Tag: Watford Half

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News Race Results

WATFORD HILLS WERE ALIVE

A Fab Four from Fairlands tackled the hilly but popular Watford Half Marathon on Sunday morning. 

It was one of those days when everything seemed to be damp, though during the race there was no more than drizzle, but that didn’t stop Spartan JAY PAPA pacing a group to squeeze under the key 1:30 barrier with 1 hour 29 minutes 25 seconds.  WAYNE SIMMONS was under two with 1:59:01.

Not yet risking 100% but getting back into it JIM BROWN was content with his 2:07:37 and LUCY PAUL looked very comfortable going round in 2:10:54.

PositionNameTimePercentage
112JAY PAPA1:29:2564.71%
870WAYNE SIMMONS1:59:0160.06%
1115JIM BROWN2:07:3762.14%
1159LUCY PAUL2:10:5452.67%

1589 finishers.

Peddars Way Ultra 2026

Spartan ADRIAN BUSOLINI loves a trail run and this time it was the 76 kilometres of the Peddars Way starting from Knettishall, near Thetford and heading for the coast. 

He was fourth in 7 hours 11 minutes 45 seconds.

Serpie

It was like a Spring morning in Hyde Park for the Serpentine Last Friday of the Month 5K.  Spartan JIM BROWN enjoyed his lunch-time run in 29:01.

Parkrun Highlights

Nudging 600 again there were 582 finishers in Saturday’s Stevenage parkrun.  That included 229 women and 38 Spartans.  This was the 439th Stevenage parkrun.

LINDA GEORGE set a new parkrun PB of 25:37 of 25:37 and was the fastest female from Fairlands.  It was a century for JAMES SOUTH.  A new major milestone of 100 parkruns.  This one in 25:48.

ANDREW JORDAN achieved a new parkrun PB of 27:33.

Spartans elsewhere included CHARLIE WHITE; GEORGIE HOOPER; JAY PAPA; NICK GILL and CHARLES ARNOLD who were all at the Great Denham parkrun.  Charlie was second overall in 17:31; Georgie third woman and under 20 with 19:54 finishing with Jay 19:54 and Nick 19:55.  Charles came in with 22:43.

PETER SACH ran the Peel parkrun, Salford in 27:27.  There were three at Letchworth – LEWIS GREEN 24:55; TONY RANDFIELD 28:21 and SUZY HAWKINS 29:31.

No doubt warming up part of the course for the following day’s Watford half marathon JESSICA CLARKE ran the Cassiobury parkrun in 29:18.

PositionGender PositionFVS parkrunnerTime
4241Toby ECCLESHALL22:37
8278Lee PICKERSGILL24:18
10698Paul MAGUIRE25:11
12111Linda GEORGE25:37
122108Martin DUDLEY25:39
128114James SOUTH25:48
172147Matt CLARKE27:00
19325Karen ELLIS27:29
194162Andrew JORDAN27:33
209173Ryan DUNNING27:56
21831Fiona CLARKE28:05
235190Daniel VILJOEN28:26
25244Claire EMMERSON28:57
26951Alison SHELLEY29:27
304229David ACKERY30:31
316234Nick KLEANTHOUS30:49
34081Sally PICKLES31:35
342246Steve PLATT31:38
381110Caroline CROFT32:52
392260Keith HOOKER33:05
403121Hayley PEACH33:27
404122Lindsay PATEMAN33:36
410127Rebecca RAYNER33:53
422133Hannah MANTON34:26
438143Pamela VILJOEN34:54
442146Angie KEELING35:11
444279Paul HOLGATE35:21
463283Keith MANTON36:20
469285Maurice BALLARD36:34
504298Lee Francis POTTER39:03
512191Maria THORNE39:26
523199Stephanie GAJIC40:42
524200Julie MANTON41:13
540210Niki PLUMB42:17
556311Stephen SMITHSON46:49
558218Monica SMITHSON46:55
580323Roger BIGGS63:31
582230Sharon CROWLEY63:37
Categories
News Race Results

COOK WINS AT OLYMPIC PARK

Spartan DAVE COOK WON the Olympic Park 5K in 16:56.

A Champion at Watford.

First thing there were worries there would be ice patches on the course of the Watford Half Marathon but no, apart from a short section at the second water station, it was fine.  Although it was never warm runners enjoyed start to finish sun shine.

Fairlands Valley Spartans have a new county champion.  JIM BROWN won GOLD in the men 70 plus with his 2 hours 3 minutes 53 seconds (2:03:53).  Jim aimed to be back in Cassiobury Park in less than two hours and he did that with a bit to spare.  The gold medal was a good bit of icing on the cake.

This, to put it politely, was a lumpy course and NICK GILL did well with his 1:31:01 which got him 150th position out of the 1552 who finished so top 10%.  Nick said, “I did the Watford Half Marathon Sunday morning, finishing in 1:31:01.  After doing the event for the first time last year, I knew it was a tough course so decided to turn it into a training run/workout instead.  I started steady and got faster by 15 seconds each mile until I got to my goal half marathon pace, which I then remained at for the entire second half… and it worked out perfectly!  My only regret was a bit of a sprint finish – if I’d been 16 seconds slower to cross the line I would have bagged the random £2,000 spot prize!”

PENNY SCHENKEL continued her London Marathon preparations beating 2:30 with her 2:27:41.

Last Friday of the Month 5K

Sometimes the days fall like that as two days before the Watford Half JIM BROWN was racing the Last Friday of the Month 5K in Hyde Park.  After a slow start he was happy with his 27 minutes 20 seconds (27:20).  The next one will be at 12.30p.m. on Friday 28th February.  These are measured and timed races and cost £6.

