Ashford Striders

Well what a weekend that was! Ashford Striders were out in force this weekend at various races at a variety of distances and courses. We are so proud of each and every one of you.

I shall start with Parkrun. 

A total of 43 Striders attended a Parkrun on 06/04/24.

Keith Haynes was first Strider across the line at Ashford parkrun with a time of 20:33, followed by Alice Foulger with a time of 24:30, and Claire Green third Strider, with a time of 24:53

They were followed by: Josh Stephens 25:12, Harry Lockhart 26:16, Robert Harris 27:28, Richard Randle 27:33, Simon Pharoah 28:35, Christopher Wicks 28:52, Jason Sanders 29:48, Jason Brice 29:51, David Gadsby 29:58, George Cromwell 30:21, Jamie Bartlett 30:42, Vicky Stevenson 31:13, Jayne Hatton 31:15, Daniel Forbes 31:16, Amanda Cooper 31:32, Catherine Wall 31:55, Lucie Shrubsole 32:00, Stephen Rumsey 32:31, Dave Warner 32:33, Leigh Freeman 35:35, Rachel Oliver 36:08, Rachel York 36:37, Kevin York 36:39, Jennifer Watts 37:26, David Helme 37:27, Michelle Brice 37:28, Hazel Forrester 37:57, Holly Forrest 39:32, Julie Foster 40:28

Parkrun Tourism

Josh Whiten completed the Canterbury parkrun in 32:19, Mark Niles completed the Chevin Forest parkrun in 25:57, Tamsin Ritchie completed the Hartlepool parkrun in 28:02, Mark Fairbrother completed the Mersea Island parkrun in 27:29, Nicola Crawley completed the Mole Valley parkrun in 36:35, Justine Wearn completed the Mole Valley parkrun in 36:35, Lisa Gribbin completed the Osterley parkrun in 32:53, Justin Burden completed the Osterley parkrun in 33:02, Laura Clark completed the Osterley parkrun in 35:45, Sally Davidson-Daniel completed the Trentham Gardens parkrun in 33:07, Lee Standen completed the Victoria Dock parkrun in 29:35.

As ever parkrun cannot take place without volunteers so please if you can head out and try to volunteer as well I know the teams appreciate it. 

Also on Saturday Daniel Schwartz was the lone Strider taking on the Easter Ultra Challenge Windsor completing the historical 25 km in a fantastic time of 2:47:00.

I would like to start Sundays array of races with Brighton Marathon because (we believe) a first for Ashford Striders and a sub 3 hour marathon! Adam Booth absolutely stormed it home for a 2:54:58 PB Marathon – amazing achievement Adam.

Next in with another PB performance, and his first marathon, was Simon Pharoah with 3:40:45, followed by the stealth Strider Steve Greatorex who managed to dodge almost all cameras with a time of 4:07:34, Kevin North flying in with another PB this week to complete his marathon in 4:09:57. Hazel Turner looking pretty in pink crossed the line in 4:33:19. Speaking of stealth next was Dermot Carr who tried to throw everyone off the scent pretending his was running the 10km when he was, in fact, heading for a PB of 4:48:57 in his first marathon! Lisa Gribbin completed her first of two marathons this month in 4:58:22, followed by Jack Farrant quite literally sprinting home with a very first marathon time of 5:07:00 PB. Rachel Misson came home with 5:14:09 closely followed by Dave and Hazel Winchester who completed their marathon in 5:14:40. ‘Disco’ Dave Helme lapped up the support on route with 5:15:33 with Darren Laker on his tails with a PB of 5:16:02. I was convinced Scott Hawkins was having far too much fun as he was so happy every time we saw him and with good reason, Scott claimed a fantastic PB of 5:18:58. Angie Craffey was our final Strider home with her self proclaimed ‘bad day’ in a very respectable time of 6:05:34 to not only earn a PB but to cross the line with a huge smile on her face. Well done all. 

While in Brighton two more Striders decided they would like to run too and so took park in the Brighton 10km race. First up with a PB time of 52:31 was Aimee Donohue, followed by Sharon Gardner, who was busy climbing mountains, in a fantastic time of 1:02:53.

Next up two Striders travelled up town to London to take part in the London Landmarks Half Marathon. This beautifully scenic race takes you through London crossing paths with some of its most famous landmarks.

First up to finish was Jason Sanders in a time of 2:08:29 and continuing his PB performances was Ash Robinson scoring a great PB of 2:24:53! 

Back along the coast Adam Thomas and Kay Hunt decided they were going to take on the Southampton Marathon to quote Kay the course was ‘Windy and hilly but a lovely route. Really well organised and so much support. Still not entirely sure how I feel about 2 laps!!’ Kay and Adam completed the marathon together in a time of 4:50:31. Well done to both of you.

Kate Stroud travelled over to Berlin to complete the rather warm Berlin Half Marathon in 2:30:00 – well done Kate.

Finally we had a gaggle of Striders over in Paris to complete the Paris Marathon!

