Race reports involving Striders

Striders of Croydon faced strong opposition at the Elmore 7-mile road race on Saturday, which was the fifth event in this year’s Surrey Road League. They were led by club secretary Chris Morton who finished 65th in 47 minutes 46, one place and thirteen seconds ahead of club colleague Mick Turner. Striders’ first woman to finish was Steph Upton, who ran well to place 107th in 51 minutes 32. Striders’ second woman home was veteran Margaret Faherty who placed 261st (67.02), while Kim Ford was 279th (69.53), Serena Stracey 280th (69.53), Paula Irving 287th (71.26) and Belinda Carroll 288th (71.26).

Meanwhile Nigel Davidson won the Riddlesdown parkrun in 19 minutes 38 seconds. Paul Finch placed second in the parkrun at Lloyd Park, covering the undulating five-kilometre course in 21 minutes 26 seconds. Club colleague Alan Dolton was fourth (22.01) with Kieron Connor sixth (22.58) and Paul Cripps eleventh (24.02). Natalie Osher was the third woman to finish, placing 24th overall in 27 minutes 47. At the Roundshaw Downs parkrun Rob Sharpe was third in 18 minutes 48 with Barry Finch 21st (23.30), Rob Finch 23rd (23.54), Clive Smith 29th (24.42) and Jemma Upton 49th (27.45). In the Bromley parkrun Russell Harmsworth was 26th (20.27).

Sandra, Linda, Natlie and Steph team up for Striders win

Striders of Croydon’s women produced their best performance of the season to win their home Rosenheim League match at Croydon Arena on Wednesday, finishing nine points ahead of second-placed Croydon Harriers. Striders dominated the women’s 3000 metres with Steph Upton winning (12.44.3) and Linda Daniel placing second (14.06.3). Sandra Francis was second in both the 100 metres (16.5) and the triple jump (5.99), while Natalie Osher was second in the 200 metres (33.1). Steph, Linda, Sandra and Natalie finished the evening by sprinting to victory in the 4 x 200 metre relay (2.25.6). This win lifts Striders to fourth in the division with one match remaining.

Striders’ men were unable to match their women, and had to settle for fifth place of the six clubs in the match, just four points ahead of Serpentine. Lee Flanagan competed in four events, placing fourth in the 800 metres (2.14.7) and fifth in the 100 metres (13.5), 200 metres (28.7) and 400 metres (61.3). There were also fifth places for Chris Morton in the 1500 metres (5.48.5), Barry Finch in the 3000 metres (12.48.9), and Kevin Burnett in the discus (13.79). Striders remain sixth in the overall table.

Rob Sharpe ran well to win the weekly parkrun in Lloyd Park on Saturday morning, covering the undulating five-kilometre course in 19 minutes 19 seconds. Club colleague Alan Dolton was ninth (21.43). In the Bromley parkrun Russell Harmsworth was 14th (19.13) with Bob Ewen 44th (20.48). In the Riddlesdown parkrun Nigel Davidson was seventh (19.57) with Phil Mazur 28th (23.39). In the Roundshaw parkrun Colin Cotton was 26th (23.48) with Matthew Smith 35th (25.09) and Clive Smith 36th (25.14).

Rob leads Striders in busy parkrun weekend

Rob Sharpe, from Striders of Croydon, produced an excellent run to place second in the weekly parkrun at Lloyd Park on Saturday morning. On a very hot morning, he moved through the field and completed the undulating five-kilometre course in 19 minutes 20 seconds. Club colleague Alan Dolton was tenth overall and first in the over-50 category (21.59), with Gordon Connor 19th (26.04) and Chris Smith 21st (26.34).

In the Bromley parkrun, veteran Bob Ewen ran very well to finish first in the over-55 category and 29th overall, recording 20 minutes 10. His daughter Alice Ewen was the fifth woman to finish, placing 52nd overall (21.30).

In the first parkrun at Riddlesdown, Striders were led by Russell Harmsworth who placed 14th in 20 minutes 28. Nigel Davidson was 20th (20.57) with Rob Finch 31st (21.50) and Paul Cripps 33rd (21.56). Barry Finch ran well to be first in the over-60 category and 34th overall (22.01).

In the Roundshaw Downs parkrun, Striders were led by Jonathan Lloyd who placed 22nd (22.40). Striders’ youngest competitor, Matthew Smith, was next home in 35th (24.32). John Gannon was 51st (26.20) with Colin Cotton 52nd (26.21), Mick George 59th (26.49) and Margaret Faherty 65th (27.55).

Sandra, Margaret and Serena pace Striders women to third place

Striders of Croydon’s women produced a good team performance to place third of six clubs in the final Southern Veterans league match of the season, at Kingsmeadow Stadium on Monday. Sandra Francis placed second in the over-50 triple jump in a club age-group record of 6 metres 24, and also took third in the discus (10.75). Margaret Faherty placed second in the over-60 800 metres in a club age-group record of 3 minutes 42.1, and Serena Stracey placed third in the over-35 800 metres in a club age-group record of 2 minutes 43.4. Victoria Legge placed third in the over-35 5000 metres in a personal best 26 minutes 52.9, while Kim Ford placed third in the over-50 2000 metre walk (17.05.1). Striders’ women finished fourth in the overall league table.

For Striders’ men, Taylor Huggins produced an excellent run to win the over-35 5000 metres in 18 minutes 20.8. He also placed third in the high jump with a clearance of 1.25 metres. In the 2000 metre walk, Dave Hoben was second in the over-50 race (13.19.7) with Mick Turner third in the over-35 race (12.14.5). Team manager Dave Batten was third in the over-50 triple jump (5.91), while Alan Dolton was third in the over-50 5000 metres (20.15.1). Striders’ men finished fifth in the match and also in the final league table.

Striders faced strong opposition in the fourth Rosenheim League match of the season, at Battersea Park on Wednesday. Their best performance came from Sandra Francis, who placed third in the women’s triple jump with 6.05 metres. Team captain Lee Flanagan led by example, placing fourth in the A 200 metres in a club over-35 record of 26.85 seconds. He also placed fourth in the A 400 metres (58.85), and fifth in the 100 metres (13.34). However, Striders had to settle for fifth place in the women’s match and sixth place in the men’s match. In the overall table their women remain fifth, just half a point ahead of Hercules-Wimbledon, while their men have slipped to sixth place.

Lee Flanagan gained a comfortable win in the weekly parkrun at Lloyd Park on Saturday morning, covering the undulating five-kilometre course in 18 minutes 38. Paul Finch placed third (20.29) with Damian Macenhill fourth (20.39), Chris Morton eighth (21.46), Alan Dolton 11th (22.41) and Kieron Connor 12th (22.44). Steve Massey was tenth in the Crystal Palace parkrun (21.34), while at the Bromley parkrun Russell Harmsworth was 16th (19.23) with Darren Jackson 30th (20.22).

