Summer Solstice 10K

A very warm evening made for a difficult run in Thursday’s Handicap 5K but that didn’t stop new member Patrick Anyadi storming round in 27:35, 2:40 better than handicap, to win the event, closely followed by Rose Sutton in a year best time of 29:56, Elizabeth Crowley was second woman in 30:01 and Jane Wadey third woman with 39:06. Karl Shreeve was second man in 28:42 and Matt Tutton third man with 25:13.

Jay Papa was fastest runner on the night in 19:36, with Paul Mould second quickest in 20:46 and Charles Arnold third fastest in 23:07. Marie Colucci was fastest lady with a year’s best (YB) 23:15, with Annabelle White 2^nd quickest (24:35) and Megan Sutton 3^rd fastest in 25:23.

There were also personal bests (PBs) for Alex Scofield (23:43) and Joseph Wasnock (24:05).

In handicap races the slower runners start first and chased by the others starting at intervals based on recent races.

Thank you to Mike Crowley, Mark Freeman, Keith Fenwick, Brian White and Hannah Sypula for their help and support.

The July handicap will be on Thursday evening 24^th July.

Pos	FIRST NAME	LAST NAME	Time	H’cap
1	PATRICK	ANYADI	27:35	2:40
2	ROSE	SUTTON	29:56	2:34
3	ELIZABETH	CROWLEY	30:01	2:14
4	KARL	SHREEVE	28:42	1:48
5	JANE	WADEY	39:06	1:24
6	SHARON	CROWLEY	39:06	1:24
7	MATT	TUTTON	25:13	1:17
8	SAMANTHA	SUTTON	32:50	1:10
9	JAY	PAPA	19:36	1:09
10	MEGAN	SUTTON	25:23	1:07
11	YUKO	GORDON	27:07	0:53
12	ALEX	SCOFIELD	23:43	0:47
13	LEE	PICKERSGILL	24:03	0:42
14	JOSEPH	WASNOCK	24:05	0:40
15	RICHARD	MOORE	24:23	0:22
16	TONY	VICKERS	26:44	0:16
17	MARIE	COLUCCI	23:15	0:15
18	PAUL	MOULD	20:46	0:14
19	JUDY	KING	30:35	0:10
20	PETE	COOK	26:23	0:07
21	JON	SYPULA	29:18	(0:03)
22	ANNABELLE	WHITE	24:35	(0:05)
23	PAUL	MAGUIRE	25:58	(0:13)
24	CHARLES	ARNOLD	23:07	(0:37)
25	TIM	ROBINSON	29:41	(0:56)
26	JAYNE	RIDDELL	27:35	(1:20)
27	CRAIG	BACON	24:20	(1:35)

Bedfordshire 10K

The Bedfordshire 10K was held in the evening of the longest day. Largely on cycleways and substantially flat. Four Spartans ran and three got under 39 minutes.

CHARLIE WHITE came in with 36:28.

MIKE JEFFS said it was a hot, sweaty, tough 10K. He didn’t think he’d ever been more exhausted after an event before like he was for this. However he ran a new four second personal best (PB) of 36 minutes 44 seconds (36:44).

ROSS GALLACHER got under 39 for the first time with 38:58, a ten second personal best and third in his age category and GRANT RAMSAY finished in 42:07.

And…. Mike Jeffs won the Shephalbury Park dads race on sports day

Beat the Sunset – Summer Solstice 10K

Two Spartans ran to “Beat the Sunset” in the Summer Solstice 10K on Friday evening. PAUL SHELLEY was twelfth out of the 262 finishers and first man 50 plus with 38:17 while ALISON SHELLEY was 230^th and fourth woman 55 plus with 55:17.

Serpentine Sizzled

Only 27 degrees in Hyde Park on Friday lunch-time. After a cautious first two kilometres in the heat JIM BROWN sped up a bit and was happy to complete the hot and humind Serpentine 5K in 27 minutes 31 seconds.