Completing her first marathon with an amazing PB time of 4:23:05 is Eleanor Weekes. Next up Sarah and David Martins also earning a PB of 5:31:50 and David’s first marathon! Lorna Cheshire was the final Strider home in Paris with a fantastic time of 5:32:00!

What a weekend. Well done to everyone who ran and raced! To everyone who was able to go and support in the various cities thank you – it really means so much so see friendly faces in the crowd! 

Happy Easter everyone! Here’s your weekly run round up to read whilst you are munching on your Easter eggs – if you have any left by now!

On Good Friday, the traditional start to Easter weekend is the Folkestone 10 mile – a flat seafront race between Hythe and Folkestone. As Easter is early this year, the weather was unusually cool for this race and the runners had to manage a headwind on the return leg.

Keith Haynes was the first home for the club in 1:12:19, next was Kevin North, who earned himself a PB of 1:25:10. Justin Burden was third Strider with 1:26:48, close behind was Richard Randle with a PB of 1:26:55 and Aimee Donohue also with a new PB of 1:28:59. Adam Thomas and Kay Hunt ran together and both finished in 1:36:24. Dermot Carr, in his trademark crazy headwear finished in 1:32:35, Charlotte Housden was next with a PB of 1:39:40, closely followed by Karen Lavender in 1:41:05, Rob Harris in 1:42:12, and Jason Sanders in 1:43:38. Dee Millen continued a run of recent personal bests with another of 1:53:59, Angie Craffey finished in 1:54:14 and Laura Clark came home with a personal best time of 2:01:17

Jamie Penfold was the sole Strider to travel to London for the RunThrough Victoria Park half marathon. He continued his return to fitness coming in just under the 2 hour mark with 1:59:22

On Saturday, weather conditions were good at Ashford parkrun which had its second-highest ever attendance. The 33 Striders completing the course were:
Adam Booth with a time of 19:12, followed by Simon Pharoah with a time of 20:33, and Jack Farrant third Strider with a new parkrun PB of 20:35. They were followed by Keith Haynes 21:26, Mark Niles 21:49, George Phillips 23:49, Isobel Phillips finished with a course PB of 24:10, Christopher Wicks 25:23, Jason Kennedy completed his 25th parkrun in a time of 25:24, Scott Hawkins 25:55, Josh Stephens 26:50, Daniel Schwartz 27:07, Richard Randle 27:21, Darren Laker 27:30, David Gadsby 27:33, Jamie Bartlett 28:49, Jo Mason 30:10, Ian Mccutcheon 30:10, Harry Lockhart 30:11, David Helme 31:15, Jason Brice 31:37, Robert Harris 32:00, Stephen Rumsey 32:18, Amanda James 32:27, Delia Millen 33:42, Dermot Carr 34:36, Clare Maxlow 34:47, Rachel Oliver 35:27, Martin Whittingham 35:38, Michelle Brice 35:39, Sara Dewar 36:43, Jennifer Watts 36:57 and Lisa Fulcher 37:25.

The Strider volunteers who helped make the event happen this week were: Jason Caldwell, Don Dewar, Julie Foster, Peter Heckel and Terry Sellen

Onto parkrun tourism, those staying close by in Kent were Andy Found (29:21) and Justine Wearn (30:47) at the Cyclopark parkrun in Gravesend, Nicola Crawley completed the Folkestone parkrun in 25:57, Jamie Penfold completed the Mote Park parkrun in 28:02 and a trio of Striders went to Tonbridge – Lisa Gribbin in 32:50, Laura Clark with 39:09 and Justin Burden in 45:59

A little further away was Kevan Strand who went to Gunnersbury parkrun in West London, finishing in 31:16. Sharon Gardner made her third visit to Prudhoe Riverside parkrun near Newcastle Upon Tyne and ran a course PB of 31:23. And finally Cherith Wright was once again over at cEcos parkrun in Northern Ireland, finishing in 23:53

No races for club members on Easter Sunday but many were up early after the clocks changed to get in some long runs. Enjoy bank holiday Monday, all those who aren’t working and enjoy your tapering those who are running marathons in the next few weeks!

Good evening all, happy Sunday! It’s been a beautiful, albeit cold (and slightly changeable!) weekend and you’ve all been out there putting the miles in for your various challenges, whether they are training runs, races, parkruns, or just-for-fun runs!!

As is traditional, we will begin with Parkrun results.

Ashford Parkrun

A total of 35 Striders attended a Parkrun on 23/03/24 , 21 at Ashford, and 14 on tour.

Adam Booth was first Strider across the line with a time of 18:22, followed by Dan Green with a time of 21:32, and Mark Niles, with a time of 22:49

They were followed by Terry Sellen 24:02, Kevan Strand 24:03, Jamie Penfold 24:18, Alice Foulger 25:23, Daniel Schwartz 25:43, David Gadsby 28:08, Scott Hawkins 28:10, Stephen Cartwright 29:40, Robert Harris 31:10, Dave Warner 32:07, Stephen Rumsey 32:38, Leigh Freeman 34:00, Don Dewar 34:01, Kate Bushell earned herself a lovely new PB and came in at 34:36, Jason Brice 35:39, Raechel King 35:43, Lee Standen 35:43, Julie Foster 40:21.

