Athletics round-up: Quiet week but clubs pay remembrance

There were some events focused on Remembrance with Stevenage Striders sending a good squad to the Phoenix events in London.

On Saturday, Marc Hagland completed the Lest We Forget Half Marathon in a time of two hours 27 minutes while the Remembrance Half & Marathon a day later saw another 13 Striders involved.

Stuart Cuzner (1:52:43) led the club home in the half, with Chrissie Thomas (2:21) the fastest of their females, while it was Glenn Cuzner who was the first of the four in the full marathon, clocking 3:34:59.

There were a couple of parkrun PBs too, Richard Longley clocking 21:21 and Gemma O'Donnell 24:32.

Dave Ackery, Sam Tophill, Jim Brown and Paul Shelley of Fairlands Valley Spartans after the Remembrance Half Marathon. Picture: FVS (Image: Fairlands Valley Spartans) Fairlands Valley Spartans had remembrance runs too.

Paul Shelley came third overall in a PB of 1:23:18 after running three laps of the course at Carver Barracks near Debden in Essex.

Sam Tophill (1:53:12), Jim Brown (1:56:00) and Dave Ackery (1:59:43) were the others involved.

Jay Papa ran the Night Run 10k at Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, finishing in 56:40. There were a huge number of runners.

The third round of the Sunday Cross-country League at Trent Park in Cockfosters saw the Spartans come away sixth overall and fifth in the men's competition.

David Harris-Cherguit finished sixth while Tracey Jackson led the women in 40th, Yuko Gordon 45th.

One week earlier Sam Gentry continued her rapid club career.

Having started her membership in September, she ran her first 10k at the Herts 10k in Knebworth.

Her chip time was 1:07:15.

In parkruns, Grant Ramsay was second at Stevenage where Karen Ellis was the fastest FVS Spartan.

North Herts Road Runners at Westmill Parkrun. Picture: NHRR (Image: North Herts Road Runners) Parkruns were the focus for North Herts Road Runners too as they prepare for the next round of the Three Counties Cross-country League.

Bev Rimmer won the prize for most glamorous location, turning out at the Foro Italico Parkrun in Palermo, Sicily, where she finished in 30:17.

Closer to home, Tom Barclay was first finisher at Salisbury in 17:39.

Jennie Fraser combined travelling to Australia for a wedding, with running the “brutally beautiful” Marysville Marathon

She described the run in the bush as being her "best experience to date".

The handicap 5 mile squad from Stevenage Phoenix. Picture: PHOENIX (Image: Stevenage Phoenix) Stevenage Phoenix's focus was their own handicap five mile.

A total of 20 runners took to the footpaths of Stevenage with first place going to Charlie Day, setting a PB of 56:01.

Other PBs were set by Myles Hammersley (47:16), Martin Wasley (46:03), John Harris (45:09), Katie Mitham (42:46), Ben Murphy (41:03), Graham Eden (36:55), Conor O'Neil (36:21) and Aaron Reynolds (33:46).

Mitham's time also broke the senior female club record.