Reports for 2007

All reports by Alan Dolton unless otherwise credited.

South of Thames - fixture 2 - 15th December 2007 & here
London xc championships - 8th December 2007
South of Thames - fixture 1- & Epsom 10 - 17th & 18th November 2007

Surrey League xc - fixture 2 - women & men - 10th November 2007
East Surrey League - fixture 1 - 27th October 2007
Surrey League xc - fixture 1 - women & men - 13th October 2007
Switchback 5 - 23rd September 2007
Surrey Road Relays - 8th September 2007
Belgrave (Wimbledon) 5K - 12th August 2007
Rosenheim fixture 6 - 25th July 2007
Elmbridge 10K - 15th July 2007
Vets T&F fixture 4 & Rosenheim fixture 5 - 2nd July and 4th July
Vets T&F fixture 3 & Rosenheim fixture 4 & Dysart Dash - 11th June, 20th June and 24th June 2007

Rosenheim fixture 3 - 6th June 2007
Dorking 10 - 3rd June 2007

Surrey Vets T&F championships - 26th May 2007
Rosenheim fixture 2 - 23rd May 2007
Vets T&F fixture 2 - 21st May 2007

Richmond half marathon - 13th May 2007
Beckenham road relay & Rosenheim fixture 1 & Sutton 10K - 2nd May and 6th May 2007
Vets track & field - 30th April 2007
London Marathon - 22nd April 2007

East Surrey League - fixture 4 - 10th April 2007
Trowbridge 10K - 25th March 2007
Harriers Invitational & mini-marathon trial - 3rd March 2007
Bramley 20 - 25th February 2007

Brighton Half Marathon - 18th February 2007
Surrey League xc - fixture 4 - women & men - 10th February 2007

Surrey League xc - fixture 3 - women & men - 13th January 2007
Surrey county championship xc - men & women - 6th January 2007

 

Striders women fourth at Nork Park

Striders of Croydon faced strong opposition in the South of Thames Cross-Country Association’s annual championship, held at Nork Park in Banstead on Saturday. Their women’s team did well to place fourth, while their men placed tenth.

Striders’ women were led home by Kerry Backshell who ran well to finish 20th, covering the seven-mile course in 50 minutes 55 seconds. She was closely followed by Suzy Yates who finished 22nd (51.15). Emily Campbell was 35th (55.27) and Kim Ford was 41st (61.46).

Striders’ men were led home by Darren Piper, who placed 72nd of the 135 finishers, recording 42 minutes 42 seconds. Simon Ambrosi was 82nd (43.38) with team manager Chris Morton 84th (43.57). Abdul Rashid Abdi made a promising debut in 86th (44.22) while Neil Furze was 91st (45.20). Steve Massey was 105th (46.52) with Gavin Price 106th (46.54), Richard Edwards 110th (47.59) and Paul Weir 128th (53.49).

 

Simon Ambrosi's report from Nork Park :

How cold was it on Saturday?  Anyone who was in Nork Park knows the answer to that, it was absolutely freezing!  My warm up involved standing under the hand dryer in the toilets of the church hall (not all the way under, I'm not that short) and then getting a rub from Viv on the start line (thanks, that was nice).
 
The course started by going round 2 sides of a football pitch before getting to the start of the main lap which we would go round 4 times and then finishing the way we started.  It seemed to be quite a high quality field as it felt like most of them sprinted past me at the start.  I tried to take the first lap steady so I'd know how hard I could attack it on the next 3 laps and after about a mile we were having a nice Striders moment with myself, Chris, Darren P and Neil F in a row, doing our best to stop anyone else overtaking.  Chris did his usual running at my shoulder, trying to shelter from the wind and making me feel uncomfortable at the same time, although I did manage to keep him at bay this time (Chris - that's 3:2 to me so far this season, not that I'm counting).  It was great to see Abdul and Neil not far behind for Striders as well.  I didn't think the course was too muddy until I took my spikes out my bag later so it makes the times of people that ran in road shoes (I know this was at least Ayisha and Jo F) even more impressive.  Another couple of impressive ladies were Kerry and Suzy for Striders coming 20th and 22nd in the ladies race.
 
Somewhere round the 2nd lap I passed a struggling Pippa and shouldn't have been surprised when a couple of minutes later she was making me work really hard to keep my position but hopefully this helped her come 4th in the ladies race as well (Pippa - that was just what I needed, I'll give you a rematch when we're out of the cold/flu season).  I was just finishing my 3rd lap when I heard someone catching me a bit quick and thought they must have lost count of their laps and was starting their sprint for the finish a bit early 'til I heard a couple of shouts of 'Phil' and had Mr Wicks zoom past just before I went round the corner.  This was the height of rudeness, he had over 1 minute lead so there was no need to rush and the least he could have done was wait for his captain to start his 4th lap before starting his finish (a bit more respect next time please Phil!).
 
Results in Summary:
1st               Phil Wicks (Belgrave)        32:54 - Great time Phil!!
72nd            Darren Piper (SoC)             42:42
82nd            Simon Ambrosi (SoC)        43:38
84th            Chris Morton (SoC)            43:57
4th lady       Pippa Major (SLH)             44:06
86th            Abdul Rashid Abdi (SoC)    44:22
91st            Neil Furze (SoC)                45:20
8th lady       Viv Mitchell (SLH)              45:42 - 1st v45
101st          Ken Lee (SLH)                   46:40
105th          Steve Massey (SoC)           46:52
106th          Gavin Price (SoC)               46:54
17th lady     Jo Quantrill (SLH)               49:02
20th lady     Kerry Backshell (SoC)         50:55
22nd lady    Suzy Yates (SoC)               51:15
128th          Paul Weir (SoC)                  53:49
35th lady     Emily Campbell (SoC)         55:27
38th lady     Lynda Gale (SLH)               56:21
41st lady     Kim Ford (SoC)                   61:46
42nd lady    Jo Farrar (SLH)                    62:18
 
Well done everyone!!
 
