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ADRIAN IS ON THE SPINE

Amazing ADRIAN BUSOLINI is tackling the Montane Winter Spine Race.

The Montane Winter Spine is widely regarded as Britain’s Most Brutal endurance race. It’s a non-stop, 268 mile (432 kilometres) race along the most iconic and demanding national trail in Britain; the Pennine Way.  Beginning from Edale in Derbyshire, runners have a time limit of 168 hours to reach the elusive village of Kirk Yetholm in the Scottish Borders.  They climb over 10,000 metres as the route crosses some of the most beautiful but difficult terrain found in England, including the Peak District, Yorkshire Dales, Northumberland National Park, Hadrian’s Wall and the Cheviots.  It’s a truly epic challenge that will tests physical resilience and mental fortitude.  The up to 150 participants will experience the full intensity and ferocity of the British Winter including deep snow, storm force winds and driving rain.

Spartan Adrian started from Edale, Derbyshire at 0800 on Sunday 12th January and has to be finished at Kirk Yetholm in the Scottish Borders by 0800 on Sunday 19th.  He will encounter daytime temperatures between zero and 10 degrees but night times between minus ten and plus degrees.

After 8 hours 51 minutes and 31 miles (50K) Adrian crossed the M62 near Green Withers reservoir.  By 6p.m. Sunday he was on Chelburn Moor, not far from Todmorden and heading for the first check point at Hebden Bridge in West Yorkshire which he got to at 8.01p.m. with 42 miles (68K) completed.

Wearing number 122 Adrian can be tracked here

Hybrid Hatfield 10K

It was seriously cold Saturday night and into Sunday morning and the only way the Hatfield 10K went ahead was with a course change to avoid a section of the Alban Way that had flooded and then frozen.  That introduced a 500 metre cross country section on each of the new two laps.

Spartan NICK GILL was 18th out of the 374 finishers with 38 minutes 44 seconds (38:44); new member LORRAINE HILL 202nd with 55:11; CONOR ECCLESTON 229th with 56:43; JIM BROWN 259th with 57:59 and JUDY KING 294th with 62:18.

Nick’s goal for Sunday’s Hatfield 10k was sub-40, so he was very pleased to get round in 38:44.  Yes the course had to be changed and cut short due to the wintry conditions, but getting this time when running in trail shoes felt fantastic.  Well done to the organisers for getting the race on.

Jim said it felt bitterly cold arriving at the event and it stayed significantly below zero for the whole race.  With the course change runners were advised to use trail shoes but after studying the new course map I tried an old pair of marathon trainers.  Actually it was fine.  The only significant challenge was a frozen puddle right across the track just before getting back on tarmac though wow my lungs weren’t wild about heavy breathing that cold air.  I set out with stiff legs complaining about the temperature for the first kilometre and doubting that under an hour was likely but did that so content.

Lorraine enjoyed her first race in a Spartan vest.

Back in the USA

ALISON SHELLEY was back in the USA and ran the San Diego Resolution Run Half Marathon in California on Saturday 11 January.

She had originally booked to run it two years ago but was unable to travel due to a skiing accident injury.

Alison said, “I had to cancel this race and the Chicago Marathon, and rehab for a year.  So it was really good to finally get to run it! (And to wear my stripes in the US for the second time in 6 months!).  It was a very cold start at 07:15 am but once the sun came up it was beautiful conditions and lovely route around the waters edge.  I had a chatty run and was very happy with my time of 2:09:30.”

Doughnut Dash

Only four days before GERRY ROSEN was in the Caribbean and 30° heat, by Sunday morning he was taking part in the Phoenix running doughnut dash and it was -5° (minus five).

Although he wasn’t sure how he was going do after a week of inactivity, it went surprisingly well, half marathon done in 2 hours 31 minutes 30 seconds (2:31:30), and his just reward was two doughnuts afterwards and a giant medal

Parkrun Highlights Saturday 11th January

Minus three degrees but that didn’t stop 476 turning up for Saturday’s Stevenage parkrun.  32 were from Fairlands Valley Spartans.

The birds were sitting on ice in the middle of the lake but the light was fantastic and the company good.

Spartan SIMON JACKSON was second overall in 18 minutes 12 seconds.  While the two fastest females from Fairlands this week were GAIL MACKIE in 23:07 and new member ELLA CERAULO in 23:43.  Another new member, LORAINE HILL came in with 30:06.

SUSAN MCANENY ran her 25th parkrun in 31:42; SHARON CROWLEY her 80th in 40:09 and MARK BEASLEY his 140th in 27:30.

Altogether 42 Spartans ran parkruns on Saturday.  Those away from Stevenage included GRANT RAMSAY fifth at Wimpole Estate in 19:49; MATT NEWTON 25:20 at Pymmes; MATT TUTTON 26:38 at Panshanger; SUZY HAWKINS 27:33 at Wendover Woods; MAURICE BALLARD 27:45 at Castle Park; NICK GILL 28:30 at Letchworth and MICHAEL O’KEEFE 31:37 at Leavesden Country.

PositionGender PositionFVS parkrunnerTimeComments
22Simon JACKSON18:12Second overall
486Gail MACKIE23:07Fastest FVS female
5852Tony RANDFIELD23:32 
6557Jay PAPA23:52 
8171Martin DUDLEY24:30 
8373Daniel VILJOEN24:34 
11811Ella CERAULO25:43New member
136116Ryan DUNNING26:21 
145123Darren EMMERSON26:54 
152127Matt CLARKE27:08 
16224Fiona CLARKE27:24 
164135Mark BEASLEY27:30140 parkruns
16726Andrea WESTCOTT27:35 
21841Claire EMMERSON29:33 
25156Lorraine HILL30:06New member.  340 parkruns
266193Jim BROWN30:35 
280200Ciaran MCANENY31:01 
29576Susan MCANENY31:4225 parkruns
30984Elizabeth CROWLEY32:18 
310215Nick KLEANTHOUS32:19 
313216Paul JENNINGS32:21 
31788Jessica CLARKE32:31 
32090Monica SMITHSON32:38 
32191Pamela VILJOEN32:40 
330221Jonathan JONES33:07 
354117Caroline CROFT33:56 
358121Annabelle WHITE34:01 
391140Hilary DAVIES35:48 
435171Sharon CROWLEY40:0980 parkruns
434170Nicola HATHERLY40:09 
438172Tracy HAYGARTH40:28 
474261Stephen SMITHSON62:57