Posts

Posted on

Weekly Report

Ashford Parkrun

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.

Posted on

Weekly Report

Parkrun

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.

Posted on

Weekly Report

Parkrun

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.

Well done to both for their achievements.

Posted on

Weekly Report

Ashford Parkrun

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!

  • Jason Sanders & Nicola Crawley
  • Charlotte Butler
Posted on

Virgin Money London Marathon 2019

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.

Posted on

Weekly Report

Folkestone 10 mile

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.

Posted on

Weekly Report

Brighton Marathon

  • Gemma Wicks at Brighton Marathon
  • Cris Francis at Brighton Marathon

A fantastic performance by Cris Francis set the pace for Ashford Striders at this year’s Brighton Marathon, where he set a new personal best time for the distance of 4:03:50. For the ladies, Kyleigh Austen also beat her marathon personal best coming home just behind in 4:07:46. Greg Johnson was the next to finish in a time of 4:26:00, with Vicky Stevenson in 4:29:28. Justin Burden was next in 4:44:39 with Amelia Letteboer next in 4:51:45. Corrie Shackle completed the course in 4:57:12. Maria Chapman (5:04:23) and Reece Corner (5:04:42) came in close together with Gemma Wicks next in 5:18:40 and Carly James in 5:44:44.

Brighton 10K

Kath Atkinson impressed in the 10k event at the Brighton weekend, finishing 3rd in the V40 ladies category in a time of 44:10. Nicola Barton was next for the club in 53:55 and James Batcheller in 56:29. Allison Button and Jason Sanders both finished the race in 1:13:44 with Katie Iggulden Exon completing the course in 1:16:12.

Paris Marathon

Justine and Jason Wearn at Paris marathon

Nicola Crawley was the first Strider to finish in Paris, with a great time of 4:46:22. Justine Wearn came home next in 5:03:11 with husband Jason alongside in 5:03:12. Rachel Misson was not far behind in 5:15:41 and Scott Williams in 5:31:09.

Putney Half Marathon

Tyree Spicer and Rebecca Hurley took part in the Putney Half on Sunday, running together and finishing in 2:04:26 and 2:04:35. Both ladies set new personal best times for the Half Marathon distance at the event.

Ashford Parkrun

It was a busy weekend at Ashford Parkrun with 25 runners from Ashford Striders taking to the park for the Saturday morning 5k. First home for the club in a new PB time of 19:26 and 3rd place overall was Aiden Gorham. He was closely followed in 4th place overall by Paul McDonnell in 19:54 and Duncan Forbes in 20:24, 8th place overall. Josh Whiten was next for the club in 25:03, 69th position overall. Steve Rumsey set a new personal best time in 25:35, putting him in 74th place.

Tamsin Ritchie was the first lady to finish for the club in 111th position and 17th female in a time of 27:20. Mel Cox was next to finish for Striders in 28:01 and 21st female finisher.

Rachel Theobald was next in 28:45 with Kevin York in 28:46 and Mark Archer in 29:03. Martin Whittingham set a new personal best, finishing in 29:28. Rachel Oliver (29:38), Rachel Forrester (29:43) and Hazel Forrester (29:50) all joined him under the 30 minute mark.

Brian Forrester was another club member to set a new PB with a time of 30:07, Sara Dewar was next in 31:40, followed by Toyah Bicker (33:53), Danielle Moss (35:48 – and another new PB), Shelly Blake (36:14), Kirsty Theobald (36:46), Emily Moors (37:13), Ellen Forbes (37:47), Clare Maxlow (39:14) and Pam Hunt (43:44).

Rebecca Hurley was this week’s tail walker. Cris Francis, Ian Dunning, Justin Burden, Kath Atkinson, Linda-Jean Delport also provided volunteer support at the event.

Parkrun Tourism

Nicola Crawley and Jason Wearn took part in the parkrun de Montsouris in Paris ahead of this weekend’s marathon event. They completed the run in 26:11 and 26:12 respectively.

Boston Marathon

Christopher Sardo travelled even further afield to compete in this year’s Boston Marathon. He finished the race in an impressive time of 4:24:07.

Posted on

Weekly Report

Ashford Parkrun

Greg Johnson led the way for Ashford Striders at this week’s Parkrun coming in at a time of 23:58 and in 53rd position overall. Kevin York finished next for the club in 24:39 and 66th position.  Alison Waters was 9th lady and 75th overall in 25:04 with Cris Francis in 76th overall in 25:05. Tom Bullen was close behind in 81st in 25:26. 

Tyree Spicer set a new PB with a time of 27:37 and 26th lady overall.  Mel Cox was next to finish in 28:02 and also came in the top 30 ladies.  Rachel Oliver was next in 29:45 closely followed by Mark Archer in 29:55.  Brian Forrester finished in 30:29, Hazel Forrester in 30:52, Martin Whittingham in 33:02 and Toyah Bicker in 49:59. Cris Francis, Melanie Payne and Vicky Stevenson provided volunteer support at this week’s event.

Parkrun Tourism

Striders members took opportunities to travel to other parkruns this week. Tamsin Ritchie ran at Malling where she finished in a time of 31:53.  Justin Burden and Josh Whiten both ran at Folkestone Parkrun.  Burden, in 33rd position overall, set a time of 22:58 – a new PB for this event.  Whiten, in 55th place overall, also set a new PB for the course in 24:11.

Rebecca Hurley travelled further afield to Paris where she ran the Parkrun de Montsouris. She finished in a time of 27:07.

