannah MANTON | 35:41 |
| 380 | 240 | Luke SILVER | 36:18 |
| 399 | 135 | Julie MANTON | 37:52 |
| 430 | 154 | Jayne DYMOKE | 41:20 |
| 443 | 163 | Julie BUDDEN | 45:04 |
| 454 | 263 | Kris WESTCOTT | 47:45 |
| 455 | 169 | Sam GENTRY | 47:53 |
| 456 | 264 | Thomas SAUKA | 47:53 |
| 471 | 182 | Callie CHAPMAN | 50:38 |
| 472 | 183 | Sharon CROWLEY | 50:40 |