Ashford Striders

Striders were here, there and everywhere this week at home and abroad. As usual we will start with Saturday and parks across the UK and USA welcomed their 9am weekly visitors aka Parkrunners.
Its unusual to find a Parkrun these days that isn’t graced by at least one red shirt with the iconic tank badge that indicates only one thing…Striders are in town !!
We will start outside of our home territory this week and Mark Niles trundled over to the Bath Skyline event and set off with all guns blazing to record a superb finish time of 23.00 mins.
Northampton was the battlefield of choice for Claire Hall-Dawson and she conquered that in 26:27 whilst at Widnes Parkrun Hazel Turner raised the victory flag in 24:29.
Burnham and Highbridge has seen many epic battles in the past but none more so than Saturday when Stephen Cleaver turned up and stunned the natives with a superb 25:23 run.
Julie Nicholson infiltrated the Malling event and finished in 37:35 and intelligence revealed tough opposition at Whitstable so Striders piled in mob-handed and our trio of foot soldiers Justin Burden, Graham Troman and Siobhan Hagan claimed victory with finish times of 23:21, 26:41 and 28:23 respectively. Martin Whittingham took on Royal Tunbridge Wells single-handedly and brushed the enemy aside with a 33:19 run and across Kent at Canterbury Tamsin Ritchie shook the locals to the core as she stole their show with an impressive 26:25. Lee Standen took his tank over to Mote Park and tested it out on the vast slopes there and it came through the test with flying colours in 32:30 and Lisa Gribbin used the Delaware and Raritan event with our allies in the USA as a mock battle to prepare for her big challenge on Sunday and she came through in 31:11.
Ashford Parkrun saw the bulk of our battle weary troops in action as they prepared for future conflicts and recovered from past ones and General Keith Haynes led the charge with a brilliant 20:33 finish. Kevan Strand was hot on his heels but didn’t have quite enough in the tank (see what I did there ?) to catch him so settled for 20:57 whilst Neil Wood recorded a fantastic new PB with 22:12. Jason Wearn was fourth in the Group 1 face off and smashed out a 22:21 finish whilst Dave Winchester prepared for his imminent promotion to group 1 ith 24:21. Ian McCutcheon ran a great race and finished in 25:55 and David Helme went one better and secured a new PB with 26:03. Nicola Crawley took the first Strider lady place with 26:32.
Jamie Bartlett and Amanda Cooper were the next reds over the line with 27:27 and 28:21 and our most senior officer David Gadsby led by example with an excellent 28:25.
Rachel Tomsett and Richard Randle were seen discussing tactics on the way round and they obviously worked as both came in sub 30 with 28:51 and 28:52 respectively and Amanda James was close enough behind to hear their conversation and came through in 29:30.
Jason Brice and Justine Wearn were next Striders home with 29:34 and 29:59 followed by Rachel Theobold and Kevin York with 30:55 and 30:56. Lucie Shrubsole just managed to pip Dave Warner to the post with 32:12 with Dave just two seconds behind in 32:14.
Rita Cooke 32:29, Lisa Fulcher 32:42, Sharni Copham (Happy birthday for yesterday !!) 32:54 and Vicky Shrubsole 32:56 were the next Strider quartet over the line with Brian and Hazel Forrester completing the Strider ranks at Ashford with 33:49 and 38:55
Thanks also to the Strider Volunteers of which some have been injured in action and others that can’t ride a bike let alone a tank. This week they were Don Dewar, Vicky Stevenson, Andy Found, Darren Laker, Jennifer Watts and Simon Jackson.
With not many races going on this week, Karen Edwards still managed to find one to fly the Strider flag at the M&S Beckley 10k and she conquered the steep hills and pouring rain in 1:05:49 and then there was Lisa Gribbin.
Lisa flew over the pond to the Big Apple to do battle with the Yanks in the New York Marathon. Proudly wearing her Striders shirt she completed it in 5:11:14. A wonderful achievement Lisa and we all hope you enjoyed the experience and you certainly did yourself, your family and the club proud. Huge congratulations to you !!
Well Done to everyone who ran, volunteered and supported this weekend
Over and Out!

Report by Andy Found.