P.s. It was more like 6.4 miles than 7.5!

 

 

 

Simon Ambrosi's report :

Parliament Hill was the setting for the London cross country championships on Saturday and with a weeks worth of constant rain on what is a notoriously muddy course it promised to be messy.  As I was pulling in to Kentish Town tube station I checked the map I printed off to see I had perfect instructions for how to get to the pub after the race but none for getting to Parliament Hill.  I quickly scanned the area for someone who looked like they might be going to the same destination and spotted a young lady in tight running trousers and decided to go that way.  She was called Sarah and runs for Serpentine, who seemed to make up about half the field.  Once we arrived it was time for business so I headed of to the changing rooms which was rammed with intimidating runners from various university and county teams but I could see the fear in their eyes as I took my gleaming Striders of Croydon running vest from my bag.
 
The senior ladies race was just finishing when I got back outside and the first lady had a mightily impressive lead.  I started warming up next to the course while the rain still fell and the wind was biting.  I managed to find my fellow Striders and all 7 of us cowered near the back of the group until the gun went off.  After 200 metres any idea of not getting too muddy was out the window as we ran through about a foot of liquid mud which would grip your shoes just enough for them to pull away from your feet for litres of water to spill in.  I started off fairly steadily in the middle of the Striders pack and was happy to stay like that for a while.  The course was 10k (although someone measured it closer to 6 miles) and was supposed to be 2 small laps followed by 2 big laps, I couldn't tell the difference.  The support was really good especially as we hadn't brought any supporters from our club but they were happy to shout out our name, well something that sounded like it anyway.  We must have been good to watch as our inter team positions were changing regularly and all of us were working hard.  Ian C (by far the quickest of us when fit) showed it was a tricky course if you're recovering from injury with all the ups and downs and twists and turns.  Chris (Striders El Capitano) tried to pass me about half way round but then thought better of it and instead sprinted past me after the third lap on a very slippery downhill section where I saw at least 2 people fall.  Overall Striders positions and very approximate times were, Chris (41:59), Darren P (42:10), Me (42:30), Ian C, Alex A, Mick T, Paul W. 

 

Robin smashes Striders Vets record at windy Epsom

Striders of Croydon faced strong opposition in the South of Thames Cross-Country Association’s annual inter-club cross-country race, held in Richmond Park. Striders’ best placing came from the improving Suzy Yates, who placed 23rd in the women’s race, covering the 5.65 mile course in 43 minutes 39. Club colleague Emily Campbell made her cross-country debut and placed 41st in 48.44. Striders’ men were led by veteran Dave Batten who placed 75th in 35 minutes 49. Team manager Chris Morton placed 89th (37.09) while Gavin Price made his cross-country debut, placing 108th (39.39).

On the following day, Striders’ club treasurer Robin Jamieson set a Striders’ over-60 record of 80 minutes 15 seconds in the Epsom 10-mile road race, finishing 120th of the 229 finishers. Chris Morton, running his second race of the weekend, placed 34th (68.31). Stephanie Upton was 114th (79.11), one place ahead of club colleague Ian Yates (79.20). Suzy Yates also ran her second race of the weekend and placed 124th (80.38).

 

Serena's welcome return leads Striders to fourth place

Striders of Croydon’s women produced a good team performance in the second Surrey Women's Cross-Country League match of the season, at Cranford on Saturday. They finished fourth of the 21 clubs in the match, lifting them to third in the overall league table.

Striders were led home by Serena Stracey, who is rapidly returning to form after a long absence through injury and ran very well to place 15th of the 119 finishers, covering the six-kilometre course in 23 minutes 39 seconds. Faye Stammers also ran well for 28th (25.22) with Stephanie Upton 33rd (26.06) and Kerry Backshell 38th (26.39). Suzy Yates completed the scoring team in 41st (26.44).

Striders also had the second B team to finish. They were led home by Sarah Milne who placed 43rd (26.54). She was closely followed by Suzie Halsall (49th, 27.16) and Susannah Oliver (52nd, 27.26). Amalia Da Silva Lima was 62nd (28.23) with Pat Edwards 98th (31.37), Louise Mayne 99th (31.45) and Susan Haynes 113th (34.02).
Meanwhile Striders of Croydon’s men’s team faced strong opposition in their Surrey Cross-Country League Division Two match at Epsom Downs on Saturday. They had to settle for seventh place from the nine competing clubs.

Their leading runner was again Duncan Lancashire who ran well to place tenth of the 149 finishers. New recruit James Buchanan made an excellent debut for the club, holding on well to place 13th after an ambitiously fast start. Justin Macenhill, still recovering from a long absence after surgery, also ran well to place 34th, while his brother Damian was 47th. Darren Piper was 61st and veteran Dave Batten again ran well for 63rd. Alex Aronberg was 67th with Chris Morton 73rd, Mick Turner 79th and Neil Furze completing the scoring team in 80th.

 

Veteran Bob leads sizeable Striders squad

Striders of Croydon faced strong opposition in the East Surrey League’s annual cross-country race, held at Lloyd Park last Saturday. They were led home by veteran Bob Ewen, who ran well to place 23rd of the 100 finishers (and fourth in the over-50 category), covering the five-mile course in 34 minutes 1 second. Next home for Striders was Simon Ambrosi who placed 25th (34.19), closely followed by Dave Batten (26th, 34.21) and Nigel Davidson (28th, 34.36). This placed Striders sixth of the 22 teams.

