Ashford Striders

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mark Niles completed the Hunstanton Promenade parkrun in 45:11

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ashford

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

Bushy Park

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

Dover Waterfront

Rachel Misson 28:22

Folkestone

Emma Matthews 37:26

Malling

Lisa Fulcher 34:10

Sutcliffe

Siobhan Hagan 39:26

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

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

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

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

A short and sweet run report this week, but great running all round.

With marathon training in full flow and the first month of the year coming to an end, it’s been a relatively quiet weekend for racing.

On Saturday, a total of 43 Striders attended a Parkrun, 36 at Ashford, and 7 on tour.

Keith Haynes was first Strider across the line with a time of 19:37, followed by Dan Green with a time of 20:50, and Terry Sellen third Strider, with a time of 23:17

They were followed by: Dermot Carr 24:01, Mark Niles 25:02, Christopher Wicks 26:02, Jason Wearn 26:40, David Helme 27:36, Jamie Bartlett 28:12, Jason Sanders 28:15, David Gadsby 28:24, Amanda James 28:31, Ash Robinson 28:50, Lisa Gribbin 29:42, Graham Troman 29:59, Rachel Misson 30:32, Catherine Wall 31:03, Amanda Cooper 31:14, Tamsin Ritchie 31:42, Delia Millen 33:05, Richard Randle 33:09, Siobhan Hagan 34:27, Michelle Brice 34:27, Michelle Bryant 34:29, Leigh Freeman 34:34, Sara Dewar 34:38, Rachel Oliver 36:08, Rachel York 36:22, Danielle Mackenzie 36:23, Hazel Forrester 36:40, Holly Forrest 37:25, Rachel Tomsett 37:48, Julie Foster 39:31, Mollie Hoban 45:39, Nikki Weston 48:07, Sharni Copham as tail walker in 1:06:31

Parkrun Tourism

Justin Burden completed the Dover Waterfront parkrun in 23:25, Laura Clark completed the Dover Waterfront parkrun with a PB in 35:14, Emma Matthews completed the Folkestone parkrun in a PB of 36:17, Andrew Maund completed the Malling parkrun in 21:22, Jamie Penfold completed the Whitstable parkrun in 25:34, Justine Wearn completed the York parkrun in 31:18, Nadine Golding completed the York parkrun in 33:57.

Bromley Green 10km race 

Michael Davies completed the Bromley Green 10k in 43:53. 

Great running by all this week and some amazing distances covered by those in training. You are all superstars. Looking forward to our trip to Bushy next week……it’ll be a bumper report!

Whilst most of the UK was in the big freeze this week, not even the icy temperatures could deter our Striders from representing in red across the South East this weekend. Layered-up and ready to roll, 55 Striders attended Parkrun on 20th January 2024 with 15 taking on a tourist course. And to finish the wild weather weekend, a group of hardy Striders took on the Canterbury 10 Miler on the 21st January 2024 with superb efforts all round and some shiny PBs too! What’s clear to see is that a bit of ice or minus temperatures won’t stand in the way from our Striders community of getting out there, which is amazing!

Ashford Parkrun – 20th January 2024

First-up for the weekend’s activity was Ashford Parkrun, with some of the course still glistening due to the icy temperatures. Congratulations for Parkrun milestones for Martin Whittingham (150), Catherine Wall (50), Jack Farrant (25) and a PB for Cara Linin.

Dan Green was first Strider across the line with a time of 20:59, followed by Andrew Maund with a time of 21:27, and Terry Sellen third strider, with a time of 23:28. They were followed by; Jack Farrant 24:27, Daniel Schwartz 24:51, Isobel Phillips 27:38, Nicola Crawley 27:43, Jamie Bartlett 27:51, George Phillips 28:21, Katie Fox 28:26, Hazel Turner 28:28, David Gadsby 28:29, Amanda James 29:13, Josh Stephens 29:39, Jo Mason 30:02, Ian Mccutcheon 30:02, George Cromwell 31:11, Lucie Shrubsole 31:12, Sharni Copham 31:23, Christopher Wicks 31:59, Catherine Wall 32:43, Brian Forrester 32:50, Lee Standen 33:02, Peter Broom 33:18, Martin Whittingham 33:52, Jason Brice 34:43, Michelle Brice 34:47, Ash Robinson 34:48, Rachel Tomsett 34:48, Cara Linin 35:05 (PB), Jennifer Watts 35:36, Danielle Mackenzie 36:22, Rachel York 36:41, Kevin York 36:42, Hazel Forrester 37:31, Siobhan Hagan 39:14, Michelle Bryant 39:15, Jason Sanders 39:56, Julie Foster 40:00 and Holly Forrest 43:41. A fantastic effort all round and Harpers Café was certainly buzzing after with Striders looking to warm up and get their caffeine kick!