Ashford Parkrun
Keith Haynes was the first Strider to finish this week’s 5km run at Victoria Park, finishing in an impressive time of 20:55. Kevan Strand was next, finishing in 22:05, then Neil Wood, 22:53.
Jason Kennedy finished in 24:01, followed by the ever-improving Jack Farrant who earned himself a shiny new PB with a fantastic time of 24:32. Well done Jack!
Next was Stephen Cleaver, 24:52, Dave Winchester, 25:43 and Richard Randle, 27:02. David Helme came in with a 27:24, Jason Brice, 28:14 with Graham Troman hard on his heels with a time of 28:22.
A special mention to Don Dewar who, after a hip replacement less than 12 months ago, ran his 200th Parkrun in a time of 29:00. Well done, Don!
Rachel Tomsett was next over the line with a sub-30-minute time of 29:49, then Aisha Booth, 31:06, Rachel Theobald, 31:28, Kevin York, 31:29, Dave Warner, 32:41, Rita Cooke, 32:43, Lisa Fulcher, 34:03, Jenny Watts, 34:26 and Martin Whittingham, 36:03.
Then came Julie Nicholson, who not only ran her milestone 50th Parkrun, she also made it her fastest so far with a PB time of 37:14. Great running Julie!
As always, we’re very grateful to those Strider members who give up their time to volunteer. This week, our thanks go to Simon Jackson, Amanda James, Rebecca James, Clare Maxlow with her daughter Megan and last, but by no means least, Terry Sellen.

Parkrun Tourism
Nicola Crawley and Justine Wearn travelled to Great Lines Parkrun, Medway at Gillingham, completing the course in times of 27:49 and 29:49 respectively.
Justin Burden ran a time of 24:44 as the sole Strider at Tonbridge Parkrun
Amanda Cooper took in seaside views along the Leas at the Folkestone Parkrun, completing her 5km in 28:10.
Portsmouth Lakeside Parkrun was Peter Broom’s venue of choice on Saturday morning. He completed the course with a time of 31:29.
Rebecca Somerford travelled the furthest this week, running a time of 32:39 in the Haldon Forest parkrun in Devon.
Four Striders went to the Lordship Recreation Ground Parkrun in North London.
Hazel Turner was first of the four to finish with a time of 25:04. Next came Siobhan Hagan, finishing in 27:10, then Michelle Bryant, 29:39 and Lisa Gribbin, 30:06.
Hemerodromoi Run
On Saturday Ruth Goddard travelled to Egham to take part in this event to celebrate Richard William’s 300th Marathon and to raise money for Alzheimer’s Research. This was a 7 hour challenge to see how many 4.37 mile laps runners can complete along a beautiful stretch of the River Thames.
Ruth completed 6 laps of the course, achieving her marathon distance in a time of 6:57.
Ashford & District Halloween 5 & 10 Mile
There was a great turnout of Ashford Striders for the annual Halloween run, hosted by Ashford District Road Running Club, which offered a choice of 5 mile or 10 miles routes.
5 mile results
Justin Burden 40:30 (PB)
Adam Thomas 42:02 (PB)
Jamie Bartlett 46:23 (PB)
Claire Hall-Dawson 46:41 (PB)
Justine Bushell 47:04
Siobhan Hagan 47:35 (PB)
Louise Huyton 49:16 (PB)
Amanda James 49:52
Rebecca James 51:26
Lisa Fulcher 55:50
Jenny Watts 56:53
Jack Farrant 57:16
Sharon Gardner 57:17
Kay Hunt 57:17
Sharni Copham 57:18
Vicky Shrubsole 57:18
Brian Forrester 58:32
Kirsty Theobald 1:01:37
Hazel Forrester 1:02:15
Danielle Moss 1:10:54
10 mile results
Kevan Strand 1:20:05
Jason Wearn 1:20:05 (PB)
Dave Winchester 1:23:23 (PB)
Nigel Hills 1:28:10
Hazel Turner 1:28:12
Vicky Stevenson 1:33:44 (PB)
Richard Randle 1:37:07
Jo Mason 1:45:55
Ian Watson 1:46:17
Jayne Hatton 1:46:18
Bedgebury Forest 10k
Cristina Adams was the sole Strider to take part in this 10k race in the beautiful Bedgebury National Pinetum and Forest, finishing in a time of 1:08:27.
Well done to Ashford Striders for another wonderful week of running achievements!
Report by Paul Dunning

