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TWO IN TOP TWENTY AT ST NEOTS

A Spartan Army of 23 club members descended on St. Neots for the town’s popular half marathon. In damp conditions Fairlands Valley had two finishers in the top twenty. RICHARD BATE was 13th in 1 hour 17 minutes 39 seconds and SIMON JACKSON 17th in 1:18:37.

DAVIE STAFFORD was 56th in a new personal best of 1 hour 25 minutes 37 seconds and STEVE ELDER 206th in a season’s best 1:36:30. GRAHAM BLACKBURN was the fourth fastest Spartan, 112th in 1:30:13.

SUZY HAWKINS was the club’s fastest woman, 263rd out of the 915 finishers in 1:40:26. TRACY PEZ was 349th in 1:44:16 and MADDIE PRITCHARD 350th in 1:44:19. RUTH REILLY ran an excellent 1:55:58.

Other Spartan times included TIM SABAN (1:37:33); STEVE MAYFIELD (1:39:18); MARK GOODWIN (1:42:59); MATT GILL (1:44:27); VISH SHAH (1:52:08); JAMES ULPH (1:51:59); NICK EMMETT (1:55:56); BARRY KING (1:56:15); Club chair BEV HARLOW (1:56:14); SUE HAMER (2:06:36); JACKIE DOWNES (2:10:11).

ANDY PRIOR and NICK WITCOMBE came over the line in 2.30:29, after a morning of selfies and fun with those around them and the marshals. JO CAHILL finished in 2 hours 33 minutes 27 seconds.

Spartan Times:

Position

Name

Chip Time

Comments

13

RICHARD BATE

1:17:39

17

SIMON JACKSON

1:18:37

56

DAVIE STAFFORD

1:25:37

Personal Best (PB)

112

GRAHAM BLACKBURN

1:30:13

206

STEVE ELDER

1:36:30

Season’s Best (SB)

214

TIM SABAN

1:37:33

243

STEVE MAYFIELD

1:39:18

263

SUZY HAWKINS (F)

1:40:26

318

MARK GOODWIN

1:42:59

349

TRACY PEZ (F)

1:44:16

350

MADELEINE PRITCHARD (F)

1:44:19

355

MATTHEW GILL

1:44:27

519

VISH SHAH

1:52:08

521

JAMES ULPH

1:51:59

611

NICK EMMETT

1:55:56

612

RUTH REILLY (F)

1:55:58

615

BARRY KING

1:56:15

619

BEV HARLOW (F)

1:56:14

763

SUE HAMER (F)

2:06:36

796

JACKIE DOWNES (F)

2:10:11

892

NICK WITCOMBE

2:30:29

893

ANDY PRIOR

2:30:29

897

JO CAHILL (F)

2:33:27

915 finishers.

Shillington Shuffle Off Road Marathon – Sunday, 16th November 2015

Six Spartans tackled the Shillington Shuffle Off Road Marathon on Sunday. This event starts from Barton-Le-Clay, and goes into the surrounding countryside and the local villages of Lilley, Pirton, Stondon & Shillington. It is on a combination of tracks, paths, fields and the odd minor road. There was visibility of no more than 100 metres as the mist stayed most of the day, until a rain storm finally cleared it.

MIKE NEWBITT finished in 6 hours 26 minutes 3 seconds with KAREN LIDDLE and TRICIA HOPPER following in 6:29:15; ROGER BIGGS in 6:37:37 and ROBERT HARDY in 6:46:14.

PAULINE HARDY completed a 12 mile route in 3 hours 35 minutes 33 seconds.

Panshanger Parkrun

MARTIN WOOD and STEVE GREEN competed in Saturday’s Panshanger Parkrun. On a muddy and undulating cross country 5K run Martin finished in 20:54 and Steve in 21:28. The race was free!

Maybe Mud, Mud Glorious Mud

The next Sunday League cross country fixture for the Spartans is in Grovelands Park, North London on Sunday 23rd November. It starts at 10.30a.m. in Grovelands Park, Broad Walk, Southgate, London, N21 3DA. The race is over about 8,000 metres (five miles). No need to enter. There’s a club entry so it’s free for Spartans. Just bring your FVS kit.

Coming Events

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

Handicap 5K in Stevenage on Thursday evening 20th November

Cross Country League at Grovelands on Sunday 23rd November

Serpentine 5K in Hyde Park on Friday 28th November

Spartans’ AGM on Friday 28th November

Wolverton Five on Saturday 29th November

Cross Country League at Watford on Sunday 7th December

Handicap 5K in Stevenage on Thursday evening 18th December

Serpentine 5K In Hyde Park on Friday 19th December (not 26th)

Spartans’ Christmas Social in Stevenage on Friday 19th December

Buntingford Year End Ten (County Vets Champs) on Sunday 28th December

Ely New Year’s Eve 10K on Wednesday 31st December

Serpentine New Year’s Day 10K in Hyde Park on Thursday 1st January

Herts County Cross Country Championships in St Albans on Sunday 4th January.

Cross Country League at Trent Park on Sunday 11th January.

Fred Hughes 10 in St. Albans on Sunday 18th January.

Watford Half Marathon on Sunday 1st February.

Cross Country League at Therfield Heath, Royston on Sunday 15th February.

County Cross Country Championships for Veterans in Trent Park on Sunday 22nd March/

London Marathon on Sunday 26th April.

Join The Spartans

Live in or near Stevenage? Like running? Fairlands Valley Spartans is your local running club and is on the up! The club was voted the UK’s Best Running Club in 2010. It now has hundreds of members and encourages participation by all. The Spartans have a varied training programme to suit those who want to run 5 kilometres through to full marathons.

The Spartans weekday training sessions are on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. Go along to the new sports centre at Marriotts School – a Sports College, Telford Avenue, Stevenage (SG2 8UT) at 7p.m. Up to five running groups go out on training nights – there will be one to suit you!

The Spartan Starter group starts from Marriotts at 7.30p.m. every Monday (except public holidays) and 7p.m. every Thursday.

Most long Sunday morning training sessions start 9.00a.m. sharp. Spartan track training sessions are held at Ridlins Athletics Track, Woodcock Road, Stevenage most Saturdays from 9.15a.m. There are events to enter every Sunday. Newcomers are very welcome – those who have not done very much running yet might prefer to start with a Thursday, Saturday or Monday session.

Try a few sessions before joining. Membership is only £35 per year, £25 without UKA membership. Concessions are available. Membership forms are available on the Spartans website www.fvspartans.org.uk Please ask if you would like a paper copy.

If you want to know more about the Spartans please contact Jim Brown (0793 968 7509), Vivienne Honey 07702 846304 or visit their website www.fvspartans.org.uk

E N D S

More from Jim Brown (Press Officer) 0793 968 7509 or Vivienne Honey (Secretary) 07702 846304

www.fvspartans.org.uk

 

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