Striders showed their strength in depth by having the first B team to finish. This team comprised John Foster (35th, 35.37), Chris Morton (37th, 35.44), Damian Macenhill (38th, 36.11) and Mick Turner (42nd, 36.59).

Striders’ first woman to finish was Serena Stracey who had an excellent run to finish 55th overall (and fourth woman) in 38 minutes 11. Suzy Yates made her debut at cross-country and did well to finish 78th (41.45). She was closely followed by Sarah Milne (80th, 42.02) and Kerry Backshell (81st, 42.03).

 

Newcomers Susie, Gill and Simon help Striders cross country success

Striders of Croydon produced some good performances in the first Surrey Women’s Cross-Country League Division 2 race of the season, held over an undulating seven-kilometre course at Esher on Saturday. Striders placed fifth of the 21 clubs in the division, while they showed their strength in depth by having the second B team. Striders were led by Faye Stammers who ran well to place 25th (33.43), just one place and eight seconds ahead of club colleague Kerry Backshell. They were closely followed by new member Susie Halsall who made an excellent debut to place 28th (33.54). Stephanie Upton was 37th (34.46) and another newcomer, Gill Hardy, completed the A team in 51st place (36.03). Striders’ B team were led home by Amalia Da Silva Lima who placed 75th in 39.03. Their other runners were: 85 Linda Daniel 40.02; 98 Louise Gough 41.32; 101 Pat Edwards 41.49; 106 Louise Mayne 43.07. There were 121 finishers.

 

Meanwhile, Striders’ men were competing in their Division Two match at Richmond Park. Their under-17s placed fourth of the nine clubs in the division, while their senior men placed sixth. Striders’ under-17s were led by Nicholas Batten, who ran very well to place fourth, covering the undulating four-kilometre course in 17 minutes 7 seconds. Striders’ seniors were led by Duncan Lancashire who placed 12th, covering the five-mile course in 29 minutes 50. Striders’ next finisher was Justin Macenhill, who was making a welcome return to racing after a long absence through injury, and placed 31st (31.29). Veteran Bob Ewen ran well to place 43rd (32.30), while Simon Ambrosi showed good improvement with 50th (33.09). Dave Batten placed 56th (33.30), two places and nine seconds ahead of Darren Piper. Team manager Chris Morton was 60th (33.50) with Matt Morgan 63rd (33.58) and Alex Aronberg 69th (34.15). Club stalwart Nigel Davidson completed the scoring team in 75th (34.50). Striders also had six non-scorers: 79 John Foster 35.04; 82 Mick Turner 35.18; 85 Steve Massey 35.35; 106 Neil Furze 37.31; 116 Brian Hicken 39.00; and 123 Paul Weir 39.49. There were 141 finishers.

 

Striders also had fifteen finishers in the Cabbage Patch ten-mile road race at Twickenham on Sunday. Their leading finisher was Damian Macenhill who placed 67th in 62 minutes exactly, while their first woman was Serena Stracey who placed 653rd in 80 minutes 51 seconds, one second ahead of club colleague Tina Macenhill.

 

 

 

Exciting finishes in Switchback 5

Christopher Gray just edged out Oxted’s Matthew Readwin to win Striders of Croydon’s annual Switchback 5 race last weekend. In sunny but blustery conditions Christopher completed the 5 mile hilly course in 30 minutes and 53 seconds – just 10 seconds ahead of a strong run from veteran Matthew. In third place in 31.26 was Striders’ vet Bob Ewen who lead the home club’s men’s team to first place. Their other scorers were Mick Turner who finished tenth in 33.37 and Steve Massey who was 13th in 34.25.

The women’s race was equally competitive, with the first three finishers separated by just 10 seconds. Striders own Helen Furze proved the strongest with a superb performance to be first woman home – and 7th overall in the race – in a time of 33.03. Just behind were two young Herne Hill Harriers’ ladies : Helena Laczke in 33.09 and Fiona Love in 33.13. And it was Herne Hill who landed the women’s team prize – their third finisher being Sarah Allen in 39.34.

Their were 45 finishers for this friendly local race that takes place in Lloyd Park and Addington Hills.


Vets50 team lead Striders relay challenge

Striders of Croydon faced strong opposition in the Surrey Road Relay Championships, held on an undulating three-mile course at Wimbledon on Saturday. Striders’ most successful team was their over-50s, who showed the benefits of regular track sessions by placing fifth of the 11 teams in this category. Bob Ewen ran well to record 17.40 on the first leg, and handed over to Dave Batten who produced an excellent run of 17.13, which was Striders’ fastest time of the day. The team was completed by Alan Dolton (19.57) and Colin Cotton (20.11).

Striders’ senior women also did well to place seventh out of 14 teams. The team comprised Kerry Backshell (20.05), Suzie Yates (21.51), Steph Upton (21.12) and Faye Stammers (20.35). Striders also fielded a B team, who placed 13th. This team comprised Michelle Meech (25.01), Amalia da Silva Lima (23.33), Kerry Backshell (20.33) and Suzie Yates (23.11). Both Kerry and Suzie showed good team spirit by running their second legs of the afternoon to ensure that Striders could finish two teams.

Striders’ over-40 men placed seventh out of eight teams. The team comprised John Foster (18.32), Steve Smith (19.53), Chris Morton (18.36) and Dave Denton (22.01).