Longbridge 100 Backyard Ultra. Victory with 23 laps.

Spartan ADRIAN BUSOLINI says Longbridge is a wonderful backyard race with a community ethos and a focus on sustainability. The game is to run a 6.7km course with a lap every hour, every hour, with the victor being the last person standing. For those who have not taken part in a backyard ultra before it is a last-man/woman-standing event where you must begin a new lap on the hour, every hour. The race will only end when there is just one more runner remaining to start a lap.

It was the hottest day of the year, which caused many runners considerable difficulty when the sun rose on the second day. Being quite comfortable in hot conditions, Adrian was able to capitalise on this, knocking out a series of faster laps to stamp his authority on the race. Victory came sooner than he (or perhaps anyone) anticipated, at just 23 laps, in a race that usually runs to about 30 laps. Such was the effect of the afternoon temperatures. 23 laps worked out at 95.84 miles.

It was a great day out with the legendary Jan Voorspoels in support, and such a friendly group of runners, marshals and of course Darren, the race director, and family, in the beautiful setting of the South Downs. If you fancy giving a backyard race a go, I can’t think of a better recommendation than Longbridge.

Welwyn 10K

Sunday morning saw MATT TUTTON run the Welwyn 10K at Panshanger Park in 57:11. He was happy enough as he says he wilts at the first sign of warm weather. Not surprisingly it was hot and very dusty with the wind creating a dust bowl. Very different course conditions to the cold and frosty Panshanger Parkrun he ran in January!

Bass Belle Trail

The Bass Belle 10K is a trail event from Bassingbourn. Five or six degrees cooler than Saturday but still pretty warm.

MONICA SMITHSON’s time was 1 hour 13 minutes for the approximately 10K race.

Herts Hobble

Recently four Spartans enjoyed the Herts Hobble. This is a long distance cross country event from Baldock. KAREN LIDDELL and TRISHA HOPPER finished the 26.8 miles in 7 hours 39 minutes and SHARON and MIKE CROWLEY in 8 hours 27 minutes.

Parkrun Highlights – Saturday 21^st June.

At 9a.m. Saturday morning it was 22 degrees, not the really high temperatures later in the day, as 440 runners lined up for the 406^th Stevenage parkrun. Thirty were from Fairlands Valley Spartans. Indeed three of the first five finishers were FVS. They were KIRK NDUGU second in 17:44; SIMON JACKSON third in 17:55 and PERRI GENTRY fifth in 19:019.

This week GAIL MACKIE was the fastest female from Fairlands with her 27:02.

A total of 48 Spartans ran parkruns on Saturday. Those elsewhere included NICK KLEANTHOUS on the Isle of Wight with 35:02; PETER SACH at Jubilee, Bedford in 28:58 and three at Henlow Bridge Lakes – PAUL MOULD in 21:59; CHARLES ARNOLD in 24:01 and MATT GIFFORD in 25:56.

Position	Gender Position	FVS parkrunner	Time
2	2	Kirk NDUGU	17:44
3	3	Simon JACKSON	17:55
5	5	Perri GENTRY	19:19
68	66	Charlie WHITE	23:59
72	70	Matthew COOKE	24:06
87	83	Pete COOK	25:05
101	95	Daniel VILJOEN	25:41
109	102	Darren EMMERSON	25:59
126	116	Matt TUTTON	26:39
141	130	Toby ECCLESHALL	27:02
142	9	Gail MACKIE	27:02
153	136	Ryan DUNNING	27:25
160	18	Lorraine HILL	27:46
171	20	Linda GEORGE	28:05
190	159	Mark BEASLEY	28:56
194	162	Matt CLARKE	29:01
200	165	Jim BROWN	29:08
202	31	Claire EMMERSON	29:13
220	40	Penny SCHENKEL	29:48
247	52	Fiona CLARKE	30:46
266	201	Maurice BALLARD	31:36
308	79	Pamela VILJOEN	33:18
311	82	Debbie BLANTERN	33:25
320	226	Paul JENNINGS	33:49
352	103	Hilary DAVIES	36:40
372	112	Jane WADEY	38:25
390	255	Lloyd DIAS	40:24
428	271	Roger BIGGS	53:29
435	149	Callie CHAPMAN	58:01
436	150	Chloe CHAPMAN	1:02:57

