Tag: Stevenage Cross Country

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News Race Results

HAPPY CHRISTMAS & A PEACEFUL NEW YEAR

Stevenage Cross Country

In the run to Christmas more than fifty, 23 women and 29 men, Fairlands Valley Spartans ran the cross country league race in Stevenage on Sunday morning.  21 other Spartans volunteered as marshals or helped in other ways.

On an undulating three lap course in the south field of Fairlands Valley Park GEORGE HALFPENNY was the fastest Spartan over the 7.75 kilometres.  He was 15th in 28:59.

The next two Spartans were also under 30 minutes.  ADRIAN BUSOLINI 18th in 29:18 and DAVID HARRIS-CHERGUIT 30th in 29:55.

NATALIE LAWRENCE was the fastest female from Fairlands with her 31:32 lapping many of the men.  Next came SHAUNA LAWLESS in 36:50. 

Celebrating his birthday didn’t slow CHARLIE ARNOLD who ran round in 36:48.

This was a first cross country league race for many Spartans including George Halfpenny, Graham Hoare, Shauna Lawless, Sally Pickles, Amanda Vickers and Chris Watling.

There were about 400 finishers.  The next Sunday League race will be in Panshanger Park on Sunday 11th January.

PositionNameTimeCategory
15GEORGE HALFPENNY28:59MSenior
18ADRIAN BUSOLINI29:18MSenior
30DAVID HARRIS-CHERGUIT29:55M40
54NATALIE LAWRENCE31:32*W35
58DAN HUKIN31:20*M40
75JAY PAPA32:50MSenior
76NICK GILL32:55MSenior
92ADRIAN DONNELLY33:55M40
106GRANT RAMSAY34:04M50
138LIAM WELLER36:08MSenior
139ANDY SHAW36:10M50
158CHARLIE ARNOLD36:48M60
159SHAUNA LAWLESS36:50WSenior
163LEWIS GREEN37:10M40
166GEORGIE HOOPER37:20*W35
169SUZY HAWKINS36:55*W45
189GRAHAM HOARE38:18M50
190KEITH HOOKER38:19M40
201MELVIN AUBURN38:40MSenior
202MATT COOKE38:42MSenior
247CHLOE SIMPSON41:21W35
250ALICE WELCH41:22WSenior
265ANDY PRIOR42:02**M50
272CRAIG BACON42:15M50
275CHRIS WATLING42:42MSenior
278JO COOKSLEY42:44W35
295DARREN EMMERSON43:38M50
300PETE COOK43:45M50
304JACKIE PERRY44:00W55
315SIMON SYPULA44:34M40
319LINDA GEORGE44:55W35
321ADAM HILL45:20MSenior
322MARK FREEMAN45:25**M60
335SAM SUTTON46:36W45
336JON SYPULA46:44M40
338JACOB NELMS46:56MSenior
341JIM BROWN46:57M70
346SAM GENTRY47:43W45
350CLAIRE EMMERSON48:14W45
351SHARON CROWLEY48:24W65
352EMILY GRIEVES48:43WSenior
353STEVE TINSLEY48:55M40
355ANNABELLE WHITE48:59WSenior
357SALLY PICKLES49:06W55
370LIZ CROWLEY51:03W35
375BECKY RAYNER51:27W35
381CALLIE CHAPMAN55:44*W35
384BECCA BIRT54:31*W45
393AMANDA VICKERS56:56W45
394JAYNE DYMOKE57:15W45
395PAUL HOLGATE58:55M60
399JANE WADEY62:53W55

Last Friday Came Early

The Last Friday 5K race in Hyde Park came a week early to avoid Boxing Day.  On a slightly amended course due to Winter Wonderland JIM BROWN came in with 27 minutes 35 seconds.  Amazingly good weather for December helped.  Jim’s time moved him up a bit in the best of six competition that ran for the twelve months of  2025.

He finished with 65.1%.  The first three places were taken by women – all with over 90%.

Parkrun Highlights – Saturday 20th December 2025

45 Spartans ran parkruns on Saturday.  23 were at Stevenage where BECKY RAYNER ran a new parkrun personal best (PPB) of 31 minutes 36 seconds.  An improvement of just over one minute.

