Friday night saw the Golden Mile race at Dymchurch which Frank Remigio took part in, clocking in at a time of 7:30 for the mile sprint. He also took part in the 5k event, finishing in 24:42. Justin Burden set the fastest time for Striders in 23:34 with Danielle Moss coming in with a new PB of 35:40 and Allison Button, also setting a PB in 36:18.
Ashford Parkrun
Paul McDonnell was on the pace at Victoria Park finishing in 4th position overall in 19:15. He was followed by Duncan Forbes who was 9th overall in 20:14. Linda-Jean Delport set a new PB of 21:05 finishing in 12th position and 2nd for the ladies. Justin Burden, fresh from the Dymchurch race on the Friday evening clocked up 23:29 in 40th position. Greg Johnson, 54th position, finished in 24:25. Cris Francis (25:40) and Alison Waters (25:41) were next to finish, with Martin Whittingham also setting a sub-30 minute time in 29:30. Rachel Theobald (30:22), Kevin York (30:22) and Brian Forrester (30:24) were next across the line, with Hazel Forrester just behind in 30:52. Sarahjane Knight set a new PB of 35:46 and she was followed by Clare Maxlow (35:50), Kirsty Theobald (37:07) and Sarah Hunt (37:16). Jamie Bartlett, Tamsin Ritchie, Stephen Rumsey, Shane Snowwolf and Lee Standen provided volunteer support.
Southsea Parkrun
Having competed in the 5k at Dymchurch the previous evening, Danielle Moss travelled to Southsea for the south coast parkrun, setting a time of 38:07.
Great Run Local
Nicola Crawley took part in the Sunday morning run at Kingsnorth, setting a time of 26:19.
Race to the King
Rachel Misson took part in a second double marathon for June, running the Race to the King event along the South Downs Way to Winchester. The 53.5 mile two day course took her 17:24:57 overall.
Tenderfoot Boogie 13km Sprint
Dave Hunt travelled to Whistler in Canada, taking part in the Tenderfoot Boogie 13km event. The hilly trail run through the woodland scenery took him 2:43.
Elsewhere, Carly James and Rachel Oliver took on the Pilgrims Way Challenge on Saturday 22nd June. Oliver walked the full Wye to Dover route covering 55km of the Kent Countryside which she achieved in 11:00:38. James walked the Wye to Canterbury 25km route in 4:44:23. Pam Hunt took part in Maidstone’s charity Bubble Rush event.
Starting off the run week, 5 Striders took part in the local Victoria Park Summer Series 5k. First home for Striders and 2nd overall was Jacob Henwood in 21.14, he was closely followed by Linda-Jean Delport in 3rd place in a time of 21.20. In 6th place was Justin Burden (24:06), with Rachel Theobald and Kevin York finishing in 9th and 10th place respectively, both setting a time of 29:28.
Parkrun Tourism
A Sausage and Cider Festival in Victoria Park meant no Ashford Parkrun this week. However, just to show you can’t keep a good Strider down, there was a flurry of Parkrun Tourism from many of the members.
Kathryn Atkinson was the first Strider home at Folkestone Parkrun where she set an amazing time of 20:11, this secured her a place as 2nd female finisher (first for age) and 19th overall. The next 2 Striders home, Shane Snowwolf (24:44) and Tamsin Ritchie (27:18) both set PB’s and were followed by Martin Whittingham (30:40), Danielle Moss (39:40) and Pam Hunt (39:45).
Further afield at Hoblingwell Parkrun, and coming in 28th position overall, was Simon Jackson (27:44) followed by Rebecca Hurley (29:51), while Justin Burden set a time of 24:12 at Hastings Parkrun, Lee Standen 29:01 at Tooting Common Parkrun and David Gadsby 30:46 at Stratford-upon-Avon Parkrun. Shorne Woods Parkrun saw Rachel Forrester setting a time of 30:01, Brian Forrester 33:06 and Hazel Forrester 35:19.