DEBBIE BLANTERN won the club’s 5K handicap race on Thursday evening. Debbie beat her handicap by 4 minutes 38 seconds with 30:22 and finished seven seconds ahead of MICHAEL O’KEEFE with a season’s best 25:14.

MATT GIFFORD was third in his first handicap with 21:10, beating his handicap by 2:05.

MARIE COLUCCI was second woman on handicap and on speed with 23:38 with ASHLEY JOHNSON was fastest female and third on handicap with 20:20.

The fastest Spartan on the night was NICK GILL with 18:46.

Some of the runners enjoying the rain and still smiling!

Seven Spartans went to St Albans for the Summer Solstice 10K or #BeatTheSunset race on Wednesday. An 8p.m. start on a beautiful summer’s evening didn’t present problems for many people and all the Spartans were back in the sunshine with about half an hour to spare. Sunset was at 9.24p.m.

The fastest from Fairlands Valley Spartans was DAVID PATTMAN 83^rd out of the 532 finishers with 44 minutes 19 seconds. STEVEN DOBNER was next in with a fine 47:45 with HARRIET SMITH 33^rd woman beating 50 minutes with 49:12 and MO WARRILOW coming in at 52 minutes 32 seconds.

There was a tremendous personal best (PB) by CHLOE CHAPMAN who finished in 53 minutes 3 seconds, an improvement by 1 minute 47 seconds. MATT TUTTON improved his PB by 56 seconds to 55:17.

JIM BROWN ran his best 10K this year by seven seconds with 55:21 and was second in his category.

Yuko Wins Brutal British Masters

YUKO GORDON won Gold in the British Masters Multi-terrain 30K Championship on Sunday. The championship was incorporated into the North Downs Run, in which she came first in W65 (women 65 plus) category in 3:24:06. Overall Yuko was 180th out of 400 plus finishers. 

The race started and finished at the Cyclo Park in Gravesend, Kent. The course is well known as tough, hilly and challenging on a normal day, but with the 31C heat added, it was absolutely brutal. However, the race is very popular for the stunning beauty of Britain’s fine vineyards, red carpets of poppy field and breathtaking views.

Yuko winning gold at the British Masters

Orwell Challenge

Sunday saw MIKE JEFFS take on the Orwell Challenge in Felixstowe. There was some difficult terrain to deal with along with the local wildlife which included jelly fish! Mike said that it was a tough course but very beautiful.

He completed the half marathon distance in 2:14:14 – 21^st out of 100 finishers.

Mike and his medal that matches his club vest!

Purbeck Plod

THOMAS SAUKA did the Purbeck Plod on Sunday, it was meant to be 25 miles but he did a marathon in the end with a few errors. Lucky Tom.

It was very beautiful event but very brutal as well. The course followed the southwest coast path from Swanage to Kimmeridge Bay, which had some killer vertical climbs and descents and 5 miles of overgrown path, then it cut inland to Corfe Castle then back to Swanage going over the hills and the great ridge which is amazing but a very long climb.

Tom finished in 7 hours 34 minutes with 42.26 kilometres done. He said “A tough day that I will never forget.”

Velo Park

JIM BROWN was running at the Lee Valley Velo Park, an Olympic venue, on Saturday morning. It was perhaps too hot to expect a good time but 1 hour 33 minutes 16 seconds for the ten miles WON his age group.

Parkrun Saturday 24^th June 2023

STEVE DOBNER ran a new park PB of 24 minutes 47 seconds at Wimpole.

Please click the link for the Consolidated Spartan Park run Results.