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NEWS RELEASE-LADIES SHOW THE WAY IN CROSS COUNTRY

Fairlands Valley Spartans ladies showed the men the way in Sunday’s Hertfordshire Cross Country Championships which were held on a hard, hilly and very muddy course at Haileybury College, Hertford.

News Release                                                                                                 6th January 2013

LADIES SHOW THE WAY IN CROSS COUNTRY

Lisa Wins 5K * Grant Wins Again

Fairlands Valley Spartans ladies showed the men the way in Sunday’s Hertfordshire Cross Country Championships which were held on a hard, hilly and very muddy course at Haileybury College, Hertford.

The women’s race was very competitive and over eight kilometres.

The Spartan team was eighth with RHIANNON GRIFFIN 21st in 39 minutes 49 seconds; Julie Simmons 38th in 43.42; Karen Ellis 47th in 47.47; Karen Liddle 48th in 48.25; Sharon Crowley 52nd in 50.07; Tricia Hopper 54th in 51.19 and Maria Thorne 57th in 53.25.

In the men’s race over 11 kilometres SIMON JACKSON was 21st in 44 minutes 55 seconds and GRAHAM BLACKBURN 84th in 58 minutes 8 seconds.

The next cross country race is on Sunday 13th January at Royston.

Lisa and Martin Win Handicap

32 Spartans got 2013 off and running at the club’s Handicap 5k on Thursday. The first 5 finishers were all running their first 5K with the club, with the winning time recorded by LISA LIVERSIDGE in 24:45, 3½ minutes ahead of handicap, followed by RUTH REILLY in 26:38 and SARAH HEADLAND 28:28, both 2½ minutes better than handicap.

The winning man was newcomer MARTIN OLIVANT (5th overall) in 27 minutes exactly, 2:15 ahead of handicap, with DEAN CARPENTER 2nd man, 4:37 quicker than his previous handicap 5K, to finish in less than 20 minutes for the first time, and MARK CHEADLE 3rd in a new PB of his own of 23:07, 36 seconds faster than before.

Fastest runner on the night was LIAM HERBERT, 1½ minutes ahead of handicap, in 18:44, with CRAIG HALSEY back from a long lay-off with injury, 2nd quickest in a new PB time of 18:50, and TODD GRAY third fastest in 19:33, with ADRIAN DONNELLY in a new season’s best (19:44) and CRAIG HALSEY (19:57) also both quicker than 20 minutes.

Fastest female was RHIANNON GRIFFIN who overtook 15 runners to finish 12th overall in 21 minutes 4 seconds, 12 seconds faster than in November, with newcomer SUZY HAWKINS second quickest in 23:34, 2:18 better than handicap.  JENNIFER ROBERTSON was third fastest, in 24:02, 1:43 ahead of handicap.

VISHAL SHAH 22:33, SELVAN NAICKER 23:21 and LORRAINE WYATT 27:59 also recorded new personal bests.  There were also a season’s  best for PETE SMITH 21:41.

 

Event Position

Name

Time

Speed Position

Female Speed

Comments

1

LISA   LIVERSIDGE

24:45

19

6

1st 5K

2

RUTH   REILLY

26:38

23

8

1st 5K

3

SARAH   HEADLAND

28:28

31

11

1st 5K

4

SUZY   HAWKINS

23:34

13

2

1st 5K

5

MARTIN   OLIVANT

27:00

26

1st 5K

6

CHRIS   LEIGH

25:06

20

7

DEAN   CARPENTER

19:57

5

PB (4:37)

8

MARIA   THORNE

26:00

22

7

9

JENNIFER   ROBERTSON

24:02

15

3

10

MARK   CHEADLE

23:07

10

PB (0:36)

11

KAREN   ELLIS

24:39

17

5

12

PETE   SMITH

21:41

7

SB

13

ADRIAN   DONNELLY

19:44

4

SB

14

LIAM   HERBERT

18:44

1

15

RHIANNON   GRIFFIN

21:04

6

1

16

CRAIG   HALSEY

18:50

2

PB (0:03)