There were 450 finishers at the 432nd Stevenage parkrun.  Ten more than last week.  They included 174 women.

SIMON JACKSON and PERRI GENTRY were both in the top five.  Simon fourth in 18:45 and Perri fifth in 18:49.

SUZY HAWKINS was fifth woman with her 24:03.  ALICE WELCH enjoyed her tenth parkrun in 32:20.  There was another parkrun PB.  Congratulations to JULIE BUDDEN who finished in 46:38.

The FVS parkrun tourists were out and about.  ANNETTE BELL ran the Geographe Bay parkrun in Western Australia with 26 minutes 56 seconds (26:56).  About 23 degrees.  Nice.

Two were at the Meon Valley trail parkrun.  AHAAR SHARMA came in with 32:41 and KARTIK SHARMA with 32:43.  It was on an old railway line near Wickham in Hampshire.

GRANT RAMSAY was fourth at Wimpole Estate in 20:39 with JONATHAN JONES in 34:37.

There were two Spartan PPBs at Henlow Bridge Lakes.  SAM SUTTON in 28:41 and SALLY PICKLES in 29:03.  Pretty good on a muddy course.  NIKI PLUMB was there with 40:05 and JULIE MANTON with 41:43.

Another three were at Panshanger – CHRIS WATLING 26:22; STEVE SMITHSON 33:37; and MONICA SMITHSON 34:17.  JUDY KING ran the Guernsey parkrun in 32:13.

Other Spartan destinations included Frank’s Farm (Cambridge), Great Denham, Kings Lynn, Raphael (Romford), Stanborough and Yarborough,

PositionGender PositionFVS parkrunnerTime
44Simon JACKSON18:45
55Perri GENTRY18:49
6561Lee PICKERSGILL23:21
755Suzy HAWKINS24:03
8378Matthew COOKE24:31
175139Ryan DUNNING27:57
186147Daniel VILJOEN28:17
191152Matt CLARKE28:31
217170Nick KLEANTHOUS29:18
220172Mike REYNOLDS29:25
248191David ACKERY30:42
26668Rebecca RAYNER31:36
270199Jim BROWN31:39
27171Penny SCHENKEL31:42
28678Alice WELCH32:20
31798Debbie BLANTERN33:27
361117Hilary DAVIES35:36
382244Thomas SAUKA37:30
411152Tracy HAYGARTH42:04
419157Elizabeth CROWLEY43:13
427163Julie BUDDEN46:38
431258Roger BIGGS48:47
450175Sharon CROWLEY58:44
Categories
Club News Race Results

STEVENAGE CROSS COUNTRY!

More than fifty from Fairlands Valley Spartans were in Fairlands Valley Park for the cross country league race on Sunday.   

33 men and 14 women ran in the race and dozens of volunteers from the club and our lovely friends at the Stevenage Striders helped make the event a success by being marshals, race director, chief marshal and taking on other tasks.  

Photo Credit – Keith Fenwick (including main photo)

Spartan ANDREW PATTERSON had another good run and was sixth overall out of 433 runners with 28 minutes 31 seconds (28:31) for the nine kilometres, three lap run.  ASHLEY JOHNSON was first woman in for FVS in 35:02. 

The increase in numbers from 24 runners in the last league race to 47 had a really positive effect on the team results. 

Photo Credit – Keith Fenwick

The fifth and final cross country league race this season will be on Therfield Heath (Royston) on Sunday 18th February. 