This weekend was certainly a game of two halves weather-wise! However, whatever the weather brings, there will always be Striders getting out there and enjoying running in the great outdoors.
Saturday was mild and sunny, which encouraged plenty of club members out to parkrun.
Starting at our local Ashford event, Keith Haynes was the first Strider to finish in 20:48. Kevan Strand was next in 22:04, followed by Neil Wood 23:08, Dave Winchester 23:16 and Adam Thomas 23:25. Nicola Crawley was first Strider lady this week, running 25:59, David Helme followed in 26:44, then Graham Troman 27:23, David Gadsby 28:10, Jamie Bartlett 28:13, Vicky Stevenson 28:31, Siobhan Hagan 28:46, Michelle Bryant 29:32, Peter Broom 31:25, Rachel Tomsett 32:43, Rita Cooke 32:49, Rachel Oliver 33:02, Lisa Fulcher 33:19, Jennifer Watts 33:48, Brian Forrester 33:54, David Holland 34:00, Danielle Mackenzie 36:53, Hazel Forrester 36:54, Martin Whittingham 37:34, Julie Nicholson 39:06 and finally Terry Sellen, who was volunteering as tail walker, finished in 54:45.
The other Striders who were volunteering at Ashford this week were: Hazel Turner, Jason Caldwell, Justine Wearn, Rachel Tomsett and Simon Jackson. Thanks to you all for your help and encouragement!
Special mentions go to Rachel Oliver who ran her 200th parkrun this week, and to Dave Winchester, Adam Thomas and Michelle Bryant who all earned themselves new course personal bests. A big well done to you all!
Parkrun tourism
Mark Niles ran at Maidstone parkrun for the second time, he was just 3 seconds off his course PB, finishing in 23:10. Justin Burden continued his tour of Kent parkruns with a 24:48 finish at Dartford parkrun. Lee Standen parkwalked around the fields at Squerryes Winery parkrun, coming in at 1:03:15. The prize for furthest travelled Strider this week goes to Richard Randle who went to Penrose parkrun, a woodland course held on a National Trust estate in Cornwall. Richard finished in a time of 27:28.
Beachy Head races
Lots of Striders travelled to Eastbourne to take on some of the South East’s toughest trail races. Four races of different distances are held over the weekend, in the picturesque South Downs. There are lots of hills to tackle, including the legendary first steep climb just metres from the start, but runners are rewarded with fabulous views!
Saturday’s racers got lucky with the weather. Tamsin Ritchie opted for the marathon and finished in a terrific 6:21:03. Not satisfied with running 26 miles was Mandy Cooper, who added on the extra 10k loop to finish the Ultra race in an amazing 7:33:38.
Sunday’s runners taking on the half marathon weren’t so fortunate with the weather, having to deal with torrential thunderstorms. Despite this, our club mates managed some fantastic running. Jason Kennedy was first Strider in 2:03:17, followed by Andy Found 2:32:43, then Ian Watson running a personal best time of 2:38:34. Justine Wearn finished in 2:43:00, closely followed by Jason Wearn 2:43:12, then Nadine Golding 2:52:53, Nicola Crawley 3:04:01 and Rachel Tomsett 3:20:03.
Woodchurch 5 and 10 miles
Also braving the heavy rain on Sunday, were those taking part in these undulating road races in the Kent countryside. Nigel Hills opted for the 5 mile race and completed it in an impressive personal best time of 40:43. Completing the 10 mile distance were David Helme in 1:35:29 and Angie Craffey in 1:54:10.
A huge well done to everyone who ran this week, you are all amazing!
Report by Lisa Fulcher.

Apologies for the delay. It’s been a hectic weekend.
Ashford Striders Members were out and about in force again this weekend representing the club across the south East and South Coast and Europe and doing it in style with some truly magnificent performances.
As usual the Parkrunners kicked the weekend off as they headed off to various destinations in Strider Red for their 5k fix, we will start at Ashford where the promise of Cake attracted most Striders. Martin Whittingham celebrated his 100 PR milestone on home turf, Keith Haynes headed the Strider field once again with an impressive 21.15 finish with Kevan Strand taking silver as he returned from injury and ‘eased’ his way back in with 22.54. Mark Niles achieved 23.37 as he too looks to recover from a troublesome Achilles and Terry Sellen followed him to record an impressive 24.23. Strider newcomer Dave Winchester celebrated his first race in red with 25.09 followed by Ian McCutcheon with 25.21. Darren Laker put in another good shift with 26.21 hotly pursued by Jason Brice, Kevin York, Jamie Bartlett and Steve Rumsey who all got sub 30s with 27.38, 28.31, 28.57 and 29.51 respectively.
Rachel Tomsett took the first Strider lady honours this week with a time of 30.40 and Rita Cooke narrowly missed out on a PB with 32.22. Jennifer Watts did manage a new PB as she crossed the line in 32.50 well done Jennifer. Man of the morning was Martin Whittingham who celebrated his milestone run with a 33.45 finish, he was followed over the line by Michelle Brice 37.27 and Danielle Moss 40.56. As always thanks to the Strider volunteers who this week included Lisa Fulcher, Clare Maxlow, Simon Jackson and Nicola Crawley.

Ok then, on to the tourists for this week. Maidstone Parkrun welcomed Tamsin Ritchie who completed the run along the River Medway in 58.45 whilst just across town at Mote Park, Andy Found, Justine Wearn and Jason Wearn warmed up for the Sunday action with times of 29.21, 30.25 and 30.28 respectively. Julie Nicholson took in the sea air at Whitstable and recorded a 38.06 finish whilst Siobhan Hagan recorded a new 5k PB at Raphael Parkrun in Essex with 26.26, Well done Siobhan. Justin Burden and Hazel Turner jumped on the train and headed to Orpington and both recorded excellent times of 25.06 and 25.33 respectively which completes the tourist line up for this weekend and well done to you all.