17

MARK   GOODWIN

22:05

8

18

SARAH   PIKE

24:31

16

4

19

VISHAL   SHAH

22:33

9

PB (0:04)

20

ROBERT   SHAW

25:28

21

21

PAUL   PICKARD

23:47

14

22

RUSS   ANDREWS

28:19

30

23

SELVAN   NAICKER

23:21

11

PB (0:08)

24

ROGER   BIGGS

23:23

12

25

TODD   GRAY

19:33

3

26

LORRAINE   WYATT

27:59

27

9

1st 5K

27

SHARON   CROWLEY

28:00

28

10

28

EARL   BROWN

28:39

32

29

NICK   WITCOMBE

26:52

24

30

ANDY   PRIOR

26:52

25

31

MARK   BEASLEY

24:39

18

32

PAUL   HOLGATE

28:14

29

The next Handicap 5K date soon now that the new access arrangements to Marriotts have opened.

Flying Start To New Year

GRANT RAMSAY got 2013 off to a flying start by running the Edinburgh Portobello Promenade 4 mile race in a new personal best of 21 minutes 57 seconds.  He was happy to sneak below 22 minutes, in windy conditions.  Grant was twelfth

NIKKI COLLINS and JIM BROWN both ran in the Serpentine New Year’s Day 10K.  Nikki was happy with her time of 51 minutes 57 seconds.  She was 292nd out of the 567 runners.  Jim was 151st in 46 minutes 15 seconds.  It was cool but there was bright sunshine and a light wind.

Eve Ely

Other Spartans got a character building end to 2012 at the extremely windy Ely 10K.

SIMON JACKSON was ninth out of the 539 finishers in 35 minutes 46 seconds; RICHARD BATE 19th in 37:08; LIAM HERBERT 49th in 40 minutes exactly; RHIANNON GRIFFIN 115th, and 15th female, in 44 minutes 49 seconds; ANDY PRIOR 255th in a new personal best of 49 minutes 51 seconds and PAUL HOLGATE 444th in 59:23.

Mountain Ash

Even later in 2012 HELEN and LEE MORRIS completed the Nos Galan race in Mountain Ash, on the evening of New Year’s Eve.  Lee finished in 26 minutes 46 seconds and Helen in 32 minutes 11 seconds.

The race always features a mystery runner to commemorate the local personality in whose memory the race is held.  This year it was the Olympian Dai Green.

Krakow 10K

ANDY NEATHAM ran in the Krakow New Year’s Eve 10K.  There was a 5K and 10K, starting together with the courses separating at 2.5k.  Over 1250 runners toed the start line, many in fancy dress, for which prizes were awarded.  Andy ran the 10k, finishing 29th, and 3rd veteran (40 plus), out of 754 finishers in 39 minutes 26 seconds.  It was his slowest ever 10k, but as it was Andy’s first race since his worst ever injury back in August, he was reasonably happy.

First Saturday 5K

ANDREW PATTERSON won the North Herts First Saturday 5K on Norton Common on Saturday morning.  The weather was good, the Common, however, was very boggy.

He finished in 19 minutes 5 seconds.  He says that at some points it felt like he was sinking in the mud and in the up hill mud trails thought he was going backwards.  A strong first lap was enough to kill off the opposition and he won by well over one minute.

Although not exactly PB (personal best) friendly, he’d recommend this race as a good alternative to the free local park runs in Bedford and St Albans.

Fastest UK Marathon This Year As Grant Wins Enigma

Spartans’ GRANT RAMSAY won the fastest UK marathon so far this year when he won Saturday’s Enigma Winter Marathon, Bletchley in 2 hours 47 minutes 43 seconds.  This was a course record by three minutes.

The course consisted of 7.5 laps round the outside of Caldecote Lake.

ROGER BIGGS was 30th in 4 hours 2 minutes 24 seconds.  CAROL PAUL finished in 4 hours 49 minutes 18 seconds.  There were 63 finishers.

Hilly Buntingford

As always Sunday’s Buntingford Ten was hilly but this year it was crisp and sunny rather than dull and icy.  Thirty Spartans competed in the ten miles event.

