News Release 19th August 2018 SPARTANS AT LEILA’S RUN Karen Liddle, Tricia Hopper and Barry King completed Leila’s run on Sunday. This was on a 6 and a bit mile loop around Wheathampstead in memory of Leila Taylor who sadly passed away a few years ago. The loop is a tough 60% off road and hilly route. They enjoyed running together. Barry says they were delighted to average 1.5 hours per loop before smashing home a fourth lap to record a marathon time of 5 hours 47 minutes 27 seconds. ROGER BIGGS completed 26.2 miles at Leila’s Run in 6:22:42 Temporary Elite HAZEL SMITH says she temporarily joined the elite by winning the first in age category for women aged 35 plus at the Stopsley 10. She finished in 1 hour 28 minutes and was well chuffed at winning her first ever trophy. Her mother CATHY CRAIG won her category in 1 hour 44 minutes. GRANT RAMSAY was fourth overall in 64 minutes 23 seconds and won the men 40 plus category and DANNY SCANLON was tenth overall in 69 minutes 49 seconds. This was on a tough two lap trail course with a nice steep hill. Get 4th November In Your Diary More than 200 people have already entered the Stevenage Half Marathon which will be on Sunday 4th November. This superb local event is organised by Fairlands Valley Spartans. Don’t miss out. Enter now. Go to https://www.activetrainingworld.co.uk/events/2018/11/04/stevenage_half_marathon or via www.fvspartans.org.uk EMAC The Spartan women’s and men’s teams have both qualified for the final East of England (EMAC) veteran track and field championships which will be at the Stantonbury Campus in Milton Keynes on Sunday 23rd September. Parkrun Round Up Saturday 18 August 2018 Stevenage parkrun saw 17 Spartans run with two achieving PBs and 12 taking top 100 gender positions. Michael O'KEEFE achieved a PB of 26:00 while Trevor BROOM achieved a PB of 30:48. Other performances at Stevenage included Danny SCANLON 19:31, Thomas SAUKA 21:59, Darren EMMERSON 23:12, Martin DUDLEY 23:58, Nigel STRONGITHARM 25:30, David RIDDELL 25:45, Karen PALMER 26:39, David SCOTT 27:01, Simon SYPULA 27:25, John MCCALL 29:13, Liz CARVELL 29:19, Karen BROOM 30:29, Stephen SMITHSON 30:59, Melanie BUTT 32:31 and Roger BIGGS 32:38. In York, James MCSWEENEY succeeded in another PB, 23.22, whilst in Letchworth, Yuko GORDON was 3rd lady home in 23:19. Paul JENNINGS shaved 1min 37secs off his time at Gunpowder to achieve a new PB of 26:56, Rowena RUTLEDGE also ran the same course in 27:15. Other travelling Spartans included Sheryl HANN 29:18 who ran in Haverfordwest, Verity FISHER 25:17 and Daniel SUTTON 37:42 in Torbay Velopark. (See the end of this release for all Saturday’s Spartan Parkrun results). Coming Events Many Spartans will be enjoying a busy programme of races, social and training events over the next few weeks including: • Last Friday of the Month 5K in Hyde Park on Friday 31st August. • Bedford Half Marathon on Sunday 2nd September. • County 5K Senior Championships at the Hatfield 5K on Wednesday 5th September. • Welwyn Half Marathon on Sunday 9th September (new date). • Paul Maguire Handicap 5 miles on Sunday 16th September. • Great East Run Half Marathon at Ipswich on Sunday 16th September. • County 5K Vets Championship at the Hatfield 5K on Wednesday 19th September. • EMAC Championships in Milton Keynes on Sunday 23rd September. • Hatfield 5K (Open Race) on Wednesday 3rd October. • Standalone 10K (inc. Herts Veteran championships) on Sunday 7th October. • Peterborough Half Marathon (GER) on Sunday 14th October. • Abingdon Marathon on Sunday 21st October. • Stevenage Half Marathon on Sunday 4th November. • St Neots Half Marathon on Sunday 18th November. • Wolverton Five Mile Race on Sunday 25th November. • Brighton Marathon on Sunday 14th April 2019. • London Marathon on Sunday 28th April 2019 • Edinburgh Marathon on Sunday 26th May 2019. Tables Parkruns Saturday 18th August Parkrun Pos Gen Parkrunner Time Notes Ashton Court 217 48 Alison SHELLEY 00:28:29 Bushy, Dublin 21 20 Adrian