News Release  
29th March 2009

GOLD FOR SIMON
And twenty three run Sandy


Simon Wins Gold

Fairlands Valley Spartans, SIMON HARRIS, smashed his personal best by 1.8 seconds on Thursday to win the Herts Disabled Track Championships 100 metres event in 13 seconds exactly.

Spring in the Spartans’ Step at Sandy

Changing the clocks seemed to put a spring in the step of several runners as twenty three Spartans enjoyed near perfect running conditions – clear, cool and with a light wind - in Bedfordshire for the Sandy 10 on Sunday.

SIMON BELL was fastest Spartan and ninth overall out of 506 finishers in 58 minutes 33 seconds.  Men’s captain RICHARD BATE ran a new personal best to come eleventh overall in 58 minutes 48 seconds.

Six others recorded new personal bests.  They were PETE SMITH (1:14:34); DARREN STEPHENSON (1:14:57); RICHARD MOORE (1:15:56); ALISON HOPWOOD (1:17:52); CHRIS NEWBITT (1:22:01); and SARAH O'BRYAN (1:28:30) who beat her previous best time by five minutes.

STEVE MAYFIELD (1:13:24) ran his fastest ten mile race for fifteen years.  CLAIRE PULLEN (1:13:20) and ROB SHAW (1:17:48) set new season’s best times.

Spartan times

Simon Bell (9th) 58 minutes 33 seconds; Richard Bate (11th) 58:48 (PB); Ben Harris (38th) 1:04:12; Mark Beasley (86th) 1:09:26; Graham Blackburn 1:11:19; Tim Pine 1:12:03; Annette Bell 1:12:07; Claire Pullen 1:13:20 (SB); Steve Mayfield - 1:13.24 (SB – 15 years); Pete Smith - 1.14.34 (PB); Darren Stephenson 1:14:47 (PB); Richard Moore 1:15:56 (PB); Mike King 1:16:26; Rob Shaw 1:17:48 (SB); Alison Hopwood 1:17.52 (PB); Alan Goodwin 1:21:50; Chris Newbitt - (PB) 1:22.01; Sarah O'Bryan - 1:28.30 (PB); Mark Drummond 1:30:16; Sally Beasley 1:36:16; Tony Osborne 1:38:49; Lina Porecha 1:39:45 and Ron Cohen 1:39:45

Position      Name      Time      Comments
9      SIMON BELL      58:33      
11      RICHARD BATE      58:48      PB
38      BEN HARRIS      1:04:12      
86      MARK BEASLEY      1:09:26      
110      GRAHAM BLACKBURN      1:11:19      
122      TIM PINE      1:12:03      
124      ANNETTE BELL      1:12:07      
139      CLAIRE PULLEN      1:13:20      SB
141      STEVE MAYFIELD      1:13:24      SB – 15 years
161      PETE SMITH      1:14:34      PB
164      DARREN STEPHENSON      1:14:47      PB
182      RICHARD MOORE      1:15:56      PB
191      MIKE KING      1:16:26      
215      ROB SHAW      1:17:48      SB
217      ALISON HOPWOOD      1:17:52      PB
261      ALAN GOODWIN      1:21:50      
283      CHRIS NEWBITT      1:22:01      PB
363      SARAH O’BRYAN      1:28:30      PB (by 5 minutes)
387      MARK DRUMMOND      1:30:16      
432      SALLY BEASLEY      1:36:16      
449      TONY OSBORNE      1:38:49      
456      LINA PORECHA      1:39:45      
457      RON COHEN      1:39:45      

Reading Half Marathon

Spartans BEV HARLOW and ELISA DUNBAR were at Sunday’s Reading Half Marathon.  Bev finished in 2 hours 7 minutes 38 seconds and Elisa in 2 hours 13 minutes 58 seconds.

Great West Teignbridge 10

DAVE FARTHING ran the gently undulating Great West Teignbridge 10 mile race in a season’s best time of 1 hour 19 minutes and 44 seconds.

Off Road Results

Ten Spartans were out over the weekend running Off Road Marathons in Leicestershire & Suffolk. Mike Newbitt & Roger Biggs ran on both days, while another eight completed one of the two on offer.

On Saturday they were at the Charnwood Off Road Marathon from Quorn in Leicestershire.  It included 890 metres of ascent over mixed terrain in cold blustery conditions, and with three different sessions of hailstones.  MIKE NEWBITT finished in 5 hours 20 minutes 9 seconds and was followed by ROGER BIGGS in 5:39:36 and DAVE CARTER in 6:32:21.

On Sunday the Spartans were at the Daffodil Dawdle which runs from the village of Kirtling in Suffolk, near Newmarket.  The event is over mixed terrain and has 390 metres of ascent.  Coldish, but overall running conditions were good with some warming in the afternoon sun.  Spartan times:  Richard Sidlin 5:03:30; Tracy Pez and Mike Newbitt 5:10:43; Paul Holgate 5:25:28; Roger Biggs 5:33:06; Carol Paul 5:33:33; Sharon Crowley 5:47:12; Kevin Lawlor 5:57:47; Dave Paul 6:07:30.

Entries Open For Jubilee Five

Fairlands Valley Spartans are celebrating their Silver Jubilee throughout 2009 but the Jubilee Five Mile Race in Fairlands Valley Park on Sunday 13th September will be a major new event.  Entries are already being accepted.  Forms and on-line entry are available via www.fvspartans.org.uk  The event will include the Hertfordshire County Championships for the distance.  There is a limit of 500 runners so don’t leave it too late.

Coming Events

Many Spartans will be enjoying a busy programme of races, social and training events over the next few weeks including the:  

•      Oakley 20 mile race on Sunday 5th April.
•      Good Friday 10 at Maidenhead on Friday 10th April
•      Handicap 5K race on Thursday evening 16th April
•      Flitwick 10K on Sunday 19th April
•      Flora London Marathon on Sunday 26th April.
•      Track events at Ridlins, Stevenage on Monday 4th May.
•      St. Albans 10K (inc. county vets championships) on Sunday 10th May.
•      East Cambridgeshire Half Marathon on Sunday 17th May.
•      First Mid Week Road Race League event on Thursday evening 14th May.
•      Edinburgh Marathon on Sunday 31st May.
•      Second Mid Week Road Race League event on Thursday evening 4th June.
•      Silver Jubilee Five Mile Race in Fairlands Valley Park on Sunday 13th September.
•      Silver Jubilee Gala Ball on Saturday 17th October.

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 has well over 170 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.  

The Spartans weekday training sessions are on Tuesday and Thursday evenings.  Last year the club moved to better, more modern facilities at the gymnastics centre Marriotts School – a Sports College, Telford Avenue, Stevenage (SG2 0AN).  Meet them there at 7p.m.

The Spartan Starter group starts from Marriotts at 7.30p.m. every Monday and 7p.m. on Thursdays.

Most long Sunday morning training sessions start 9.30a.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 done very much running yet might prefer to start with a Thursday, Saturday or Monday session.  

Try a few sessions before joining.  Membership is only £25 per year.  Concessions are available.  Subscriptions and membership forms should be sent to Fairlands Valley Spartans c/o 19 Bellamy Close, Knebworth, Herts, SG3 6EH.

If you want to know more about the Spartans please contact Jim Brown (01438 354505 or 0793 968 7509), Chris King (07779 880 522) or visit their website www.fvspartans.org.uk

E N D S

More from Jim Brown (Press Officer) 01438 354505 / 0793 968 7509, Chris King (Secretary) 07779 880 522 (christine-king@orange-ftgroup.com)

www.fvspartans.org.uk