Right then, Down in the South of England we had a lot of Striders in action and Saturday saw five of them undertake the Run to the Sea Ulta-Marathon, a gruelling 50k run across tough terrain from Ringwood in Hampshire to Bournemouth. These guys put in a lot of training for this epic run and it paid off so huge congratulations to them all. First to see the seaside was Tammy Brooks who completed in 6:26:54. Next through was Kay Hunt with 6:32:28 and then Chloe Darling and Adam Thomas had a near photo finish with 6:42:32 and 6:42:34 respectively and finally Disco David Helme with 6:57:59. Also a big thanks to Tammy’s husband Trevor for being their chaperone for the weekend. Well done all of you and hope you recover quickly from your aches and pains.

Sunday, saw a big Strider contingent converge on Portsmouth for the Great South Run. A fantastic well supported 10 mile event involving over 20,000 runners and some epic performances from some of the Strider Speedsters as they went head to head after a week or so of wind ups and teasing from their devious club mates. At the end of the day it was Kevan Strand who took Striders Gold as he set a new PB with an outstanding finish time 1:15:44 and his rival Jason Caldwell took Silver with an equally impressive 1:17:18. You may now see Jason wandering the streets of Ashford with his suitcase as his wife said don’t come home unless you win. The Striders Bronze went to Jason Wearn with 1:20:27, he kept the front two in his sights for the whole race but just not quite enough in the tank to pip them to the post but more than enough to earn himself a new 10 mile PB There was some equally impressive performances from the rest of the Striders on the day too with Rob Wood taking 4th place with an outstanding 1:25:32 finish and Gayle Bailey taking ladies Gold and a new PB with a brilliant time of 1:31:05. Just 32 seconds behind Gayle was Nicola Crawley who took 5th place with 1:31:37 and then Vicky Stevenson followed with 1:37:31. Andy Found huffed and puffed to a finish time of 1:41:32 and the ever improving Jayne Hatton earned herself a shiny new PB with a fantastic 1:42:45. Justine Wearn crossed the line in 1:44:42 and Dani Moss showed real grit and determination to cross the line to the sound of huge Strider cheers and applause which is of course the Strider way….No one leaves until we are all back safe and sound. Well done to all involved and of course we all enjoyed a Strider after party in the Jolly Sailor before heading home.

Furthest afield this weekend was Simon Jackson who chose Amsterdam for his Autumn Marathon, massive congratulations to him for completing it in an impressive 4:23:44.

Back in the UK and closer to home we had five Striders competing in the Port Lympne 5k and 10k races. Both are tough courses so PBs were hard to come by. The 5k was completed by Vicky Shrubsole and Sharon Gardner who finished neck and neck in 37:49 and Karen Edwards who ran with her daughter finished in 40:00. The 10k route was tackled by Nigel Hills who just managed a sub 60 mins with 59:47. Jack Farrant recorded an impressive 1:00:41 finish and Kate Stroud who also ran with her son and crossed the line 1:02:27.
Finally to round up another busy Strider Weekend we had two representatives and two impressive performances at the Maidstone Half Marathon. Tamsin Ritchie completed it in 2:00:54 and Mandy Cooper crossed the finish line in 2:14:02.
Another brilliant weekend of running for the club and each and every one of you did yourselves and the club proud.
Report by Andy Found.