Cliffe Top Challenge
Meanwhile, at the Cliffe Top Challenge, Ellie Osborne ran 10miles in a time of 1:46, while Helen Weeden completed an impressive 22 miles.
Saxon Shore Half Marathon
A second outing for Shane Snowwolf, saw him setting a course PB of 1:57:21 at the Saxon Shore Half Marathon.
Linda-Jean Delport and Danielle Moss both made the most of the running weekend, with 3 races a piece.
Charing 10k
Jake Davison took first place for the club at this year’s Charing 10k across a countryside route with plenty of undulation and one notorious hill climb. His time of 44:20 saw him finish in 17th place overall. Linda-Jean Delport was close behind in 45:39 which placed her 25th overall and 3rd fastest female, also coming 1st in the VW45 age group. Cris Francis was next to finish for the club in 47:21, in 31st position, with James Miller setting a new PB time of 49:32, 46th overall. Alison Waters came home in 50:53 narrowly missing out on a top 10 ladies finish, with Justin Burden in 51:55, Shane Snowwolf in 52:42 and Justin Burden in 52:59 all setting strong times well under the hour mark. Sam Pilcher was next home for het club in 1:01:56, followed by Ellie Osborne in 1:03:29 and Helen Weeden in 1:04:25. Gemma Wicks was next to finish in 1:06:37, followed by Toyah Bicker, also setting a new PB in 1:10:29 and Danielle Moss who finished in 1:19:28.
Ashford Parkrun
Linda-Jean Delport, fresh from Friday night’s race, took the spoils as 1st female finisher at this week’s Parkrun, setting a new personal best with a time of 21:37. She was followed by Duncan Forbes in 22:01, 18th overall. Josh Whiten was next to finish in 24:02, followed by Frank Remigio in 24:44, Shane Snowwolf in 25:23 and Daniel Forbes in 25:56. Alison Waters was next to finish in 26:28, followed by Cris Francis in 26:29, Jason and Justine Wearn who both finished in 27:24, and Rachel Forrester who also set a sub-30 minute time in 29:32. Rachel Oliver finished exactly on the 30 minute mark, followed by David Gadsby (30:41), Rebecca Hurley (30:57), Brian Forrester (31:19) and Hazel Forrester (31:44). Martin Whittingham was next to finish for the club in 32:52 followed by Danielle Moss (40:15) and Tamsin Ritchie (40:16).
Jamie Bartlett, Justin Burden and Rebecca Hurley all provided volunteer support at this week’s event.
Parkrun Tourism
A number of the club’s members took the opportunity to travel further afield to other parkruns this week. Kathryn Atkinson ran the woodland course at Bedgebury finishing in 25:37 which placed her in 9th position for the ladies overall. Lee Standen ran at Sittingbourne, where he set a new PB in 29:07. Tyree Spicer ran at the Clermont Waterfront Parkrun in the USA, where she set a great time of 28:17 in the hot and humid conditions. Nicola Crawley ran at Taupo parkrun, New Zealand, where she finished in 20th place overall and 3rd for the ladies.
Tenterden 10k & 5k
A third run for Linda-Jean Delport saw her set another great time, finishing in 45:24 which placed her 17th overall, 2nd female finisher and 1st in the VW40 age category.
James Miller also took on his second 10k of the weekend, setting a time of 50:22 placing him 41st overall. Reece Corner set himself a new personal best in a time of 53:45.
Danielle Moss, also competing in her third race of the weekend, set a time of 38:49 for the 5k event
Staplehurst Yew Tree 10k
Katie Iggulden Exon ran at this year’s rural countryside Staplehurst event, setting a time of 1:07:24.
Race to the Tower Double Marathon
Rachel Misson having completed her double marathon in the Cotswolds
Rachel Misson ran an epic two marathons in two days when she took part in a weekend of running in the Cotswolds. Misson’s overall time was 18:13:34, taking in the landscape, scenery and hill climbs of the Cotswold Way, finishing at the Broadway Tower.