DONNELLY 00:21:38 Ellenbrook Fields 174 59 Niki PLUMB 00:33:53 Gunpowder 74 58 Paul JENNINGS 00:26:56 PB Gunpowder 78 18 Rowena RUTLEDGE 00:27:15 Haverfordwest 45 12 Sheryl HANN 00:29:18 Heartwood Forest 22 21 Barry OSBORNE 00:21:03 Letchworth 25 3 Yuko GORDON 00:23:19 Milton Keynes 470 289 Graham HILL 00:37:44 Panshanger 65 59 Andy JAY 00:23:58 Stevenage 7 7 Danny SCANLON 00:19:31 Stevenage 31 30 Thomas SAUKA 00:21:59 Stevenage 46 44 Darren EMMERSON 00:23:12 Stevenage 60 57 Martin DUDLEY 00:23:58 Stevenage 83 75 Nigel STRONGITHARM 00:25:30 Stevenage 88 79 David RIDDELL 00:25:45 Stevenage 92 81 Michael O'KEEFE 00:26:00 PB Stevenage 107 15 Karen PALMER 00:26:39 Stevenage 111 95 David SCOTT 00:27:01 Stevenage 120 103 Simon SYPULA 00:27:25 Stevenage 145 118 John MCCALL 00:29:13 Stevenage 149 29 Liz CARVELL 00:29:19 Stevenage 160 35 Karen BROOM 00:30:29 Stevenage 167 128 Trevor BROOM 00:30:48 PB Stevenage 171 130 Stephen SMITHSON 00:30:59 Stevenage 202 59 Melanie BUTT 00:32:31 Stevenage 203 144 Roger BIGGS 00:32:38 Torbay Velopark 99 16 Verity FISHER 00:25:17 Torbay Velopark 269 169 Daniel SUTTON 00:37:42 Upton House 75 68 Ken JUDE 00:25:36 York 95 90 James MCSWEENEY 00:23:22 PB 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. It puts back into the sport by organising events such as the Stevenage Half Marathon, Fairlands Valley Challenge and the Relays in the Park. 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 9a.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 yet done very much running might prefer to start with a Thursday, Saturday or Monday session. Try a few sessions before joining. Membership is only £41 per year which includes UKA affiliation. Concessions are available. Membership forms are available on the Spartans website www.fvspartans.org.uk Please ask if you would like a paper copy. You can also join online. If you want to know more about the Spartans please contact Jim Brown (0793 968 7509); Ken Jude (07783 597182); Claire Pullen 0790 001 6094 or visit their website www.fvspartans.org.uk E N D S More from Jim Brown (Press Officer) 0793 968 7509; Ken Jude 07783 597182 and 01438 816889 or Claire Pullen (Secretary) 0790 001 6094. www.fvspartans.org.uk News Release 26th August 2018 GRANT NATIONAL CHAMPION Reece Goes the Extra 36 Miles * Chase The Sun Reece Mac McCullagh did his first 5K on New Year’s Day 2018 (yes this year), found out he enjoyed running and hasn’t looked back. He has already progressed to ‘long distance’ completing two 50K races in the summer and then on Sunday finished the 100K Chiltern Ultra. JOHN NELMS, who was participating in the same event, said, “I’ve been running ultra distance for six years and I’ve never seen such determination and fight through mental and physical barriers as I saw from Reece yesterday. And he ran 15 miles without socks!!!! An awesome achievement my friend and a pleasure to run with Reece in the rain.” British Masters Athletics Open Track and Field Championships in Birmingham GRANT RAMSAY is the British (M45) 3000 metres Steeplechase Champion. He won the title at Birmingham on Sunday in 11 minutes 22 seconds. Grant said he had a nasty fall at congested water jump on the first lap. Lost around 20 metres on lead runner but pulled it back. Slipped on the wet barrier (despite wearing spikes) landing on both knees. The Irish runner who he was with fell also! Managed to get back up, regain composure and come from behind to take national title. In Saturday’s 3,000 metres race walk for men 55 plus DAVID BOWKER was third in 19 minutes 20.81 seconds. On Sunday he was second in the 5K walk with 32:34. TESSA STEPHENSON was seventh in the women 55 plus 100m on day one. On day two she was sixth in the W55 200m in 33.27 in the rain and into a headwind in the final straight. Yuko Falls But Wins YUKO GORDON was another Spartan that fell but went on to win. She ran the Downham Market 10K in 45 minutes 55 seconds for 50th overall, 5th woman and WINNING the women 65 plus category.