Buckle up people, this was a super strider weekend of running.
Ashford Parkrun
With many races on Sunday, a reasonably quiet Ashford Parkrun saw 12 Ashford Striders taking on the local 5k distance.
Terry Sellen was the first man in red to cross the line in an impressive 25:55, followed by David Gadsby 28:19, Justine Wearn 29:25 and Jason Wearn 29:26 all coming in under the 30 minute mark. Jason Brice was next 30:25, Rachel Theobald 31:16, Kevin York 31:17, Brian Forrester 32:07, Lisa Fulcher 32:35, Adam Thomas 35:40 and helping out the tail walkers today was Siobhan Hagan and Graham Troman, finishing together in 54:15 this completed the Ashford Parkrun Strider representatives.
Thanks also as always to all volunteers at Ashford; especially a number of our lovely Striders. Amanda Mandy Cooper, Don Dewer, Kevan Strand, Lisa Fulcher, Rita Cooke and Terry Sellen.
Canterbury Parkrun
Tamsin Ritchie completed Canterbury Parkrun in an impressive time of 27:16. Well done Tamsin.
Kingsbury Water Parkrun
Martin Whittingham continued his love of park run bingo running a ‘K’ finishing in a time of 32:55.
Squerryes Winery Parkrun
Not sure why I haven’t completed this parkrun yet ? Any run that has the word ‘wine’ in the name sounds my kind of run. Justin Burden continued his love of tourism finishing In 25:43.
Iford Mill Parkrun
Another park run ‘nerd’ Nicola Crawley ticked off her ’I’ completing Iford parkrun in an impressive 25:48.
Well done everyone on Saturday.
Out of Time Relay – reported by Mandy Cooper
During the night a small group of Striders took part in the Out of Time relay. Sadly the organisers had a runner drop out for the previous leg. Thankfully for them Greg Johnson stepped up to the mark to receive the baton (actually a bunch of sticks!) from the previous runner to run the leg solo from Lenham to Westwell to meet team mates Jason Caldwell, Gayle Bailey, Tamsin Ritchie and Mandy Cooper So, at 2am the group set off on a 10km route to finish at Julie Rose Stadium. Thankfully on this leg they had support drivers. Nadine Golding and Ian Watson who provided lights and shelter. Lucky as one of the group hates running in the dark! They arrived at Julie Rose stadium by 3am to hand the “baton” over to a small group of runners to continue the relay, allowing our Strider team mates to get back to bed!
Thank you for this report Mandy and absolutely well done to you all (especially Greg who completed his half marathon in 2:21)
Givaudan 10k
A beautiful sunny Sunday morning saw numerous amount of Striders out on our home turf for the local Givaudan 10k. The atmosphere before the run in the Strider camp was a mix of nerves and excitement. Pre-race advice was given, professional warm ups complete and we were off; results are:-
Keith Haynes 42:56
Adam Thomas. 47:37. PB
Justin Burden. 48:29
Simon Jackson. 48:41. PB
Nigel Hills. 49:36
Terry Sellen. 50:00
Paul Dunning. 50:37
Aimee Donohue. 52:45. PB
Darren Laker. 54:06. PB
Graham Troman. 55:48
Katie Stroud. 56:24
Claire Hall-Dawson. 56:37. PB
Siobhan Hagan 57:55. PB
Michelle Bryant. 58:55. PB
Kevin Miller. 59:26. PB
Jayne Hatton. 1:00:30 PB
Aisha Booth. 1:00:58. PB
Becky Somerford 1:01:39
Sharon Gardner. 1:02:36. PB
Angie Craffey. 1:02:57. PB
Rebecca James. 1:04:16
Rita Cooke. 1:05:48. PB
Dermot Carr. 1:06:02. PB
Jenny Watts. 1:07:18. PB
Rachel Oliver. 1:08:03.
Clare Maxlow. 1:08:22. PB
Emma Matthews. 1:14:45. PB
Kirsty Theobald. 1:15:57.
Julie Nicholson. 1:15:24. PB
Danielle Moss. 1:22:39
An absolutely amazing Strider effort today. Massive well done to every single one of you. An extra well done to everyone achieving a personal best Also a huge thank you to all Strider Marshalls today.
The support in general around the streets of Ashford for this race was amazing today. Once again, Ashford Striders, really did display what an outstanding, inclusive and supportive club we really are.
I know the runners appreciated the Strider support along the route and especially at the finish line; when people had finished their race they made sure they stayed behind to cheer ALL of our runners home. Well done Team Striders we did ourselves proud, both runners and supporters.
Royal Parks Half Marathon
Some Striders took to the streets and beautiful parks of London today running the Royal Parks Half Marathon.
Simon Richter was first home in 1:58:16, with Chloe Darling achieving a half marathon PB of 2:03:21. Rachel Phillips was next to finish in 2:04:16 and Hazel Forester coming in in 2:57:54. Well done everyone.
A mega busy weekend of brilliant running. Absolutely congrats to everyone Have a great week of running A bit of a long report this weekend, so If you notice an error, please do not hesitate to tell me and I will amend. I am however off to have a very large glass of wine so any amendments may be made tomorrow before I send it off to the paper.