Striders’ senior men were without several of their first-choice runners, and had to settle for 17th place of the 18 teams in this category. The team comprised Darren Piper (17.23), Neil Furze (20.10), Mick George (21.06), Nicholas Batten (19.19), Alex Aronberg (17.43) and John Foster (18.43).

 

 

 

Duncan and Dave lead strong Striders at Belgrave 5K

Striders of Croydon produced some very good performances in the Belgrave 5 kilometre road race on Sunday, which incorporated the Surrey Championships and was the final event in this year’s Surrey Road League.

Striders’ first man home was Duncan Lancashire, who continued his comeback from injury with a very good run to place 14th of the 213 finishers, covering the undulating course in 16 minutes 34 seconds. Veteran Dave Batten had an excellent run to win the over-50 category, placing 51st  overall in 18 minutes 28 seconds. Tony Sheppard made an encouraging comeback after a long absence through injury, placing 48th (18.21) while Darren Piper was close behind in 52nd (18.29). Club secretary Chris Morton was 61st (19.15) with Alex Aronberg 63rd (19.19) and Mick Turner 71st (19.37).

Striders’ women were led home by the improving Sarah Milne who placed 37th in the women’s race in 23 minutes 36 seconds. Karen Macenhill ran steadily for 51st (25.03), while veteran Pat Edwards completed the scoring team in 65th (27.38). She also placed third in the over-55 category.

In the Surrey Championships team event, Striders’ men placed seventh of the 15 competing clubs, while their women placed ninth.

 

Duncan makes welcome return to Striders

Striders of Croydon produced some good performances against strong opposition in their final Rosenheim League match of the season, at Tooting on Wednesday. Their man of the match was Duncan Lancashire, who made an excellent return to the team after a long absence with a knee injury. He showed his versatility by taking third place in both the 400 metres (59.2) and 3000 metres (9.34.0).

Matt O’Hare placed third in the javelin (29.42) and fourth in the shot (7.95), both these marks being new club over-35 records. Fourth places also went to Dave Lovell in the 100 metres (13.8) and Darren Piper in the 1500 metres (4.51.7). Striders placed fifth of the six competing clubs, and finished the season in fifth place in the overall league table. Their women held on to fourth place despite forfeiting the final match.

 

Veteran Dave leads Striders at Elmbridge

Striders of Croydon faced strong opposition at Sunday’s Elmbridge 10 kilometre road race, which was the fourth race in this season’s Surrey Road League. Striders’ first man home was veteran Dave Batten, who placed 56th of the 525 finishers, and fourth in the over-50 category, recording 38 minutes 52 seconds. Bob Ewen also ran well for 78th (39.44), with Damian Macenhill close behind in 81st (39.58). Club secretary Chris Morton was 114th (41.17).

Striders’ first woman home was Karen Macenhill who ran 51 minutes 44, placing 330th overall. Her sister-in-law Tina Macenhill ran 55.01 for 381st, while Susan Haynes completed the team, running 59.46 for 441st.

Other Striders to finish were: 168 Barry Finch 43.50; 192 Simon Ambrosi 44.55; 195 Steve Smith 45.10; 233 Mick George 47.08; 301 Paul Weir 50.32; 312 Tom Littlewood 51.02; 339 Martin Gourlay 52.26; 346 Matt Anderson 52.51

 

Striders busy on track and field

Striders of Croydon produced some good performances against strong opposition in their Rosenheim League match at Tooting on Wednesday. Samantha White made an excellent debut, placing third in the women’s shot with a club record of 6.96 metres. She also placed third in the discus (17.31). With a depleted team, Striders’ women had to settle for fifth place in the match, but remain fourth in the overall table.

Striders’ men also placed fifth of the six competing clubs. Matt O’Hare took third place in the discus with a club record 21.05 metres, and also placed fourth in the shot (7.27). Matt Morgan ran well for third in the 1500 metres (4.24.7), while Nicholas Batten was fourth in the 800 metres in a club under-17 record of 2.19.9. Veteran Bob Ewen was fourth in the 3000 metres (10.52.7). Darren Piper set a club over-35 record in the 200 metres (26.9), finishing sixth against younger opponents.

 

Striders also produced some good performances in their final Southern Veterans League match of the season, at Croydon Arena on Monday. Their best event was the 2000 metre walk, where Dave Hoben placed second in the over-50 race while Mick Turner was third in the over-35 race. Bob Ewen ran well for third in the over-50 800 metres (2.29.1), while Dave Batten placed third in the over-50 triple jump (7.29) and fourth in the 200 metres (28.9). For the over-35s, Steve Smith was fourth in the steeplechase (14.08.4) while Dave Lovell was fourth in the 200 metres (28.5). Striders’ men placed fourth of the seven competing clubs, and also finished fourth in the final league table. Striders’ women finished sixth. Karen Macenhill, better known as a road runner, gained valuable points by making her debut in the discus.

 

Dave Batten shows his all-round credentials for Striders

Striders of Croydon produced some good performances in their Rosenheim League match at Tooting on Wednesday. Darren Piper was third in the 400 metres in a club over-35 record of 58.7, while Matt Morgan also ran well to place third in both the 400 metre hurdles (76.2) and the 1500 metres (4.28.9). Nicholas Batten was fourth in the 800 metres (2.21.6) and Bob Ewen was fourth in the 3000 metres (10.35.6). Dave Batten set a club over-50 record of 13.9 for the 100 metres. Striders’ men placed fifth in the match, while their women placed equal third, thanks to Yasmin Ramsay who had another hectic evening with third places in the 200 metres, long jump and javelin.