Parkrun Highlights Saturday 1st February

There were at least 50 Spartans at parkruns on Saturday.  This week it was stripey Saturday and there were 37 Spartans among the 578 finishers at Stevenage.

NICK KLEANTHOUS celebrated his birthday with 30:51 for the five kilometres.  This week there were two Spartans in the top ten with MIKE JEFFS fourth in 18:24 and JAY PAPA sixth in 18:43.

There were two parkrun milestones.  RYAN DUNNING ran his 100th in 25:09 and MATTHEW NEWTON his 50th in 28:58.  SUE HAMER ran a new parkrun personal best of 26 minutes 5 seconds (26:05).  There were mini-milestones for TOBY ECCLESHALL and DAVID RIDDELL.  Toby is 170th in 23:54 and David is 160th in 23:31.

Spartans elsewhere included ELIZABETH and SHARON CROWLEY Mile End parkrun.  Elizabeth finished in 29:47 and Sharon in 34.16.

Categories
Club News Race Results

BIG HILLS AND BIG PUDDLES AT WATFORD

Big hills and big puddles faced the seven Spartans who ran the Watford Half Marathon on Sunday.  They splashed through to the finish. 

On that course and in those conditions ROBERT WRIGHT ran an excellent 1 hour 42 minutes 27 minutes for the lumpy 13.1 miles.  Five minutes later MATT CLARKE came in with 1:47:58. 

FIONA CLARKE ran a well judged event to get close to two hours with 2:03:36.  JIM BROWN said he had a terrible day in his running office but was in the middle of a little cluster with SUE HAMER 2:11:18; Jim at 2:12:23 and WENDY THARANI at 2:13:18. 

SHARON CROWLEY ran a good steady half marathon and came in smiling with 2:33:30.  There were 1,083 finishers. 

Stripy smiles at Watford Half despite the big puddles!

Parkrun Highlights 5th February. 

Fairlands Valley Spartan members were out in force on the first Parkrun of the month, aka Stripey Saturday. Forty four members took part at seven different venue across the country. 

NICOLA ANDERSSON ran a Personal best of 26:01 at Stevenage in her 90th Parkrun, also taking the title of fastest Spartan lady this week. JONATHAN PARR was the fastest Spartan crossing the line at 17:01 at Stevenage and was first in the event. 

Happy Spartans on Saturday morning!

New Spartan JANE WADEY completed her 20th Parkrun in 34:19, a new PB! 

DARRYL STEVENS ran at Great Salterns Parkrun, Portsmouth, for the first time finishing with a time of 40:00. Astonishingly, this was the 94th venue he has tried out! 

Special mention to TONY RANDFIELD who achieved the highest age grade percentage this week with 80.26%, getting into national class level. 

Although there were no official milestones achieved by members this week, CHLOE CHAPMAN has reached 70 runs at Stevenage. 

At least 32 out of another great total of 346 finishers at Stevenage were Spartans.  Well done all! 

Tables 

Spartans at the Watford Half Marathon 

Pos BIB Name Time Cat  
329 339 Robert WRIGHT 1:42:27 Unknown  
431 1183 Matt CLARKE 1:47:58 40-49  
754 1184 Fiona CLARKE 2:03:36 35-44  
866 988 Sue HAMER 2:11:18 45-54  
870 1181 Jim BROWN 2:12:23 60-69  
882 913 Wendy THARANI 2:13:18 45-54  
1028 908 Sharon CROWLEY 2:33:30 55-64  

Spartans at parkruns Saturday 5th February 

Position   Gender Position   parkrunner   Run Time   Comment 
Endcliffe parkrun         
340 218 Mike REYNOLDS 28:56   
Stevenage parkrun (32 FVS)         
1 1 Jonathan PARR 17:01 Winner 
10 8 Grant RAMSAY 19:20   
17 15 Tony RANDFIELD 20:31 80.26% age grade 
21 19 Stuart ARCHER 21:00   
27 25 Paul SHELLEY 21:32   
66 55 Sam SIMMONS 23:48   
70 59 Martin DUDLEY 24:04   
86 72 Darren EMMERSON 25:01   
107 11 Nicola ANDERSSON 26:01 PB, 90th 
111 92 Nick KLEANTHOUS 26:11   
112 12 Alison SHELLEY 26:12   
133 103 Mark BEASLEY 26:55   
170 130 Tim ROBINSON 28:08   
187 34 Debbie BLANTERN 28:36   
190 143 Jim BROWN 28:38   
203 42 Chloe CHAPMAN 29:19 70th 
204 151 Matt CLARKE 29:19   
212 43 Monica SMITHSON 29:38   
219 47 Fiona CLARKE 29:49   
235 167 Karl SHREEVE 30:44   
237 57 Caroline CROFT 30:46   
250 64 Tracy HAYGARTH 31:41   
259 69 Claire EMMERSON 32:15   
265 180 Jonathan JONES 32:39   
268 75 Dzenana TOPIC 32:51   
274 184 Steven DOBNER 33:10   
275 79 Mo WARRILLOW 33:12   
276 185 David PATTMAN 33:12   
295 92 Jane WADEY 34:19 PB, 20th 
343 124 Helen HARRIS 47:08   
344 204 Roger BIGGS 48:53   
Tilgate parkrun         
350 218 Darryl STEVENS 39:22   
Lee-on-the-Solent parkrun         
69 61 Edward HARE 24:32   
Letchworth parkrun         
7 7 Nick GILL 22:21   
32 6 Georgie HOOPER 28:34   
Sandy Water (Wales) parkrun         
6 6 John HARRIS 20:53