Ashford Striders

Apparently it’s autumn, but you wouldn’t think it on this very warm weekend! Lots of Striders were racing this weekend, who were probably hoping for cooler weather when they signed up.
As ever, the weekend started with Saturday morning parkruns. Ashford parkrun saw the usual good turnout with a fair few running who were also racing on Sunday. Finishers were: Andrew Maund 22:16, Justin Burden 22:28, Dan Green 22:35, Terry Sellen 24:15, Ian McCutcheon 25:00, Daniel Schwartz 25:07, Richard Randle 25:39, Cherith Wright 27:24, Scott Hawkins 27:49, Simon Pharoah 29:19, Rachel Tomsett 30:31, David Gadsby 30:39, Jason Brice 31:24, Leigh Freeman 32:58, John Latter 33:31, Delia Millen 33:43, Siobhan Hagan 34:25, Lee Standen 34:33, Justine Wearn 35:30, Laura Clark 39:16, Julie Foster 41:03, Lynnette Whittingham who continues to improve with a new PB of 57:57, Martin Whittingham 57:59 and Graham Troman 57:59.
Striders volunteering at Ashford were: Darren Laker, Dermot Carr, Jason Caldwell, Jennifer Watts, Katie Exon, Lynnette Whittingham, Peter Broom, Peter Heckel, Rachel Oliver, Simon Jackson, Siobhan Hagan and Terry Sellen.
Five Striders visited a variety of parkruns in Kent: Pegwell Bay – Jamie Penfold 23:12, Folkestone – Kate Stroud 26:46, Sittingbourne – Lisa Fulcher 36:21 and Dover Waterfront – George Cromwell 26:34 and Nicola Crawley 27:36, who both scored new course PBs.
Further afield, Don Dewar was visiting Newcastle Under Lyme and ran The Wammy parkrun in 29:37. Norfolk was the destination for Mark Nikes who finished the woodland run at Sandringham parkrun in 22:22. Lydia Huntley ran Oxford’s University Parks parkrun in 25:03 and Stephen Cleaver was in Buxton and finished the Pavilion Gardens parkrun in 25:37. Across the pond, Lisa Gribbin was warming up for her marathon by completing the Chicago 5k in 29:22.
Also racing on Saturday was Jason Kennedy he was in East Sussex completing an exhausting Spartan Ultra, which consisted of a 50km run with 60 demanding obstacles to overcome on the way. His finishing time was 10:12:50, a massive well done Jason!
On Sunday the popular local race, the Givaudan Ashford 10k always sees a great turnout from the club – running, volunteering and supporting all around the town centre road race.
The finishers in red were: Keith Haynes 0:39:31, Steve Greatorex 0:46:20, Simon Pharoah 0:46:53, Nigel Hills 0:47:05, Justin Burden 0:47:45, Jack Farrant 0:48:52, Jamie Penfold 0:49:18, Brian Marsh 0:49:35, Graham Troman 0:49:42, Terry Sellen 0:49:52, Paul Dunning 0:50:13, Cherith Wright 0:50:40, Dermot Carr 0:51:32, Dave Winchester 0:52:04, Andy Found 0:52:07, Chris Wicks 0:52:47, Jen Davis 0:53:09, Jamie Bartlett 0:53:35, Rachel Phillips 0:54:37, Phil Lowe 0:55:31, Matt Elvy 0:56:03, Darren Laker 0:56:04, Josh Stephens 0:56:19, Dave Helme 0:56:37, Karen Lavender 0:56:52, Scott Hawkins 0:57:02, Siobhan Hagan 0:58:00, Rita Cooke 1:01:41, Michelle Bryant 1:02:18, David Gadsby 1:03:40, Michelle Brice 1:05:46, Jenny Watts 1:05:57, Martin Whittingham 1:10:07, Angie Craffey 1:10:19, Rachel Oliver 1:10:45, Julie Nicholson 1:17:15, Nicola Gwatkin 1:17:16, Julie Foster 1:22:04, and Sharon Meadows 1:23:45.
Despite the course not being as flat as the race organisers described the following all earned themselves new PBs: Keith, Steve, Brian, Graham, Cherith, Dermot, Andy, Phil, Matt, Rita, Michelle Brice, Jenny, Nicola and Sharon. Well done everyone, especially those getting a new personal best!
Many thanks also to everyone volunteering and supporting, there were lots of great photos on the Facebook group. Those that I know volunteered were: Lynette Whittingham, Sharon Gardner, Don Dewar and Sara Dewar.
Royal Parks Half
In the capital, several club members took on this popular and scenic half marathon around the parks of central London. Eleanor Weekes was first Strider with a PB of 2:16:31 then Nadine Golding 2:22:41, Jason Sanders 2:27:42 and Peter Broom 2:37:11
Last race of the day was the Chicago Marathon, the cooler temperatures in the Windy City were much more favourable for a race than conditions at home. Two Strider were racing this one and they both earned themselves shiny new personal bests! Aimee Donohue finished in a great time of 4:43:39 and close on her heels was Lisa Gribbin with 4:44:59, very well done ladies!
That brings to a close another awesome weekend of running, I hope you all are enjoying a well earned rest now!
Report by Lisa Fulcher.