 

A week earlier, Striders had an exciting finish to their Southern Veterans League match at Ewell. With only the relay remaining, they were in fifth place, just one point behind Dorking. Striders’ quartet of Dave Lovell, Dave Batten, Steve Smith and Chris Morton responded by finishing one place ahead of Dorking in the relay to place equal fourth in the match. This keeps Striders in fourth place in the overall league table with one match remaining.

Striders’ best event was the 5000m where Bob Ewen, competing against younger opponents, ran 18 minutes 17.7 to place third in the over-35 A race. Chris Morton was third in the B race (20.25.5), while Alan Dolton was second in the over-50 race (20.11.3). Dave Batten ran well to place third in the over-50 400 metres (63.6).

 

Striders had 25 finishers in the ‘Dysart Dash’ 10 kilometre race on Sunday, which was the third race in this year’s Surrey Road League (although it included a stretch of muddy towpath). Striders’ first man home was Justin Macenhill who placed 14th of the 400 finishers in 35 minutes 29 seconds. Striders’ next two runners were both veterans, with Dave Batten placing 62nd (39.04) and Bob Ewen 76th (39.40). Club secretary Chris Morton was 92nd (40.25) and Simon Ambrosi ran a personal best 40.39 for 98th.

Striders’ first woman was Kerry Backshell who placed 34th in the women’s race in 45 minutes 10. She was followed by Karen Macenhill (72nd, 50.48), Yasmin Ramsay (87th, 52.57), Kim Ford (91st, 54.43), Pat Edwards (101st, 55.42) and Jacqui Mazur (126th, 64.24).

In the team event, Striders’ men placed eighth of the 22 clubs competing, while their women were tenth.

 

Yasmin takes Striders to third place at Tooting

A very good all-round performance by multi-eventer Yasmin Ramsay took Striders of Croydon’s women to third place in the third Rosenheim League match of the season, held on Wednesday at Tooting Bec. In her first 400 metre race, Yasmin was unfortunate to be drawn in lane eight, but ran well to finish a close second, leading for most of the way before being overtaken by  Serpentine’s Jennifer Bradley in the last few metres. Yasmin also showed her versatility and team spirit by taking third place in the discus and fourth in the high jump.

Striders’ men faced strong opposition and had to settle for sixth place in their match. Their leading scorer was veteran Dave Lovell who competed in five events. He placed fifth in the 100 metres, 200 metres, high jump and triple jump, and also ran in the 4 x 200 metre relay team. Matt Morgan placed fourth in the 3000 metres (9.42.1) and fifth in the 800 metres (2.15.2), while Matt O’Hare was fourth in the discus (20.01) and fifth in the hammer (18.75), Veterans Dave Batten and Bob Ewen both had to compete against much younger opponents, and placed sixth in the 400 metres and 1500 metres respectively.

At the halfway stage of the season, Striders’ women are fourth in the league table, while their men are fifth of the six clubs in the division.

 

 

Striders Vets survive the heat at Dorking

Striders of Croydon faced hot conditions and strong opposition in the Dorking 10-mile road race on Sunday, which incorporated the Surrey Championships. Their men’s team finished 14th, while their women were 16th.

Striders were again led home by Justin Macenhill, who placed 27th of the 600 finishers, recording 62 minutes 48 seconds. This showed excellent powers of recovery as only a week earlier he had run a personal best of 2 hours 48 minutes 53 seconds in the Edinburgh Marathon, lifting him to sixth place in Striders’ all-time rankings.

Striders’ second runner at Dorking was veteran Dave Batten who placed 84th (69.06). Darren Piper was 128th (72.38) while veteran Barry Finch completed the scoring team in 155th (75.08).

Striders’ women were led home by Kerry Backshell who was 33rd in the women’s race (78.25). Sarah Milne was 99th (88.54) while Karen Macenhill was 119th (93.58) and Yasmin Ramsay completed the scoring team in 135th (97.39).

Striders had an impressive total of 20 finishers. Their other runners were: Steve Smith 75.13; Simon Ambrosi 78.46; Bas Sharif 81.08; Phil Mazur 81.30; Tom Littlewood 83.28; Greg Evans 87.27; Paul Weir 88.54; Robin Jamieson 88.54; Martin Gourlay 96.55; Matt Anderson 97.48; Susan Haynes 1.41.41; Jacqui Mazur 1.56.32.

 

Kevin claims medal haul in busy track & field week for Striders

Four of the oldest members of Striders of Croydon gained medals at the Surrey Veterans Championships at Kingsmeadow on Saturday. Pride of place went to Kevin Burnett who won the over-65 200 metres (37.1) and placed second in the 100 metres (17.5), 400 metres (91.7), shot (6.46), discus (20.86), hammer (18.56) and javelin (18.00).

For the over-50s, Dave Hoben won gold in the 2000 metre walk (20.01.7). Dave Batten gained silver in the 400 metres (64.5) and bronze in the 800 metres (2.21.2), while Alan Dolton took bronze in the 1500 metres (5.15.7).

 

Striders also produced some good performances in the Rosenheim League on Wednesday evening at Croydon Arena, with two individual wins. Justin Macenhill produced another excellent run to win the 3000 metres in a new club record of 9 minutes 28.7 seconds, outsprinting Surrey veterans’ champion Vic Maughn of Herne Hill. Striders’ other win came from Paul Finch in the high jump (1 metre 45). Matt O’Hare took second in the hammer (19.45) and third in the javelin (27.46). Striders’ men placed fourth of the six competing clubs, just one point behind local rivals Croydon Harriers.