Parkrun Tourism

Cherith Wright completed the Antrim parkrun in 24:06, Harry Lockhart completed the Bexley parkrun in 27:14, Sally Davidson-Daniel completed the Highbury Fields parkrun in 36:07, Justin Burden completed the Royal Tunbridge Wells parkrun in 26:49, Richard Randle completed the Royal Tunbridge Wells parkrun in 29:34, Tamsin Ritchie completed the Royal Tunbridge Wells parkrun in 32:22, Lisa Gribbin completed the Royal Tunbridge Wells parkrun in 32:48, Amanda Cooper completed the Royal Tunbridge Wells parkrun in 35:14, Delia Millen completed the Royal Tunbridge Wells parkrun in 38:27, Laura Clark completed the Royal Tunbridge Wells parkrun in 40:33, Lydia Huntley completed the University Parks parkrun in 27:50, Nicola Crawley completed the Valentines parkrun in 27:04, Justine Wearn completed the Valentines parkrun in 30:04, Sarah Martins completed the York parkrun in 32:14.

As always, a massive thanks to the Parkrun volunteers, our members volunteering at Ashford were; Peter Broom, Jason Caldwell, Simon Jackson, Don Dewar, Lisa Fulcher, Dermot Carr, Peter Heckel and Carole Thomas – your efforts are appreciated, thank you!

Saturday also saw the very temptingly named SVN Cakeathon! This is a timed event down at Samphire Hoe where you complete as many laps of just over 3 miles as you can within the 6 hour time limit. As long as you complete at least one lap you are a finisher and earn yourself the world’s biggest medal (not officially verified!) as well as the best race goody-bag ever (it includes crisps and chocolate!).

We had 14 Striders who braved the horrendous sea gales, 13 of whom were taking part and one very supportive member – Holly, AKA Support Penguin! As already mentioned, the cold winds were harsh but the sun did shine…and the hail fell briefly, although that did nothing to deter the determination of our members, some of whom were using this as part of their marathon training.

Andy Found completed 2 laps, or just over 10K, Ned Golding, Vicky Stevenson, Rebecca James, Vicky Shrubsole, Sharon Gardner, Andrew Cornwell, and Jayne Hatton all completed 4 laps, the equivalent of a half marathon, Alex Wingrove completed 5 laps, or approximately 16 miles, Jamie Bartlett, Lucie Shrubsole and Rhiannon Little completed 6 laps which was about 20 miles and then last but certainly not least, Josh Stephens completed his 3rd marathon distance this month running 8 laps! Well done all!

Sunday there were two events, firstly we head down to Hasting for the Hastings Half Marathon. Again, the sun shone but the sea winds were biting! Keith Haynes came in first with an incredible time of 1:38:00, followed by Scott Hawkins who achieved a PB and a superb time of 2:15:08, Mandy Cooper ran a great race and was next in at 2:16:47, and then Dee Millen with yet another PB, finished in 2:34:19! Brilliant!

Finally was the aptly named Trosley Park challenge, there was a 5k and a 10k option although the 5k option was apparently a closely guarded secret until you were already committed…!  There is a segment on Strava called the Trosley Death Steps, and this pretty much sums them up, both sets, the down ones and the up ones…Anyway, 6 brave Striders’ Souls took part in what was the last ever Trosley Park Challenge. Adam Thomas finished first in 1:14:47, then Kay Hunt in 1:14:48, then, the newly formed band ‘The last of the 10k-ers’ all came through (almost) together – Sharon Gardner’s trainer went over the line at 1:32:15 and Caroline Miller, Victoria Shrubsole and Sharni Copham all finished at 1:32:16!

And so we are done for another week! Next week is Easter weekend and also, the clocks finally change by an hour – I’m not committing to which way because I’ll over-think it and confuse myself! There’ll be more light in the evenings though and we won’t need to wear lights on our runs soon! Have a wonderful week everyone and enjoy your tapering, Marathoners!

There seems to be an inkling of spring time erupting as we head into the middle of March, and this helps us all to get up and out of bed early on the weekend to attend a parkrun or a race day. That being said there were many Striders pounding the pavements and trails this week/weekend reaching the peak of their marathon training before taper. The support we give to each other is phenomenal, and I wouldn’t want to be part of any other club.

A total of 52 Striders attended a Parkrun on 16/03/24 , 32 at Ashford, and 20 on tour. Spring had sprung and the sun was shining. 