Ashford parkrun
As always let’s start at our home turf where we had wonderful representation. Keith Haynes lead the pack for Striders and achieved a fantastic PB in a time of 19.27 you are literally flying. Adam Booth was next to cross the line in 19.40, followed by Dan Green in 22.18 and Justin Burden in 22.36. Terry Sellen ran through the final tunnel in 24.10, Daniel Schwartz got a time of 24.30, Josh Stephens got our 2nd PB of the morning in a fab time of 26.54. Well done! The next bunch of Striders finishing were Christopher Wicks (27.02), David Helme (27.14), Scott Hawkins (27.31), our first lady home Tasmin Ritchie (27.36), Amanda James (29.46) and rounding up our sub 30s for the morning was Simon Pharoah (29.53). Rita Cooke, Mike Mason, Rachel Oliver and Dave Warner achieved finish times of 30.39, 32.37, 32.42 and 32.59 respectively. A flurry of Striders came next and must of dominated that finish tunnel, Jason Brice achieved 33.10, Chris Kelly 33.20, Jennifer Watts 33.24, Michelle Brice 33.29 and Peter Broom 33.33. Husband and Wife duo Brian and Hazel Forrester finished next with Brian just pipping Hazel (35.12) to the post with a time of 34.32. Lisa Fulcher achieved a time of 35.21, the 3rd PB of the day was achieved by Laura Clark (37.43) well done Laura, Siobhan Hagan (running with her daughter) finished the 5k route in 39.54 with Dermot Carr being their running cheerleader and finished in 40.16. Rounding up Team Striders at Victoria Park was Danielle Moss finishing in 43.30. Fantastic running everyone.
A big thank you to this weeks volunteers Michelle Bryant, Jason Caldwell, Sharni Copham, Julie Foster, Sharon Gardener, Simon Jackson, Tasmin Ritchie and special recognition goes to Lee Standon who reached his 100th parkrun volunteer credit. Without the hi-vis hero’s there will be no parkrun so huge appreciation to everyone who gives up their time on a Saturday morning to allow everyone to run.
parkrun Tourism
Striders were definitely out and about with lots tying in a parkrun before Sunday race day.
Local county parkruns were finished by George Cromwell at Walmer and Deal in 26.16 & at Dover Waterfront were Mark Niles who completed the route in 22.03 and Mandy Cooper who finished in 27.23. Amazing running by all.
University Parks was completed by Lydia Huntley in 24.47, Brandon Country Park by Claire Green in 39.51. Teignmouth Promenade was finished by Richard Randle (27.25) and Dee Millen (33.16). Fantastic times everyone and impressive tourism.
On to the guys who didn’t think their booked races on Sunday were enough so decided to visit parkruns on the way to or local to their races, dedication there guys. Lisa Gribbin and Rachel Misson stopped off at Ifield Mill Pond on the way to the Loch Ness Marathon where their Strider tops were recognised and club praised following last weeks Ashford takeover. Lisa finished in 31.18 and Rachel completed the 5k in 31.37. Rachel Tomsett and Angela Craffey were both taking a trip to Wales for the Cardiff half marathon. Angela finished the Penallta parkrun in the Welsh valleys in 33.31. Pontypridd was run by Rachel Tomsett in 36.54. Finally Nicola Crawley and Justine Wearn won the award for farthest afield parkrun this week, they were in the Netherlands for Singeloop Breda 10k so partook in Waterakkers parkrun both achieving top 10 finishes in 28.44 (Nicola) and 29.46 (Justine). Hugely impressive by all!
Rhino Run 5k
There’s not often a race briefing has to include be aware of escaped animals but when it involves running around Port Lympne Wildlife park then better to be safe. Four Striders took part in the very hilly 5k but the views, animals and medal all made up for the 2nd half’s continuous hill. Dave Winchester was the 1st Strider to finish in 27.57, George Cromwell was next across the line in 30.42, Kevin Miller achieved a chip time of 33.55 and Kirsty Theobald got a finish time of 43.11. Well done all.
Tonbridge 5k, 10k, Half
A group of Striders travelled over to Tonbridge with no one picking the 5k option but we had representatives in both the 10k and half distances.
Martin Whittingham chose 10k, finishing the distance in 1hr 20.02. Completing the half during the beautiful sunny Sunday and achieving sub 2hrs PB in 1hr 58.32 was Dermott Carr. Amazing! Siobhan Hagan got a time of 2hr 13.23, David Helme finished in 2hr 17.37, Michelle Bryant knocked minutes of her half time and obtained a PB of 2hr 30.14 and lastly but no means least Sally Davidson-Daniel completed the route in 2hrs 39.50. Just fantastic!
A big high five to Lynette Whittingham for volunteering at Tonbridge, each and every runner appreciates the support.
Singellhopp Breda
Over the waters in The Netherlands – Nicola Crawley & Justine Wearn completed their strong ‘rennen’ for the weekend finishing the popular 10k in 1hr 06.26 and 1hr 07.50 respectively. Not sure the after run snacks were too popular with the ladies though.
Maverick Terrex Series
Completing Goodwood on 2 legs rather than 4 was Jason Kennedy who ran the trail distance of 15k at the Maverick Terrex series. Jason crossed the finish line on the Goodwood course in a time of 1hr 26.59. Well done.
Cardiff Half Marathon
Cardiff half marathon was celebrating their 20th anniversary this year. Flying the flag for Ashford Striders were Rachel Tomsett and Angie Craffey who decided to tackle the hilly course and achieved times of 2hr 29.03 and 2hrs 49.18 respectively. Great running ladies.
Loch Ness Marathon
Not sure if Nessie was spotted or not but Lisa Gribbin and Rachel Misson were completing the Loch Ness Marathon. Both crossed the line together in an exact same time of 5hrs 16.56. The marathon girls continue to smash it.
That completes the weekend’s line up. I hope everyone has had a fab weekend and all are proud of their achievements whether it was at parkrun, races or runs of their own accord. The sun will continue to have his hat on in the coming week so remember to keep up the hydration and enjoy.
Report by Kirsty Theobald.