Parkrun Tourism – 20th January 2024

Parkrun tourism was a hive of activity this week with Striders setting alarms and heading further afield to get their fix of fresh morning running. Plenty of spectacular icy photos to showcase the various courses, Striders were well represented. Jamie Penfold completed the Brighton & Hove parkrun in 24:11, Tamsin Ritchie completed the Canterbury parkrun in 31:26, Lisa Gribbin completed the Folkestone parkrun in 41:38, Justine Wearn completed the Lydiard parkrun in 34:26, Jason Wearn completed the Lydiard parkrun in 34:28, Richard Randle completed the Malling parkrun in 33:00, Delia Millen completed the Malling parkrun in 33:00, Dave Warner completed the Margate parkrun in 33:08, Justin Burden completed the Mote Park parkrun in 24:33, Laura Clark completed the Mote Park parkrun in 38:22, Lisa Fulcher completed the Royal Tunbridge Wells parkrun in 39:03. Well done to you all for venturing further afield when the call for a cosy morning at home could have easily won!

Canterbury 10 Mile – 21st January 2024

The ParkerSteel Canterbury 10 Mile is a long-standing race, run on quiet lanes to the south of Canterbury. An early race time at 9.00am, it meant that Striders participants had to bring their A-Game early doors on a blustery morning. The undulating road course proved to be a PB achieving course for some, and there were some fantastic flying feet photos too. Congratulations to all who raced – a testament to the hard-work, training and sheer determination!

First Strider in was Keith Haynes 01:06:46 (PB), followed by; Jack Farrant 1:27:07 (PB), Richard Randle 1:27:13 (PB), Aimee Donohue 1:29:23 (PB), Kay Hunt and Adam Thomas 1:36:09, Vicky Stevenson 1:37:39, Darren Laker 1:42:23, Josh Stephens 1:44:32 (PB), Charlotte Housden 1:44:49 (PB), Andy Found 1:49:23 and Dee Millen 1:57:57 (PB).

Ashford Parkrun

The car park chaos at start of Ashford Parkrun did nothing to deter the band of 41 Striders on what was a rather chilly Saturday. Parkrun had requested that as many runners wear red to support their collaboration with Comic Relief and safe to say that wasn’t a tough job for Striders ❤️

There were a couple of milestones at Ashford:   Aimee Donohue celebrated her 25th Parkrun.  Jack Farrant earned himself an Ashford Parkrun PB with 21:46 along with Graham Troman achieving a PB of 24:27 – impressive work!

Adam Booth was first Strider across the line with a time of 18:45, followed by Keith Haynes with a time of 19:27, and Andrew Maund third strider, with a time of 21:13

They were followed by Jack Farrant 21:46, Terry Sellen 23:49, Daniel Schwartz 24:14, Graham Troman 24:27, George Phillips 25:18, Ian Mccutcheon 25:23, Scott Hawkins 25:42, Stephen Cleaver 25:59, Darren Laker 26:26, Nicola Crawley 27:08, Jamie Bartlett 27:59, David Helme 28:18, David Gadsby 28:21, Tamsin Ritchie 28:24, Jo Mason 28:33, Amanda James 28:50, Aimee Donohue 30:49, Gayle Bailey 31:03, Jayne Hatton 31:09, Andy Found 31:11, Sharni Copham 31:16, Catherine Wall 31:47, Justine Wearn 33:08, Dave Warner 33:29, Brian Forrester 33:37, Sara Dewar 33:50, Leigh Freeman 33:58, Rachel Oliver 34:52, Sally Davidson-daniel 36:00, Cara Linin 36:02, Rachel Tomsett 36:17, Lee Standen 36:18, Ash Robinson 37:53, Julie Foster 38:32, Jennifer Watts 39:51, Hazel Forrester 39:52, Holly Forrest 41:42.

Mandy Cooper was the fabulous Run Director and what a great job she did controlling a noisy rabble at the back during her speech 😉 other Strider volunteers included:  Don Dewar, Justine Wearn, Kevan Strand, Nicola Crawley, Simon Jackson and Terry Sellen

Without these fantastic volunteers none of us would be able to take part in parkrun so please do put your name down to help out if you can.

There was also a lot of parkrun tourism taking place this weekend so here goes:

Dover Waterfront Parkrun

Lisa Fulcher 36:38 followed by Rick Newman with a new PB of 44:26!

Folkestone Parkrun

Kate Stroud completed the Folkestone parkrun in 27:14, Emma Matthews finished  with a new PB of 36:52!