Helen and Cara claim Striders 10K records at Epsom and Richmond

Steve Starvis, from Striders of Croydon, had an excellent run to win the 5000 metres at the third Southern Veterans League match of the season, at Croydon Arena last Monday, recording 17 minutes 20.8 seconds. Club colleague Mick Turner was second in the over-40 race (18.57.6), while Nigel Davidson was third in the over-50 race (19.13.9) and Barry Finch was third in the over-60 race in a club age-group record of 22 minutes 23.6. Richard Lee-Smith ran well for second in the over-35 400 metres (59.9) with club chairman Robin Jamieson third in the over-60 race (86.0). For Striders’ women, Serena Stracey set two new club over-35 records, placing third in the 1500 metres (5.34.6) and fourth in the 400 metres (72.3). Margaret Faherty was second in the over-60 400 metres in a club age-group record of 1.43.1, while Lesley Bourke was second in the over-50 1500 metres (6.25.1). Sandra Francis set club over-50 records in both the 100 metres (16.3) and the long jump (3.47), while Kim Ford set a club over-50 hammer record of 10.17 metres. Both Striders’ men and women placed fourth of the six clubs in the match, leaving Striders’ women fourth in the division, with their men in fifth place.

In the Epsom 10 kilometre road race last week, Helen Furze was the second woman to finish, placing 31st overall in a club over-45 record of 40 minutes 32 seconds. Cara Kayum had an excellent run against strong opposition in the Richmond 10-kilometre road race on Sunday, which incorporated the Surrey Championships. She was the 18th woman to finish, recording a personal best 41 minutes 13, which lifted her to fifth place in Striders’ all-time women’s rankings. Striders’ first man home to finish was Damian Macenhill who ran 40 minutes 38. He was followed by Richard Edwards (46.45) and Martin Gourlay (49.10).

In the parkrun at Lloyd Park on Saturday Alan Dolton placed third (21.53) with Dave Shaw sixth (22.34) and Kieron Connor ninth (23.43). Serena Stracey was the second woman to finish, placing tenth overall in 24 minutes 06, one place ahead of club colleague Alan Purchase who recorded the same time. In the Bromley parkrun Russell Harmsworth was 15th (19.42) while Alice Ewen was the third woman to finish, placing 44th overall (22.12). In the Roundshaw Downs parkrun Lesley Bourke was the fifth woman to finish, placing 25th overall (24.44).

Busy Lee covers all the bases for Striders

Striders of Croydon’s track captain, Lee Flanagan, had a hectic evening in the third Rosenheim League match of the season, at Wimbledon on Wednesday. He competed in five races during the evening, with his best performance coming in the 800 metres where he placed third (2.12.3). He also placed fourth in the 100 metres (13.1), fifth in the 3000 metres (10.07.2) and sixth in both the 200 metres (27.2) and 400 metres (58.8). With a depleted team, Striders had to call upon two of their oldest athletes to gain points for the club; 71-year-old Kevin Burnett was fifth in both the discus (13.95) and hammer (12.99), while Alan Dolton was fifth in the 1500 metres (5.26.4). Striders had to settle for fifth place out of the six competing clubs, and remain fifth in the division, just one point ahead of rivals Serpentine.

Three days later, Lee Flanagan again showed his ability with a comfortable win in the weekly parkrun in Lloyd Park, covering the undulating five-mile kilometre course in 18 minutes 40. Alan Dolton was fifth (21.36) with Dave Shaw 14th (23.04), Phil Mazur 21st (24.50), Steve Smith 22nd (25.31) and Chris Smith 24th (25.50). In the Roundshaw Downs parkrun Striders had five of the first ten finishers: Rob Sharpe placed second (19.07) with Mick Turner third (19.17), Nigel Davidson eighth (20.14), Russell Harmsworth ninth (20.18) and Chris Morton tenth (20.30). Lesley Bourke was the third woman to finish, placing 34th overall in 24 minutes 24. In the Banstead parkrun veteran Bob Ewen was 25th (21.30) while his daughter Alice Ewen was 38th (22.35).

Helen and Steve lead Striders in Surrey and Kent races

Helen Furze, from Striders of Croydon, produced an excellent run against strong opposition in Sunday’s Dorking 10-mile road race, which incorporated the Surrey Championships. She was the sixth woman to finish, and the first woman finisher in the over-40 category, covering the undulating course in 67 minutes 35 seconds, less than a minute outside her personal best. She also beat most of the male competitors, placing 74th overall out of 515 finishers. Striders’ next finisher was Steph Upton who also ran well to place 35th in the women’s race and 211th overall in 77 minutes 02. Clive Smith was 392nd (1.31.40) while Dave Lovell was 428th (1.35.28), Jo Penny 450th (1.38.36) and Paula Irving 470th (1.42.00).

In the Beckenham 10-kilometre road race on the same day, Steve Starvis ran well to place third out of 256 finishers, recording 34 minutes 47. Club colleague Lee Flanagan was eighth (36.04) with Barry White 25th (38.33) and Chris Morton 41st (40.26). Striders’ first woman was Carmen Somerset who placed 152nd in 48 minutes 04, closely followed by Lesley Bourke in 160th (48.23).

Striders had several competitors in the local parkruns on Saturday. Simon Ambrosi placed third at Crystal Palace, covering the five kilometre course in 19 minutes 15. In the parkrun at Lloyd Park, Paul Finch placed fifth (20.31) with Alan Dolton tenth (21.34), Dave Shaw 16th (22.58) and Alan Purchase 18th (23.11). Natalie Osher was the fifth woman to finish, placing 32nd overall (27.15). In the Roundshaw parkrun, Nigel Davidson was ninth (19.55) with veteran Barry Finch 37th (23.15). In the Bromley parkrun, Darren Jackson was 21st (19.55) while Alice Ewen was the fourth woman to finish, placing 37th overall (21.19).

Age no barrier for multi-event winning Kevin

71-year-old Kevin Burnett, from Striders of Croydon, had a successful day in the Surrey Masters Championships at Ewell on Saturday, winning three gold medals and four silver medals. He won the over-70 shot putt (6.76), discus (18.30) and heavy hammer (7.09), and took silver in the 100 metres (19.5), 3000 metre walk (21.28.4), hammer (19.96) and javelin (18.24)

Two Striders won medals in the over-50 age group. Alan Dolton took silver in both the 800 metres (2.46.8) and 1500 metres (5.29.9), while Steve Smith took silver in the long jump (3.65), and bronze in both the 400 metres (70.5) and 800 metres (2.50.3).

Striders’ women produced an excellent team performance to place second in the Rosenheim League match at Croydon Arena on Wednesday. They finished the meeting on a winning note when their 4 x 200 metre relay team of Sandra Francis, Corinne Carr, Linda Daniel and Natalie Osher sprinted to victory in 2 minutes 34.4. Earlier in the evening Sandra had set two new club over-50 records, placing second in the long jump (3.28) and fourth in the 100 metres (17.1).

Striders’ men placed fourth of the six clubs in the match. Their leading scorer was Ernie Hann who competed in six events, placing third in the high jump (1.35). Team captain Lee Flanagan placed third in the 1500 metres (4.40.4) and fourth in the 800 metres (2.09.3).