Saturday saw the third Strider Park Run Takeover of the year and this one was just as spectacular as the previous two as the Red Army converged on Victoria Park in Ashford armed with flags, cameras, lots of cakes and most importantly, Pacers, Marshals, Supporters and Runners. 250 people turned up in total and 43 of them achieved a PB and I’d like to think that our pacers played a huge part in helping them achieve them.
Onto the run itself then and Adam Booth and Keith Haynes (pacer)were first through the funnel in 19:49, outstanding pacing Keith! Adrian Green was doing his first ever Park run and paced at 22 mins. Anyone following him would have been well happy (or dead) as he crossed the line in 20:26. Jack Farrant paced at 24 mins and finished in 23:47 (Follow me for more tips on pacing Jack) and Terry Sellen finished in 24:45. Daniel Schwartz got 24:57 with Adam Thomas close behind in 25:12. Dan Green pacing at 26 finished in 25:49 and Stephen Cleaver achieved 26:07. Claire Green paced for 27 and got her followers through on 26:41 closely followed by Chloe Darling on 26:48. The 28 minute pacer was Darren Laker and he got round in 28:12. Mark Niles and Andy Found (29 pacer) got round in 28:52 (Better pacing than Jack Farrant!) with Sonette Shwartz and Mandy Cooper (30 Pacer) making up the sub 30s with 29:39 and 29:53 respectively.
Leigh Freeman recorded 30:34 and Jayne Hatton 31:11 and they were followed by the ever improving Michelle Brice who notched up yet another PB with 31:55…great effort Michelle! Jason Brice pacing at 32 minutes got round in 31:58 and I think he was the King pacer of the day just two seconds off his target time! Another PB was achieved by Melissa Dawkins with 33:02, Well done Melissa! And she was followed in by Chris Kelly (34 pacer) in 34:56. Kevin York got a time of 36:03 and Sharni Copham, celebrating her 100th Park Run, came through in 36:10. Vicky Shrubsole (36 pacer) and Heather Fraser were the next two Striders with respective times of 36:32 and 39:11. Rachel Oliver, pacing for 40 mins, got round in 39:15 and Tail-walkers Joanna Whitehead and Dani Moss completed in 59:39.
Of course a huge thanks to the other Strider Volunteers who helped make the day such a huge success. I’ve already mentioned the pacers so others were Tammy Brooks, Jason Caldwell, Rita Cooke, Sara Dewar, Paul Dunning, Holly Forrest, Brian Forrester, Hazel Forrester, Julie Foster, Lisa Fulcher, Sharon Gardner, Peter Heckel, David Helme, Katie Exon, Amanda James, Rebecca James, Nadine Golding, Sarah Martins, Andrew Maund, Clare Maxlow, Simon Pharoah, Rachel Phillips, Tamsin Ritchie, Ashley Robinson, Chris Sardo, Lucie Shrubsole, Kevin Strand, Kirsty Theobold, Rachel Tomsett, Graham Troman, Dave Warner, Ian Watson, Jennifer Watts, Paul Baker and Dave Winchester.
Despite the huge Strider numbers at Ashford we still had representation elsewhere and most of them were at Woolwich for the Thames Path event. Dermot Carr completed that in 24:56 followed by Peter Broom (30:44), Martin Whittingham (32:38), Siobhan Hagan (40:40), Lisa Gribbin (40:19), Lee Standen (40:20) and Michelle Bryant (40:21).
Paul Baker was at Canterbury and completed in 29:22 whilst Catherine Wall was at Dunfermline and managed 30:54. Lydia Huntley completed University Parks in 25:40 and Justin Burden, Nicola Crawley and Sally Davidson-Daniel were all at Dover and recorded respective times of 22:13, 28:52 and 32:09. Laura Clark also ran at Dover and achieved a PB of 39:12.

Sunday saw a huge number of Striders racing at various locations. Jason Kennedy completed the 20 mile Nuclear Race Oblivion Max in 7:05:41 and Simon Richter achieved 48:00 at the Dartford Bridge 10K.
At the tough, windy Four Castles Half Marathon Jamie Bartlett finished in 2:10:43, Kate Stroud 2:18:26 and Sharni Copham 2:52:02
And finally we had the Vitality 10000 (10K) in London and Jack Farrant led the way there with a PB run of 47:28 and he was followed in by Josh Stephens with another PB run of 55:32. Kay Hunt and Adam Thomas came in neck and neck with 57:02 followed by Siobhan Hagan with 57:27. Lucie Shrubsole was another to achieve a PB with 1:00:12 and yet another PB went to George Cromwell with 1:00:19. Michelle Bryant recorded a 1:02:35 finish with Lisa Fulcher not far behind in 1:04:17. Sharon Gardner completed in 1:05:51 and Vicky Shrubsole in 1:06:45. Michelle Brice finished in 1:07:18 and Julie Foster completed the Strider Lineup in London with a time of 1:25:06. Last but not least Dermot Carr and Angie Craffey both completed the Virtual Vitality 10000 with times of 1:06:04 and 1:20:00
Well done everyone on an excellent weekend of running, Marshalling and supporting. I hope you all have a great week.
Report by Andy Found.

