This Weeks news-12th October 2026
Striders of Croydon competed in their first Surrey Cross-Country League matches of the season, at Reigate on Saturday. Their women placed ninth out of 15 clubs in their Division Two match. They were led by Rachel Lindley who ran well to place eighth out of the 152 finishers, completing the undulating six-kilometre course in 26:14. Consuelo Kennefick was first in the W50 age-group and 19th overall (27:36). Kara Boaks was 29th (28:24) with Cindy Siu 84th (32:46), Debra Bourne 95th (33:49) and Amy Foster 117th (36:01).
Striders’ men placed third out of ten clubs in their Division Three match. Phil Coales ran well to place sixth out of the 164 finishers, completing the eight-kilometre course in 31:26. James Rhodes was eleventh (31:55), while Marc Burrows was third in the M40 age-group and 16th overall (32:38). Lee Flanagan was third in the M50 age-group and 20th overall (32:49). Krzysztof Klidzia was first in the M60 age-group and 35th overall (33:55), while Steve Corfield was second in the M60 age-group and 42nd overall (34:28). Tom Gillespie was 48th (35:05), Kerim Suruliz 49th (35:07), Chris Bourchier 54th (35:24) and Graeme Drysdale completed the A team in 64th (36:05).
Striders’ B team also did well to place second in their category. Joshua Chatman was 74th (36:43), Peter Mills 80th (37:07), Stephen Kennefick 103rd (38:50), Matthew Stone 104th (38:54), Jason Gallagher 111th (39:40), Matthew Bollington 115th (39:56), Steve Massey 125th (41:38), Vipul Kumar 135th (42:45), Stephen Siu 137th (42:53), Sak Siva 146th (44:29) and Mick Turner 159th (49:02).
On Sunday, Tim Lawlor completed the Budapest Marathon in 3:29:36, Grace Champion completed the Chicago Marathon (03:40:47) and Paul Thomas in (02:58:52), while Matthew Gorton completed the Chelmsford Marathon in 3:59:36. Chris Green ran the Graz Half-Marathon in 1:47:24, Selena Wong( 01:53:07), Linda Jones (01:58:57) and Matt Byrne (02:16:57).
Graham Hansen came 1st his Age category and 1st Brit at the Graz Quarter marathon (10km), Vanessa Wheeler (00.57:47), Sheena Hammond (01:05:07), Jo Riches (01:06.24), Jenny Hansen (01:07:22), Theresa Staunton (01:09:02) Jadwiga Breaks-Makiela (01:14:11).
In the Titsey 10K, Martin Filer was 13th (42:56), Stephen Harris 21st (43:55) and Anna Docile 73rd (51:21).