At the Southern Veterans League match at Ewell last Monday, Striders’ best performance came from Richard Lee-Smith who won the 3000 metres in 10 minutes 12.1. Paul Cripps placed third in the over-40 200 metres (28.9). For Striders’ women, Margaret Faherty placed second in the over-60 800 metres in a club age-group record of 3 minutes 48.6. Paula Irving gained a hat-trick of fourth places in the over-35 200 metres, 800 metres and javelin. Depleted by late withdrawals, Striders’ women had to settle for fifth place in the match, while their men were a disappointing sixth.

Lee Flanagan won the parkrun in Lloyd Park on Saturday, recording 18 minutes 33. Robert Gibbons was eighth (20.45) with Chris Morton ninth (20.51) and Kieron Connor 15th (21.41).

Double wins for Lee of Striders

Striders of Croydon dominated the parkrun in Lloyd Park on Saturday morning, with a clean sweep of the first four finishers. Lee Flanagan led from the start to win in 18 minutes 04 seconds. Club colleague Richard Lee-Smith took second place in 18 minutes 39 with Rob Sharpe third (19.03) and Damian Macenhill fourth (19.37). Alan Dolton was eighth (21.49) with Kieron Connor 14th (23.48), Alan Purchase 16th (23.47) and Paul Cripps 19th (24.22).

In the Bromley parkrun Russell Harmsworth was 16th (19.05) with Darren Jackson 36th (20.52), Steve Smith 42nd (21.22) and Bob Ewen 46th (21.29). In the Roundshaw Downs parkrun Phil Mazur was 23rd (22.51) with Clive Smith 37th (24.49).

Flanagan gained another victory in the Hillcrest 10 kilometre road race, where his winning time of 37 minutes 2 seconds placed him more than a minute clear of his nearest rival.

Striders held a five-mile club handicap road race on a hilly course at Sandilands on Wednesday. The handicap winner was the fast-improving Eleanor Lim, whose time of 43 minutes 27 was more than four minutes faster than the handicapper had predicted. The fastest actual time was recorded by Lee Flanagan (28.49) while the fastest woman was Helen Furze (32.28).

Paul rolls back the years at Epsom Vets meeting

Former British League hurdler Paul Cripps made an excellent debut for Striders of Croydon in their first Southern Veterans League match of the season, at Kingsmeadow on Monday. He placed second in the high jump with a club veterans’ record of 1 metre 45, and also placed third in the long jump (4.38). Bob Ewen gained Striders’ only victory, winning the over-50 2000m walk (12.05.7). Richard Lee-Smith ran well to take second place in both the over-35 400 metres (60.2) and 1500 metres (4.44.5). Steve Massey placed second in the over-40 400 metres (64.1), while team manager Dave Batten took a surprise second place in a controversial 100 metres where all the runners paused, expecting to be recalled for a false start, and Batten responded quicker than most of his rivals on realising that the starter had not fired a recall gun. Mick Turner placed third in the over-40 1500 metres (5.23.6) and 2000m walk (12.07.5), while Colin Cotton was third in the over-60 1500 metres (5.54.5).

For Striders’ women, Kim Ford set a club over-50 record of 14 minutes 21.0 in the 2000 metre walk, placing second in her age-group. Club colleague Karen Peake made her debut at the event and recorded the same time, placing fourth in the over-35 category. Jo Penny did well to take second place in the over-35 triple jump, recording 5 metres 88. Sandra Francis set a club over-50 100 metre record of 17.6, placing fourth. Linda Daniel was fifth in both the over-35 400 metres (82.4) and 1500 metres (6.26.9). Striders’ women finished the evening with third place in the 4 x 100 metre relay. Both Striders’ men and women placed fourth of the six clubs in the match.

Striders faced strong opposition in the Rosenheim League match at Battersea on Wednesday. Lee Flanagan showed good team spirit by competing in four events, finishing third in the 800 metres (2.11.7). Steve Starvis was fourth in the 3000 metres (9.57.8) while veteran Kevin Burnett was fourth in the hammer (11.83). However Striders had to settle for sixth place in the match. On the same evening, Striders placed 15th of 60 teams in the Beckenham Road Relay. The team comprised Mick Turner (15.59), Serena Stracey (17.02) and Barry White (15.47).

In the Roundshaw Downs parkrun on Saturday, Richard Lee-Smith was second (18.05) with Rob Sharpe fifth (18.26). In the parkrun at Lloyd Park, Justin Macenhill was second (19.03) with Damian Macenhill fifth (19.31), Alan Dolton eighth (21.42) and Paul Cripps 13th (23.51). In the Bromley parkrun Simon Ambrosi was eighth (18.35) while Alice Ewen was the third woman to finish, placing 46th overall (22.03).

Justin returns from injury with win

Justin Macenhill, from Striders of Croydon, continued his return from injury by winning the weekly parkrun in Lloyd Park on Saturday morning. He covered the undulating five-kilometre course in 19 minutes 10 seconds. His elder brother Damian Macenhill was sixth (20.57), while club colleague Alan Dolton was seventh (21.53). Serena Stracey was the second woman to finish, placing 14th overall in 24 minutes 18. Natalie Osher was the seventh woman finisher, placing 30th overall (27.25).

At the Roundshaw Downs parkrun, Lee Flanagan ran well to finish second (17.27) while Rob Sharpe was fourth (18.34), Nigel Davidson tenth (20.24) and veteran Barry Finch 23rd (22.47).

Helen Furze ran well to be the first woman in the Esher 10 kilometre road race. She placed 14th overall, recording a club over-45 record of 40 minutes 35. Her husband Neil Furze finished in 46 minutes 34.

Helen proves her class at Maidenhead

Striders of Croydon faced strong opposition in the Sutton 10 kilometre road race on Sunday, which was the first event in this year’s Surrey Road League. Their women finished tenth, while their men were 13th. Striders’ women were led by the improving Amanda Barros who ran 51 minutes 30 seconds, finishing 255th overall. Julie Jordan was 374th (60.59) and Sandra Francis completed the scoring team in 389th (62.46). Striders’ men were led by Lee Flanagan who ran well to finish 19th in 35 minutes 56 seconds. Nick Eaves was 123rd (43.35) with Darren Jackson 136th (44.30) and Stuart Bell 175th (46.22).

In the Maidenhead 10-mile road race on Good Friday, Helen Furze ran well to place 105th in 67 minutes 34 and smash the club's Female Vet 45 record by 8 minutes. Simon Ambrosi was 118th (68.25) with club secretary Chris Morton 119th (68.28).

In the Ted Pepper 10 kilometre road race at Beckenham on Bank Holiday Monday, Striders were led by Damian Macenhill who placed 18th in 39 minutes 01. Simon Ambrosi was 26th (40.18) with Steve Smith 58th (43.53), Bob Ewen 64th (44.21) and Alice Ewen 79th (45.35).