Ashford Parkrun this week was an A&D takeover week, and I am reliably informed that the cakes were as amazing as the participant turnout! 282 Runners, Joggers and Walkers took part this week, 39 of whom were representing Ashford Striders. Justin Burden was first through the funnel in 22:16, with Andrew Maund hot on his heels at 22:29. Continuing his impressive form with another PB was Dermot Carr coming in at 24:09. Terry Sellen was next through in 24:18, followed by Dan Green in 24:45. This was Dan’s 250th Parkrun which in itself is monumental but Dan was also at the first Ashford Parkrun! Congratulations Dan! Graham Troman was next, earning himself a PB with 24:54. First lady Strider through was Claire Green who sailed through in 25:12! Andy Found was next in; 25:41, Stephen Cleaver; 25:46, Darren Laker; 26:19, Jo Mason finished in a lovely and neat 28 minutes exactly! Kevin York was just behind at 28:13 and then with another PB was Katie Fox with 28:25. Dave Helme came in at 28:47, followed by Amanda Cooper; 29:54. Catherine Wall came through at 30:23, Jayne Hatton; 31:04, Lisa Fulcher; 31:21, Rita Cooke; 31:27, Jason Brice; 31.34, Siobhan Hagan; 31:40, Michelle Bryant; 32:07, Leigh Freeman; 32:09, and then Nadine Lidbury, completing her 10th parkrun in 32:22 (She was supported by Stanley, who got a PB, but not an official one because he didn’t have his Doggy-parkrun-barcode!). We look forward to celebrating Ned’s 25th in about 10 years’ time! Sharni Copham, was next and came in at 32:38. Michelle Brice finished another strong week of running and crossed the line in 32:48. Dee Millen came in at 33:16, Sally Davidson-Daniel; 33:58, Peter Broom; 34:28, Chris Kelly; 35:42, Dave Warner came in at 35:44, Jennifer Watts; 35:54, and then Sharon Meadows finished in 36:38 and earned a lovely PB in the process! Hazel Forrester crossed the line in 37:53, Julie Foster; 40:01, Kevan Strand 42:03 and finally was Mark Niles who rounded up the Strider’s contingent and finished in 48:12!
All volunteers this week were provided by A&D – thank you to all who volunteer and please do look at the upcoming schedules to see if you can help one week. (Next week is Striders takeover!)
Parkrun Tourism
Dover Waterfront Parkrun proved popular for our members this week with seven Striders visiting. Jamie Penfold was first to the funnel in 22:40, George Cromwell was next in, and with a PB, at 27:07, Justine Wearn finished in 30:44, Martin Whittingham; 31:56, Vicky and Lucie Shrubsole came in together at 32:04 and then Nicola Crawley (Tailwalker!) finished in 52:38.
Lydia Huntley took part in the University Parks Parkrun completing the 5k in 26:56.
Daniel and Sonette Shwartz were in Oxford and completed the Parkrun there in 27:06 and 29:54 respectively.
Aimee Donohue completed the Kingston Parkrun and finished in 31:42.
Lee Standen was in Southampton and did their parkrun, completing in a time of 32:17!
Well done to all Parkrunners!

Of the official races this weekend, both the Larkfield 10k and the Faversham 10k saw a Striders representation.
Justin Burden and Jenny Watts went to Faversham to complete the 10k. Justin finished in 48:33 and Jenny finished in 1:11:08.
Larkfield, I hear was lovely, with comments circulating about how enjoyable the run was! First to finish the Larkfield 10k was Keith Haynes who finished in 40:51, then Claire Green with 53:16. Andy Found was just behind with 55:54; Amanda James came in at 1:01:53, Vicky Stevenson was next with 1:02:21. Sara Dewar completed her run in 1:10:24 and then Kirsty Theobald finished in 1:21:14
Last but not least, yesterday saw the Maverick Adidas Terrex Race. This is a selection of trail races all over the country and varying distances. Yesterday, Josh Stephen took part in the 23km version in Kent and completed in a very respectable time of 3:21:40.
Well done to all racers and runners this week – smashed it!
Well I’m afraid that brings this week’s report, and my waffle, to a close! I hope you all have a fantastic week and if you do need a bit more waffle, I’ll see you at club!
Report by Sharon Gardner.