Report by Justine Wearn

Ashford Parkrun
This week’s Ashford Parkrun was taken over by members of Ashford & District Road Running Club. Thanks to everyone who volunteered to make this week’s event happen.
15 members of Ashford Striders turned out on Saturday morning to run the 5km event around Victoria Park. First Strider to cross the line was Keith Haynes with a super quick time of 20:54. Well done Keith. Adam Thomas was next with 25:36, just behind him was Hazel Turner and Terry Sellen with times of 25:54 and 25:57 respectively.
Next was Richard Randle, 26:36, Graham Troman, 27:50, Siobhan Hagan, 29:06 and Amanda James, 29:19.
Sonette Schwartz achieved a time of 30:40 just ahead of Lisa Gribbin who finished in 30:45. Jayne Hatton was next at 31:42, followed by Michelle Bryant, 32:02, Lisa Fulcher, 32:13, Rita Cooke, 33:28 and Jenny Watts, 33:46.
Well done to you all!
Strider Tourism
This October marks the 18th anniversary of Parkrun. To commemorate this, Parkrun are dedicating the whole of October to Parkwalk at Parkrun. The lovely Tamsin Ritchie decided to travel to Whitstable Parkrun and had a fabulous time Parkwalking along the promenade in a time of 48:11.
Rachel Tomsett also Parkwalked whilst away in South Wales, completing Pontypool Parkrun in 43:12.
Two Striders ventured to Sittingbourne Parkrun, running 5km around Milton Creek Country Park. Justin Burden achieved a time of 24:29 and Nicola Crawley finishing in 26:25.
Colchester Stampede Half Marathon
Aimee Donohue went to Essex on Sunday to run the Colchester Stampede Half marathon which starts in the centre of Colchester Zoo.
Aimee achieved a brilliant new half marathon PB with a time of 2:04:30. She even ran her fastest ever 10k (57:25) within the run. She said that there were a few nasty hills on the route, but starting and finishing running past elephants and rhinos made up for it!
Congratulations Aimee!
London Marathon
Our capital city was host to the 42nd London Marathon on Sunday. 42,000 runners gathered at Greenwich Park to run the 26.2-mile route to the Mall.
Six brave Striders took park. Andy Found was raising money for Muscular Dystrophy UK, and had a brilliant run, coming across the line with a time of 4:50:32. Justine Wearn got herself noticed by the cameras with her union jack running gear and her beaming smile. She finished in 5:07:02 just ahead of Richard Barnes, who was running for King’s Health Partners and finished in 5:07:29.
David Helme completed the course with a time of 5:10:35 followed by Angie Craffey & Julie Moore, who both ran a time of 5:37:29 for Whizz-Kidz. Next came Clare Maxlow, who finished in 6:17:15.
Huge thanks to the Ashford Strider members who made their way to the event to volunteer and cheer on the runners.
London Virtual Marathon
Two Striders completed 26.2 miles in the London Virtual Marathon. Lisa Gribbin completed her marathon route in 5:02:30 and Simon Richter finished in 5:13:55.
Well done to you all for training so hard and battling to complete this awesome achievement. You should all be very proud!

Report by Paul Dunning.

Ashford Parkrun
A great turnout of 24 Striders ran in this week’s Ashford 5km event at Victoria Park. Keith Haynes was first Strider over the line with a time of 20:52. Next was Justin Burden, 23:35, Terry Sellen, 25:15 and Ian McCutcheon, 26:18.
Graham Troman crossed the line in 27:32 with Jason Sanders hard on his heels with a time of 27:39 just ahead of Mark Niles, 27:41.
After a superb PB last week at Victoria Dock Parkrun, Siobhan Hagan continues to grow in confidence and ran an impressive time of 27:50, a 1 minute 35 second improvement on her previous PB at Ashford. Great running Siobhan!
Vicky Stevenson was next with a time of 28:06 followed by Claire Hall-Dawson who ran a personal best time of 28:21. Next was Don Dewar, 29:16, Michelle Bryant, 29:45, Adam Thomas, 30:12 and Sonette Schwartz, 30:39.
Peter Broom finished in 30:46 closely followed by Tamsin Ritchie, 30:54 and Cathie Wall, 31:06. Next was Brian Forrester, 32:48, Lisa Fulcher, 33:44, Jenny Watts, 34:04 and Martin Whittingham, 34:05.
Next to finish was Rita Cooke who finished with a time of 34:19, then Rachel Tomsett, 41:10 and Danielle Moss, 42:37.
As always, we are grateful to Ashford Strider members who put themselves forward to volunteer at their home Parkrun. The event wouldn’t happen without you. Thanks to Jamie Bartlett, James Booth, Jason Caldwell, Simon Jackson, Darren Laker, Kevan Strand and Hazel Turner.

Striders on Tour
Maidstone Parkrun
Three Striders made their way to Maidstone to take part in the scenic riverside Parkrun along the banks of the river Medway. Andy Found was first to finish with a time of 29:34, Nicola Crawley and Justine Wearn finished in 30:29 and 30:34.
Clair Parkrun
Richard Randle travelled to Haywards Heath in West Sussex to run four laps of this parkland course. He crossed the line in a time of 36:44.
Folkestone Parkrun
Amanda Cooper went to the Leas in Folkestone, running a great time of 27:56.
Haga Parkrun
Our most intrepid Strider this week as Lee Standen, who while visiting Sweden made his way to the Haga Parkrun, running in a time of 31:47.

Folkestone Rotary Half
We had three Striders at this seafront event which takes runners from Folkestone to Hythe and back. It’s mostly flat, except for a cheeky (or downright cruel) hill climb just before the finish. Adam Thomas ran a cracking race, earning himself a PB with his time of 1:49:21. Tamsin Ritchie was just behind him, coming in at 1:59:45. Daren Laker has been training well for his first half, and can be very proud of his time of 2:08:15.