Jacob Henwood took part in Gung Ho at Maidstone, a 5k race with obstacles, where he finished in 43:38. Pam Hunt took part in this year’s Hastings Race for Life which she completed in 45:50.
Two teams from Ashford Striders took part in the well-supported relay event at Rye Harbour Nature Reserve on Friday evening. The teams of 6 had a variety of distances to run, starting with a 5k, then distances of 2.5k, 7.5k, 2.5k, 2.5k and a final 1k sprint.
Of the 49 teams taking part, Striders Team A achieved 10th position with an overall time of 1:32:20. Kath Atkinson set the pace for the first 5k first leg in 21:19, followed by Alison Waters who ran the 2.5k in 11:57. Jake Davison took on the 7.5k lap in 32:34 with Linda-Jean Delport’s 2.5k in 11:36 and Cris Francis 10:46 for the same distance. Jacob Henwood was second fastest overall for the 1k final leg in 4:08.
For the Striders Team B, Vicky Stevenson ran the 5k first leg in 27:28, followed by Tamsin Ritchie’s 2.5k lap in 13:21. Shane Snowwolf ran the 7.5k leg in 39:28 with Amelia Letteboer (2.5k) in 13:52 and Jason Sanders (2.5k) 11:50. Toyah Bicker ran a 1k PB in 6:38 to bring home the team. The team were placed 32nd and achieved an overall time of 1:52:33
Ashford Parkrun
Paul McDonnell continued to set the pace for the club at this week’s Victoria Park 5k, coming in at 19:39 and in 8th position overall. He was followed by Duncan Forbes in 10th who set a time of 20:36. Brian Marsh was next to finish in 22:44 which placed him 37th overall. Linda-Jean Delport claimed 7th place for the ladies and 59th overall with a time of 23:54. Justin Burden set another consistent time of 24:23 placing him 67th overall. Reece Corner finished next in 27:07 with Amelia Letteboer (28:26, Helen Weeden (28:32), Martin Whittingham (29:29), Rachel Theobald (29:50) and Kevin York (29:51) all came in under the 30 minute mark. Rachel Oliver was next to finish in a time of 30:07 followed by Hazel Forrester in 30:23, narrowly ahead of husband Brian who set a time of 30:38. Mel Cox finished next in 33:03, with David Gadsby (33:42), Jon Mitchell (33:59), Toyah Bicker (36:34) and Sarahjane Knight (52:37). Clare Maxlow was this week’s tail walker, with Lee Standen (his first time as the Ashford event’s Run Director), Jamie Bartlett, Rachel Forrester, Shane Snowwolf and Josh Whiten all providing valued volunteer support.
Parkrun Tourism
Tamsin Ritchie travelled to Malling where she ran the 2 lap lakeside course in 47:01. Ian Dunning ran at Folkestone, coming in at 26:28 and Nicola Crawley took an epic trip to Cornwall Parkrun (New Zealand!) where she ran in a time of 27:38.
OCR Elements
Jason Sanders took on the 3 lap water obstacle course on Saturday in Tunbridge Wells. The challenging course with numerous obstacles along the route covered a distance of 24km which he achieved in just under 5 hours.
Mount Maunganuhi 10k
Nicola Crawley took part in the scenic race in New Zealand, setting a time of 55:17. This placed her 33rd of 210 female entrants and in 1st place for her category.