A huge well done to all those that ran and raced this weekend whilst in the middle of a September heatwave. This week saw some great races and lots of parkrun tourism.
We start this week on Friday evening as we did last week.
Great North 5K
Simon Pharoah took part in a warmup to the Great North run in the Great North 5K which he completed in 23.20.
Parkrun
Ashford parkrun
Starting at home, 257 people ran, jogged or walked the 430th Ashford parkrun in the sunshine. Keith Haynes was the first Strider to finish in a time of 20.07, Graham Troman was next through achieving a PB of 25.07, Terry Sellen was close behind in 25.21. Lydia Huntley was the first Strider lady to finish in 25.44, followed by Claire Green in 26.59, David Helme in 29.58, Amanda James in 30.18 and Andy Found in 30.18. Amanda Cooper was just one second behind Andy in 30.19 followed by Vicky Stevensen in 31.01, Catherine Wall in 31.37, Jason Brice in 32.33, Leigh Freeman in 32.34. Celebrating her 25th parkrun Michell Brice completed the course in 32.59, followed by Sara Dewar in 34.05, Jennifer Watts in 35.02, Dave Warner in 39.03, Sharon Meadows in 40.21, Rachel Theobald in 43.44 and Kevin York in 43.45.
Huge thank you to the volunteers, who without, parkrun cannot take place. Jason Caldwell, Dan Green, Simon Jackson, Darren Laker, Jo Mason, Andrew Maund, Terry Sellen and Kevan Strand.
Zuiderpark parkrun
Travelling 258 miles to Holland, Martin and Lynette Whittingham got their Z for the parkrun alphabet at the Zuiderpark parkrun finishing in 35.39 and 1.05.24 respectively.
Edinburgh parkrun
Lisa Gribbin made the journey up to Scotland before her Great North Run adventure and completed the Edinburgh parkrun with a brand new shiny PB of 28.01.
Moors Valley parkrun
Richard Randle and Dee Millen travelled to Dorset on their way to the New Forest half marathon and completed the Moors Valley parkrun in 34.52 and 34.51 respectively.
Lymington Woodside parkrun
Also on their way to the New Forest Jason Wearn and Chris Sardo completed the Lymington Woodside parkrun in 24.10 and 24.37 with Nadine Golding, Justine Wearn and Nicki Crawley finishing in 50.23, 50.25 and 50.29.
Gateshead parkrun
Another Strider in the northeast for the Great North Run was Simon Pharoah who as well as running on Friday also took part in the Gateshead parkrun finishing in 26.12
Folkestone parkrun
Staying closer to home was Hazel Turner and Tamsin Ritchie who completed Folkestone in 26.06 and 28.59.
Bedgebury Pinetum
Rachel Tomsett travelled to Bedgebury and completed the 5K in 32.53
Millfield parkrun
Also heading north was Daniel Schwartz who was in North Yorkshire taking part in the Millfield parkrun completing in 29.49
Irchester parkrun
Yet another Strider heading north up the motorway for the Great North Run, Dermot Carr stopped off at Irchester parkrun finishing in 27.25
Mote Park parkrun
Justin Burden headed towards Maidstone and completed the Mote Park parkrun in 24.21
Thornham Walks parkrun
Scott Hawkins travelled East to Suffolk taking part in the Thornham Walks parkrun finishing in 29.29
Dover Waterfront parkrun
Taking part in the inaugural Dover Waterfront parkrun was Lorna Cheshire, Siobhan Hagan, Rachel Misson and Michelle Bryant completing the course in 27.51, 31.24, 32.04 and 32.40 respectively.
The Great North Run
Sharing the same course as Sir Mo Farah’s last competitive race, 13 Striders made the long journey North for the Great North Run 2023. Michael Davies was the first Strider to complete the half marathon in 1.36.33, followed by Simon Richter in 1.57.27. Next to finish was Simon Pharoah in 2.01.06 closely followed by Dermot Carr who celebrated a personal best in 2.04.21.Daniel Schwartz was next in 2.17.45 with Lisa Gribbin close behind in 2.21.25. Sally Davidson-Daniel finished in 2.27.17 a personal best for her with Jayne Hatton completing in 2.28.55 followed by Ian Watson in 2.31, Sonette Schwartz and Sharon Gardner in 2.36.06 and 2.36.32. Taking part in her first half marathon, Julie Nicholson completed in 3.24.32.
New Forest Marathon/Half/10K
Further south and faced with rain 12 Striders headed to the picturesque New Forest taking part in the half marathon and 10k events.
Nikki Crawley completed the 10K in 1.17.27. Chris Sardo was the first Strider to finish the half in 1.49.45 followed by Jason Caldwell and Richard Randle in 1.51.09 and 1.59.55 respectively. Vicky Stevenson was next to finish in 2.13.02 closely followed by Amanda Cooper in 2.19.57. Andy Found was next through in 2.26.17 followed closely by Nadine Golding (2.26.25) Justine Wearn (2.26.29), Rita Cooke (2.26.29) and Jason Wearn (2.26.30). Dee Millen, taking part in her first half marathon crossed the line in 2.47.31.
Rye Ancient Trails 30k & 15k
Even closer to home but faced with the heat and hills in Rye, 11 Striders took part in the Rye Ancient Trails which was either a distance of 30k or 15k.
Taking part in the 30K was Jason Kennedy completing the distance in 3.29.47. Siobhan Hagan, Rachel Misson and Becky Somerford all came through the finish line after 30K in 5.48.37, 5.48.43 and 5.48.43. In the 15k distance Tamsin Ritchie was first to finish in 2.04.35 followed by Kay Hunt and Adam Thomas in 2.10.02 and 2.10.03, they were closely followed by Darren Laker in 2.11.51 and Josh Stephens in 2.15.51. Vicky Shrubsole and Sharni Copham completed the race in 2.41.49 and 2.42.35.
Report by Danielle Moss.

Rye Summer Series

This week we start with the final race in the Rye Summer Series, this time the distance was 5k. Finishing this Friday evening race were Justin Burden, who was first Strider with a time of 22:33, next was Josh Stephens scoring a personal best time of 26:31. Dermot Carr finished in 26:46 then Dee Millen 32:47 and Danielle Moss 39:34. Great racing everyone!

Ashford parkrun.
The weather turned warmer and more humid on Saturday but despite that there was a good attendance and several personal bests at Ashford parkrun.
Keith Haynes headed the Strider field with 20:05, followed by Andrew Maund with a time of 21:16. Justin Burden raced the previous evening but still managed a parkrun PB of 22:02. Jamie Penfold and Simon Pharoah both got personal bests with times of 23:06 and 25:02 respectively. Hazel Turner was first Strider lady with 25:37, followed by Aimee Donohue 26:53, Jason Kennedy 27:04, David Gadsby 27:43, Darren Laker 27:48, Don Dewar 27:58, Jason Brice 28:39, Jo Mason 28:41 and David Helme 29:27. Katie Fox ran her first ever parkrun in 29:29, Rita Cooke achieved her aim of a sub-30 finish with a PB of 29:46. Dermot Carr finished his 25th parkrun in 29:46, next was Martin Whittingham 31:53, Michelle Brice 32:58, Sharni Copham 33:25, Brian Forrester 33:40, Rachel Theobald 34:07, Kevin York 34:07, Delia Millen 35:29, Nadine Golding 36:51, Sharon Meadows 37:50, Siobhan Hagan 38:22, Lisa Gribbin 38:22, Julie Foster 41:27, Danielle Moss 42:10 and Hazel Forrester 42:11.
Club members volunteering at Ashford this week were: Peter Broom, Michelle Bryant, Jason Caldwell, Peter Heckel, Terry Sellen and Kevan Strand. Thanks all of you for your efforts this week!