ADRIAN DONNELLY (65th in 1 hour 8 minutes 43 seconds); JOHN HARRIS (67th in 1:08:53); DEAN CARPENTER (70th in 1:09:07) and GRAHAM BLACKBURN (79th in 1:10:26) were all in the top 100 finishers.

MARK GOODWIN (131st in 1:14:44); ANN TRYSSESOONE (233rd with a 12 minutes 36 seconds improvement to 1:21:49); BARRY KING (298th in 1:25:59); TRICIA HOPPER (331st in 1:28:48) and KAREN LIDDLE (332nd in 1:28:55) all ran new personal bests.

SARAH PRICE (221st in 1:20:50) was the fastest Spartan woman.  TRACY PEZ was a few seconds behind (224th in 1:21:08).  Ann Tryssesoone was 233rd (see above) and KAREN ELLIS 295th in 1:26:19.

 

Position Name Time Comments
65 ADRIAN DONNELLY 1:08:43
67 JOHN HARRIS 1:08:53
70 DEAN CARPENTER 1:09:07
79 GRAHAM BLACKBURN 1:10:26
127 MATT GILL 1:14:09
131 MARK GOODWIN 1:14:44 PB
158 JAMIE DRACKFORD 1:16:33
159 SAM HARTE 1:16:36
211 ROGER BIGGS 1:20:16
221 SARAH PRICE (F) 1:20:50
224 TRACY PEZ (F) 1:21:08
233 ANN TRYSSESOONE (F) 1:21:49 PB (12:36)
298 BARRY KING 1:25:59 PB
295 KAREN ELLIS (F) 1:26:19
306 BARBARA WILSON (F) 1:26:54
309 KATY BAXTER (F) 1:27:02
331 TRICIA HOPPER (F) 1:28:48 PB
332 KAREN LIDDLE (F) 1:28:55 PB
339 KAREN PALMER (F) 1:29:44
364 LISA KASPEROWICZ (F) 1:32:54
366 ROGER HARDMAN 1:33:03
387 RICHARD HAZLEDENE 1:34:27
400 LYNNE COOPER (F) 1:37:10
407 MARIA THORNE (F) 1:37:56
410 LORRAINE THOMAS (F) 1:38:52
411 CHRISTINE HARDMAN (F) 1:39:13
412 GRAHAM HILL 1:39:36
420 TONY OSBORNE 1:40:16
424 SHARON CROWLEY (F) 1:40:50
442 PAUL HOLGATE 1:43:20

474 finishers.

Portsmouth Coastal

ROGER BIGGS ran one of the most popular trail marathons in England recently.  It was the Portsmouth Coastal Trail Marathon.  The course hugged the coastline from Southsea round Hayling Island and back again on a mixture of tarmac, paths & trails.  On a dull and windy day, rather wet underfoot, but without the expected rain, Roger Biggs completed the 26.2 miles in 4 hours 45 minutes 8 seconds.

Half Marathon Update

Following the successful Stevenage Half Marathon on 4th November, the organisations listed below who helped with marshalling, car parking and water stations, have all been given donations: Stevenage Scout groups, Stevenage Sea Cadets, The Rotary Club of Stevenage and The Rotary Club of Stevenage Grange.

In addition, the following charities have also been given donations towards their work:  Shine; Herts. Society for the Blind; Lister Hospital Children’s Ward; Greenside School; and the Herts Air Ambulance.

Thanks everyone who helped make this a very worthwhile event in spite of the weather!

Fairlands Valley Spartans’ Presentation Evening and Dance will be on Friday 25th January.  The email address for voting for Spartan of the Year is soty@fvspartans.org.uk

Coming Events

Many Spartans will be enjoying a busy programme of races, social and training events over the next few weeks including the:

  • Cross  Country League on Therfield Heath, Royston on Sunday 13th January.
  • Fred Hughes Ten, including County Championships, on Sunday 20th  January.
  • Spartans Presentation Evening and Dance on Friday 25th January.
  • Cross Country League in Watford on Sunday 17th February.
  • County Cross Country Championships for Veterans on Sunday 17th March.
  • Virgin London Marathon on 21st April.

 

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