Paul McDonnell was the first home at this week’s Ashford Parkrun in an impressive time of 19:24 placing him in 8th position overall. Kath Atkinson was next for the club, setting herself a fantastic new personal best time of 20:21 which placed her 14th overall and 2nd female finisher. Duncan Forbes was next to finish in 20th place in 20:52, with Linda-Jean Delport taking 34th and 3rd female overall in 22:11. Justin Burden finished in 55th in a time of 23:12, followed by Shane Snowwolf (24:26). Daniel Forbes finished next in 25:25 followed by Steve Rumsey (25:34) and Simon Jackson (26:10). Maria Chapman set a new personal best in 26:31 and she was followed by Jason Sanders (27:50), Sam Pilcher (27:59), Justine Wearn (28:07), Tyree Spicer (28:23), Vicky Stevenson (28:56), Helen Weeden (28:58), Rachel Forrester (29:11), Rebecca Hurley (29:22) and Sara Dewar (29:46) – all setting times under the 30 minute mark. Martin Whittingham was next to finish in 34:00 with Pam Hunt in 38:35 and Mark Archer (42:49), Danielle Moss (54:32) and Toyah Bicker (55:50). Volunteer support was provided by Kath Atkinson, Justin Burden, Hazel Forrester, Brian Forrester, Katie Iggulden Exon, Simon Jackson, Jamie Bartlett, Lee Standen and Josh Whiten.
Bedgebury Pinetum Parkrun
Alison Waters and Cris Francis travelled to the beautiful but hilly Bedgebury parkrun, finishing in 26:11 (38th overall and 9th female) and 26:12 (39th overall) respectively.
Folkestone Coastal 10k
Striders at the Folkestone Coastal 10k
A team from Striders took to the seaside, taking part in the annual Folkestone race. Josh Whiten set a new PB of 49:53; he was followed past the finish line by Justin Burden in 50:32. Shane Snowwolf (51:07) and Tyree Spicer (55:53) both crossed the line with new PB times for the distance. Sara Dewar finished in 1:03:28, followed by Sam Stretton taking part in her first 10k event who came home in 1:13:17, alongside Michelle Brice who set the same time. Danielle Moss finished in 1:21:22.
Rye 10 Mile
Linda-Jean Delport collecting her prize as first in category at the Rye 10 mile
Three members of the club raced at the challenging and undulating course through the Rye countryside. Paul McDonnell set a fantastic time of 1:10:50 as he set the pace for Striders. Linda-Jean Delport impressed as she finished first in the VW45-49 category, setting a time of 1:17:14. Reece Corner completed the race in 1:34:55.
Liverpool and Edinburgh Marathons
Shelly Blake took on the Rock and Roll Marathon through Liverpool on Sunday, where she finished in 6:27:16. Christopher Sardo and Garry McIntosh travelled even further North to compete in the Edinburgh Marathon where Sardo set an excellent time of 3:55:47 and McIntosh 4:25:02.
Vitality London 10,000
A large group from the club travelled to the event in London alongside thousands running a circular route from Buckingham Palace. Cris Francis and Alison Waters were first to finish for the club, setting identical times of 50:44. Shane Snowwolf, having competed on Sunday at Folkestone, finished just behind in a time of 52:02. Simon Jackson was next across the line for the club in 56:34, followed by Rebecca Hurley who also came in under the 1 hour mark in 58:13. Rachel Forrester (1:01:01) and Lee Standen (1:01:29) were next to arrive at the Palace finish line, followed by Hazel and Brian Forrester who both set new personal best times for the distance in 1:05:00 and 1:07:14 respectively. Katie Iggulden Exon was narrowly behind in 1:07:25, with Clare Maxlow also setting a new PB in 1:13:37, and Pam Hunt, who completed the team in 1:22:24.
There were some impressive times for Ashford Striders at this week’s Ashford Parkrun, with perfect running conditions. Paul McDonnell was again at the front of the pack for Striders at this week’s run, finishing in 8th place overall and first for the club. Duncan Forbes was the second Strider home in 20:27 and in 12th place overall. Linda-Jean Delport made a return to Parkrun this week setting a time of 22:05 and claiming 31st position and 5th for the ladies overall. She was followed by Justin Burden in 23:33 and 54th place who narrowly edged Alison Waters who finished in 55th place and 8th for the ladies, setting herself a new PB of 23:35.