parkrun tourism
Several Striders were on tour this week. Staying in Kent was Mark Niles completing the run around the lake at Tonbridge in a time of 21:38. In West London, Justine Wearn and Nicola Crawley finished Northala Fields parkrun in 30:43 and 30:46 respectively.
Further afield, Daniel and Sonette Schwartz were at Sizewell on the Suffolk coast, finishing in 26:18 and 30:47 respectively. It was their second time at this parkrun and Daniel achieved a PB for that event. Furthest travelled was Richard Randall, who was up north for his triathlon so he attended Clumber Park parkrun in Nottinghamshire and finished in 26:49
Also on Saturday was the Folkestone Downs Challenge in aid of Pilgrims Hospice. This is a hilly trail event that starts with a climb of around 160m up from Folkestone Harbour but finishes more gently with a flat section alongside the canal and seafront. This is an untimed event and the Striders completing the challenge were Tamsin Ritchie, Rachel Tomsett, Rachel Misson, Claire Green and Lisa Fulcher. Well done ladies!
Sunday was very warm and sticky, providing tough conditions for the large number of Striders racing that day. A new race this year was the Dover Seafront 10k. The event had timing issues and the results could be subject to correction! Jamie Penfold did really well considering the weather, achieving a 10k personal best of 49:35. Hazel Turner was next Strider with 54:02, Kay Hunt finished in 1:00:08 and Michelle Brice 1:06:20. Well done all of you!

London Big Half
A large group of Striders travelled to the capital for the Big Half, a well supported race taking in sights such as Tower Bridge and the Cutty Sark. Racing were Adam Thomas, who was first Strider home in 1:53:59, Siobhan Hagan 2:15:25, Lisa Gribbin 2:15:41, Scott Hawkins 2:31:21, Michelle Bryant, 2:38:16, Dave Helme 2:23:47, Jack Farrant 2:08:09, Josh Stephens 2:32:15, Simon Pharoah 2:01:56, Leanne Howard 2:50:04, Angie Craffey 2:57:31 and Sarah George 3:01:01. Well done to all of you racing in the heat but particularly Jack, Josh, Michelle and Leanne for running new personal best times!
Thanks go to Martin and Lynnette Whittingham, and Dermot Carr (once again in his Squid hat) for volunteering at the Big Half and encouraging all the runners on.

Triathlon
Last, but definitely not least, were our triathletes taking part in the Outlaw X half-distance event. This is a gruelling challenge of a 1.2 mile swim, a 56 mile cycle, followed by a 13.1 mile run. Richard Randle completed the course in 6:51:35 and Lorna Dewell finished in 7.00.45. Sarah Martins also competed, but narrowly missed the cut-off to start the run section, but completing the swim and bike sections was still an amazing achievement! Well done all of you awesome triathletes!
Report by Lisa Fulcher.

The final summer Bank Holiday brought us some sunny weather and an extra day which meant a fab weekend for running.
Ashford parkrun
Ashford parkrun saw a great flurry of red with a brilliant Strider turn out. First home for the club was Adam Booth with an impressive sub 20 5k and time of 19.54. Dan Green come across the line next with a time of 22.53, Justin Burden reached the finishers tunnel in 23.13, Terry Sellen achieved a time of 24.44 and achieving a PB of 25.17 was our very own chairman Andy Found. Our first female Strider finishing in 26.08 was Claire Green with Hazel Turner close behind in a time of 26.20. All achieving a sub 30 on the sunny Saturday morning were Jamie Bartlett (26.24), Jason Brice (26.46), Josh Stephens (also achieving a brilliant PB time of 27.48), Mandy Cooper (28.38), Tasmin Ritchie (28.39) and Don Dewer (29.19). Fantastic running everyone.
Rachel Phillips, Rita Cooke, Amanda James and Catherine Wall got to the finish line within seconds of each other running in times of 30.09, 30.12, 30.14 and 30.16 respectively. Well done ladies! Sally Davidson-Daniel finished the 5k course in 32.27 with Rachel Theobald then pipping Kevin York to the post running home in a time of 32.47 with Kevin crossing the line just 1 second later. Rachel Oliver finished in 33.19 and Peter Broom and Rachel Somerford got through the finishers tunnel at exactly the same time of 33.27. Brilliant stuff all! Finishing the Strider line up round Victoria Park were Michelle Brice (35.20), Clare Maxlow (35.28), Jennifer Watts (36.49) and Hazel Forrester (36.51).
parkrun Tourism
We had Strider representation across a range of parkruns over the country this weekend (some probably coinciding with their bank holiday travels – impressive and dedicated guys).
Staying in Kent were a group running Walmer and Deal – Dermott Carr was the first to finish in 23.51, Siobhan Hagan achieved 28.40, Rachel Misson got a time of 29.28, Michelle Bryant finished in 33.01, Martin Whittingham ran in 35.37 and Lynnette Whittingham rounded up the pack in 1hr 04.14. Andrew Maund visited Maidstone parkrun and finished the 5k course in 21.39. George Cromwell travelled to Sittingbourne and ran in 28.02.
Volunteering as high vis heroes and even enjoying some bubbles at the end where Justine Wearn and Nicola Crawley who visited Foots Cray parkrun and finished in 56.14 and 56.16 respectively. Keeping with the London theme was Sonette Schwartz who travelled to Hackney Marshes and achieved a time of 30.04.
Enjoying some beach air was Rachel Tomsett who finished Seaford Beach’s course in 42.05 and Jamie Penfold who completed Worthing parkrun in 22.12. Travelling bit further up north and completing Birmingham’s Cannon Hill parkrun was Neil Wood who got a time of 23.53 but the gold star for farthest afield parkrun for this week’s tourism was Lisa Gribbon who completed the undulating course in Ganavan Sands, Scotland in an impressive sub 30 time of 29.17.
Amazing tourism all and huge well done each and every one of you.
Canterbury Half Marathon – Mon 28th.
It’s not often we have a race on a Monday morning – but today found 3 striders completing the Canterbury Half Marathon.
Doing it for the girls were – Hazel Turner who finished the half in a fab 2hrs 05.18, Aimee Donohue achieved a brilliant time of 2hrs 41.25 and Lisa Fulcher was not far behind gaining her well earned medal at the end in 2hrs 41.32. Great running girls.
Some different achievements of the weekend and all deserve special mentions in this week’s reports were the ladies who competed in Friday’s Softball competition – a brilliant night was had by all, bubbles enjoyed and laughs galore.
Karen Edwards went to the Capital and took on a walking challenge with the 25k Summer Walk – well done Karen.
Finally we had Jason Kennedy who decided to set himself a goal of running 4 miles every 4 hours over 48 hours. Gruelling but what an achievement.
Congratulations to everyone for their achievements this weekend, and we hope you all enjoyed the long weekend.
Report by Kirsty Theobald.