Provisional Spartan Result: 

Overall Position Name Time Gender Comments 
6 ANDREW PATTERSON 28:33 M Men’s “A” 
11 ADRIAN BUSOLINI 29:48 M Men’s “A” 
47 CHARLIE WHITE 32:15 M Men’s “A” 
87 MIKE JEFFS 34:24 M Men’s “A” 
99 ASHLEY JOHNSON 35:05 F Women “A” 
118 ROSS GALLAGHER 36:21 M Men’s “A” 
126 MATT GIFFORD 36:33 M Men’s “A” 
128 GRANT RAMSAY 36:37 M Men’s “A” 
133 ALEX ZHERDEV 36:46 M Men’s “A” 
142 NICK GILL 37:05 M  
148 JOHN HARRIS 37:17 M  
163 MARK COLLINS 37:56 M  
170 GABRIELLE O’BRIEN 38:20 F Women “A” 
179 CRAIG BACON 38:40 M  
183 DANNY SCANLON 38:51 M  
187 BRIAN WHITE 39:02 M  
212 YUKO GORDON 40:03 F Women “A” 
224 THOMAS SAUKA 40:39 M  
248 SIMON HAIGH 41:38 M  
254 JAMES CLARK 41:59 M  
265 STEVE HARRIS 42:26 M  
281 MARTIN JACOB 42:54 M  
293 HAZEL SMITH 43:20 F Women “A” 
295 DARREN EMMERSON 43:20 M  
296 PAULA DUNNE 43:21 F Women “A” 
312 STUART ARCHER 44:14 M  
318 TONY VICKERS 44:32 M  
332 DAVID ACKERY 45:24 M  
340 NICK KLEANTHOUS 45:47 M  
349 SIMON SYPULA 46:20 M  
353 JON SYPULA 46:42 M  
354 SOPHIE PARSONS 46:44 F  
360 ANNABELLE WHITE 47:00 F  
371 STEVE PLATT 47:56 M  
373 ROS INGRAM 48:11 F  
375 MICHAEL O’KEEFE 48:17 M  
379 STEVE TINSLEY 48:47 M  
384 ANDREA WESTCOTT 49:18 F  
387 LINDA GEORGE 49:44 F  
402 ROGER HARDMAN 51:31 M  
404 ANDY JAY 52:34 M  
407 SHARON CROWLEY 53:52 F  
416 MARK FREEMAN 56:12 M  
418 PAUL HOLGATE 57:52 M  
422 DZENANA TOPIC 61:55 F  
423 JONATHAN JONES 61:56 M  
430 CALLIE CHAPMAN 74:41 F  
431 MICHELLE HOLTON 74:41 F  
Photo Credit – Keith Fenwick

Parkrun Saturday 16th December 

For the Consolidated Results please click the link 

Categories
Club News Race Results

MOVING UP AT CROSS COUNTRY

It was a murky and misty morning on Sunday but that didn’t stop more than 400 people enjoying five miles of cross country running around Fairlands Valley Park in a race organised by Fairlands Valley Spartans. 

Increased participation by club members between races one and two in the Sunday cross country league lifted Fairlands Valley Spartans from tenth to seventh out of the 19 clubs taking part.  Then on Sunday at the third race, in Stevenage, there was a season’s record of 45 Spartans finishing the race and dozens of others helping. 

With well over 400 finishers it was easily the biggest turnout so far in this season’s league as well the biggest for the Spartans. 

Stripes in the mist.

This time there were three Spartans in the top ten – ANDREW PATTERSON fourth in 27 minutes 32 seconds; SIMON JACKSON ninth in 28 minutes 29 seconds and JONATHAN PARR tenth in 28:36.  Their eighth counter for the men’s “A” team was only just outside the top one hundred. 

The Fairlands women put in a good performance with YUKO GORDON 210th overall (women and men) at 38 minutes 17 seconds; TRACEY JACKSON 218th at 38:21; ANNABELLE WHITE 249th at 39:35; TRACEY PEZ 284th at 41:12 and ZOE JACKSON completing the women’s “A” team of five in 300th at 42:26. 

Spartans in action!

A good women’s “B” team is coming together as there was CAROLE SHELDRICK at 43:38; FIONA CLARKE at 45:00; NICOLA ANDERSSON at 45:40; and MARIAN MORLEY at 45:44.  Others were helping with the event. 

The other counters in the men’s “A” team were CHARLIE WHITE 46th at 30:54; KELVIN BEYOKU 57th at 31:40; STUART ARCHER 70th at 32:27; STEVE WELLS 99th at 33:23 and DANNY SCANLON 104th at 33:33. 

Happy stripy runners having fun!

