Fairlands Valley Spartans
Fairlands Valley Spartans enjoyed an outing to Dorney Lake on Sunday. Alongside the Olympic rowing course so flat but very windy. In the half marathon PENNY SCHENKEL was fourth woman 50 plus with 2 hours 18 minutes 58 seconds (2:18:58). That’s a new season’s best and improvement on Watford 2:27:41 and 2:20:54 at Berkhamsted this year. TERRY SAWYER finished in 2:21:30.
JIM BROWN won the men 70 plus contest with 2:12:51.
CALLIE CHAPMAN ran the 5K in 32:45 and TONY RANDFIELD the 10K in 47:21.
Jim said he knew it was going to be hard before reaching the one kilometre marker. There was no protection from the westerly breeze in the first half of each of the four laps. The wind whipped across the water which was immediately on our left hand side. However if you had the legs the tailwind for the 2.7 kilometres return on a parallel route was wonderful.
Broad Oak 10K
In the Hatfield Broad 10K on holiday Monday SIMON HAIGH was 237th in 47:12 and LORRAINE HILL 617th in 56:19. There were 1,297 finishers.
Chiltern Half Marathon
On Sunday NICK GILL did the Chiltern Half Marathon in Buckinghamshire. It’s a two-lap course on the trails with a fair few hills, but beautiful scenery! He used it as a training run and to practice long run fuelling at a steadyish pace, so very happy to cross the line in 1:45:47 and to finish in fifth place!
Parkrun Highlights Saturday 24th May – Ninth Birthday at Stevenage
There was a Where’s Wally theme at Stevenage parkrun’s ninth birthday which attracted 563 runners to Saturday morning’s 5K run in Fairlands Valley Park.
The 563 included a massive 37 from Fairlands Valley Spartans running club who had the winner and two others in the top six.
Some Spartan highlights included KIRK NDUGU won the run in 18 minutes 28 seconds. NICK GILL was fifth with 19:22 and PAUL SHELLEY sixth in 19:45. KEITH HOOKER ran a new parkrun personal best of 22:03 to come in 46th.
Then there were four deci, mini milestones. MARTIN DUDLEY ran his 240th parkrun in 24:31; STEVE TINSLEY his 70th in 28:12; ALISON SHELLEY her 160th in 29:05 and PENNY SCHENKEL a volunteer walker this time her 120th in 52:22.
This time CLAIRE EMMERSON was the fastest female from Fairlands with 28:52.
Elsewhere SIMON JACKSON won the Blandford parkrun in 17 minutes 20 seconds.
At the Henlow Bridge Lakes parkrun JAY PAPA was third in a new parkrun personal best (PPB) of 19:57. SUZY HAWKINS was fourth woman in 24:53 and JESS CLARKE fifth with a new PPB of 25:11. MEGAN SUTTON ran a new PPB of 27:02.
GRANT RAMSAY was at Wimpole Estate with 20:54.
Stevenage Striders Running Club
It’s been a very windy weekend so extra well done to those competing in tough conditions! Let’s take a look at what you’ve all been up to:
The most popular event of the weekend was over at Dorney Lakes, with solo triathlons, relay triathlons and solo running events happening! Starting off with the solo run events:
Sarah Dennis achieved a time of 1:09:34 for her 10k solo run, with a course best. Unfortunately, due to a glitch with her watch, she narrowly missed out on a personal best by just 3 seconds. The windy race conditions added to the challenge, but it was a delight to witness all the Striders participating in triathlons, earning real kudos for their efforts.
Keith Dennis finished with a time of 1:53:38, setting a course best. He mentioned being in a dispute with his legs but was pleased to complete the race. The breeze added to the day’s challenges, but the presence of fellow Striders made it all the more enjoyable.
Neil McKinnon also participated in the Dorney Lakes Half Marathon, completing the race in 2:02:30. He appreciated the lapped run and the opportunity to see swimmers and cyclists in action, despite the windy conditions.
· Tony Randfield completed the windy Dorney 10K in 46:18. Despite the challenging conditions, Tony’s performance was commendable.
Next up at Dorney, we had 2 Strider teams taking on a relay triathlon, where a different person tackles each leg of the event. This is a great way of building team spirit! Below are the results:
Stuart Cuzner completed the “1500m” swim leg in 24:28. Although the swim was supposed to be 1500m, it turned out to be closer to 1350m. Stuart then passed the baton to Steve Kinsella for the 38k bike ride and Glenn Cuzner for the 10k run, showcasing teamwork and determination.
Teresa Sutherill also participated in the Dorney relay race on 25th May 2025. The relay team, consisting of Neil from Freedom Tri, Martin Watson, and Teresa, completed the race in a total time of 2:46:58. Neil swam the leg in 22:48, Martin cycled in 1:24:38, and Teresa finished the run in 55:58.