Keith Haynes was first Strider across the line at Ashford with a time of 20:18, followed by Simon Pharoah with a time of 20:19, and Jack Farrant third Strider, with a time of 22:29.  They were followed by: 

Dan Green 23:03, Terry Sellen 23:37, Mark Niles 23:40, Daniel Schwartz 24:34, Josh Stephens 24:43, Scott Hawkins 25:57, Darren Laker 26:17, Don Dewar 27:35, David Gadsby 28:34, Andy Found 29:16, Rachel Tomsett 30:13, Hazel Turner 30:28, Amanda James 31:00, Jo Mason 31:07, Michelle Brice 32:26, Lee Standen 33:00, Cara Linin 33:04, Jayne Hatton 33:36, Brian Forrester 34:32, Rachel York 34:45, Kevin York 34:46, Robert Harris 35:29, Jason Brice 35:30, Jennifer Watts 36:43, Hazel Forrester 37:16, Julie Foster 40:22, Sara Dewar 42:38, Leigh Freeman 42:38, Dave Warner 43:55

Parkrun Tourism

We had 14 Striders staying in Kent – Harry Lockhart completed the Bexley parkrun in 27:34 and Tamsin Ritchie completed Canterbury parkrun in 32:11

Still proving popular as a relatively new event in Kent, Dover Waterfront was completed by Lisa Fulcher in 31:33, Rachel Misson in 32:04, Lisa Gribbin in 32:04, Martin Whittingham in 33:56 and Rick Newman in 46:16.

Down on the Kent Coast, Jamie Penfold and Aimee Donohue completed Margate parkrun in 24:51 & 27:23 respectively. Richard Randle completed the Pegwell Bay parkrun in 25:02, Nicola Crawley in 25:44, Sarah Martins in 30:25 and Dee Millen in 32:11.

Amanda Cooper completed the Walmer and Deal Seafront parkrun in 27:48

Travelling further afield, we had 6 Striders out and about at:

Justin Burden and Laura Clark completed the Burgess parkrun in 24:51 & 36:44, respectively. Cherith Wright completed the Ecos parkrun, Ballymena in 23:26 Justine and Jason Wearn completed the Sutcliffe parkrun in London in 30:05 and 30:07. Lydia Huntley completed the University Parks parkrun in Oxford 29:40.

Sunday Races

It started out as a rainy Sunday morning and Striders were heading to different parts of the county to complete races.

Canterbury Riverside 10k

Stephen Cartwright achieved his 10k PB in the Chartham to Canterbury course of 59:08, Daniel Schwartz achieved a course PB in 55:00 and Charlotte Housden completed the race in 1:01:25

Smugglers 10k & 5k

Richard Randle achieved his 10k PB of 50:27, next stop sub 50, and Andrew Cornwell ran a time of 1:10:18 which was a PB on this course.

Kirsty Theobald took on the 5k race and completed it in 37:48

Kingston Break-fest 

Lisa Gribbin took on this 20 mile race and completed it in 3:39:15.

Leith Hill Half

Jason Kennedy ran the Leith Hill half  in 2:11:00.

Well done to everyone running and racing this weekend. Here’s to brighter evenings and sunnier days!!

What a weekend this has been. I was exhausted just reading through some of your amazing feats over the last couple of days. Marathon Training is nearing its peak for Brighton, Paris, London, Kent Spring etc and there have been Striders smashing out long runs up to 22 miles as well as fundraising and parkrunning and of course the infamous Lydd 20.

The support that we give to each other in this great club is second to none. You are all amazing people 🥰

I am going to start the roundup with the three heroes who took on the Lydd 20 race today. It’s an absolute beast of a challenge especially when the weather is bad. The countless sheep and telegraph poles make up most of the scenery and being Mothers Day it meant that support on the route was going to be limited. Just getting to the end is an achievement in itself but to get a twenty mile PB is something else but this was achieved by not just one of our heroes but by ALL THREE !! Keith Haynes was the first Red over the line in 2:28:11 followed by Fabio Baiardo in 2:43:04 and Scott Hawkins in 3:46:06. Congratulations to all three of you and now enjoy your Taper 😉.

Onto the Park Run section then and a total of 37 Striders attended a Parkrun on 09/03/24 , 30 at Ashford, and 7 on tour.

At Ashford Park Run George Phillips smashed his PB to take the Pole Strider Position with 23:48 (Great running George !!). He was followed by Kevan Strand with a time of 24:23, and Richard Randle third strider, with a time of 26:08

Josh Stephens did a great Job of pacing Harry Lockhart to a sub 27 and a shiny new PB with Josh finishing in 26:40 and Harry in 26:44 (Sub 25 next week Harry !!).

The remaining Striders at Ashford finished as follows: Daniel Schwartz 27:32, Don Dewar 27:40, Jamie Bartlett 28:12.

Amanda James took the First Lady Strider Title this week with 29:04 then came Sharni Copham 29:15, Terry Sellen 29:16, Mark Niles 29:38, Catherine Wall 31:21, Robert Harris 32:21, Amanda Cooper 32:43, Rita Cooke 32:48, Justine Wearn 33:01, Jason Wearn 33:05, Dave Warner 33:22, Lisa Gribbin 33:44, Michelle Bryant 33:49, Martin Whittingham 34:56, Lisa Fulcher 35:11, Raechel King 35:17, Mathew Norman 35:31, Jennifer Watts 35:56, Sonette Schwartz 36:06, Rachel York 37:25, Kevin York 37:27, Carole Thomas (Tail Walking) 1:01:54. Great to see you back Carole and thankyou to the other Strider volunteers Don Dewar, Sarah Dewar, Peter Heckel, Simon Jackson, Lee Standen and Hazel Turner.

