Keith Simpson sets a new club V70 age-group Marathon record

Keith Simpson, from Striders of Croydon, ran very well to finish second in the over-70 category in the Bacchus Marathon at Dorking last week, setting a new club age-group record of 4 hours 14 minutes 19 seconds, and becoming the oldest Strider to run a marathon in under five hours.

Striders had the first two finishers in the weekly parkrun in Lloyd Park on Saturday, with Lee Flanagan placing first out of 293 finishers (18:25) and Robert Lines second (18:43). Jenny Rowe was the second woman to finish, placing 28th overall (22:12). At the South Norwood parkrun Striders had the first two women to finish, with Niamh Vincent placing tenth overall (20:38) and Marianne Chua 22nd overall (22:02). Rachel Lindley was the first woman to finish the Cambridge parkrun, placing 19th overall (20:01), while Jodie Gray was the first woman to finish the Whinlatter Forest parkrun, placing 14th overall (25:09). Rob Sharpe was first in the Roundshaw parkrun (19:36), while Graeme Drysdale was second in the Bethlem Royal Hospital parkrun (18:53). Striders had an impressive total of 98 finishers in the various weekly parkruns.

Alison Burnside was the fifth woman to finish the Goodwood Half-Marathon on Sunday, placing 40th overall in 1 hour 48 minutes 02. Club colleague James Sullivan was 24th (1:40:31). In the European Masters 10-kilometre road race championship, held in very hot conditions in Jesolo (Italy), Alan Dolton placed 12th in the M60 age-group (52:00).

This Saturday (28th) Striders will be competing in a ‘mob match’ against local rivals Dulwich Runners, in conjunction with the weekly parkrun in Lloyd Park. And on Sunday (29th) Striders will be hosting their 28th annual Switchback five-mile cross-country race, over an undulating one-lap course in Lloyd Park and Addington Hills.