Four Castles Challenge
This hilly half marathon along the coastline in East Kent was well attended by Strider runners, with eight members doing us proud. The route starts at Deal Pier and passes Sandown Castle, Deal Castle and Walmer Castle before finishing at the iconic Dover Castle.
Simon Richter was first Strider to cross the line with a time of 1:59:39. Hazel Turner was on his tail coming in at 2:00:46. Rachel Phillips finished in 2:05:40, Kay Hunt, 2:19:20, Nicola Crawley, 2:24:22 followed by Jason Sanders, 2:29:04, Sharni Copham, 2:58:40 and Vicky Shrubsole, 2:58:59.
Well done Striders. Fantastic running all!
Report by Paul Dunning

With only a couple of races this weekend the majority of Striders opted for a Parkrun as their race fix of choice and Ashford Parkrun obviously saw most of them in action.

Ashford Parkrun
The first Red over the line this week was Keith Haynes who finished in an impressive 21:07 and he was followed by Paul Dunning in 24:27. Terry Sellen proudly donned his Striders vest and it inspired him to finish in 24:57 and Darren Laker narrowly missed out on a PB with a time of 25:25. Jack Farrant went one better and ran a new PB time of 25:53 well done Jack.
Jason Sanders came through next with 27:10 with Graham Truman close behind in 27:53. The evergreen David Gadsby secured a 28:40 finish and Lorna Dewell claimed first Strider lady spot with 28:48 in her first ever Parkrun with Amanda James close behind with 29:02. Rachel Tomsett was next with 29:50 and then Nicola Crawley celebrated her 100th Parkrun milestone with a time of 29:54. Aimee Donohue combined her Parkrun with a longer run and managed a time of 30:18 and she was followed in by Justine Wearn and Andy Found who both finished in 30:41. Peter Broom and Sharon Gardner were the next Striders over the finish line with times of 31:37 and 32:03 respectively and then Rita Cooke followed with 32:31. Brian Forrester finished in 33:28 and then Kevan Strand, running with some family members, crossed in 34:01. Hazel Forrester, Richard Randle and Danielle Moss completed the Strider line up at Ashford this week with respective times of 34:03, 35:59 and 41:43.
Of course Parkrun can’t go ahead without the help of the volunteers and this week they included Jason Caldwell, Simon Jackson, Terry Sellen, Rachel Tomsett and Strider newcomer Jennifer Watts. A big thanks to all of them for giving up their time so that others can run.

Parkrun tourism
Martin Whittingham visiting the Nonsuch event and completing it in 31:36 and Justin Burden recording a 26:27 at Tunbridge Wells. Tamsin Ritchie graced Malling Parkrun and finished in 25:44 and finally Siobhan Hagan continued her impressive form with a 27:31 result at Victoria Dock.
Well done to all Strider Parkrun competitors and volunteers.

Other races were few and far between this weekend but we did have Strider representation at Reigate and Faversham.
Run Reigate 10k
Lucie and Vicky Shrubsole both completing in 1:09:53.
Faversham 10k
Simon Richter and Rachel Phillips recorded times of 46:38 and 54:50 respectively.
Some very impressive running again this weekend.
Report by Andy Found.

Thursday 8th September 2022. As members gathered for their usual Thursday night club run, the official announcement of HRH Queen Elizabeth’s II passing spread amongst us. Prior to our run we respectfully observed a minute’s silence, reflecting on an unwavering dutiful lady that served our great country for over 70 year of her 96 years. R.I.P. ma’am.

Ashford Parkrun
I was able to support you all this morning as ATC hosted a take over of the Parkrun; I witnessed some superb Strider running – as always. First Strider over the line (in from what I could make out was a group 1 showdown) Kevan Strand 21:07, next was Keith Haynes 21:23, Jason Caldwell 21:49 and Neil wood 22:21(PB). Hazel Turner gave an impressive performance 24:16, Darren Laker & Jack Farrent bagging themselves PBs 25:17 & 26:23 respectively. Kevin York (minus buggy) 26:25, Graham Troman 27:14(shiny PB), David Helme 27:50, Mandy Cooper 28:03, Steve Rumsey 28:16, David Gadsby 28:50, Siobhan Hagan 29:25(another Strider smashing a PB this week), another Strider smashing their PB and getting her long awaited sub 30 was Lisa Gribbin coming in at 29:26 Amanda James also coming in at sub 30 at 29:41. Peter Broom was next through in 31:23, Rachel Oliver 32:40, Martin Whittingham 32:16, Brian forrester and Hazel Forrester came next 33:43 and 34:33. Rachel Tomsett 41:33, Don Dewer 43:05 and Garath Huyton 54:36.