Great Dunmow Parkrun

Martin Whittingham completed the Great Dunmow parkrun in 41:19, Lynnette Whittingham 1:02:42, and Lisa Gribbin volunteered as tail walker finishing in 1:02:45.

Great Lines Parkrun

Jamie Penfold completed the Great Lines parkrun, Medway in 23:42, Dermot Carr 31:33, Siobhan Hagan 31:46.

Mote Park Parkrun

Richard Randle completed the Mote Park parkrun in 28:02, Dee Millen 34:29. Dee even found time to feed the swans after her run. 

Walmer and Deal Parkrun

Justin Burden completed the Walmer and Deal Seafront parkrun in 23:19, Laura Clark 36:34. 

Bedgebury Pinetum Parkrun 

Sarah Martins completed the Bedgebury Pinetum Parkrun in 35:16

Hope the coming week is kind to you – happy running 🥰❤️

Happy New Year and welcome to the (slightly delayed) first report of the year.

Striders true to form, took advantage of the extra parkrun this week and started the year, in the only way that we know how and that’s with a 5km run. We were also blessed with a dry morning; someone having turned the tap off for once! There was no Ashford parkrun on New Year’s Day, so ‘tourism’ took place for many runners.

Canterbury parkrun was visited by Tamsin Ritchie who completed the hilly course in 39:55. Travelling down the motorway to Folkestone, saw the largest contingent. Justin Burden led the Striders home with a time of 23:05, followed by first lady home, Hazel Turner in 25:41. Then Siobahn Hagan (27:51), David Helme (28:20), Michelle Bryant (28:57), Peter Broom (32:49) and Martin Whittingham (33:55). Sharni Copham travelled to Hastings, completing in 31:07. Three Striders preferred the riverside course at Maidstone: Mandy Cooper finishing in 30:09, Kay Hunt 30:50 and Adam Thomas on her heels in 30:51. At the other side of Maidstone we had three Striders at Mote park, Stephen Cleaver leading the pack in 28:46, Rachel Tomsett in 37:28 & Lisa Fulcher completing the hilly course in 38 minutes exactly. Tilgate in Surrey was the course of choice for Nicola Crawley (30:27); Nadine Golding (33:46) and Justine Wearn (33:52). Back to the seaside at Walmer & Deal were Rachel Misson finishing in 29:58 and Lisa Gribbin in 30:10, and Whitstable saw two Striders complete the course – Isobel Phillips in 28:08 and George Phillips in 31:06.

Only one Strider raced on New Year’s Day, and that was Jason Kennedy who raced the aptly named Knacker Cracker, also known as Britain’s toughest 10Km race at Denbies Estate, which incorporates Box Hill. Jason completed in 1:12:08 and lived to tell the tale!

6th January was the first Saturday parkrun of the year, and again, we were blessed with dry, albeit chilly, weather.

Ashford saw the biggest contingent of Striders with Keith Haynes leading the pack in 19:52. Next home was Scott Hawkins in 26:37, followed by: Stephen Cleaver (26:46), Richard Randle (27:25), Andy Found (27:28), Christopher Wicks (27:33), David Helme (28:57), Josh Stephens (29:32), David Gadsby (29:34). Sharni Copham was the first lady home in 32:08. She was followed by Lee Standen (32:20), Catherine Wall (33:04), Justine Wearn (33:19), Dee Millen (33:24), Brian Forrester (34:11), Siobahn Hagan (34:12), Rachel Tomsett (34:17), Michelle Bryant (34:25), Rachel Oliver (34:56), Jennifer Watts (35:37), Dave Warner (36:18), Rachel Theobald (38:42), Kevin York (38:43), Holly Forest (39:41) and Hazel Forrester, (40:10)

There was also the usual parkrun tourism this week, so in alphabetical order, we’ll start with Barking where Justin Burden finished in 23:27 and Laura Clark bagged a PB of 35:35. Well-done Laura! Bedgebury, was the parkrun of choice for Mandy Cooper, competing the hilly off-road course in 30:54. Also visiting a trail parkrun (a bit further north) were George & Isobel Phillips who completed Belton House in 26:30 & 36:47 respectively. Canterbury was visited by Tamsin Ritchie who completed in 30:32. Dover Waterfront was visited by Lisa Gribbin who completed in 28:25 and Rachel Misson in 29:33. Along the coast at Folkestone saw Michael Davies finish in 22:30 and Emma Matthews in 38:18. Great Lines was visited by Nicola Crawley who finished in 28:30 and the mud fest of Harrow Lodge, was completed by Jamie Penfold in 26:37. Malling saw Don Dewar finish in 28:01, followed by Sara Dewar and Leigh Freeman both finishing in 34:40. And finally …. University Parks saw Lydia Huntley finish in 27:15.