We also had a contingent of brave Striders taking on the triathlon event solo, completing all swim, bike and run legs in particularly windy conditions:
Sarah Kinsella took on the Olympic distance triathlon, finishing in 3 hours and 18 minutes. She described the triathlon as tough, with brutal and relentless wind, but it served as excellent preparation for her upcoming Half Ironman.
Ben Ward achieved a personal best with a finish time of 2:44:33. He managed a 10k run time of 53:58, despite the horrifically windy conditions. Surviving the swim was an added bonus for Ben.
In the Dorney Lakes Olympic Distance Triathlon, Martin Scales finished in 2:41:03. He had one of his best swims before facing brutal winds on the bike and completing the event with a 47:04 10K run.
In the Dorney Lake Triathlon, Lennie Cant completed the event in 2:55:15. It was Lennie’s first time at this distance, and they enjoyed every minute of it with the support of fellow Striders, family, and friends.
We also had a number of Striders at the Hatfield Broadoak 10k today, which was generally described as a tough course in tough conditions. Excellent job to all who finished!
Danielle Das participated in the Hatfield Broadoak 10K, finishing with a time of 59:05. Her effort and determination were evident as she navigated the challenging course.
Andrea Skidmore achieved a time of 50.1 in the Hatfield Broadoak 10K, setting both a course and season best. Despite the hilly, windy, and painful conditions, Andrea was pleased with her performance, which was faster than she had managed in a 10K for a while.
Paula Sparks finished the Hatfield Broad Oak 10K in 1:13:25, marking her first time at this distance. She was surprised by the challenging hills but was glad to have completed the race.
Karl Sparks also took part in the Hatfield Broad Oak 10K, finishing with a course best time of 46:21. He enjoyed the race as a warm-up for the Mid-week league on Wednesday.
Finally, a huge shout out to Julie Gibbons participated in the Edinburgh Marathon, completing her first marathon in 4:58:35. Despite high winds and various obstacles, Julie was pleased to finish and proudly wear her medal. She mentioned that her initial plans went out the window, but Plan C, “just finish the thing,” was successful. Who knows, Julie might even attempt this distance again in the future!
Stevenage Phoenix Running Club
Club Handicap 5k – Race two
Tuesday 20th May saw the second race of our 6-part club handicap 5k series. 18 members took part, seven of whom achieved a PB. The runners set off individually with a target time (calculated using their recent race results). They are then ranked in order based on how well they did compared to their target time.
1. Graeme Hulstrom 30:14
2. David Poulter 28:36
3. Gemma Holloway 25:23 PB
4. Andy Liddle 21:51
5. Jo Heasman 28:26 PB
6. Kerry Cunnane 28:28
7. Emma Wick 31:31 PB
8. Katie Mitham 23:18 – Fastest Female PB
9. Caitlin Evans 26:35
10. John Harris 24:28 PB
11. Rob Warren 24:14 PB
12. Ashley Bates 24:32
13. Simona Leadbetter 28:13
14. Graham Eden 20:24 PB
15. Nick West 23:59
16. Neal Crawley 24:06
17. Jon Boe 26:59
18. Simon Lodge 17:56 – Fastest Male
Run the Wade 5k
After the success of last year, the Biggleswade 5k, organised by Jones’ Fitness, returned for its second year. On Sunday 25th May, five Phoenixes travelled to the nearby town to take part. First home was Ben Murphy in 23:48. Jo Heasman claimed her second PB of the week. She also nabbed the FV55 club record and ran a course best time of 27:47. Jacky Murphy, Emma Wick and Wendy Summerbee completed the course in 30:28, 32:35 and 35:13 respectively.
Flower of Suffolk 100
The Long Distance Walkers Association’s annual 100-mile event took place in East Anglia for the first time, hosted by the Norfolk and Suffolk group. Head Coach, Emma Mead participated in the event alongside Deputy Head Coach, Lisa Liversidge, who unfortunately had to retire in Aldeburgh at the 60-mile mark after feeling unwell from around mile 30.
Starting at Ipswich School Sports Centre, the scenic route led through the Fynn Valley, past Helmingham Hall, and into historic Framlingham. The route followed the Sailor’s Path to Snape and Snape Maltings, then passed through Orford and Rendlesham Forest—famously linked to a UFO sighting. The event concluded with a walk through Woodbridge and along the River Deben back to Ipswich. The duo set off at midday on Saturday 24th May, and Emma crossed the finish line at 9:05pm Sunday 25th May, stopping at 16 checkpoints along the way. After retiring at checkpoint 9, Lisa switched to a support role and met Emma at the future checkpoints to ensure she was doing ok and had everything she needed… talk about teamwork!
When asking Emma why she chose to take on such a challenge, she remarked that “two years ago I first heard about the 100 miler and from that day I made it my goal to do one. Incredibly proud because that really did test my limits of physical and mental endurance! Two hallucinations, multiple blisters and a dodgy ankle sock tan line but it was worth it”. During the event, Emma Mead set the 100 mile club record for FV45 in 33:05:00, and Lisa broke the FV55 club record for the 50 mile in 15:21:00.