In the parkrun at Lloyd Park on Saturday, Justin Macenhill placed seventh (21.01) with Mark Hutchings 12th (23.38) and Peter Shew 15th (24.48). In the Roundshaw Downs parkrun Nigel Davidson was eighth (20.36) with Barry Finch 22nd (22.44), Rob Finch 26th (23.04) and Matthew Smith 38th (24.56). In the Bromley parkrun Russell Harmsworth was tenth (19.25) with Darren Jackson 51st (21.41) and Alice Ewen 61st (22.07).

Supergran Sue reclaims record at sunny London Marathon

Striders of Croydon had 21 finishers in Sunday’s London Marathon. They were led by veteran John Foster who ran very well to finish in 3 hours 08 minutes 19 seconds. Striders’ second man home was Steve Massey who recorded 3 hours 21 minutes 02. Striders’ first woman to finish was Cara Kayum who had an excellent run to record a personal best 3 hours 28 minutes 06, lifting her to tenth place in Striders’ all-time women’s rankings. Suzy Yates was next home in 3 hours 29 minutes 15, while Alistair Price ran 3 hours 35 minutes 28 and Jonathan Lloyd ran a personal best 3 hours 39 minutes 35. Lesley Bourke also ran well to finish in 3 hours 51 minutes 27, less than a minute outside her club over-50 record. She was followed by Mark Hutchings (3.52.07), Hugh Alexander (3.56.09), Dave Shaw (4.11.07) and Stuart Hills (4.20.00). Sue Atkinson had a very good run to regain her club over-60 record, finishing in 4 hours 50 minutes 31 seconds. Lucia Ramirez-Montesinos made her marathon debut in Madrid and finished in 4 hours 54 minutes 05.

Striders’ club secretary Chris Morton ran well to win the weekly parkrun in Lloyd Park on Saturday morning, covering the undulating five-kilometre course in 20 minutes 29 seconds. Club colleague Alan Dolton was fifth (21.27) with early leader Kieron Connor finishing tenth (23.32). At the Roundshaw Downs parkrun Simon Ambrosi was sixth (18.51) with Nigel Davidson 12th (20.33). At the Bromley parkrun Russell Harmsworth finished tenth (19.11) with Steve Smith 35th (21.04).

Margaret claims superb record at Brighton Marathon

Margaret Faherty, from Striders of Croydon, had an excellent run in the Brighton Marathon on Sunday. In warm conditions which were better for the spectators than for the runners, she set a new club over-60 record of 4 hours 54 minutes 44 seconds. Striders’ first finisher was Matt Chapman who placed 225th in 3 hours 18 minutes 40, while Striders’ first woman was Hannah Musk who set a personal best 3 hours 57 minutes 50. Ian Yates (3.58.48) and Steve Tyler (4.54.14) also finished in under five hours.

Striders had three finishers in the Paris Marathon on the same day. They were led by Stefano Arcidiacono who ran 3 hours 29 minutes 41, while Corinne Carr ran 4.35.23 and Eve Collins ran 4.46.00. Darren Jackson ran 3 hours 38 minutes 50 at the Rotterdam Marathon.

Striders had several good performances at the local parkruns on Saturday morning. Pride of place went to Steve Starvis who won the Crystal Palace parkrun in 18 minutes 16 seconds. At the Greenwich parkrun John Foster placed second (18.24) with Simon Ambrosi third (18.54). At the parkrun in Lloyd Park, Alan Dolton placed third (21.32) while Amanda Barros was the first woman to finish, placing ninth overall (25.18). In the Roundshaw Downs parkrun, Rob Sharpe placed fifth (18.35) with Nigel Davidson 12th (20.50) and Rob Finch 23rd (22.32). Striders had the first two finishers in the over-60 category with Barry Finch placing 24th overall (22.46) and Colin Cotton 27th (23.01). At the other end of the age spectrum, Striders’ youngest competitor, Matthew Smith, placed 41st in a personal best 24 minutes 27. In the Bromley parkrun, Russell Harmsworth was eleventh (20.00) with veteran Bob Ewen 26th (21.27).

First running of the Croydon Half Marathon

Striders of Croydon produced some good performances at the inaugural Croydon Half-Marathon on Sunday, with eight of the first 25 finishers. They were led by Steve Starvis who placed fourth in a personal best 77 minutes 23 seconds. Richard Lee-Smith ran well to finish seventh (1.20.38) despite nursing a calf injury, while new member Sam Luton made an impressive debut in eleventh place (1.21.28). Veteran John Foster ran well to place 13th (1.22.33) and four more Striders finished in under 90 minutes: Damian Macenhill (17th, 1.26.55); Paul Finch (21st, 1.27.57); Chris Morton (24th, 1.28.35); Simon Ambrosi (25th, 1.28.59).

Striders’ women were led by Karen Stretch who was the 13th woman to finish, placing 96th overall (1.42.23). Three more of Striders’ women made the top 30: Kate Custis was 19th (1.45.21) with Kirsty Thompson 22nd (1.46.26) and Lesley Bourke 30th (1.49.51).

In the parkrun at Lloyd Park on Saturday morning, Striders were led by Lee Flanagan who ran well to place second in 17 minutes 55. Club colleague Barry White also ran well for fifth (19.56) while Striders’ youngest runner, Kieron Connor, placed ninth (23.26). In the Roundshaw Downs parkrun Jonathan Lloyd was 15th (21.35) and Rob Finch 23rd (22.58).

Cara proves recovery with personal best at Paddock Wood

Lee Flanagan, from Striders of Croydon, ran well to gain a comfortable win in the weekly parkrun in Lloyd Park on Saturday morning. He covered the undulating five-kilometre course in 18 minutes 22 seconds, finishing more than a minute clear of his nearest rival. Club colleague Alan Dolton placed fifth (21.30), while Striders’ youngest competitor, Kieron Connor, ran well to finish eighth in a personal best 22 minutes 21. In the other local parkruns, Rob Sharpe ran well to place fourth at Roundshaw (18.39) while Chris Morton was seventh at Crystal Palace (20.39) and Russell Harmsworth was 12th at Bromley (19.16).

Richard Lee-Smith warmed up for this Sunday’s Croydon Half-Marathon with an excellent run in the Cranleigh 15-mile road race. In his longest race so far, he placed seventh in a large field, recording 96 minutes 22 seconds. In the 21-mile road race held in conjunction, Striders were led by John Foster who placed 29th in 2 hours 24 minutes 45 seconds. Iain Harrison also ran well for 47th (2.28.26) with Matt Chapman 70th (2.34.05) and Steve Massey 117th (2.41.57). Striders’ first woman to finish was Hannah Musk who placed 259th overall in 3 hours 01 minute 15 seconds.

At the Paddock Wood Half-Marathon on Sunday, Cara Kayum showed that she has recovered from a recent ankle injury with an excellent run to record a personal best 94 minutes 53 seconds, lifting her to ninth place in Striders’ all-time women’s rankings. Striders’ first man home was Russell Harmsworth, who ran 91 minutes 37 in his second race of the weekend, while Andrew Gates also ran well to record 98 minutes 07.