Striders’ women went one better by placing third in their match. Their leading scorer was Yasmin Ramsay who placed second in the 100 metres and third in the javelin. Jo Clarke made an impressive debut for the club, placing third in the 3000 metres (12.43.3).

 

Two days earlier Striders had done well to place third of seven clubs in a Southern Veterans League match at Croydon Arena. Dave Batten won the over-50 800 metres (2.28.6) and placed second in the 200 metres (28.9). Bob Ewen placed second in the over-50 3000 meters (10.58.4).

For Striders’ women, Kerry Backshell had an excellent run to place a close second in the over-35 3000 metres (12.36.3), only two seconds behind Surrey champion Louise Ioanescu of Dorking. Earlier Kerry had placed fourth on her debut at 800 metres (3.02.6).

For the over-35 men, Dave Lovell was third in the 800 metres (2.32.0) while Steve Smith was fourth in the 200 metres (30.7) and Chris Morton was fourth in the 3000 metres (11.56.1).

 

Justin places 8th in county half marathon

Striders of Croydon’s leading distance runner, Justin Macenhill, had an excellent run to place eighth in the Ranelagh Half-Marathon last Sunday, which incorporated the Surrey Championships. His time of 75 minutes 42 seconds was less than half a minute outside his personal best. Damian Macenhill placed 67th in 1 hour 25 minutes 08, while Bas Sharif was 256th (1.39.13), Patrick Kilgarriff 432nd (1.49.39) and Steve Tyler 728th (2.12.27). There were 781 finishers.

 

First win for Striders at Beckenham road relay

Striders of Croydon did very well to finish first of 29 teams in the annual Beckenham Road Relay last Wednesday. Justin Macenhill gave them an excellent start, winning the first leg and covering the 2.6 mile course in 13 minutes 34 seconds. Scott Antony extended the lead by running 14 minutes 05, and club secretary Chris Morton held on to first spot with 16 minutes 16.

Striders also had the second mixed team to finish. Steph Gilmour ran 18.50 on the first leg and Kerry Backshell ran 17.30 on the second leg. Justin Macenhill then ran his second leg of the day with a time of 14 minutes 04.

On the same day, Striders competed in the Rosenheim League at Battersea Park. Their team was weakened by the clash with the Beckenham Relay, but they managed to finish fifth of the six competing clubs. 15-year-old Nicholas Batten ran a personal best 2.24 for fourth in the men’s 800 metres.

On Sunday, Striders competed in the Sutton 10 kilometre road race, which was the first event in this year’s Surrey Road League. Their men placed sixth in the team event while their women placed eleventh. Striders were again led home by Justin Macenhill who ran well to place seventh (34.29). Veteran Dave Batten placed 62nd (39.23) while Darren Piper was 75th (40.24) and Simon Ambrosi was 100th (42.03). Striders’ first woman home was Karen Macenhill who placed 42nd in the women’s race (49.47). Veteran Pat Edwards was 75th (55.23), and Sarah Hansbury completed the scoring team in 93rd (60.42).

 

 

Bob wins vets 1500m for Striders

Striders of Croydon began their track season by placing fifth of the seven competing clubs in Monday’s Southern Veterans League match at Kingsmeadow. Striders’ only victory came from Bob Ewen in the over-50 1500 metres (5.15.6). Geoff Pennells placed fourth in the over-35 A race (5.12.3) with Alan Dolton third in the B race (5.16.9).

Dave Batten ran well to place second in the over-50 400 metres (65.7) and third in the over-50 100 metres (14.3). Dave Lovell was fifth in the over-35 100 metres (14.0) and 400 metres A race (66.9). Geoff Pennells, in his first race over 400 metres, ran well for second in the B race (64.9).

Dave Hoben was second in the over-50 2000 metre walk (13.28.9). Mick Turner placed fourth in the over-35 A race (13.01.9) with Alan Dolton third in the B race (14.36.3). Striders suffered from a shortage of competitors in the field events, but team manager Kevin Burnett placed fifth in the over-50 hammer (15.45).

 

Scott blazes to new Striders marathon record

Striders of Croydon did very well to have 33 finishers in Sunday’s 27th London Marathon. Their best performance came from Scott Antony. Already the holder of several of the club’s track records, he set a new club marathon record of 2 hours 41 minutes 17 seconds, finishing 149th in the race. This was more than three minutes faster than Striders’ previous record, set seven years ago by Gerry Crispie.

Andy Allison also had an excellent run to finish in the top 1000, placing 992nd in 3 hours 3 minutes 16. Damian Macenhill was not far behind (3.04.52), while Paul Finch ran 3.19.03 and veteran Dave Shaw ran 3.24.07.

Striders’ first woman finisher was Kerry Backshell, who placed 368th in the women’s race (3.27.24). Club colleague Stephanie Noyce was 586th (3.36.40).

Striders’ other finishers were: Richard Edwards 3.48.30; Kate Custis 3.48.38; Chris Morton 3.49.12; Tim Bett 3.49.13; Phil Richards 3.52.53; Phil Mazur 4.05.46; John Humphries 4.08.36; Simon Reay-Jones 4.09.26; Patsy Wong 4.13.39; Adam Staniforth 4.15.26; David Gunaratnam 4.17.41; Karen Macenhill 4.26.21; Mick George 4.29.06; Tina Macenhill 4.30.35; Theo Eastham 4.44.40; Sarah Milne 4.46.59; Louise Gough 4.51.16; Yasmin Ramsay 4.51.24; Tom Stevens 5.02.38; Claire Farrugia 5.03.02; Nick Kyritsis 5.04.49; Mark Armstrong 5.05.08; Cara Kayum 5.26.10; Steve Tyler 5.28.33; Jacqui Mazur 5.39.06; Brian Day 6.05.47.