PARKRUN TOURISM

Justin Burden (25:33) and Laura Clark (37:50) completed the Brockwell parkrun, Herne Hill. Tamsin Ritchie Was back in Canterbury and finished in 30:49, Emma Matthews completed the Folkestone parkrun in 1:00:15 and Dermot Carr completed the Northala Fields parkrun in 30:07. Nicola Crawley and Sarah Martins were at the Sutcliffe Park Run and completed in 27:05 and 31:46 respectively.

Well done to everyone who ran, supported and volunteered over the weekend and I hope you all have a great week 😘

The Ashford Striders certainly had a ‘Spring’ in their stride this week as they headed out across England, Ireland and Scotland. On the hunt for miles, medals and PBs the weather didn’t put off the Striders crew. In true British weather style, they were met with rain, sun, wind, sleet and even a rainbow or two. But the weather wasn’t the only weird and wonderful sights to experience, as some Striders even reported seeing dinosaurs on their run adventures!

First up on home ground saw a total of 45 Striders attend Ashford Parkrun on 2nd March. Dan Green was first Strider across the line with a time of 21:20, followed by Daniel Schwartz with a time of 24:32, and Josh Stephens third Strider with a PB time of 24:51. They were followed by Kevan Strand 25:05, Scott Hawkins 25:55, Ian Mccutcheon 26:50, Harry Lockhart 27:20 (PB), Jack Farrant 28:57, Sharni Copham 29:33, Terry Sellen 29:33, David Helme 30:00, David Gadsby 31:03, Don Dewar 31:17, Catherine Wall 31:23, Lucie Shrubsole 32:31, Nadine Lidbury 32:32, Lee Standen 33:19, Amanda James 33:29, Andy Found 33:30, Michelle Brice 34:09, Michelle Bryant 34:13, Jayne Hatton 34:33, Brian Forrester 35:15, Jennifer Watts 35:32, Robert Harris 35:56, Leigh Freeman 36:06, Rachel Oliver 36:12, Sally Davidson-Daniel 36:54, Rachel Tomsett 37:02, Hazel Turner 53:20 and Mark Niles 53:23.

It wouldn’t be a run round-up without our Striders on tour, with a total of 14 this week spreading their running wings and putting other Parkrun courses to the test.

Closer to home Raechel King completed the Canterbury Parkrun in 1:01:25, dinosaur hunters at Crystal Palace Parkrun were Nicola Crawley in 28:41 and Justine Wearn in 31:24. In true Tamsin-tastic style, Tamsin Ritchie was on form at Dartford Heath Parkrun with a time of 30:53. Bringing the luck of the Irish Cherith Wright completed the Ecos Parkrun, Ballymena in 23:28. In a blustery coastal Folkestone Parkrun Elle Weekes came in with a time of 26:56 and Amanda Cooper in 28:45. Proud as punch to take on the Isabel Trail course, Martin Whittingham completed the challenge in 37:40. With a mix of trail and pathways, Katie Fox took on the Royal Tunbridge Wells Parkrun and completed in 39:21. Running, or sliding, on mud was a hardy bunch as they headed to Thurrock Parkrun – a course based solely on grass. Justin Burden was first in at 26:56, Lisa Gribbin followed at 32:44, and Laura Clark completed the three musketeers action a 37:35. Jamie Penfold decided to take Parkrun tourism to the extreme by heading all the way to an alphabet marvel Wallaceneuk Parkrun in Scotland, completing the bonnie course in 28:23.

Now onto our racing crew of Striders who took on some mighty mile challenges this weekend.

The Eastbourne Half Marathon started on 3rd March  in Princes Park and mostly followed the seafront promenades towards Beachy Head and back to Sovereign Harbour, where the course loops back to the finish. First in we had Jack Farrant with a shiny new PB time of 1:57:10 followed by Martin Whittingham with a time of 03:08:06.

The High Performance London Half Marathon and 10km racing distances were taken on by Striders looking to clock some miles in the closed road race which starts and finishes at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park on the 3rd March. For the Half marathon distance, first in for Striders was Elle Weekes with a PB time of 1:56:03. Then the Schwartz duo were on PB form with Daniel Schwartz securing a PB time of 1:57:17, and Sonette Schwartz securing a PB time of 2:14:33. Next up Lisa Fulcher crossed the line in 2:30:49 and to complete the racing crew for this race was Sally Davidson-Daniel in a time of 2:40:14. In the 10km distance Michelle Bryant was first Strider over the line in a time of 0:57:25 – a new PB time – and next up was Peter Broom with a time of 1:05:05.

