42 SPARTANS IN HANDICAP 5K

 

There was a superb turn out of 42 Fairlands Valley Spartans for Thursday evening’s Handicap 5K in Stevenage.  The club handicap events are a great opportunity for new runners to try a race against the clock without the need to travel and knowing there’s no danger of being off the back.

First across the finish line and winner on the night was KAREN BROOM in a year best (YB) time of 30:31, 4:59 ahead of handicap, closely followed by husband TREVOR BROOM in a new personal best (PB) time of 30:36.  ANDY SMITH was second man, third overall in a new PB of 22:35, while second lady (4^th overall) was WENDY THARANI recording a 5k PB time of 24:03.  CALLIE CHAPMAN finished third lady in fifth position with a YB time of 27:21 and new member MEGAN McROTTY was 4th lady (6th) in 26:59, ahead of 3rd man PAUL ROBERTSON (7th) who improved his PB by 37 seconds to 19:30.

Fastest runner was STEFFAN FORD with 17:46, with ADRIAN BUSOLINI second quickest in a new PB time of 19:14, and PAUL ROBERTSON’s 19:30 3rd fastest.  Quickest lady was CLAIRE EMMERSON in a new PB of 22:09, with YUKO GORDON second quickest in a YB time of 22:37 and WENDY THARANI third fastest with her 24:03.

There was also PBs for JENNY GARRETT (24:56), ANGIE KEELING (28:39), WAYNE McMILLAN (29:43), NIKI PLUMB (33:18) and newcomers CHLOE PHILLIPS (29:19), NICOLA HATHERLY (33:18), JOHN ADAMSON (22:31) and ANNIE LOVATT (28:35).

LIZ CARVELL, ADRIAN DONNELLY, KAREN PALMER, BERNADETTE MILLWOOD and SARAH SAPSTEAD all recorded season bests (SB) – best time since 1st January 2017, and there were also year best times for ZOE JACKSON, NEAL MUGGLETON, JON SYPULA, SAM SIMMONS, CRAIG BACON, TIM SABAN, ROBERT SHAW, SUE HAMER, SIMON SYPULA, CLIVE CANNON, SALLY PHILLIPS, KERSTIN WEINER and KARL SHREEVE.

In handicap races runners start in order, slowest first, at times determined by their recent performances.  If everyone runs to form they will all finish together, so the winner will be the best improver.  Next handicap 5k is scheduled for Thursday 5th July.

 

Buckingham

ADRIAN BUSOLINI was seventh in the Buckingham Half Marathon with 1 hour 27 minutes 57 seconds.  There were 378 finishers.  He said “This was only the second year of the Buckingham Half Marathon, but with such faultless race day organisation you’d be hard pressed to tell.  The course can best be described as peaceful; wholly on country lanes, only briefly passing through a few local villages, and featuring less than 400 runners. It’s gently undulating throughout, with fantastic marshalling, support, an incredible range of cakes at the finish, and a distinctive purple medal to boot.  Both parking and facilities were good.

I’d recommend this one for the race calendar next year.”

 

One Second Short

GRANT RAMSAY took part in the 3000 metres steeplechase in Watford and finished third out of nine, in a time of 11:01.  That’s only one second out from getting into the UK rankings.  However the result was still a season’s best by a massive 43 seconds.

 

Windermere Marathon

ERICA GRAYSON ran the hilly Windermere Marathon in 4 hours 36 minutes 44 seconds.

She said “I’m a little tired now, it was a five hour journey back but worth it after an amazing event.  I travelled to the Lake District to run the UK’s most beautiful marathon.  It started and finished at Brathay Hall on the edge of Lake Windermere.”

 

Paras 10

Jo and Rufus were second canicrosser in the Paras 10 mile race at Colchester on Sunday.  JO BOWDERY ran a new personal best of 1 hour 21 minutes 30 seconds, an improvement of four minutes, and RUFUS is her dog.  Jo was third female overall.

They had a great day out and raised money for the paratroopers.

CAROLINE CROFT was at the same event and said it was a scorcher of a day and a well organised event.  She finished in 1 hour 40 minutes.

 

Parkrun Highlights 19^th May 2018

Congratulations to the six Spartans that achieved Parkrun personal bests this weekend!

At Stevenage, Todd GRAY was fourth male with a new Parkrun PB of 18:55, Kelly MCHALE was 10th female with PB 25:13 and Wills JENNINGS achieved a new PB of 23:18.  Natalie LAWRENCE flew round the course to achieve first female placing in 18:47, she only missed the women’s record by two seconds and says she’ll be back soon.  Danny SCANLON was 7th male in 19:23, Verity FISHER was 11th female in 25:38 closely followed by Claire EMMERSON 12th female in 25:42.

Ciaran MCANENY and Susan MCANENY ran Derry City finishing as first male and third female in 18:19 and 25:05 respectively.  John ROXBOROUGH achieved a new PB at Westmill in a time of 22:02, John was 4th male and finished narrowly ahead of Thomas SAUKA who finished 5th male in 22:10.  Tim SABAN ran Bideford and finished 10th male in 19:55, and John HARRIS completed Letchworth with a new PB of 21:19.  Gareth COWELL also achieved a new PB of 21:58 at Rosliston.