 

Striders also had two competitors in the Mini-Marathon, held over the last 2.65 miles of the marathon course. Nicholas Batten was 203rd in the Under-17 boys’ race (16.24), while Sophie Shaw was 156th in the Under-17 girls’ race (21.21).

 

 

 

Scott leads Striders to 4th place at Ewell

Striders of Croydon’s leading track runner, Scott Antony, produced an excellent run in the East Surrey League’s annual road race at Ewell last week. He finished fourth of the 100 finishers, covering the 4.2 mile course in 23 minutes 28 seconds.

Striders’ next man home was Matt Morgan who placed 18th (25.04). Paul Finch was 28th (26.30) and Chris Morton completed the scoring team in 31st (26.52). Striders finished fourth in the team event and finished the season by placing fifth in the overall league table.

Striders also had five non-scorers. Simon Ambrosi was 42nd (27.46) with veteran Colin Cotton close behind in 46th (27.57). Neil Furze was 67th (31.04) with Dave Denton 82nd (33.23) and Stephanie Gilmour 84th (33.36).

 

Lancashire strides to 10k win

More than 100 runners lined up in Lambrok Road to compete in the Trowbridge 10K, hosted by Trowbridge Lions and supported by Avon Valley Runners.  Duncan Lancashire, formerly of Trowbridge and now running for Croydon Striders, and James Denne, of Honiton Running Club, broke away from the field at an early stage to finish first and second in 36:11 and 36:26 respectively.  Trying to close down the gap was Avon Valley's Alistair Bartlett, who had a good run to finish third in 37:41 with former winner Michael Bryant, of AVR, back in sixth place.   Bristol and West international runner Amy Chalk, from Calne, won the ladies' race in 38:11 from Joanna King of London Heathside in 38:54.


Young Striders qualify for mini-marathon

Two of the youngest members of Striders of Croydon did well to qualify for the Croydon Borough team for the London Mini-Marathon, to be held on Sunday 22 April. The trials were held on an undulating and very muddy course in Lloyd Park last Saturday. Striders’ Nicholas Batten ran well to place fourth in the under-17 men’s race, covering the 3300 metre course in 15 minutes 1 second. Club colleague Sophie Shaw won the under-17 women’s race in 18 minutes 49 seconds, finishing 17 seconds clear of her nearest rival.

Striders had 12 competitors in the annual Croydon Harriers inter-club race, held over a ten-kilometre course at the same venue. However, they were without their leading runners and with none of their team finishing in the first ten, they had to settle for third place in the six-to-score team competition. Probably their best performance came from Kerry Backshell who was the first woman to finish, recording a time of 51 minutes 28 seconds and finishing ahead of six of Striders’ men. Striders’ first man home was veteran Nigel Davidson who placed 11th (47.12). Another veteran, Dave Batten, placed 13th (47.50). New member Graham Foster made an encouraging debut with 15th place (49.04). Striders’ next two runners were both veterans, with Geoff Pennells 18th and Alan Dolton 19th.

 

Striders continue fine form to place third in 20-miler

Striders of Croydon did very well to place third in the team event in the annual Reading Roadrunners 20-mile road race at Bramley in Hampshire last Sunday. Their leading runners were Scott Antony and Justin Macenhill who finished just one second apart, with Scott placing 19th (2.02.27) and Justin 20th (2.02.28). Damian Macenhill completed the scoring trio in 59th place (2.11.10). Andy Allison was 133rd (2.19.21) with Chris Morton 152nd (2.20.47) and Paul Finch 170th (2.23.37). Striders’ leading woman was Karen McDermott who placed 170th in the women’s race (3.08.32). Club colleague Yasmin Ramsay was 192nd (3.17.42).

Other Striders to complete the course were Phil Mazur (478th, 2.51.26), Simon Reay-Jones (575th, 3.00.19) and Steve Tyler (702nd, 3.36.26). There were 726 finishers.

 

 

Justin & Scott set Sussex Beacon half marathon alight

Striders of Croydon’s leading distance runner, Justin Macenhill, produced an excellent performance in the Sussex Beacon Half-Marathon at Brighton on Sunday. He finished ninth in a field of more than 3000 runners, recording a new personal best of 1 hour 15 minutes 13 seconds, lifting him to second place in the club’s all-time rankings. Club colleague Scott Antony also ran well to finish 11th (1.16.01), while Ian Campbell ran a personal best 1.20.48 to place 33rd and fifth in the over-40 category. Damian Macenhill placed 50th (1.22.13), with Paul Finch 103rd (1.25.16) and club secretary Chris Morton 185th (1.28.43). Striders’ fastest woman was Natasha Ling who placed 786th overall (1.40.20)

Striders showed their strength in depth with a total of 29 finishers. Their other runners were Steve Smith 1.34.03; Martin Parham 1.34.37; Tom Littlewood 1.37.11; John Humphries 1.37.14; Theo Eastham 1.40.16; Richard Edwards 1.41.59; Phil Mazur 1.44.01; Matt O’Hare 1.44.07; Tina Macenhill 1.48.18; James Mason 1.49.43; Karen Peake 1.51.30; Mick George 1.54.14; Louise Gouch 1.54.44; Karen McDermott 1.55.08; Mark Armstrong 1.55.29; Sarah Milne 1.58.04; Carol Hollingworth 2.05.54; Steve Tyler 2.19.12; Jacqui Mazur 2.21.05; Julie Shew 2.24.43; Karen Connor 2.33.46; Susan Haynes 2.33.46.