No races this weekend so parkrun was the order of the day for the Striders that wished to run against the clock.
Ashford saw 32 Striders with Mark Niles taking the No1 spot with 21:47 followed by Terry Sellen with 24:57. The Greens, who used to be blue but are now red, Claire and Dan came through next with Claire finishing in 25:29 and Dan in 25:30. Aimee Donohue took 26:21 to get round followed by Darren Laker in 27:32. George Cromwell finished in 27:57 and Kevin York in 28:17. Dave Helme and Jason Brice finished in 28:31 and 28:38 respectively with Tamsin Ritchie completing the sub 30’s with 29:10.
Amanda James completed in 30:21 just ahead of Sonette Schwartz in 31:26. Rachel Forrester just pipped Peter Broom to the line as they finished in 32:20 and 32:23 and just behind them was Sarah Dewar with 32:29. Leigh Freeman got round in 32:35 and Dee Millen one second later in 32:36. Two more neck and neck’s followed with Martin Whittingham and Michelle Bryant recording 33:38 and 33:39 respectively. Michelle Brice and Vicky Shrubsole couldn’t be separated as they both achieved a time of 33:41 with Lucie Shrubsole hot on their tails with 33:42. Jennifer Watts and Rachel Oliver were the next two Striders over the line with 34:09 and 34:37 followed by Brian Forrester in 35:03. Sharni Copham achieved 35:15 and Sharon Meadows 37:37 with Danielle Moss and Hazel Forrester both completing in 39:47. Tail Walkers Justin Burden and Joanna Whitehead finished the Strider in 1:09:49 and 1:09:51 respectively.
Volunteers at Ashford included Jason Caldwell, Dermot Carr, Mandy Cooper, Don Dewar, Julie Foster, Sharon Gardner, Tamsin Ritchie, Pauline Tallett, Joanna Whitehead and Lynette Whittingham. A massive thanks to you all!
Andrew Maund visited the home of parkrun, Bushy and went round in 21:06 whilst Lee Standen chose Grovelands in Enfield and completed in 31:34. Jamie Penfold and Paul Baker both ran the Canterbury course and achieved respective times of 25:00 and 26:08 and Siobhan Hagan went to Worcester Pitchcroft and completed in 28:35. Ned Golding finished the Fountains Abbey event in 33:34 whilst Rachel Tomsett visited Bedgebury Pinetum and recorded 33:13. Cyclopark was the destination of choice for Lisa Fulcher and she went round in 36:53 and Lisa Gribbin visited Levengrove and recorded 28:14. Justine Wearn and Nicola Crawley were at Swanley with Justine completing in 31:23 and Nicola going round as tail-walker in 52:16. Last but not least for the tourists this week was Hazel Turner who took 25:38 to complete the Ashbourne Recreation Ground event.
Well done to everyone who ran or volunteered on Saturday and I hope you all have a great week,
Report by Andy Found.

Ashford Parkrun
The sun was shining this week in Ashford which saw 274 runners, joggers and walkers attend the 426th Ashford parkrun.
First home for the super reds was Keith Haynes who was just two seconds shy of his PB coming in at 19.47. Keith was followed by Michael Davies in 22.00 and Dan Green in 24.09 and securing a new shiny personal best was Dermot Carr in 25.07. Terry Sellen was next through in 26 minutes exactly closely followed by the first Strider lady Claire Green in 26.09. Celebrating his 50th parkrun with cakes was Graham Troman who finished in 27.08 followed by Don Dewar who completed his fastest parkrun since 2021 in 28.11. David Gadsby was next to finish in 28.32 followed by Amanda James, Catherine Wall and Josh Stephens in 30.31, 30.36 and 31.27 respectively closely followed by Rachel Forrester in 31.28. Sonette Schwartz and Sara Dewar were next through in 32.01 and 33.33 respectively. Finishing neck and neck were Siobhan Hagan and Lisa Gribbin in 34.06. Sharon Meadows was next through in 38.39 followed by Chris Kelly in 40.04. Danielle Moss was next in 40.25 and Hazel Forrester who was secretly celebrating her 150th parkrun in 40.26. Sharni Copham was this week’s tail-walker rounding everyone up in 1.11.55.
Ashford parkrun can’t go ahead without the volunteers and so please do contact them to offer your services in the various roles. Thank you to this week’s hi-viz hero’s Jason Caldwell, Sharni Copham, Siobhan Hagan, Katie Iggulden Exon, Simon Jackson, Danielle Moss, Sam Rivolta, Terry Sellen, Lee Standen, Hazel Turner, Jenny Watts, Joanna Whitehead, Lynette and Martin Whittingham.
Parkrum Tourism
Coldhams Common parkrun
Julie Foster was in Cambridge this weekend and took part in the Coldham’s Common parkrun completing it in 42 minutes.
Mile End Parkrun
Jamie Penfold was a sole Strider in Mile End and completed the parkrun in 24.35
Shorne Woods parkrun
Mark Niles took part in the Shorne Woods parkrun in an impressive 22.12
Folkestone Parkrun
Rachel Tomsett travelled down the M20 to complete the Folkestone parkrun in 38.19
Pensrose Parkrun
Darren Laker was in Cornwall this weekend and completed the Penrose parkrun in 27.09
Bedgebury Parkrun
Andrew Maund completed the Bedgebury parkrun in a fantastic 22.01
Ifield Mill Pond parkrun
Justin Burden, Justine Wearn and Nicki Crawley travelled to just outside of Crawley in West Sussex and completed the parkrun in 23.35, 32.15 and 51.48 respectively.
The Nice Work Summer 10k
Josh Stephens travelled to London on Sunday morning to complete the Nice Work Summer 10K in 58.42. The race took park in Regents Park right next to London Zoo.
The Mount Ephraim 10k
6 Striders ran the undulating course and 11 were supportive marshals. First to finish for the Striders was David Helme in 1.02.30, followed by Lee Standen in 1.03.13. Siobhan Hagan and Michelle Bryant were next through in 1.04.16 and 1.05.28 respectively. Martin Whittingham was next at 1.12.36 with Kirsty Theobald coming through in 1.28.53
Report by Danielle Moss.