Saturday also saw the first ever Strider attendance at the Kent Cross Country Championships at Brands Hatch. Although almost at the end of the Cross-Country season, three

valiant Striders represented the club. Dave Winchester was the first male home for the club in 1:04:53, closely followed by Jack Farrant in 1:07:28 for the 12km male course. Elle Weeks represented the ladies and finished the 8.4km course in a cracking time of 49.11. Well done!

Happy New Year to you all!

If you’re anything like me, you’ll be wondering how on earth you’re going to consume the remaining 4 billion calories in your house before the diet starts tomorrow…but then someone very wise once said to me that diets are better started in February anyway; January already comes with its challenges! 

Christmas Day parkrun

We start in Ashford, where 232 people, elves, reindeer and other Christmas themed characters, ran or walked the Victoria Park course!

Justin Burden was first Strider across the line with a time of 23:35, followed by Jack Farrant with a time of 23:37, and then with a shiny new PB, Simon Pharoah was third Strider, with a time of 23:39

They were followed by Terry Sellen 24:20, Jason Kennedy 25:03, Graham Troman 25:48, Scott Hawkins 25:49, Hazel Turner 26:47, Darren Laker 26:53, Richard Randle 27:56, David Gadsby 28:25, Jason Sanders 28:35, Nicola Crawley 28:37, Don Dewar 28:46, David Helme 28:53, Charlotte Housden 29:49, Josh Stephens 30:16, Andy Found 31:24, Elle Weekes 31:26, Claire Green 31:28, George Cromwell 31:31, Lucie Shrubsole 31:37, Catherine Wall 31:47, Justine Wearn 32:18, Siobhan Hagan 32:33, Katie Fox 32:44, Sharon Gardner 32:55, Victoria Shrubsole 34:56, Sharni Copham 34:57, Michelle Bryant 35:00, Rachel Tomsett 35:02, Martin Whittingham 35:16, Dee Millen 38:11, Julie Foster 41:10, and Sally Davidson-Daniel 42:23. Danielle Moss celebrated her milestone 100th Parkrun with a lovely 49:07 and finally Lisa Gribbin tail walked her way round in 57:14!

Christmas Volunteers included Justin Burden, Rita Cooke, Dermot Carr, Don Dewar, Lisa Gribbin, Siobhan Hagan, Peter Heckel, Mark Niles and Lee Standen – The Christmas runners were all extremely grateful for your time, thank you!

Parkrun Tourism

Paul Baker and Tamsin Ritchie both completed Albert parkrun in Middlesbrough, finishing in 26:51 and 27:33 respectively

Peter Broom was in Milton Keynes where 805 runners took part in their parkrun! Peter completed the run in 35:13.

Jamie Penfold completed the The Pastures parkrun in Alnwick in 27:50.

Cherith Wright returned home to Ireland recently and ran the Ecos Parkrun in Ballymena, completing the course in 23:11

Saltwood Boxing Day Run

We had six Striders representing the club at the very muddy course in Saltwood. This was a 5k trail race and the first Strider in was Dan Green in 22:10. Next in and both with PB’s were Jason Kennedy – 28:06 and Jason Sanders – 33:12. Kate Stroud followed shortly behind in 35:17 with Andy Found coming in at 46:23 and Nic Crawley in 47:45

Ashford Parkrun 30/12/2023

Record numbers attended this week’s parkrun at Victoria Park with a total of 332 people running and walking the course. That’s the highest attendance since 2020!

Adam Booth was first Strider in at 18:45, followed by Keith Haynes at 19:44 and then third was Jack Farrant at 22:13.

They were followed by Terry Sellen 24:44, Christopher Wicks 25:15, Graham Troman 25:16, Scott Hawkins 26:25, Hazel Turner 26:53, Don Dewar 27:17, Claire Green 27:35, Jamie Bartlett 28:16, David Gadsby 28:33, Darren Laker 28:43, Jo Mason 28:45, Stephen Cleaver 28:55, Isobel Phillips 29:19, Amanda James 29:22, Michelle Bryant with a lovely 30:00 exactly! Josh Stephens 30:26, Rachel Tomsett 30:34, George Phillips 31:02, Ash Robinson, with a fantastic new PB of 31:24! Amanda Cooper 31:52, Siobhan Hagan and Dermot Carr neck and neck with 31:55, Michelle Brice 32:36, Rita Cooke 32:55, Peter Broom 34:39, Martin Whittingham 35:01, Sara Dewar 36:44, Leigh Freeman 36:48, Lisa Fulcher 37:25, Tamsin Ritchie 38:28, Holly Forrest 40:51, Lynnette Whittingham 1:00:48 and then Rachel Misson and Lisa Gribbin both came in at 1:00:49.