Bill and Lee running well for Striders over road and field

Lee Flanagan, from Striders of Croydon, produced a very good run to place tenth in the South of the Thames Cross-Country Championship at Coulsdon on Saturday. He covered the undulating twelve-kilometre course in 45 minutes 53 seconds. Barry White was 37th (52.25) and club secretary Chris Morton was 40th (53.22). Striders’ women were led by Linda Daniel who was 21st in the women’s race in 68 minutes 22.

Striders’ leading marathon runner, Bill Makuwa, produced an excellent run in the Hastings Half-Marathon on Sunday. He finished 18th in a large field, recording a personal best 1 hour 15 minutes 8 seconds. Club colleague Mick Turner placed 126th (1.27.49). Two of Striders’ women ran particularly well: Tina Macenhill ran 1 hour 42 minutes 16, while Kate Custis - running with a cast over a broken hand - recorded 1 hour 47 minutes 09.

Several Striders competed in the weekly parkruns on Saturday morning. Simon Ambrosi was third at Crystal Palace (19.41) while Russell Harmsworth was fifth at Bromley (19.25). At Lloyd Park Alan Dolton was seventh (23.23) with Kieron Connor ninth (23.54) and Phil Mazur 11th (24.11). At Roundshaw Nigel Davidson was 11th (21.30) with veteran Barry Finch 18th (22.51).

Richard and Josephine fly into the record books after Spitfire run

Richard Lee-Smith, from Striders of Croydon, produced an excellent run to place second in the Surrey Spitfire 10-mile road race at Dunsfold on Sunday. He recorded a personal best 58 minutes 33 seconds, lifting him to 13th place in Striders’ all-time rankings. Club colleague Josephine Thompson also ran very well. She was the sixth woman to finish, placing 35th overall in a personal best 74 minutes 18 seconds and climbing to 15th place in the club’s all-time women’s rankings.

Striders had several competitors in the Surrey Spitfire 20-mile road race at the same venue. They were led by Mark Bayliss who placed 62nd out of over 600 runners, recording 2 hours 25 minutes 06. He was followed by Steve Massey (2.33.14). Two of Striders’ women ran particularly well: Suzy Yates placed 136th overall (2.36.16) while Hannah Musk was 316th (2.54.15).

Striders’ club secretary Chris Morton had an excellent run at the Leith Hill Half-Marathon. He finished first in the over-40 category, completing the hilly course in 1 hour 34 minutes 11 seconds, to place 12th overall of the 272 finishers. Club colleague Mick Turner finished 31st in 1 hour 41 minutes 19.

Striders of Croydon produced a respectable team performance to finish fifth in the East Surrey League’s annual road relay at Box Hill on Saturday. Mick Turner gave them a solid start on the first leg, finishing sixth of the 26 starters and covering the 2.1 mile course in 12 minutes 30 seconds. Barry White maintained Striders’ challenge by running the second leg in 13 minutes 03, and on the third leg club secretary Chris Morton moved up to fifth place, running 13 minutes 41. Steve Starvis held this position on the final leg, running 12 minutes 01.

At the Bromley parkrun on Saturday, Simon Ambrosi placed fifth (18.56) with Russell Harmsworth 17th (20.42). At the Roundshaw Downs parkrun Rob Sharpe placed sixth (19.07) with Nigel Davidson 17th (22.03) and veteran Barry Finch was 25th (23.12). At the parkrun in Lloyd Park Alan Dolton placed fifth (22.39) while Amanda Barros was the third woman to finish, placing 10th overall (26.09). Chris Smith was 13th (27.11) with Natalie Osher 14th (27.28), Gordon Connor 15th (27.45) and Karen Connor 22nd (30.59).

Bill motors to tenth in field of thousands

Bill Makuwa, from Striders of Croydon, produced an excellent run to finish tenth in a field of more than 6000 runners at The Silverstone Half-Marathon on Sunday. He completed the course in 75 minutes 46 seconds, less than a minute outside his personal best, and shows that he is in good shape for the inaugural Croydon Half-Marathon on April 3rd.

Striders also produced some good performances at the annual Torrevieja Half-Marathon last week. They were led by Richard Lee-Smith who ran well to place 48th in a field of more than 1500, recording a personal best of 1 hour 21 minutes 20. Damian Macenhill placed 104th in 1 hour 25 minutes 14, just eight seconds ahead of club colleague John Foster, who ran well to place second in the over-50 category. Mick Turner was 171st (1.29.28) with Matt Chapman 175th (1.29.35), Chris Morton 262nd (1.32.40) and Steve Massey 285th (1.33.37). Striders’ women were led by Suzy Yates who made a welcome return to competition and was the 15th woman to finish, recording 1 hour 38 minutes 54. Striders’ second woman to finish was Serena Stracey (1.42.15). Hannah Musk also ran well to record a personal best 1 hour 46 minutes 08, while Margaret Faherty did well to place second in the over-65 category, recording 2 hours 12 minutes 38.

Striders’ leading cross-country runners, Steve Starvis and Lee Flanagan, renewed their rivalry in the inter-club match promoted by Croydon Harriers at Lloyd Park on Saturday afternoon. Starvis gained an impressive victory, covering the undulating ten kilometre course in 38 minutes 31 seconds. Flanagan, who had won the weekly parkrun here the previous Saturday, had to settle for second place in 39 minutes 20. Barry White was ninth (43.16) while Steve Smith completed the scoring team in 15th (49.20), one place ahead of veteran Bob Ewen (49.54). This gave Striders second place in the team competition: both Harriers and Striders scored 27 points, but Harriers won on countback because their fourth scorer was ahead of Striders’ fourth scorer. Striders also had the first two women to finish, with Josephine Thompson placing 18th overall in 51 minutes 11, and Alice Ewen 23rd in 52 minutes 18.

Earlier that day, at the weekly parkrun in Lloyd Park, Striders were led by veteran Alan Dolton who placed third for the second successive week, recording 22 minutes 58. Phil Mazur was eighth (24.35) with Chris Smith 13th (27.36), Patrick Leong 14th (27.41) and Peter Attewell 15th (28.40). At the Bromley parkrun, Russell Harmsworth placed sixth (19.44) with Rob Finch 51st (23.48). At the Roundshaw parkrun, Nigel Davidson was 15th (22.11) with Barry Finch 20th (23.06) and Matthew Smith 29th (25.03).

Lee canters to easy win at muddy Lloyd Park

Lee Flanagan, from Striders of Croydon, ran well to gain a comfortable win in the weekly parkrun in Lloyd Park on Saturday morning. He covered the muddy five-kilometre course in 19 minutes 10 seconds, finishing 41 seconds ahead of early leader Patrick Lucas. Club colleague Alan Dolton was third in 22 minutes 52, while Natalie Osher was the second woman to finish, placing eleventh overall (27.32).