Welcome to this week’s run report, the first one for August, brought to you on the same day as the big yellow ball in the sky made an appearance! Sadly, the same can’t be said for parkrun with the Sun proving to be a tad elusive, although Ashford was blessed, not only with about 30 mins of dryness and a bit of blue sky, but also the sounds, across the park, of a squid with cowbells! (Thank you for your support, Dermot!)
Ashford’s 425th Parkrun was looking gloomy and wet down at Victoria Park, but the rain paused just as the runners took to the start line and stayed away long enough for the majority of the runners to get round the course.
Of the 256 Parkrunners and walkers, we had 28 Striders out in the park representing the club. First Strider through the funnel was Jack Farrant, steaming through in 22:23 and earning himself a shiny new PB in the process! (Apparently, he gets his running talent from his mother!) Coming in next, at 23:06 was Dan Green and then Terry Sellen with a time of 25:02. Stephen Cleaver was next in at 25:37, Graham Troman at 26:32 and 7 seconds behind him was Darren Laker at 26:39. Siobhan Hagan was first lady Strider through, coming through the funnel with Keith Haynes, both in a time of 27:38. George Cromwell was the next Strider with a PB, coming in at 27:42, exactly a minute behind George and with a time of 28:42 was Dave Helme, then just 2 seconds later was Josh Stephens with 28:44. Mandy Cooper finished in 28:48, Tamsin Ritchie in 29:08 and Amanda James was the last sub 30 Strider coming in at 29:59. Jason Brice was next in; 30:01, John Latter at 31:01, Michelle Bryant at 32:08, Leigh Freeman at 32:09 and then, with a lovely PB of 32:29 was Michelle Brice! Sara Dewar came in at 33:05, a second quicker than Don Dewar, who recorded a time of 33:06. Dee Millen was next in at 33:41, Sharni Copham came through in 34:23, Martin Whittingham; 35:24, Justine Wearn at 35:34 and Nicola Crawley completed her first run back from injuries in 35:35! Claire Green was next in at 41:58 and last but by no means least was Adam Booth who was this week’s tail-walker and who completed the 5k in 1:12:36.
Thank you to all this week’s Parkrun Volunteers, Adam Booth, Peter Broom, Dermot Carr, Nicola Crawley, Lisa Fulcher, Simon Jackson, Richard Randle, Terry Sellen, Pauline Tallett and Lynnette Whittingham! Your time and help is very much appreciated!
Parkrun Tourism was in full swing this weekend with several striders braving the weather in locations far and wide!
Justin Burden ventured over to Highbury Fields Parkrun and completed their course in 23:20.
Canterbury Parkrun saw four striders taking on the course, those were Paul Baker; 26:43, Hazel Turner; 27:10, Lisa Gribbin; 31:43 and Rachel Misson; 31:58.
Danielle Moss practically swam around Horsham Parkrun on Saturday but did so in a great time of 41 minutes exactly.
Jennifer Watts travelled to the Netley Abbey parkrun and was soaked through before she started but didn’t let that stop her completing the course in 34:51.
Rachel Tomsett travelled over to Pegwell Bay and finished in 45:34.
Jamie Penfold went to wet, windy and freezing Lancing Green this week and finished his Parkrun in 24:08.
Mark Niles went to Gravesend for the Cyclopark Parkrun and finished in 22:21.
Finally, travelling overseas to the Isle of Wight for the brutally hilly Medina IOW Parkrun, were Jayne Hatton (31:30) and Sally Davidson-Daniel (31:57)
Well done to all you Parkrunners who braved the elements and ran, despite the challenges!

Rye Summer Series took place on Friday we had several Striders taking part and they had some great results.
Keith Haynes stormed the 10k, with an amazing and well deserved PB, coming in at 39:50! Justin Burden completed the 10k with a PB of 46:49, Dermot Carr also earned a PB with a 10k finish time of 52:51, Josh Stephens had a finish time of 1:01:49 and then, with another shiny new PB was Dee Millen. Dee completed the 10k in 1:08:25.
Finally, to round off the weekend, Richard Randle and Andrew Cornwell both took Part in the London Triathlon, completing the challenge in 3:04:17 and 3:56:14, well done to you all!
That brings to a close this week’s run report, the weather for the next week is looking favourable so hopefully next week we can get back to saying how it’s too warm rather than being drowned rats!
Have a lovely week.
Report by Sharon Gardner.