Josh Whiten was next to finish in a great time of 23:55 and 60th place overall. Frank Remigio (23:55) and Shane Snowwolf (24:41) also finished under the 25 minute mark, with Remigio setting a new PB.
Steve Rumsey was next to finish in 25:48, with Nicola Crawley, also a ladies top 20 finisher in 26:20, and Vicky Stevenson (26:45) who narrowly missed out on setting a new PB. Amelia Letteboer was next home in 27:40 with Tyree Spicer just behind in 27:49. Tamsin Ritchie (28:12), Rachel Forrester (28:42), Justine Wearn (29:06) and Martin Whittingham (29:37) all posting sub 30 minute times.
Rachel Oliver (30:04), Hazel Forrester (30:24) and Brian Forrester (31:02) all ran well for a good week for the club.
Clare Maxlow, Justin Burden, Lee Standen, Libby Matthews and Simon Jackson provided volunteer support.
Kath Atkinson travelled to Eastbourne Parkrun where an impressive run saw her set a time of 24:24. Danielle Moss also took the opportunity to travel and ran at this week’s Chichester Parkrun.
SVN Cake-a-thon 6 hour challenge
Shelly Blake took part in the latest SVN challenge, completing a distance of 21 miles in 5:18:33 on the looping course at Gravesend Cyclopark.
Bewl Water
Dave Hunt continued his Marathon-a-Month challenge for 2019 completing the undulating and challenging Bewl Water Marathon. He finished the course in 5:16:17.
Anna Smith took on the 10k challenge, in her first ever competitive 10k race. She finished in a time of 1:15:00.
Stelling Minnis 10k
A small team of 4 Striders took part in the Stelling Minnis 10k, in the beautiful but challenging countryside run. The large hill at 6k did not prevent some excellent performances however. Alison Waters set her second PB of the weekend, with a time of 49:51 – finishing 4th in her category. Tyree Spicer also set a new 10k PB in 57:26. Lee Standen posted his best 10k time of 2019 in 1:00:49 and Clare Maxlow, again setting a new 10k PB finished in 1:14:55.
IRONMAN 70.3 – Mallorca
James Miller and James Batcheller travelled to the stunning island of Mallorca for the weekend’s Ironman Event. They completed the Half Ironman course, with Miller setting an overall time of 7:15:28 and Batcheller 7:47:00. The event included a 1.9km swim, 90km cycle and a half marathon. Congratulations to both of them on their amazing achievement.
34 club members took part in various parkruns this week. At Ashford, Duncan Forbes lead the way home with a new personal best time of 19:45, finishing in 8th place overall. Just behind in 9th position was Aiden Gorham who also ran sub-20 minutes in a time of 19:51. Brian Marsh set a time of 23:06 finishing in 47th place overall. Daniel Forbes (24:13) and Frank Remigio (24:43) were both under the 25 minute mark. Steve Rumsey was next in 25:34, followed by Ian Dunning in 25:39. Tamsin Ritchie was the first lady Strider to finish in 25:55. This week’s event was particularly special for Tamsin, who was completing her 100th parkrun. Reece Corner was next to finish in 27:16 with Jason Sanders next in 28:31, Ellen Forbes in 28:53 and Tyree Spicer in 29:27. Rachel Oliver was next home in 30:03 with Rachel Theobald (30:10), Kevin York (30:11) and Martin Whittingham (31:08) just behind. Mark Archer was next to finish in 35:57 with Danielle MacKenzie in 36:32 and Lee Standen in 36:49.
Linda-Jean Delport, Cris Francis, Alison Waters, Greg Johnson and Clare Maxlow provided volunteer support.
Josh Whiten and Justin Burden travelled to Canterbury Parkrun where they completed the hilly course in 24:59 and 25:28 respectively. Shane Snowwolf and Shelly Blake tried the course at Shorne Woods where Shane set a time of 31:14 and Shelly in 35:42.