Kent Spring Marathon and Half

  • Jason Sanders and
    Allison Button
  • Kirsty Theobald and
    Danielle McKenzie
  • Reece Corner
    and Mel Cox

Ashford Striders provided the majority of the marshal support at the annual Kent Spring Marathon and Half Marathon event in conjunction with Nice Work, which took in the beautiful scenery around Charing, Westwell and Hothfield. This challenging course included a section of the Pilgrims Way together with some undulating sections on the local lanes. A total of 35 club members were well positioned around the course to cheer on the race entrants and to witness a new Marathon course record being set.

Striders own Pam Hunt took on the challenge of the Half Marathon event, where she set a new personal best time of 3:00:22.

Paddock Wood Half

Jon Mitchell ran at Paddock Wood where he finished in a time of 2:02:02.

Posted on

Weekly Report

Ashford Parkrun

Ashford Striders were out in force at Victoria Park this Saturday for this week’s parkrun with some excellent times being set. Aiden Gorham was first to finish for Striders and 8th place overall in 19:38 with Paul McDonnell in 17th also setting an excellent time in 20:36. Jason Wearn set a new PB in 21:58 securing 30th position overall. Brian Marsh in 43rd place finished in 23:01 with Justin Burden shortly behind in 23:12 in 51st place. Josh Whiten was next to complete the course in 25:35. Nicola Crawley, 21st female finisher, was the first lady for the club in 26:58, followed by Justine Wearn (27:19) and Mel Cox in 27:29. Daniel and Ellen Forbes finished in 28:29 and 28:30 respectively, with Ellen’s time being a new PB. Tamsin Ritchie (29:24), Vicky Stevenson (29:37) and Mark Archer (29:48) all finished under the half hour mark. Rachel Oliver (30:11) was next past the finish line followed by Brian Forrester who set a new PB of 30:16. Lee Standen (31:20) and Martin Whittingham (31:37).

Kirsty Theobald, Carly James, Cris Francis, Greg Johnson, Ian Dunning, Jason Sanders, Linda-Jean Delport, Pam Hunt, Rachel Forrester and Simon Jackson provided volunteer support at this week’s event.

Parkrun Tourism

Gary McIntosh travelled to Greenock parkrun where he finished in 21:59 in 26th position overall.

Cranleigh 15 Mile

Kath Atkinson set the pace for Striders at the Surrey marathon warm up event, finishing the 15 mile race in 1:56:01. Nicola Crawley was next for the club in 2:23:39, and Justine Wearn was close behind in 2:28:31.

SVN Funky Pants Challenge

Jason Sanders, Charlotte Butler and Rebecca Hurley took part in their marathon warm up race at Gravesend Cyclopark in the SVN Funky Pants challenge event. They all completed 4 laps (21 miles) of the course. Sanders set a time of 3:22:44 with Hurley and Butler finishing in 3:54:12 and 3:54:19 respectively.

Posted on

Weekly Report

Smugglers 10k

Several Striders headed to the coast this weekend for the inaugural Smugglers 10k race in the sunshine on Sunday 24th March.

Jason Sanders was first to finish for the Club in an impressive 51:42, with Simon Jackson next to finish in 53:07. Liz Gaskin-Payne was the first female finisher for the club in 54:09 with Rachel Forrester setting a new 10k personal best in 55:11. Rachel Oliver nudged in just under the hour mark in 5:58. Libby Matthews and Hazel Forrester also set new personal best times with 1:03:37 and 1:05:24 respectively. Brian Forrester completed the race in 1:09:41, with Lee Standen next to finish in 1:10:05 just ahead of Tyree Spicer (1:10:07), Katie Iggulden Exon (1:10:08) and Louise McDonnell (1:10:08). Allison Button finished in 1:17:32 alongside Kirsty Theobald in 1:17:33.

Run Whitstable 5

Further along the coast, Martin Whittingham was the lone Strider taking part in the Run Whitstable 5k on Sunday 24th March. Having already set a new personal best for 5k at Ashford Parkrun the previous day, he completed the race in another new personal best time of 28:43.

Hastings Half Marathon

Reece Corner took part in the Hastings Half Marathon on Sunday 24th March, which he finished in 2:14:02.

London Landmarks Half Marathon

It was a day for the ladies at the London Landmarks Half Marathon on Sunday, with Corrie Shackle, Maria Chapman and Danielle Moss all taking part in the race. Shackle and Chapman ran together and set the same time of 2:09:12. Danielle Moss, in her first ever half marathon race, came home in 3:10:04

Danielle Moss with her finisher medal at the London Landmarks Half Marathon.

Ashford Parkrun

Jacob Henwood and Duncan Forbes battled it out at Victoria Park on Saturday morning, with impressive performances of under 20 minutes to finish in 8th and 9th place overall, Henwood in 19:55 and Forbes in 19:58. Justin Burden finished in 37th place in 23:18, with Alison Waters 58th overall and 9th female in 24:47. Steve Rumsey was next to finish in 78th place in a time of 26:06, with Rachel Theobald securing a place in the top 20 female finishers in 26:43 and Kevin York in 26:44. Mark Archer was next in 28:16 with Reece Corner (28:44) and Mel Cox (28:52). They were followed by two members setting new Personal Best times with Rachel Oliver in 29:18 and Martin Whittingham in 29:36. Ellen Forbes came in at 29:59 with Pam Hunt in 37:11. Lee Standen was this week’s tail walker in 1:02:02. Brian Forrester, Linda-Jean Delport, Rachel Forrester, Simon Jackson, Hazel Forrester and Rebecca Hurley all provided worthy volunteer support.

Tamsin Ritchie ran at Tonbridge Parkrun this week, finishing in a time of 28:15.