Athletics round-up: New record field at Stevenage Parkrun

Led by Fairlands Valley Spartans, with Jane Wadey co-ordinating a takeover by the Stevenage running club, a total of 643 ran out any Christmas excesses, smashing the previous record of 586, set four years ago.

Spartans provided close to 50 volunteers, with roles including marshals, barcode scanners, timekeepers, pacers and tail-walkers, while 57 club members completed the event.

Across the field itself, 92 were first-timers and there were 78 celebrating PBs.

Runners get going at Stevenage Parkrun. Picture: KEITH FENWICK (Image: Keith Fenwick)

For the Spartans, Simon Jackson was second overall with Grant Ramsay 11th and Matt Gifford 20th.

Gifford was one of those picking up a PB, clocking 20 minutes 30 seconds, while Tamsin Brooks set a PB of 46:37.

Leading FVS woman was Abigail Pez, second female overall, while Gabrielle O’Brien finished as eighth in that competition.

Tom Webb of North Herts Road Runners at the Herts XC championship. Picture: NHRR (Image: North Herts Road Runners)

The other big event of the weekend was the Herts Cross-country Championships, which came from Verulamium Park in St Albans.

Spartans had Liz Crowley (80th) and Sharon Crowley (86th) involved while there were eight from North Herts Road Runners in the field.

Lindsay Cook was the only female to take on the course while the men’s team was led home by Tom Webb in fifth overall.

He was followed by team-mates Nathan Pask (28th), Matt Sayers (39th), Shahab Ahmad (50th), Mike Bannister (59th) and Ian Datlen (68th).

Other events included the Welwyn Half.

Wendy Tharani of FVS clocked 2:08:22 while Rachel Arnott was the only NHRR competing, although her time of 1:32:45 brought her second place in the women's race.

And for those seeking an ultra start to the new year, there was the Country to Capital event, a 43-mile race from Wendover and along the Grand Union Canal to near Paddington Station.

Spartan John Nelms was running for the sixth time and finished in 9:31 while Cara Sutton, Anna Gibson and Sue Foot were the Squirrels taking part.

Mike Jeffs (FVS) ran the Tromso Polar Night Marathon, surviving freezing temperatures and howling headwinds, all in the dark, to finish 21st in 3:41:52.

North Herts Road Runners had 53 splashing through mud and puddles over Letchworth's Norton Common at the First Saturday of the Month.

First male home for the club was John Auld with Alice Carty the first lady.

Stevenage Phoenix had three at the Stansted Stagger, a 26-mile trail run round Stansted Mountfichet.

Ian Harvey, Jodie Kantas and Emma Mead completed the course in 5:28.

Garry Wallace was at the flat Exeter First Chance 10k and finished in 58:01.

The club also had 10 at the Stevenage Parkrun where Jay Papa was their first man to finish and Caitlin Evans the first female.