Not everyone can be in the “A” team but the way the league works having a good turnout means many Spartan runners can push other clubs back by getting in front of their slower “A” runners. 

With the start and finish near the showground the eight kilometre race consisted of three laps of the southern part of Fairlands Valley Park.  Not the liquid mud of the previous week but by hugging the park boundary runners found some tough climbs to test them. 

It was good to welcome some new members trying their first cross country.  A great event organised by race director WENDY THARANI and a good team of volunteers.  

Our fantastic race director Wendy and her megaphone!

(All the Spartan finishers can be found in a table near the end of this release). 

It’s unfortunate there is a delay waiting for the team results to be published but at Trent Park the combined Spartans jumped from tenth to seventh and their women from twelfth to eleventh (though only two points off tenth) while the men leapt from tenth to fifth.  Let’s see what Sunday’s results bring and what the club can do at the next league fixture which will be in Watford on Sunday 16th January. 

The county cross country championships are in Welwyn Garden City on 9th January. 

Parkrun Highlights for Saturday 18th December 2021 

It was a relatively quiet week for Spartans at Saturday’s parkrun the day before the cross country league race and as we approach Christmas and the end of 2021.   

DARRYL STEVENS was a first timer at Bath Skyline parkrun (with a challenging uphill flight of 37 steps to negotiate!) in his 177th parkrun which he finished in 39:05.  PAUL MAGUIRE was another first timer, this time at Exmouth parkrun completing the course in 26:01. 

ED HARE was at his “home” parkrun of Lee-on-the Solent finished in 23:07.  Just one Spartan representing FVS at Panshanger: MIKE REYNOLDS clocking 26:28. 

Stevenage parkrun (14 Spartans; 221 runners) 

There were 14 Spartans at the Stevenage parkrun.  GRANT RAMSAY won a top ten place at sixth, and fifth man, with 20 minutes 33 seconds.

A selection of our Stevenage Parkrunners

  The others were: 

Position   Gender Position   parkrunner   Run Time   
30 27 Sam SIMMONS 00:23:37 
38 34 Martin DUDLEY 00:24:17 
54 47 Nick KLEANTHOUS 00:25:37 
94 77 Matt CLARKE 00:28:11 
101 13 Fiona CLARKE 00:28:37 
103 14 Nicola ANDERSSON 00:28:46 
131 29 Debbie BLANTERN 00:30:13 
159 41 Chloe CHAPMAN 00:32:19 
160 42 Vicky ARCHER 00:32:19 
170 49 Tracy HAYGARTH 00:32:59 
171 112 Stephen SMITHSON 00:33:15 
218 77 Helen HARRIS 00:49:28 
220 131 Roger BIGGS 00:58:59 

MIKE REYNOLDS ran the Panshanger parkrun in 26 minutes 28 seconds.  He was 80th out of the 210 finishers. 

There will be parkruns on Christmas Day including Stevenage.  No doubt there will be a good turnout of Santas, elves, reindeers…… 

Tables  

All 45 Spartan finishers at the Stevenage cross country (19th December): 