With a mainly female team, Striders finished tenth in the East Surrey League’s annual cross-country relay at Wimbledon Common on Saturday. Alice Ewen ran the first leg and placed 13th of the 15th starters, covering the muddy two-mile course in 13 minutes 35. Josephine Thompson gained three places on the second leg, recording 13 minutes 11, while the improving Amanda Barros ran the third leg and finished eleventh in 14 minutes 36. Barry White ran the final leg and produced Striders’ fastest run of the day with 11 minutes 21.

At the Roundshaw Downs parkrun, Rob Sharpe ran well to place fourth in 19 minutes 50. Nigel Davidson was 16th (23.04) with veteran Barry Finch 18th (23.37). At the Bromley parkrun, Russell Harmsworth was third (20.04) with Steve Smith 16th (22.22).
On Sunday Russell also raced at the hilly Tunbridge Wells half marathon, finishing in a time of 1.32.38. At the same race Lesley Bourke returned to form after a long lay-off with a time of 1.47.10 to put her top in the Striders all-time records for female over-50s.

Mick organises his own win for Striders

Mick Turner, from Striders of Croydon, took a break from his duties as race organiser to win the parkrun at Roundshaw Downs on Saturday morning. He covered the five-kilometre course in 19 minutes 34 seconds, finishing 36 seconds ahead of early leader Ercole Lugari. At the Bromley parkrun, Russell Harmsworth was fifth (19.55) with veteran Bob Ewen 14th (21.53).

Striders had four of the first nine finishers at the parkrun in Lloyd Park. Barry White was fifth (20.31) with Damian Macenhill sixth (20.38), Alan Dolton eighth (23.02) and Kieron Connor ninth (24.54). Karen Macenhill was the third woman to finish, placing 17th overall (28.59). Club secretary Chris Morton finished seventh at the Crystal Palace parkrun (20.51).

At the Brighton Half-Marathon on Sunday, Paul Finch was 369th (1.32.29) while his father Barry Finch ran well to place sixth in the over-60 category (1.42.44). Striders’ first woman finisher was Kate Custis (1.48.49). In the Bramley 20-mile road race, Cara Kayum placed 298th in 2 hours 30 minutes 39 seconds.

Duncan marks farewell race by leading Striders home

Duncan Lancashire produced a very good run to lead Striders of Croydon in the final Surrey Cross-Country League Division Two match of the season, at Richmond Park on Saturday. He placed seventh of the 150 finishers, covering the 5.6 mile course in 32 minutes 05 seconds. Sadly, this may be Duncan’s last race for the club as he has now moved to Andover.

Club colleague Lee Flanagan also ran well to place eighth in 32 minutes 22. Striders’ next man home was Justin Macenhill, who was still recovering from a hamstring injury and ran steadily to place 42nd (35.30), just ahead of Lee Wadsworth who ran well to place 43rd (35.34). Another Strider to run well was veteran John Foster who placed 46th (35.39). Damian Macenhill was 51st (35.46) with Simon Ambrosi 62nd (36.11), Krzysztof Klidzia 63rd (36.15), Mick Turner 72nd (36.51) and Taylor Huggins completing the scoring team in 74th (36.59). Striders placed fourth in the match and fifth in the final Division Two table.

Meanwhile Striders’ women were competing in Division One of the women’s league at Putney Vale. They were again led by Helen Furze who had a very good race to finish 28th, covering the 5.5 mile course in 38 minutes 27. Steph Upton, who was the second woman at the Bookham 10K the previous week, again ran well to be Striders’ second finisher in 51st place (40.46). Josephine Thompson was next home in 87th (43.19) while Faye Stammers made a welcome return to the team, placing 90th (43.43). Alice Ewen completed the scoring team in 97th (44.13). Striders placed 14th in the match and are relegated to Division Two for next season.

Striders’ B team placed 12th in their category. This team comprised Linda Daniel (127th, 49.36); Eve Collins (139th, 51.11); Corinne Carr (150th, 55.42); Sarah Hansbury (151st, 56.16) and Pat Edwards (153rd, 58.05).

Steph Upton also raced on Sunday - she showed her stamina when finishing at 1st women in the Valentine's Challenge 10 mile multiterrain race at Vigo.

At the Sidcup 10-mile road race on Sunday, Striders’ Steve Starvis ran very well to place seventh in exactly 55 minutes. Cara Kayum was the seventh woman to finish, placing 88th overall in 67 minutes 47.

One of Striders’ youngest runners, Kieron Connor, ran well to place fifth in the parkrun at Lloyd Park on Saturday morning (23.33), while Natalie Osher was the first woman to finish, placing tenth overall (26.39).

Russell's busy weekend is topped-off with team prize for Striders

Striders of Croydon gained a double victory at the local parkruns on Saturday morning, with Lee Flanagan winning at Roundshaw Downs while Richard Lee-Smith won at Crystal Palace.

At Roundshaw, Lee Flanagan gained a comfortable victory, covering the five-kilometre course in 17 minutes 47. Striders’ next finisher was veteran Bob Ewen who placed 19th in 22 minutes 19. Mark Hutchings was 27th (23.04) while Bob’s daughter Alice Ewen was the sixth woman to finish, placing 32nd overall (23.46).

At Crystal Palace, Richard Lee-Smith won for the second successive week in 18 minutes 01, while club colleague Simon Ambrosi placed third (19.08). Hannah Musk was the second woman to finish, placing 13th overall (23.16).

In the parkrun at Richmond Park, Tyler O’Callaghan placed second in 18 minutes 26. In the parkrun at Lloyd Park, Striders were led by Damian Macenhill who placed second in 21 minutes 08. Alan Dolton was ninth overall and second in the over-50 category (23.34), while Phil Mazur was 12th (24.45). Karen Macenhill was the second woman to finish, placing 15th overall (27.32).

In the Bromley parkrun, Russell Harmsworth placed seventh (19.40) while Steve Smith was 22nd (21.44).

On Sunday three Striders finished in the top 20 in the Pirie 10-mile cross-country race organised by South London Harriers. Club secretary Chris Morton was 16th (67.53) with Krzysztof Klidzia 17th (68.23) and Matt Chapman 19th (69.00). Russell Harmsworth, in his second run of the weekend, completed the team in 23rd place and this was enough to see Striders claim the Visiting Team award.

Richard leads clean-sweep for Striders at Crystal Palace

Striders of Croydon dominated the Crystal Palace parkrun on Saturday morning, with the first three finishers. Richard Lee-Smith gained a convincing victory in 18 minutes 01 seconds, finishing more than a minute clear of the rest of the field. Damian Macenhill was second (19.09) with Simon Ambrosi third (19.33). Hannah Musk was the second woman to finish, placing 12th overall (22.58), while Eve Collins was 29th (26.13).

Later that day Striders faced strong opposition in the South of England Cross-Country Championships at Parliament Hill. They were led by Tyler O’Callaghan who ran well to place 171st of the 885 finishers, covering the muddy 15-kilometre course in 57 minutes 42 seconds. Barry White was next home in 463rd (66.29) with Taylor Huggins 508th (67.49), Chris Morton 544th (69.01) and Mick Turner 560th (69.39).

