round up of this week’s news

ATHLETICS REPORT: FOR THE ATTENTION OF THE SPORTS EDITOR

Striders of Croydon produced some good performances in their second Southern Veterans League match of the season, at Ewell on Monday. Steve Corfield ran well to win the M60 800 metres in 2:22.7, ten seconds ahead of his nearest rival. Sam O’Dongo won the M50 200 metres in a club age-group record of 25.7. Jon Dean was third in the M60 200 metres (33.6), sixth in the long jump (3.00) and seventh in the shot (6.20). Peter Johnson was third in the M60 3000 metres (11:52.3), while Steve Massey was seventh in the M35 800 metres (2:56.7).

For Striders’ women, Sandra Francis was third in the W60 long jump (2.33). Angela Seesurrun was fourth in the W50 200 metres in a club W55 record of 35.2. Vanessa Wheeler was third in the W60 shot with a club age-group record of 4.37. She was also fifth in the W60 800 metres (3:41.8). Striders’ women placed eighth in the match, while their men were ninth.

On Saturday morning, Striders totalled 61 finishers in the Lloyd parkrun mob match against Croydon Harriers. Consuelo Kennefick was the first female finisher, placing 48th overall out of 295 finishers (23:20). Striders’ men were led by Simone Luciani who was first in the M40 age-group and fourth overall (19:21). Steve Corfield placed first in the M60 age-group and ninth overall (19:58), achieving the day’s highest age-grading of 83.22%. Graham Hansen was first in the M65 age-group, placing 32nd overall (22:33). Andy Elliott was first in the M75 age-group, placing 231st overall (37:33). Sandra Francis was first in the W65 age-group, placing 264th overall (44:05). Under the ‘Thornbury’ method, whereby all 95 of the clubs’ finishers score, Striders won by 2707 points to 1853. Under the ‘equal numbers’ method, scoring 34-a-side, Striders won by 1303 to 1043.