Parkrun tourism
Moors Valley
Tamsin Ritchie completed Moors Valley in an impressive 25:12.
Folkestone
Richard Randall nipped down the road to our neighbours and completed Folkestone in 36:28.
Guernsey
Sonette Schwartz travelled further afield to Guernsey and completed in 32:54.
Swanley
Justin Burden was on his travels yet again this time completing Swanley 25:12.

Larkfield 10k
Two striders made the trip to run Larkfield. Vicky Stevenson was pleased with her time of 56:29, and Danielle Moss 1:30:05. Well done to both of you.

Rye Ancient Trail 30k
30km of hills, trails, fields, stiles and more hills ! Yuk ! However, some crazy Ashford Striders Members decided this was the best way to spend their Sunday morning ! Richard Randle was first strider home in 3:57:16, closely followed by Justine Bushell in 3:59:25. Adam Thomas and David Helme earned themselves PBs on this hard run recording times of 4:14 and 4:15:38 respectively with Amanda Cooper was just one minute behind David coming over the line in 4:16:53. Kay Hunt & Chloe Darling also completed this crazy course and came across the line in 4:24:20 & 4:23:37. Absolutely brilliant running.

Great North Run
The GNR is the largest half marathon in the world with 60,000 runners. The route begins in the middle of Newcastle, crossing over the Tyne Bridge and finishing in South Shields. A few Striders made the pilgrimage up North.
Simon Jackson came in at 1:57:50, followed by Nicola Crawley 2:18:46. Jayne Hatton crossed the line in 2:29:30, Sharon Gardner 2:33:03 and Nadine Golding 2:36:34. Well done everyone.
So we end this emotional and historic week with some fantastic running achievements. Well done everyone. Have another great week of running.

Report by Justine Wearn.

Rye Summer Series
Once again, Ashford Striders’ running weekend started early with a club member racing on the Friday night. Having run the first two 10k races in the series at Rye Harbour nature reserve, Justin Burden switched to the 5k option for the 3rd event of the series and finished in a time of 22:48

Ashford parkrun
Fewer club members were running at our home parkrun this week, partly due to a number of races taking place this weekend.
Keith Haynes 21:57 was this week’s fastest Strider at Ashford parkrun, followed by Terry Sellen in 26:21, David Gadsby 28:42, Stephen Rumsey 28:49, Amanda James 31:03, Catherine Wall 31:41, Sonette Schwartz 32:08, Martin Whittingham 32:30, Rachel Forrester 32:31, Rita Cooke 33:37, Graham Troman 35:09, Brian Forrester 35:21, Hazel Forrester 36:26 and finally Siobhan Hagan who was volunteering as tail walker and finished in 46:59
Our awesome volunteers at Ashford parkrun were Darren Laker, Don Dewar, Jason Caldwell, Lee Standen, Kevan Strand, Rebecca Somerford, Sara Dewar, Simon Jackson and Siobhan Hagan.

Parkrun tourism Justin Burden ran his second 5k in two days, completing his 150th parkrun at the lakeside course in Eastbourne in 25:02 Travelling across the Thames to Basildon parkrun were Rachel Theobald, who finished in 30:32, and Kevin York who ran 30:33
Also going north of the river was perennial parkrun tourist Nicola Crawley, completing Mile End parkrun in East London in 25:28
Closer to home, Jamie Bartlett ran Mote Park parkrun in 28:48.

Dock 2 Dock
Also on Saturday, two Striders were in swimming, instead of running, action this weekend. Both swam the gruelling 5km distance at this open water event at London’s Royal Docks. Richard Randall swam a personal best of 2:02:06 and Amanda Cooper finished in a time of 2:15:57.

Badlesmere 10k
On Sunday, Martin Whittingham was the sole strider at this race around the country lanes not far from Ashford. He finished in a time of 1:11:18.

The Big Half
Also on Sunday, several club members travelled up to London to run this half marathon on a similar route to part of the London Marathon, but in the opposite direction. The race started not far from the Tower of London and finished by the iconic Cutty Sark in Greenwich.
Completing the race were: Simon Jackson 1:56:55, Siobhan Hagan with a terrific personal best of 2:20:50, Karen Edwards 2:21:03, Lisa Gribbin and Rachel Misson ran together and both finished in 2:26:09, Lisa Fulcher 2:33:34, Vicky Shrubsole 2:37:40, Sharni Copham 2:37:47 and Sarah George who also earned herself a shiny new half marathon PB of 2:59:40. And lastly, an honourable mention goes to Nicola Crawley, supporting instead of running at the Big Half, who displayed superb selfie taking skills by managing to grab a photo with Sir Mo Farah,
Well done everyone!
Report by Lisa Fulcher.