Nicola Crawley and Kath Atkinson chose the seaside parkrun at Hastings, both competing the course in 27:44. Brian and Hazel Forrester were in Cornwall at Mount Edgcumbe parkrun finishing in 36:22 and 37:12. Rebecca Hurley and Simon Jackson took part in Kent’s newest parkrun at Kingdom, another challenging course, setting times of 29:10 and 29:40 respectively.
The Island Run
Tyree Spicer and Katie Iggulden Exon travelled to the Isle of Sheppey on Sunday to take part in the annual Island Run 10k race. This fairly flat sea front event saw Tyree set another new personal best time for the year, finishing in 57:39, 32nd ladies position and 13th in her category. Katie finished in a time of 1:02:03 in 65th ladies position.
Tonbridge Triathlon
Cris Francis took part in the Tonbridge event, his first at Standard tri distance. He completed the 800m swim in 23:57, the 50km cycle in 2:02:21 and the 10km run 52:49 giving an overall time including transition of 3:26:38.
Tamsin Ritchie competed in the Sprint tri where she completed the 400m swim in 9:14, the 25km cycle in 1:10:06 and the 5km run in 33:45 giving her an overall time including transition of 1:56:42.
This week’s blustery Victoria Park 5k saw 3 Ashford Striders finish in the Top 10 overall, with Paul McDonnell taking 5th place in a superb time of 19:48. Aiden Gorham was 7th in 20:33 with Duncan Forbes just two seconds behind in 20:35. Justin Burden took 44th position overall in 23:25 with Alison Waters, first female home for the club and 9th lady overall in 24:41 in a sprint finish with Cris Francis who also set the same time of 24:41. Steve Rumsey was next to finish in 86th place overall and he achieved a new PB of 25:31. He was followed by Shane Snowwolf in 26:01, Sara Hunt in 29:18 and Lee Standen, in his fastest time this year of 29:42. Another sprint for the line saw Martin Whittingham (30:03) pip Kevin York (also 30:03) to the finish, with Rachel Theobald just behind in 30:04. Rachel Oliver completed the Striders team in 30:44.
Daniel Forbes, Jacob Henwood, Simon Jackson, Tamsin Ritchie and Shane Snowwolf provided much needed volunteer support at this week’s event.
Mount Edgcumbe Parkrun
Hazel and Brian Forrester travelled to Cornwall and took part in the challenging mixed terrain Mount Edgcumbe parkrun. They ran together and both completed the picturesque course in 40:07.
Thurrock Parkrun
Rebecca Hurley travelled to Essex a day ahead of her London Marathon race finishing the Thurrock Parkrun in a time of 30:26
The Fox Marathon
Dave Hunt continued on his 2019 challenge to run a marathon each month with the Fox Marathon in Godalming, Surrey. He completed the course in 5:05:43.
Virgin Money London Marathon
A total of 14 members of the club took part in this year’s big race in London. Many runners were taking part in their first ever marathon, with a mix too of ballot places and those running for charity. Jake Davison was the first to cross the line for Striders in an amazing 3:34:30. It was an impressive first for Linda-Jean Delport who completed the race in a stunning 3:40:16. Also under the 4 hour mark was Gary McIntosh who finished in 3:56:31. Next back for the club was Jason Sanders who finished the race in 4:37:56, with Rebecca Hurley setting a new personal best in a time of 4:44:38. Daniel Forbes came across the line in 4:47:34 with Charlotte Butler next in 4:53:44 and Kath Atkinson close behind in 4:56:17. Nicola Crawley (5:17:05), Rachel Misson (5:44:26) and Scott Williams (5:51;12), all completed their second marathon in 2 weeks, having run the Paris Marathon earlier in the month. Danielle MacKenzie, who secured a ballot place but decided to run for MacMillan, finished in 6:25:23 with Kirsty Theobald posting an almost identical time of 6:25:34. Melanie Payne also completed the run in 7:11:14. Well done to all of those who took on the challenge!
It will be an emotional day when members of Ashford Striders Running Club take to the streets of the capital to take part in this year’s Virgin Money London Marathon.
