Handicap 5K
26 Spartans ran this month’s Handicap 5K. Paul Holgate, Mike & Sharon Crowley and Mark Freeman made it possible.
Winner was Steve Platt in 27:55, 2 minutes 35 seconds (2:35) better than handicap, with Adrian Busolini second, 2:22 ahead of handicap in 17:38 and Simon Jackson third, 2:09 better than handicap in 17:36.
Rose Sutton was first lady, first woman across the line and 1:46 better than handicap in 31:14, with Samantha Sutton second, 1:15 ahead of handicap in 36:09 and new member Megan Coates third, 1:23 better than handicap in 36:22.
Simon Jackson was the fastest runner on the night with his 17:36, with Adrian Busolini second quickest (17:38) and Nathan Kirley 3rd fastest with 19:39.
Samantha Tophill was quickest woman, 25:45, with Megan Sutton second quickest, 28:46 and Rose Sutton (31:14) 3rd fastest.
19 of the finishers were within two minutes of their calculated handicap and the time difference between 1st and 21st position was just 2:26.
In handicap races the slower runners start first at intervals determined by recent performances. If everyone runs to form they will all finish together so the winners are the best improvers.
The last handicap 5k of the year will be on Thursday 19th September.
Serpentine
JIM BROWN enjoyed the sunshine in Hyde Park running 28:36 in the Last Friday of the Month 5K. He reports pleasant and sunny conditions and that he’s completed a series of six with an average of 64.0%. The next race will be at lunch-time on Friday 30th August.
Challenge Wrap Up
Results from the Fairlands Valley Challenge the previous weekend show that 118 people finished the off road event.
16 completed the 10 kilometres with Spartan MIKE JEFFS first in with 1 hour 7 minutes 18 seconds (1:07:18); 21 finished the 13 miles with Will Mitchell, Gemma Smith, Phil Gover, Jess Clark and Caitlin Evans coming in together with 2:50:46; Alex Statham led in the 25 people in the 18 miles option with 2:45:04; 41 went round 26 miles with Alistair Flowers first with 3:55:43.
15 finished the 50 kilometres with Mark O’Dell first back in 4:53:18. Spartan JAY PAPA completed his first ever ultra in 6:00:17.
Parkrun Highlights 27th July (#357)
26 of the 472 finishers at Saturday’s Stevenage parkrun were Spartans.
LEE PICKERSGILL ran his 90th parkrun in 25:38; NIKKI NATION her 30th in 31:36; DEBBIE BLANTERN achieved an important intermediate milestone, her 150th, which she finished in 31:44; MIKE JEFFS his 30th in 32:57; despite having to walk several recently due to injury PENNY SCHENKEL is homing in on 100 and completed her 96th in an improving 33:35.
A total of 41 Spartans ran parkruns on Saturday. Spartans elsewhere included ADRIAN DONNELLY 22:15 at Ruthin; JOHN HARRIS 23:31, YUKO GORDON second woman with 25:04 and GEORGIE HOOPER 28:31 at Letchworth; JOHN NELMS 23:46 and KELLY McHALE third woman with 24:45 at Henlow Bridge Lakes; ROS INGRAM second woman with 26:44 at North Walsham; MEGAN SUTTON 27:46 and SAMANTHA SUTTON 38:54 at the University of Northampton; DANIEL SUTTON 28:11 at Rutland Water; SHARON CROWLEY 35:04 at Mile End; and DARRYL STEVENS 46:53 at the Morden parkrun.
Anniversary Marathon and Stevenage Half
Fairlands Valley Spartans are in their 40th Anniversary Year and a high point will be the Stevenage Marathon which they are organising on Sunday 20th October. There will also be a half marathon on the same day.
The full marathon is FULL. There are still places in the half marathon but hurry, hurry. The events are licenced by England Athletics. A total of 663 entries are already in.
https://stevenagehalfmarathon.org.uk/enter-stevenage-half-marathon
The start and finish will be in Hampson Park. This year the charity is Pancreatic Cancer UK. Entries are £40 for the full marathon and £30 for the half with discounts for members of clubs affiliated to England Athletics. The races will include county championships for Hertfordshire.