 

 

Striders finish short of promotion

Striders of Croydon faced strong opposition in the final Surrey Cross-Country League Division Two matches of the season on Saturday. Both their men’s and women’s teams finished fifth in their match and fourth in the overall league table.

Striders’ men were competing at Epsom Downs. They were led home by Justin Macenhill, who had an excellent run to place fifth, his best placing in this division. He covered the undulating five-mile course in 29 minutes 28 seconds. Duncan Lancashire also ran well for 10th (30.33) with Matt Morgan 24th (31.25), Damian Macenhill 44th (32.59), and Andy Allison 45th (33.02). Nigel Davidson was Striders’ first veteran in 55th (33.37), with Bob Ewen 62nd (34.01) and Dave Batten 69th (34.25). Darren Piper was 70th (34.27) and Paul Finch completed the scoring team in 74th (34.37).

Hercules-Wimbledon won the Division Two title with 1478 points, ahead of Wimbledon Windmilers (1530), Dorking (1531), Striders (1727), Epsom (1768), Kingston (1806), Sutton (1946), Walton (2171) and Croydon Harriers (2423).

Striders’ women were competing at Richmond Park. They were led home by Kerry Backshell, who ran very well to place 12th, covering the 5800 metre course in 25 minutes 9 seconds. Faye Stammers was next home in 20th (25.34), with Stephanie Gilmour 31st (27.37) and Amalia Da Silva Lima 50th (29.49). Unfortunately the team were unable to field a fifth runner.

Striders’ men managed a much better turnout with eleven non-scorers: 90 Chris Morton  35.40; 91 Simon Ambrosi 35.44; 110 Colin Cotton 37.57; 114 Barry Finch 38.26; 124 Simon Reay-Jones 40.25; 127 Tom Littlewood 41.26; 129 Peter Shew 41.41; 132 Paul Weir 43.02; 137 Dave Denton 44.53; 139 Matt Anderson 45.44; 142 Dave Hoben 47.38.

 

Faye and Justin lead Striders in promotion push

Striders of Croydon produced some good performances in their Surrey Cross-Country League Division Two matches on Saturday.

Striders’ women placed third of 17 clubs in their match at Wimbledon Common, and have climbed to joint-third place in the table with one match remaining. Runnymede are leading the division with 239 points, ahead of Kingston (304), Striders (450) and Elmbridge (450),  and Epsom Allsorts (553).

Striders’ women were led home by Faye Stammers who returned to form with an excellent run to place 13th of the 94 finishers, covering the four-mile course in 28 minutes 23 seconds. Kerry Backshell also ran well for 21st (29.14) with Stephanie Upton 24th (29.41) and Stephanie Gilmour 38th (31.45). Amalia De Silva Lima completed the scoring team in 49th (32.58), with Linda Daniel 50th (33.03) and Sarah Milne 63rd (34.15).

 

Striders’ men placed third of nine clubs in their match at West End Common, Esher. Dorking won the match with 314 points, with Wimbledon Windmilers second (379). However Striders’ total of 432 points saw them finish ahead of Epsom (439), Sutton (449), Walton (491), Hercules-Wimbledon (507), Kingston (509) and Croydon Harriers (575). In the overall table Striders are now fourth with one match remaining.

Striders did very well to place four runners in the first 16 of the 146 finishers. Justin Macenhill led them home in sixth place, covering the undulating five-mile course in 28 minutes 19 seconds. Scott Antony was eighth (28.50) with Duncan Lancashire 10th (29.15) and Matt Morgan 16th (30.09). Striders’ next two runners were both veterans, with Ian Campbell 51st (32.22) and club stalwart Nigel Davidson 59th (32.54). Darren Piper was 68th (33.31) with Damian Macenhill 73rd (34.01) and Dave Batten 85th (34.34). Team manager Chris Morton completed the scoring team in 93rd (35.10).

Striders also had six non-scorers: 104 Matt Birchley 36.25; 108 Richard Edwards 36.47; 119 Barry Finch 38.15; 124 Matt O’Hare 39.15; 130 Phil Mazur 40.46; 131 Paul Weir 41.20.

 

 

Justin ploughs through the mud for Striders

Striders of Croydon faced strong opposition in the Surrey Cross-Country Championships, held at Lloyd Park on Saturday. Their men’s team did very well to place sixth of the 18 clubs who fielded complete teams, while their women’s team placed eighth.

Striders’ best performance came from Justin Macenhill, who placed 22nd of the 186 finishers, covering the muddy twelve-kilometre course in 47 minutes 57 seconds. Scott Antony also ran well for 31st place (49.57), while Matt Morgan was 52nd (52.45) and Damien Macenhill 58th (53.08). Duncan Lancashire placed 62nd (53.43) and Andy Allison completed the scoring team in 80th (55.14). Striders’ leading veteran was Bob Ewen, who started cautiously but moved steadily through the field to place 96th (57.11).

Striders’ leading woman was Kerry Backshell, who placed 40th of the 98 finishers, covering the eight kilometres in 41 minutes 03 seconds. Faye Stammers placed 53rd (42.19) with Steph Gilmour 76th (45.50) and Amalia Da Silva Lima 94th (53.25).

Striders’ other finishers in the men’s race were: 106 Nigel Davidson 58.25; 116 Chris Morton 59.21; 118 Simon Ambrosi 59.22; 131 Dave Batten 60.49; 145 Matt Birchley 63.10; 157 Richard Edwards 64.55; 165 Simon Reay-Jones 66.38; 171 Matt O’Hare 68.47; 173 Tom Littlewood 70.43; 174 Phil Mazur 71.17; 179 Paul Weir 73.34.