Paddock Wood Half Marathon returned for its annual road running event on the 3rd March and proved to be a PB course with Adam Booth first over the line in 1:24:35 (PB),  Keith Haynes at 1:29:51 (PB), Simon Pharoah at 1:30:26 (PB), Richard Randle at 1:51:31 (PB), Rachel Phillips at 2:10:18, and completing the PB accolade for Striders at this race over the finish line, Dee Millen in 2:34:58 (PB).

Well done to everyone who is taking part in races, working away at training plans or taking on their own personal run challenges. It is a fantastic effort all round! Now how long do we have to wait until we can start eating Easter eggs?

What a weekend of running it’s been and it was so lovely to be out supporting in Ashford today for a popular local run.

First up are the parkrun results with a great turnout at Ashford. 

Adam Booth was first Strider across the line with a time of 18:20, followed by Keith Haynes with a time of 20:04, and Dan Green third Strider, with a time of 21:03. They were followed by:  Andrew Maund 21:25, Daniel Schwartz 24:31, Jamie Penfold running his 50th parkrun in 24:48, Terry Sellen 26:22, Kevan Strand 26:27, Jason Wearn 26:28, Justin Burden 26:38, Josh Stephens 27:20, Jamie Bartlett 28:11, Ash Robinson 28:14, Simon Pharoah 29:21.

First Lady Strider home was Sonette Schwartz 29:32, hot on her heels was Jack Farrant 29:33, David Gadsby 29:48, Sharni Copham 30:11, Tamsin Ritchie 30:13, Catherine Wall 31:50, Corrie Morris 32:02, Amanda James 32:04, Lucie Shrubsole 32:45, George Cromwell 32:45, Amanda Cooper 32:53, Rita Cooke 33:56, Sarah Martins 34:16, Delia Millen 34:20, Jennifer Watts 34:22, Lee Standen 34:23, Leigh Freeman 34:28, Mathew Norman 35:01, Dermot Carr 35:04, Lisa Gribbin 35:10, Sally Davidson-daniel 35:15, Laura Clark 35:34, Robert Harris 35:36, Julie Nicholson 38:39, Rachel Oliver 39:58, Mollie Hoban 40:06, Holly Forrest 41:26, Julie Foster 44:52, Martin Whittingham 52:32. 

From a little bit of Strava stalking I did on Saturday I could see that quite a few of the Striders incorporated parkrun into their LSRs for the weekend so well done to you all on keeping up with the miles. 

Next up tourism, we even had a Strider visit the King for tea! Unfortunately he wasn’t home so she had to make do with a run instead. 

Nicola Crawley and Justine Wearn completed the Bexley parkrun in 31:39, and 33:15 respectively.

We had a group of Striders taking on the Dover Waterfront Parkrun: George Phillips  23:08, Isobel Phillips in 23:41, Elle Weekes in 24:41, David Helme in 26:14, Michelle Bryant in 34:12, Rachel Misson in 35:53, 

Mark Niles completed the Hunstanton Promenade parkrun in 45:11

Finally the aforementioned Aimee Donohue completed the Sandringham parkrun in 29:52 I think you intimidated HM The King with your sub 30 and so scared him off!

Onto Sundays races and we start off with the home race and the Girlings A&D 10km race which takes runners through the beautiful country lanes of Westwell before treating them to a brutal hill. I must say there were lots of smiles at that finish line so clearly the Striders were not fazed at all. I also hear reports that the promised puddles weren’t as bad as expected either. 

First home was Simon Pharoah with a very impressive PB of 0:42:41 he was followed by  Dave Winchester 0:47:47 , Nigel Hills 0:49:04, Terry Sellen 0:49:37, Jason Kennedy 0:50:17, Graham Troman 0:51:04, bagging himself a shiny new PB was Josh Stephens 0:51:19, next up Richard Randle 0:51:38 who was no doubt disappointed in the lack of swimming opportunities, he was followed by, Scott Hawkins with 0:54:00 on the nose! Next up through the finish line was Lisa Gribbin 0:57:11 celebrating a heavy night with a beautiful PB! Mandy Cooper and her enormous smile sailed through in 0:58:18, Vicky Stevenson finished in 0:59:11, Ashley Robinson, 0:59:37, getting in under the hour with a lovely PB! Rebecca James showing exactly how to sprint finish with a lovely 1:04:42, Dee Millen earning a magnificent PB of 1:08:35, Martin Whittingham 1:14:39 and Julie Foster 1:25:18 makes the Strider line up for A&D 10k complete. Well done all impressive performances. 

Finally a hardy group of Striders travelled up to the big smoke to take part in the London Winter Run 10k. The race sees you take in some of the beautiful sights of London as well as some celebrity participants! A certain McFly singer apparently? No PBs reported but some fantastic running on what was a rather chilly morning.

Kay Hunt and Adam Thomas crossed the line together in 0:56:21, Followed by Sharon Gardner in 1:05:42, Peter Broom 1:06:14, Vicky Shrubsole 1:06:36 and Danielle Moss 1:34:14 . Well done to you all it really looked like you all had a lovely day! 