Jason Sanders, Kirsty Theobald, Linda-Jean Delport & Kath Atkinson
For some it will be the latest in a number of marathons they have taken part in but for others this will be their first ever run at this distance. A daunting prospect for even the most experienced runner, so why endure the pain? Well for these Striders it isn’t just about the mental or physical challenge, it’s about something far more than that.
Kirsty Theobald describes her journey as a ‘couch to marathon’ story. She only began running in May 2018 when she was successful in gaining a charity place at London. She will be running for Phabkids which supports children and adults with disabilities to make more of life together. It is a cause she is already involved with due to her work with the Danny Hall Foundation set up in memory of her brother. Kirsty says “My motivation for running for Phabkids is to spread awareness of the charity and to raise as much as I can to help give these brave children memories they simply wouldn’t otherwise be able to achieve”. She hoped to raise £1,750 but has already topped that and is heading towards the £2,500 mark, through raffles, a comedy and magic night, stalls at local events and in local schools.
Kirsty’s longest run to date was in March where she endured strong winds and storms to complete a 20 mile course at Lydd. As well as supporting Phabkids, Kirsty’s motivation has been to get fit and to show that anything is possible if you believe in yourself. “I have always lacked self confidence and self belief and my running journey has really taught myself that I can and I will”.
Daniel Forbes has suffered from Asthma since childhood and took up running in October 2017 after deciding to try Ashford Parkrun. He has been running ever since and decided to sign up for the London Marathon after getting close to his 50th Parkrun. London will be his first marathon. “Training has been very hard, with injuries to my ankle from the first day”. He added “my brother and sister have made sure I keep up running, coming with me on runs when they can and joining Ashford Striders with me to keep us all motivated”. Daniel needs to raise £1,800 for his charity and has held a race night fundraiser as well as receiving support from local businesses.
Linda-Jean Delport is also running her very first marathon at London having only been running for one year; she is raising money for Whizz-Kidz – a charity which provides children and young people with vital mobility equipment, opportunities to meet and have fun, and training to help them gain skills for their futures. She needs to raise £2,000.
“I did my first run on 8th April 2018. It was 4.5km and at the end I thought I would collapse on the floor. I never imagined that just over a year later I would be running a marathon. Sometimes I still can’t believe it”. Linda’s longest training run has been 19 miles and she is looking forward to crossing the finish line in London. “I want that feeling of accomplishment and to know that all these months of hard work have not been in vain. It will be one of the proudest moments as I have never set myself a goal like this before and stuck to it”. Linda is offering local businesses the opportunity of having their logo printed on her marathon running vest in return for sponsorship towards Whizz-Kidz.
Scott Williams & Rachel Misson
Scott Williams and Rachel Misson took part in the Paris Marathon on 14th April, with the challenge of running in London 2 weeks later. They are raising money for the MS Trust. This will be Rachel’s 41st marathon, but only Scott’s 3rd. Scott said “my sister was diagnosed with having this terrible, crippling disease in 2001. The MS Trust ensures that people with MS have the specialist care and information they need to get on with their lives”. So far they have raised nearly £2,500 of their £3,000 target. “Training has been tough” explained Scott, “the winter months, cold dark mornings and evenings and illness has meant we feel like we’ve not done enough but it’s too late to worry now”. They are looking forward to crossing the finish line and collecting their medal at the end, in front of the thousands lining the streets.
Jason Sanders is a run leader within Ashford Striders and is running for CALM – Campaign Against Living Miserably, a charity which supports male mental health. It is a charity he chose as he feels male mental health is still not spoken about enough. “It’s not always easy to ‘Man Up’ and get on with things. Men need to be able to get help and for people not to think any less of them if they’re struggling”. Jason has been running seriously since leaving the army in 2016. He started running with Ashford Striders around a year later, which he says gave him a purpose to run, but also found that running helped his own mental health.