 

Tables

 

Handicap 5K

 

Pos	NAME	SURNAME	TIME	R	F	PB	IMPR
1	KAREN	BROOM	30:31	34	15	YB	0:58
2	TREVOR	BROOM	30:36	35		PB	0:15
3	ANDY	SMITH	22:35	10		PB	1:19
4	WENDY	THARANI	24:03	14	3	PB	New
5	CALLIE	CHAPMAN	27:21	22	7	YB	1:08
6	MEGAN	McROTTY	26:59	21	6	PB	New
7	PAUL	ROBERTSON	19:30	3		PB	0:37
8	ZOE	JACKSON	29:38	31	13	YB	New
9	NEAL	MUGGLETON	23:45	13		YB	New
10	STEFFAN	FORD	17:46	1		YB	New
11	JON	SYPULA	25:20	20		YB	0:45
12	SAM	SIMMONS	24:49	16		YB	0:46
13	LIZ	CARVELL	29:08	27	11	SB	1:10
14	CRAIG	BACON	22:04	6		YB	0:36
15	ADRIAN	DONNELLY	20:57	5		SB	0:04
16	KAREN	PALMER	25:14	19	5	SB	0:32
17	YUKO	GORDON	22:37	11	2	YB	0:30
18	CHLOE	PHILLIPS	29:19	29	12	PB	New
19	TIM	SABAN	20:22	4		YB	0:00
20	ADRIAN	BUSOLINI	19:14	2		PB	0:40
21	JUDY	KING	31:57	40	19
22	ROBERT	SHAW	28:38	24		YB	New
23	CLAIRE	EMMERSON	22:09	7	1	PB	0:44
24	JENNY	GARRETT	24:56	18	4	PB	0:10
25	ANGIE	KEELING	28:39	25	9	PB	0:19
26	SUE	HAMER	28:40	26	10	YB	New
27	BERNADETTE	MILLWOOD	30:55	38	17	SB	0:03
28	SIMON	SYPULA	24:51	17		YB	0:27
29	MARK	GOODWIN	22:22	8
30	MARTIN	DUDLEY	23:02	12
31	WAYNE	McMILLAN	29:43	32		PB	New
32	NICOLA	HATHERLY	33:18	41	20	PB	New
33	NIKI	PLUMB	33:18	42	21	PB	0:16
34	SARAH	SAPSTEAD	31:16	39	18	SB	3:18
35	CLIVE	CANNON	24:03	14		YB	0:22
36	JOHN	ADAMSON	22:31	9		PB	New
37	SALLY	PHILLIPS	30:45	36	16	YB	0:06
38	PETER	CARPENTER	30:46	37
39	ANNIE	LOVATT	28:35	23	8	PB	New
40	MICHAEL	O’KEEFE	29:15	28
41	KERSTIN	WEINER	29:43	32	14	YB	New
42	KARL	SHREEVE	29:27	30		YB	New

 

Parkruns

 

Parkrun	Pos	Gen	Parkrunner	Time	Notes
Oxford	90	15	Lucy May FIELD	00:23:10
Rosliston	14	14	Gareth COWELL	00:21:58	PB
Westmill	5	4	John ROXBOROUGH	00:22:02	PB
Westmill	6	5	Thomas SAUKA	00:22:10
Derry City	1	1	Ciaran MCANENY	00:18:19
Derry City	31	3	Susan MCANENY	00:25:05
Stevenage	4	1	Natalie LAWRENCE	00:18:47
Stevenage	5	4	Todd GRAY	00:18:55	PB
Stevenage	8	7	Danny SCANLON	00:19:23
Stevenage	45	43	Martin DUDLEY	00:22:51
Stevenage	55	53	Wills JENNINGS	00:23:18	PB
Stevenage	60	58	Chris HOLLAND	00:23:39
Stevenage	62	60	Ryan DUNNING	00:23:42
Stevenage	95	10	Kelly MCHALE	00:25:13	PB
Stevenage	100	11	Verity FISHER	00:25:38
Stevenage	101	90	Darren EMMERSON	00:25:39
Stevenage	103	12	Claire EMMERSON	00:25:42
Stevenage	121	21	Karen PALMER	00:26:39
Stevenage	140	114	Tim ROBINSON	00:27:16
Stevenage	152	118	David SCOTT	00:27:40
Stevenage	160	123	James SOUTH	00:28:01
Stevenage	237	78	Chloe EMMERSON	00:32:44
Malahide	78	67	Daniel SUTTON	00:23:58
Brokenhurst	131	80	Darryl STEVENS	00:40:37
Panshanger	204	159	Paul JENNINGS	00:30:16
Aldenham	19	19	Andrew JORDAN	00:23:25
Aldenham	62	51	Michael O’KEEFE	00:28:36
Bideford	10	10	Tim SABAN	00:19:55
Letchworth	12	11	John HARRIS	00:21:19	PB