That rounds up this weeks results well done to everyone that raced, ran or just came out to support!

Saturday was mild for the time of year but Ashford was experiencing drizzly showers, despite that we still had a good showing at parkrun.

Keith Haynes’s flying feet meant he was first Strider and 9th finisher overall with a time of 19:47, Dan Green was next for the club in a time of 20:54, and Daniel Schwartz was third Strider, with a time of 24:20.
They were followed by:
Scott Hawkins 25:38, Josh Stephens with a PB of 25:48, Dave Winchester 27:51, Kevan Strand 27:52, Don Dewar 28:09, Amanda James 29:18, Sharni Copham 30:10, Simon Pharoah 30:24, Rita Cooke 32:38, Jayne Hatton 33:05, Carole Thomas 33:08, Sara Dewar 33:51, Lisa Fulcher 34:00, Rachel Oliver 34:10, Jennifer Watts 35:03, Mathew Norman 35:51, Laura Clark earning a PB with 36:17, Leigh Freeman 36:20, Kate Bushell ran her second parkrun and beat her previous time with 37:08, Robert Harris 37:43, Holly Forrest 39:22, Danielle Mackenzie 39:40 and Mark Niles 54:52

Parkrun Tourism
Striders visiting other Kent parkruns this weekend were:
Tamsin Ritchie completed Canterbury parkrun in 31:15
By the harbour at Dover Waterfront parkrun were Amanda Cooper finishing in 27:46, Rachel Misson 28:29, Peter Broom 33:34 and Hazel Forrester 34:47
A group of Striders visited Folkestone parkrun before carrying on for a long training run; first Strider to finish was Delia Millen with a course PB of 32:23, then Richard Randle 32:24, Heather Fraser 38:11 and Julie Nicholson and Clare Maxlow both finished in 38:12
Martin Whittingham completed the Whitstable parkrun in 34:41 accompanied by Lynnette Whittingham who finished in 56:39

Just over the border into Greater London is Orpington parkrun, a run mainly on grass which is pretty muddy this time of year. First Strider was Elle Weekes in 25:55, then Jamie Penfold 26:22, Michelle Bryant 36:31 and Rachel Tomsett 36:31

Also in Greater London, three Striders visited Kingston parkrun which runs alongside the river Thames. Justin Burden finished in 23:27, Nicola Crawley 28:41 and Justine Wearn 30:51

Furthest travelled Strider this weekend was Cherith Wright who completed Ecos parkrun, Ballymena in Northern Ireland, and finished in 23:13

On Sunday, many Striders were out completing long runs in damp conditions as part of their marathon training. However three Striders travelled to Deal for Deal Tri Club’s Half Marathon. This is a challenging course starting at Betteshanger and winding through quiet rural roads. Our trio of racers all earned personal bests with times as follows – Isobel Phillips 2:10:12, Elle Weekes 2:11:36 and George Phillips 2:17:21

Well done everyone on some excellent runs and races this weekend! 👏

Good evening, and Happy Chinese New Year to you. Striders were back out in force, running races and Parkruns galore!!

Sadly Ashford Parkrun was cancelled so Tourism was in full flow! There were Striders everywhere and I’ll start from the top at Bromley!

First in was David Martins with 28:09, then was Mandy Cooper – 29:34, Nicola Crawley was next with 30:28 followed by Nadine Lidbury – 31:38, Justine Wearn – 31:39, Andy Found – 31:40, Sarah Martins – 32:07 and Lisa Fulcher – 48:03

Scott Hawkins was in Ipswich, completing their Parkrun in 27:53.

Dermot Carr and Michelle Bryant were in Maidstone and completed that Parkrun in 29:26 and 34:36 respectively.

Tamsin Ritchie was over at Canterbury and finished her 5k in 31:27.

Adrian Green flew round Margate’s course in 20:37.

Folkestone were graced with the presence of six of our members – Dan Green – 20:51, Don Dewar – 28:17, Kevan Strand – 30:00, Sharni Copham – 30:50, Sally Davidson-Daniel – 32:10, and Sara Dewar, who came in at 33:16.

Elle Weekes is in Australia and took part in the Menai Parkrun, finishing in 26:57.

Rachel Tomsett was at beautiful Bedgebury and finished in 39:10.

Clapham Common saw four of our members; Justin Burden was first to finish in 25:05, followed by Katie Fox – 35:12, Siobhan Hagan – 35:13, Laura Clark – 38:48

Peter Broom and Hazel Forrester were at Cyclopark Parkrun and they finished in 33:32 and 35:33 respectively.

Next was Ilfield Mill Pond Parkrun where Daniel Schwartz finished in 25:13 and Sonette Schwartz finished in 32:48.

Mark Niles was at Mote Park and finished in 22:56.