Position Name Est. Time Gender Category Team 
4 ANDREW PATTERSON 27:32 M 40 MA 
9 SIMON JACKSON 28:29 M 40 MA 
10 JONATHAN PARR 28:36 M S MA 
46 CHARLIE WHITE 30:54 M S MA 
57 KELVIN BEYOKU 31:40 M S MA 
70 STUART ARCHER 32:27 M S MA 
99 STEVE WELLS (33:23) M 50 MA 
104 DANNY SCANLON 33:33 M 40 MA 
142 MARK COLLINS 35:29 M 40 MB 
146 JOHN HARRIS 35:27 M 50 MB 
150 PETE SMITH 35:35 M 50 MB 
164 THOMAS SAUKA 36:32 M 40 MB 
186 STEVE MAYFIELD 37:25 M 50 MB 
201 MARTIN WOOD (37:59) M 50 MB 
210 YUKO GORDON 38:17 F 65 FA 
218 TRACEY JACKSON 38:21 F 45 FA 
226 CRAIG BACON 38:53 M 50 MB 
236 MARK GOODWIN 39:12 M 60 MB 
249 ANNABELLE WHITE 39:35 F S FA 
273 MATT CLARKE 40:47 M 40 MC 
276 TIM ROBINSON 41:02 M 50 MC 
280 LUKE GURNEY 41:02 M S MC 
284 TRACEY PEZ 41:12 F 45 FA 
291 DAVID KENNEDY 40:57 M S MC 
300 ZOE JACKSON (42:26) F 35 FA 
301 DARREN EMMERSON 42:28 M 50 MC 
306 ANDY JAY 42:33 M 50 MC 
319 CAROLE SHELDRICK 43:38 F 45 FB 
325 JON SYPULA 43:59 M 40 MC 
326 MARK FREEMAN 43:30 M 60 MC 
335 NICK KLEANTHOUS 44:47 M 50  
338 FIONA CLARKE 45:00 F 35 FB 
345 MARIAN MORLEY 45:44 F 55 FB 
346 NICOLA ANDERSSON 45:40 F 45 FB 
360 SIMON SYPULA 47:03 M 40  
368 ROGER HARDMAN 47:47 M 70  
382 MICHAEL O’KEEFE 49:42 M 50  
396 CATHY CRAIG 52:08 F 65 FB 
399 SHARON CROWLEY (52:58) F 55 FC 
400 PAUL HOLGATE 53:07 M 60 FC 
411 JENNY GARRETT 55:51 F 45 FC 
412 CALLIE CHAPMAN 56:00 F 35 FC 
418 CHRISTINE ZVEREV 57:01 F 35 FC 
419 HAZEL SMITH 57:01 F 45  
420 CLAIRE EMMERSON 57:01 F 45  

16 women and 29 men. 

All 37 Spartans at the Trent Park cross country (12th December): 

Position Name Official Time Gender Category Team 
16 SIMON JACKSON 28:24 M 40 MA 
25 JONATHAN PARR 29:19 M S MA 
26 ADRIAN BUSOLINI 29:28 M S MA 
52 KELVIN BEYOKU 31:22 M S MA 
54 PAUL HEWETT 31:25 M S MA 
74 CHRIS LATHWELL 32:08 F 45 FA 
79 STUART ARCHER 32:29 M S MA 
88 STEVE WELLS 33:08 M 60 MA 
123 DANNY SCANLON 34:33 M 40 MA 
138 PETE SMITH 35:16 M 50 MB 
142 THOMAS SAUKA 35:32 M 40 MB 
150 JOHN HARRIS 35:47 M 50 MB 
203 TRACEY JACKSON 38:10 F 45 FA 
206 YUKO GORDON 38:14 F 65 FA 
255 MATT CLARKE 41:16 M 40 MB 
266 LUKE GURNEY 41:31 M S MB 
292 ANDY JAY 43:27 M 50 MB 
298 TIM ROBINSON 44:30 M 50 MB 
306 WENDY THARANI 45:19 F 45 FA 
320 FIONA CLARKE 46:08 F 35 FA 
329 NICK KLEANTHOUS 46:56 M 50 MB 
338 MARK FREEMAN 47:47 M 60  
339 CHLOE CHAPMAN 47:49 F S FB 
340 VICKY ARCHER 47:49 F 35 FB 
357 MARIAN MORLEY 49:53 F 55 FB 
358 TAHER THARANI 50:04 M 50  
366 JIM BROWN 51:11 M 60  
371 LIZ CROWLEY 52:40 F S FB 
375 MICHAEL O’KEEFE 53:45 M 50  
381 SHARON CROWLEY 56:00 F 55 FB 
385 JONATHAN JONES 56:29 M 50  
386 CATHY CRAIG 56:33 F 65 FC 
389 JUDY KING 57:55 F 55 FC 
390 MONICA SMITHSON 58:48 F 55 FC 
391 JANE WHITROW 59:26 F 55 FC 
396 SALLY PHILLIPS 1:02:39 F 55 FC 
397 STEPH BIGGAR 1:02:50 F 35  

Spartan men fifth out of 19.