The London Marathon will be Jason’s second marathon, and he says it has been on his bucket list for years. “It’s taken me 8 years of entering the ballot to get a place”. As well as training with the club twice a week, he has mixed this up with cross training and gym sessions. “On the day I’m looking forward to just being there and soaking up the atmosphere” he added, “and realising that all the time, training, dedication and sacrifice was all worth it”.
Fellow Strider Kath Atkinson is amongst those with previous marathon experience, but this will be her first outing in London. She is running for Action on Hearing Loss which is a charity close to her heart, as she suffered left sided hearing loss through Menieres Disease 8 years ago. “It has always been a dream to run London as it is so iconic. And this year as I turned 40 I decided it was the year to do it! Training has gone really well and I mostly run 3 times a week with Ashford Striders and friends”. She says she is motivated by the sense of accomplishment and to see how she can push herself, as well as the social aspect of running with friends. Kath has relied mainly on donations to help towards her £2,000 target and is hoping that by running the marathon she can raise awareness for the charity.
Charlotte Butler is another member of Ashford Striders taking on London – she is running for Save the Children. She is joined by Rebecca Hurley who was fortunate to receive a ballot place but has decided to raise funds for Crohns and Colitis UK.
Aiden Gorham set an impressive pace at the warm sea front event with a net time of 1:10:50. Linda-Jean Delport also ran a superb time, finishing in 1:17:11 which credited her with a 2nd place in the womens V45 category. Jacob Henwood was narrowly behind in 1:17:30. Tyree Spicer ran a new 10 mile personal best in 1:37:47, with Tom Bullen completing the race in 1:43:47, Ellie Osborne 1:48:02 and Mark Archer 1:56:50. Shelly Blake finished the race in 2:02:15 and Toyah Bicker in 2:04:56 to complete the Striders team.
Ashford Parkrun
Paul McDonnell was in good form as he finished the 5k at Victoria Park on Saturday morning in 20:04. He was followed home by Kath Atkinson who not only set a new personal best time of 20:48 but who was also 1st female finisher at this week’s event, and in 16th place overall.
Duncan and Daniel Forbes were next to complete the run in 24:10 61st place and 24:17 65th place respectively. Josh Whiten was just behind in 24:26 and 68th place. Justin Burden was next to finish in 25:02, and he was followed by Steve Rumsey in 25:42. Alison Waters managed a top 20 female place in 26:14, with Cris Francis just behind in 26:17. Nicola Crawley was next home in 27:11 with Rebecca Hurley in 27:13. Amelia Letteboer finished in 27:46, with Mel Cox (28:03) and Mark Archer (29:52) also finishing under the half hour mark. Hazel Forrester finished in 30:19, narrowly ahead of Rachel Theobald (30:20), Kevin York (30:21), Rachel Forrester (30:22) and Brian Forrester (30:29). Rachel Oliver was next to finish in 32:31, with Tamsin Ritchie (32:53) and Toyah Bicker (34:42) also finishing well in the heat. Pam Hunt was this week’s tail walker, with volunteer support also being provided by Linda-Jean Delport, Ian Dunning, Cris Francis, Jacob Henwood, Vicky Stevenson and Justine Wearn.
Parkrun Tourism
A few Striders took the opportunity for some Easter Parkrun tourism. Brian Marsh travelled to the Tamar Trails Parkrun where he finished in 38th place overall and in a time of 24:31.
Katie Iggulden Exon and Danielle Moss travelled to the Medina Isle of Wight parkrun where they completed the course together in 38:00.
Newport to Ryde 7 Mile Trail
Fresh from the Parkrun, Katie Iggulden Exon and Danielle Moss ran the challenging 7 mile trail course on the Isle of Wight where they finished in 1:49:49 and 1:49:50 respectively.
Great Run Local
Kath Atkinson and Ellie Osborne took part in Easter Sunday’s Great Run Local at Kingsnorth, taking on the 5k course. Atkinson set a time of 25:53 while Osborne finished in 31:03.
