Athletics round-up: Delight at return of Midweek League

All three divisions had their first round with Division One, containing Fairlands Valley Spartans and North Herts Road Runners, taking place at St Albans.

The Letchworth club had 58 runners involved and finished the day in third overall, while the Spartans were represented by 56 and came sixth.

It was the ladies of NHRR who thrived in the late evening sunshine, taking second place overall.

They had the individual winner too, Katie Harbon leading the field home, while Rhia Botha was 13th and Rachel Arnott 19th.

The men had three in the top 10, Sam Coxon coming fourth, Ben Hadman fifth and Mike Roberts eighth.

The team finished fourth on the night.

Some of the 56 Fairlands Valley Spartans at round one of the Midweek League. Picture: FVS (Image: Fairlands Valley Spartans)

For Spartans, Christine Lathwell was their leading female in eighth while Samantha Pretty-Connors was 11th.

Georgie Hooper round out the club top three.

Andrew Patterson was the fastest male Spartan, coming 19th, with Jonathan Parr and Mike Jeffs the next two to finish.

Stuart Archer ran a 10k PB of 37 minutes 42 seconds for 62nd overall.

Round two heads to Watford.

Round one for clubs in Division Two and Three was held in Stevenage, starting and finishing at the Ridlins Stadium.

Stevenage Phoenix couldn’t compete in their own right but were able to field 15 as part of a combined team with Stevenage & North Herts Athletics Club in Division Three.

The first male Phoenicians home were Ian Harvey, Conor O’Neill and Andrew Liddle.

The first three for the combined team were Christopher Westcott (eighth), Adam Searle (ninth) and Aubrey Murray (17th).

Caitlin Evans was the first from Phoenix in the ladies' race, Katka Laughton and Melissa Tanti following her in, while Abigail Manson (11th) and Rebecca Pickard were the first for the combined squad.

It took the overall squad to fifth after the night's efforts.

Stevenage Striders are also in Division Three and finished third overall.

Alice Gregorie was second in the women's race, Lina Tzompova and Kate Towsey the next two, while in the men's event, Joe Bateman took the individual win with Abdullah Athar third and Matthew Robinson fifth.

That meant the men took the win on the night, ahead of Harlow Run & Tri.

Division Three continues on June 4 at Royston.

Another popular event elsewhere was the Stort 5 mile trail run.

Paul Shelley of FVS came second with 34:04 while Caitlin Evans finishing in 1:48:00 as she battled both the course and the heat.

Phoenix also had James Woodcock at the Goring Gap 52km ultra.

Held near Reading, runners were treated to a relatively flat and well-marked route close to the Thames, with Woodcock finishing the challenge in 6:21:21.

North Herts Road Runners' Katrina Slisane ran the Riga Marathon in her native Latvia, her third marathon overall.

And sweltering temperatures did not stop her from shaving a couple of minutes off her PB, finishing in 3:48:12.

Closer to home, FVS had Jim Brown and Simon Fraser at the Wheathampstead 10k, the former the first MV70 while latter was sixth.