Stevenage Running Clubs Results and News – 30th June 2025

Fairlands Valley Spartans

74 Fairlands Valley Spartans made absolutely sure the club stayed in division two of the Mid Week League when they raced 10K near Buntingford on Wednesday evening. This was the fourth and final counting race in the series and 28 FVS women and 46 FVS men took part. In fact over the series they did so well they came close to promotion to division one.

More than 600 tackled the undulating and sometimes quite narrow course with a brute of a climb from 9K to the finish.

That did not seem to worry two Spartan Olivias too much. OLIVIA HAMILTON and OLIVIA LACIGOVA were ninth and 18^th women in the race with 44:30 and 46:13. In between came GEORGIE HOOPER tenth woman with 44:47 and second in her age category. In fact there were THREE Olivias in the Spartans “A” team of eight runners. OLIVIA NATION finished her first 10K race in 54:31. The others in the top Spartan eight were MARIE COLUCCI, third in her age category with 47 minutes exactly; JAYNE RIDDELL 53:08; JO COOKSLEY in 53:25 and JESSICA CLARKE in 54:06.

Just outside the “A” team there was an impressive 54:51 by MEGAN SUTTON and YUKO GORDON was second woman 65 plus with 55 minutes exactly. LINDA NOLAN finished in a personal best (PB) 56:28 and LINDA GEORGE in a PB 57:24 with CLAIRE EMMERSON chasing down runners from other clubs to give herself 58:36, her best time this year.

HANNAH MANTON improved by 11 minutes 10 seconds from the Stevenage race to finish in 1:01:31.

The Spartan men got ten runners under 40 minutes with SIMON FRASER showing the way at fifth overall with 34:48. ANDREW PATTERSON was 12^th man with 36:04 and ADRIAN BUSOLINI 22^nd in 37:16.

PAUL SHELLEY was third man 50 plus with 38:59; RALPH DADSWELL first man 60 plus with 40:55 and JIM BROWN third man 70 plus in 59:01.

PERRI GENTRY 39:25 and MARTIN JACOB 47:37 both ran new personal bests.

On the night the Spartan men were third out of the seven division two clubs racing. Altogether there were 16 clubs in the event. The FVS women were fourth. Overall Fairlands Valley Spartans were third in the series with 42 points which compares with Royston second on 47 and Ware winners with 51 but well ahead of Bishops Stortford who were fourth with 28. Stevenage Striders and Harlow were relegated.

Another amazing turnout meant the Spartans had three complete men’s teams, three complete women’s teams and 14 other runners!

Now the Spartans can look forward to the “mob match” which will be in Welwyn Garden City on Wednesday 9^th July and to the Relays in the Park which the Spartans are hosting on Thursday evening 17^th July.

Eastern Masters!

The Eastern Masters Athletic Club held its Outdoor Track & Field Championships at Sandy on Saturday. Temperatures were up to 34C with a very blustery wind. Five Spartan athletes were competing in their FVS Stripes across a range of age groups, with many medals being won.

On the track, Gold Medals were won by Roger Head in the 400 metres for men over 80 (in 1:51.0) and Sharon Crowley for 1500 metres and 2km Race Walk (7:58.5 & 16:42.4) meanwhile Tessa Stephenson was happy with her season best times in the 100m & 200m (18.9s & 38.7s) as she continued her return to competition after two years off through injury.

In the field events Joylyn & Tim Saunders-Mullins led the way in the over 70 age group. Tim won Gold in the Hammer (29.36m), Bronze in the Shot Putt (8.03m) and was fourth in the Discus (14.28m), whilst Joylyn also won Golds in the Shot Putt (6.32m) and Javelin (19.45m).

Fairlands Valley Spartans masters athletes next head out to Corby for the third meeting in the Eastern Masters League on Wednesday evening (2^nd July).

Parkrun Highlights Saturday 28^th June.

Not quite as hot as last week but another warm parkrun in Stevenage. At 9a.m. Saturday morning it was about 21 degrees but this time numbers jumped back up to beyond 500 with 517. There were 26 Spartans and three of them including the fastest runner were in the top five.

SIMON FRASER was first with 17:17; KIRK NDUGU third with 17:31 and SIMON JACKSON fourth with 17:40.

TONY VICKERS ran his tenth parkrun in a new parkrun personal best (PPB) of 25:50. Running her 130^th parkrun GAIL MACKIE was the fastest female from Fairlands with 26:42 and HAZEL SMITH ran her 60^th parkrun in 29:12.

Altogether 49 Spartans ran parkruns. Those elsewhere included CHARLIE WHITE coming sixth with 17:48 at Heslington (York) – it was won in 15:41!; JAY PAPA 18:51, KEITH HOOKER 21:46, ANNABELLE WHITE 22:26 and JESSICA CLARKE 23:59 at Storeys Field; MATTHEW COOKE 22:20 at Jubilee, Bedford; MATT GIFFORD 22:58, CHARLES ARNOLD 25:55 and CAROLINE BARTER 26:46 at Henlow Bridge Lakes; PAUL SHELLEY 23:38 and ALISON SHELLEY 32:54 at Lanhydrock; SUZY HAWKINS 24:51 and NICK GILL 28:24 at Letchworth; DARREN EMMERSON 25:44 and CLAIRE EMMERSON 28:28 at Pocket (St Neots); JANE McFARLANE 28:43 at Hafan Pwllheli; KEITH ABRAHAMS 29:10 at Salisbury; MATTHEW NEWTON 31:06 at Gunpowder and ROGER BIGGS 50:49 at Medina, Isle of Wight.

Stevenage Phoenix Running Club

Mid-Week League race four – Royston

On Wednesday 25th June, Stevenage Phoenix headed to Hyde Hall farm to take part in the fourth instalment of the mid-week league (under Stevenage & North Herts AC), this time organised by Royston Runners. Up and Running, Cambridge were on hand before the race, offering runners the chance to race in the brand new New Balance Rebel V5.

What the route delivered in heat, insects and hills, it made up for with spectacular views and a golden sunset. Royston Runners also lived up to their reputation by providing a delicious post-race buffet. Fantastic snaps from Gary Sherin and Kev Richards