Volunteers this week included Jason Caldwell, Sharni Copham, Don Dewar, Julie Foster, Peter Heckel, Simon Jackson, Terry Sellen, Kevan Strand – Thank you all!

Parkrun Tourism

Reigate Priory Parkrun – we had four members run this route, first in was Justin Burden 26:27, then Nicola Crawley 31:10, Justine Wearn 33:59, and Laura Clark 41:25.

Dartford Heath, Mark Niles completed this course in 27:24.

Jamie Penfold was at Lancing Beach Green and completed the course in 26:11.

Andrew Maund went to Mote Park and completed that course in 32:13.

Last but not least, Dover Waterfront Parkrun, Dee Millen was first Strider home completing the course in 32:59, Richard Randle ran with Rick Newman and they both came in at 46:56.

Staplehurst 10 mile

Finally, the last run of the year was a 10 Miler. Michael Davies completed the race in 1:15:22, also earning himself a trophy for best in age! Well Done Michael!

So there we have it, after numerous miles, countless races and many Parkruns, 2023, we are done! Happy New Year all!

Ashford parkrun

Plenty of Striders decided to take a break from Christmas preparations and take advantage of the dry and mild weather to go for a run in Victoria Park. 

Adam Booth was first Strider across the line with a new personal best time of 18:34 – well done Adam! Keith Haynes was next with a time of 19:31, and Dan Green was third Strider, with a time of 20:55.

They were followed by Jack Farrant with a PB of 21:57, then Justin Burden 23:59, Claire Green 24:37, Hazel Turner 25:22, Terry Sellen 25:34, Graham Troman 25:43, Katie Fox 28:08, David Gadsby 28:39, Jason Brice 28:45, Rachel Phillips 28:50, Jo Mason 29:05, Amanda Cooper 29:06, Aimee Donohue 29:07, Pauline Tallett 29:31, Amanda James 29:41, Rachel Tomsett 30:15, Don Dewar 30:26, Josh Stephens 30:32, Darren Laker 30:43, Scott Hawkins 30:45, Charlotte Housden 31:02, Catherine Wall 32:12, Rachel Forrester 32:29, Siobhan Hagan 32:31, Michelle Brice 32:50, Lisa Fulcher 32:55, Peter Broom 33:09, Rita Cooke 33:16, Michelle Bryant 33:22, Sharon Gardner 33:24, Victoria Shrubsole 33:34, Delia Millen 33:35, Sharni Copham 33:38, Brian Forrester 34:34, Leigh Freeman 36:15, Clare Maxlow 37:13, Rachel Oliver 37:40, Lee Standen 37:41, Julie Foster 38:41, Hazel Forrester 39:54 and Danielle Moss 56:11

Volunteering were: Justin Burden, Jason Caldwell, Don Dewar, Peter Heckel, Simon Jackson, Richard Randle and Terry Sellen

Parkrun Tourism

Plenty of Striders travelled a fair distance this weekend, some of whom were using the excuse of visiting family to take in some parkrun tourism.

Two Striders headed across the Irish Sea.  Dermot Carr visited the Republic of Ireland to complete a parkrun in the lovely St Anne’s Park in Dublin in 28:28. Cherith Wright went to Northern Ireland to Ecos parkrun in Ballymena and finished in 22:49

Several Striders went to Northern  England.  Nadine Golding completed her third run at picturesque Fountains Abbey parkrun in North Yorkshire, and gained a PB for the course of 31:54. Jamie Penfold went to Jesmond Dene parkrun in Newcastle upon Tyne, a hilly course which even includes steps! He finished in 25:45.  Paul Baker and Tamsin Ritchie travelled to Stockton-on-Tees to run Wynyard Woodland parkrun, an out-and-back run along the route of a former railway line. They finished in 27:13 and 28:08 respectively.

Closer to home, Nicola Crawley and Justine Wearn opted for a seaside run this weekend, running at Eastbourne parkrun in 29:00 and 31:16 respectively.  John Latter was also by the sea at Folkestone parkrun, finishing in 31:41, and Isobel Phillips completed the Walmer and Deal Seafront parkrun in 31:18, along with George Phillips in 31:20.  Mark Niles went for a muddy run around Squerryes Winery parkrun near Westerham in 51:21.

No races this weekend, so it just remains for me to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas! 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