In the Bromley parkrun Lee Wadsworth was fifth (18.41) with Russell Harmsworth seventh (19.21) and Bob Ewen 22nd (21.31). In the Roundshaw Downs parkrun Alan Dolton was 19th (21.55) while Barry Finch was 29th overall and first in the over-60 category (23.21). In the parkrun at Lloyd Park, Phil Mazur was ninth overall and first in the over-50 category (25.27), while Karen Macenhill was the fourth woman to finish, placing 15th overall (28.15).

Striders had two of the first four women finishers in the Kenley Airfield 10 kilometre road race on Sunday. Cara Kayum placed second in a personal best 41 minutes 49, lifting her to seventh place in the club’s all-time women’s rankings. Club colleague Josephine Thompson was fourth (44.49).

Richard leads Striders in busy parkrun weekend

Richard Lee-Smith, from Striders of Croydon, produced a good run to win the Crystal Palace parkrun on Saturday. He covered the undulating five-kilometre course in 18 minutes 15 seconds, finishing well clear of his nearest rival. Club colleague Hannah Musk was the fourth woman to finish, placing 25th overall in 24 minutes 39.

In the Roundshaw Downs parkrun, Barry White ran well to place third of the 76 finishers, recording 20 minutes 01. Club secretary Chris Morton was sixth (20.33) with Paul Finch tenth (21.27), Alan Dolton 16th (22.23) and Sean Gallagher 22nd (23.41). Barry Finch was first in the over-60 category and 23rd overall (23.53). Lesley Bourke also ran well to be the first woman to finish, placing 29th overall in 24 minutes 51. Michelle Campbell was the fourth woman to finish, placing 37th overall (25.46).

At Lloyd Park, Damian Macenhill placed second (20.30) with Phil Mazur tenth (24.45). Striders dominated the women’s event with four of the first six finishers. Karen Macenhill was the second woman to finish (27.37) with Kim Ford fourth (31.11), Karen Connor fifth (31.15) and Isabelle Kita sixth (32.06). At the Greenwich parkrun, Simon Ambrosi placed third (19.36). At the Bromley parkrun, Russell Harmsworth placed eighth (19.47) with veteran Bob Ewen 33rd (21.59).

Duncan leads solid Striders at windy Newlands Corner

Duncan Lancashire, from Striders of Croydon, produced a very good run in the Surrey Cross-Country League Division Two match at Newlands Corner, near Guildford, on Saturday. He placed seventh of the 145 finishers, covering the hilly five-mile course in 28 minutes 37 seconds. There were also good runs from Lee Flanagan in 12th place (29.01) and Steve Starvis in 18th (29.49). Justin Macenhill ran steadily for 29th (30.54) while Richard Lee-Smith was 36th (31.18) and Simon Ambrosi 56th (32.25). Striders’ last four scorers finished within three seconds of each other: Krzysztof Klidzia was 73rd (33.16) with Matt Chapman 74th (33.17), Taylor Huggins 75th (33.18) and Mick Turner 76th (33.19). Striders placed fifth of the nine clubs in the match, and remain fifth in the Division Two table.

Meanwhile Striders’ women were competing in Division One of the Surrey Women's Cross-Country League at Ham. They were led by Helen Furze who ran very well to place 22nd of the 163 finishers, covering the muddy five-mile course in 32 minutes 14. Striders’ next woman home was Josephine Thompson who placed 80th (35.50). Alice Ewen was 100th (37.41) with Hannah Musk 114th (39.29) and Eve Collins completing the A team in 145th (43.26). Sadly, Striders remain at the bottom of the Division One table.

Striders’ B team placed twelfth in their category. This team comprised Linda Daniel (146th, 43.47); Corinne Carr (152nd, 45.34); Jo Penny (153rd, 45.40); Margaret Faherty (154th, 45.45) and Isabelle Kita (156th, 47.50).

Lee and Steve slug it out in the mud at Lloyd Park

Striders of Croydon produced a good team performance to place eighth out of 17 clubs in the senior men’s race at the Surrey Cross-Country Championships at Lloyd Park on Saturday. They were again led by Lee Flanagan who ran a well-judged race, moving through the field to place 28th of the 179 finishers, covering the muddy seven and a half mile course in 46 minutes 07 seconds. He finished just one place and two seconds ahead of club colleague Steve Starvis, who was 29th (46.09). Bill Makuwa made a welcome return to Striders colours after a long absence through injury. He started very cautiously but moved through the field as the race progressed, and did well to finish 41st in 47 minutes 32. Striders’ next man home was Iain Harrison who ran steadily to finish 84th (50.45). Team manager Chris Morton was 107th (52.47) while Mick Turner completed the scoring team in 109th (52.59). Striders also had four non-scorers: Taylor Huggins was 110th (53.05) with Damian Macenhill 114th (53.19), Barry White 124th (54.54) and Ryan Phillips 158th (59.53).

Striders only had one finisher in the senior women’s race; Alice Ewen ran steadily to place 79th, covering the five-mile course in 42 minutes 12 seconds. Several of Striders’ women chose to compete in the regular weekly parkruns in preference to the Surrey Championships. At the parkrun in Lloyd Park, held before the championship races began, Serena Stracey was the first woman to finish, placing eighth overall in 27 minutes 12. Club colleague Karen Macenhill placed 11th (29.17). At the Roundshaw Downs parkrun Suzy Yates was the second woman to finish, placing 18th overall in 23 minutes 24.

Simon starts off the New Year with win for Striders

On New Year’s Day Striders’ Simon Ambrosi won the Greenwich parkrun, recording 20 minutes 31 seconds. Striders’ first man home in the Roundshaw Downs parkrun on the same day was Richard Lee-Smith, who ran well to place fourth of the 72 finishers, covering the muddy five-kilometre course in 19 minutes 19 seconds. Club colleague Alan Dolton was tenth overall and third in the over-50 category (22.10), with Alan Purchase not far behind in 13th place (22.38). Barry Finch again ran well to be first in the over-60 category, placing 21st overall in 23 minutes 53. Michelle Campbell also ran well to be the second woman to finish, placing 29th overall (26.10). She was followed by Karen Peake (43rd, 27.25); Natalie Osher (45th, 27.44) and Jemma Upton (52nd, 29.33). Striders’ oldest competitor was Kevin Burnett who placed first in the over-70 category and 62nd overall (32.54).

Striders’ first finisher at the Tadworth 10-mile race on Sunday was Krzysztof Klidzia who placed 36th of more than 500 finishers, recording 67 minutes 51 seconds, Mick Turner also ran well for 41st (68.34) while club secretary Chris Morton was not far behind in 45th (68.57). Striders’ first woman was Faye Stammers who placed 296th overall in 85 minutes 53. She was followed by Elanor Lim (1.33.49), Dee Stanford (1.42.21), Jo Penny (1.42.24) and Margaret Faherty (1.47.07).