Last but not least, we had several Striders down in Dover for their Parkrun at Dover Waterfront. Richard Randle led the way, finishing in 27:53, Ash Robinson, continuing his fine form, came in at 28:21, then came Lisa Gribbin with 29:48, Rachel Misson – 30:16, Dee Millen – 32:34 and finally Raechel Kind came in at 33:04.

Saturday also saw the last Cross Country Race of the Season where Striders had four brave souls representing us in Bromley – the course was a tough one with two laps and our representation did us proud! As did our shiny new tent! (Gazebo!)

First Strider home was Jack Farrant, working those spikes and sprinting over the finish with a time of 38:33, just behind was Jason Kennedy with 40:52 and then in the ladies team were Jayne Hatton, completing her first Cross Country in 54:42 and Lisa Fulcher in 55:54 – very well done to you all!

On Sunday was the Victoria Park Half in London where we had several of our own taking part! Michelle Bryant finished with a PB in a time of 2:29:14 and Lisa Fulcher finished in 2:36:31!

We also had the Headcorn Half Marathon where we had a huge representation, and some smashing PB’s! Keith Haynes was first in for us with a PB and a time of 1:30:12, Simon Pharoah was next with 1:40:11 and another PB! Richard Randle, also with a PB came in at 1:54:36. Next we had Dermot Carr – 2:00:09, Jamie Bartlett – 2:00:26(PB), Peter Heckel – 2:04:56, Vicky Stevenson – 2:07:40, Mandy Cooper – 2:11:48, Darren Laker – 2:12:29, David Martins – 2:23:51(PB), Dee Millen – 2:41:50(PB), Sarah Martins – 2:45 and then our very own VIP, Holly Forrest who finished the race with the ferocity of an asteroid, in 3:01:48! Some amazing performances there, well done!

So here we are, have a great week everyone and don’t forget that next week marks the annual day for showing love, yes, pancake day! Remember, toss carefully and be very careful squeezing those lemons, we don’t want any accidents!

Despite the mass Strider exodus to Bushy Park this week, Ashford Parkrun still saw 12 Striders in action with Keith Haynes and Dan Green leading the pack and Rita Cooke claiming the first lady place. Simon Jackson and Lee Standen were both amongst the many volunteers so thanks to both of you.

Onto the Bushy Park event and 44 Striders took part. An early start with the coach leaving Ashford at 06.30 did not deter the Striders who took part and again some fantastic results were achieved. Some raced it, others took in the occasion and the scenery and some treated it as part of their LSR’s but whatever they did, they all enjoyed it once they had got over the shock of the mass start 0f 1675 runners !!

Other Strider destinations this week were Dover Waterfront, Folkestone, Malling and Sutcliffe and all of the results can be seen below.

Ashford

Keith Haynes 19:56, Dan Green 21:03, Scott Hawkins 25:52, Josh Stephens 27:22, David Helme 27:36, David Gadsby 27:41, Christopher Wicks 31:35, Rita Cooke 33:19, Carole Thomas 33:27, Rachel Oliver 34:45, Jennifer Watts 36:14, Mathew Norman 37:46

Bushy Park

Michael Davies 21:35, Jack Farrant 21:49, Mark Niles 22:17 Terry Sellen 22:59, Justin Burden 23:12, Jamie Penfold24:06, Jason Wearn 24:48, Hazel Turner 25:22, Paul Bacon Baker 26:58, Don Dewar 28:27, Jason Sanders 28:33, Tamsin Ritchie 28:36 Nicola Crawley 28:40, Lucie Shrubsole 28:46, George Cromwell 28:46, Amanda Cooper 28:50, Pauline Tallett 29:10, Lisa Gribbin 29:32, Amanda James 30:23, Nadine Lidbury 30:49, Justine Wearn 30:51 Sharon Gardner 31:25 Michelle Brice 31:47 Peter Broom 32:14 Dave Warner 32:22 Ash Robinson 32:30 Jayne Hatton 32:42 Andy Found 33:36 Vicky Stevenson 33:38 Chloe Darling 33:39 Brian Forrester 33:54 Cara Linin 34:44 Sara Dewar 34:55 Leigh Freeman 34:56 Hazel Forrester 36:23 Laura Clark 37:26 Julie Foster 38:20 Kirsty Theobald 40:15.

Dover Waterfront

Rachel Misson 28:22

Folkestone

Emma Matthews 37:26

Malling

Lisa Fulcher 34:10

Sutcliffe

Siobhan Hagan 39:26

There was Just the one race this weekend and that was the Bedgebury 5 and 10 milers…..Ok so there was actually two races !!

Simon Pharoah, Dermot Carr and Lisa Gribbin (Tail-walker) chose the 10 mile event. Simon recorded a new PB with a great time of 1:17:33 (Well done Simon !!) and he was followed by Dermot in 1:43:40 and Lisa in 2:25:30.

In the 5 mile event Jason Kennedy led the Strider pack with a new PB of 41:49 (Great running Jason !!) and he was followed by Graham Troman 45:00 and Katie Fox 46:23.

A huge well done to everyone who ran this weekend and I hope you all have a great week!