Reports for 2010

parkruns - 25th December 2010
parkruns - 18th December 2010
parkruns - 4th December 2010
South of Thames 1, Hellrunner, London xc champs & parkruns - 20th, 27th & 28th November 2010
Brighton 10K, Epsom 10 & parkruns - 20th & 21st November 2010
Surrey League - ladies division 1, mens division 2 - fixture 2 - 13th November 2010
Reigate Priory relays & parkruns - 6th November 2010
East Surrey League - fixture 1, Barns Green half marathon & parkruns - 30th & 31st October 2010
parkruns - 23rd October 2010
Abingdon marathon, Loch Ness marathon & parkruns - 16th & 17th October 2010
Surrey League - ladies division 1, mens division 2 - fixture 1 - 9th October 2010
Titsey Trail, Spitfire 20, Tempest 10 & parkruns - 2nd & 3rd October 2010
Switchback, Berlin Marathon, Dry Hill 10 & parkruns - 25th & 26th September 2010
Green Chain Marathon, Great North Run & parkruns - 18th & 19th September 2010
Surrey Road Relays, Battersea Park 10 miler, parkruns & Eridge 10 - 11th & 12th September 2010
Surrey Badger Half marathon & parkruns - 5th & 4th September 2010
parkruns - 28th August 2010
parkrun - 21st August 2010
Wimbledon 5K & parkruns - 8th & 14th August 2010
Nearasdammit & parkruns - 29th and 31st July 2010
Rosenheim League, Elmbridge 10K & parkruns - 21st, 24th & 25th July 2010
Vets track & field & Elmore 7 - 12th & 17th July 2010
Rosenheim League & parkruns - 7th & 10th July 2010
Vets track & field & parkruns - 28th June & 3rd July 2010
parkruns - 26th June 2010
Vets track & field, Richmond 10K & parkruns - 14th, 19th & 20th June 2010
Sri Chinmoy 10K, parkruns & Rosenheim League - 9th & 12th June 2010
Beckenham 10K & parkruns - 5th & 6th June 2010
Vets track & field, Rosenheim League and Surrey Masters Champs - 24th, 26th & 29th May 2010
Dorking 10 & parkruns - 23rd & 22nd May 2010
Beckenham Road Relays, Rosenheim fixture 1, Richmond Half & parkruns - 12th, 15th & 16th May 2010
Surrey track championships, Dorney Dash & parkruns - 8th & 9th May 2010
Sutton 10K & parkruns - 1st & 2nd May
London Marathon & parkruns - 24th & 25th April 2010
Brighton Marathon, Selsdon Half Marathon & parkruns - 17th & 18th April 2010
Maidenhead 10, Paddock Wood half & parkruns - 2nd, 10th & 11th April 2010
Eastleigh 10K & Roundshaw parkrun - 27th & 28th March 2010
Reading Half, Fleet Half & parkruns - 20th & 21st March 2010
Battersea Park 10 miles, East Surrey League road relay, Silverstone Half, Wimbledon 10K & parkruns - 6th March, 13th March & 14th March 2010
Torrevieja half & Roundshaw parkrun - 28th February & 6th March 2010
Roundshaw parkrun & Hotelympia 10K - 27th & 28th February 2010
Surrey xc championships, parkruns & Brighton Half Marathon - 20th & 21st February 2010
Chessington 10K & Sidcup 10 - 14th February 2010
East Surrey League xc relay & parkruns - 13th February 2010
Surrey League xc - fixture 4 - men & women - 6th February 2010
Southern xc championships & Roundshaw parkrun - 30th January 2010
Roundshaw parkrun - 23rd January 2010
Roundshaw parkrun - 16th January 2010
Roundshaw parkrun - 9th January 2010
Roundshaw parkrun - 2nd January 2010

Lee sparkles at Lloyd Park

Lee Flanagan, from Striders of Croydon, produced another good run to win the weekly parkrun in Lloyd Park on Christmas Day. He completed the snow-covered five-kilometre course in 22 minutes 52 seconds. Club colleague Paul Stanford was third (24.29) with Alan Purchase fifth (26.25). Striders’ Karen Peake was the third woman to finish, placing ninth overall in 31 minutes 24.

Snow no problem for Striders' Natalie

Natalie Osher, from Striders of Croydon, produced a good run to be the second woman finisher at the weekly parkrun at Lloyd Park on Saturday morning. She placed seventh overall, covering the snow-covered course in 28 minutes 06 seconds. Club colleague Karen Macenhill was fourth woman to finish and tenth overall in 29 minutes 57. Kim Ford was the eighth woman to finish (34.36), one place ahead of Sandra Francis (35.42).

While Striders’ women were running at Lloyd Park, four of the club’s men were competing at Roundshaw Downs. Their first man home was veteran Alan Dolton who placed eighth overall and third in the over-50 category in 22 minutes 11. Barry Finch again ran well to place first in the over-60 category and 14th overall (24.26). Phil Mazur was 15th (24.58) while Matthew Smith was 27th (29.37).

In the Bromley parkrun, Bob Ewen placed 36th (25.37) with Alice Ewen 37th (25.38), Steve Smith 46th (26.37) and Kira Smith 77th (38.37).

Damian, Alice and Serena lead clean sweep for Striders

Striders of Croydon dominated the weekly parkrun at Lloyd Park on Saturday morning, with five of the first nine finishers. Damian Macenhill was first home, covering the five-kilometre course in 20 minutes 06 seconds. Krzystof Klidzia was second (20.47) with club secretary Chris Morton third (20.54). Serena Stracey was the first woman to finish, placing seventh overall in 23 minutes 13. Veteran Alan Purchase was ninth (24.16) with Phil Mazur 14th (25.40) and Karen Macenhill 21st (29.57).

Alice Ewen, from Striders of Croydon, ran well to be the first woman finisher at the Bromley parkrun on Saturday morning. She placed 25th overall, covering the five-kilometre course in 22 minutes 49 seconds. Her father Bob Ewen also ran well to finish tenth (21.29), while her mother Marguerite Ewen placed 89th (34.24). Striders’ other competitor was Steve Smith who placed 18th in 22 minutes 09.

Striders had eight competitors at the Roundshaw Downs parkrun on the same morning. Parts of the course were still covered with snow and ice. Striders were led by Barry White who ran well to place fifth, recording 20 minutes 17 seconds. Alan Dolton was next home in 11th place (22.44). Striders had the first two finishers in the over-60 category, with Barry Finch placing 19th overall (23.52) and Colin Cotton close behind in 21st (23.57). Chris Smith was 36th (27.17) with Clive Smith 38th (27.23) and Andy Elliott 41st (27.47). Striders’ only woman competitor was Margaret Faherty who was the first over-60 woman to finish, placing 44th overall in 28 minutes 42. There were 58 finishers.

Snow doesn't stop Striders' Ben at Roundshaw

While most events were cancelled at the weekend, the Roundshaw Downs parkrun went ahead as usual on Saturday morning. Striders of Croydon provided 11 of the 62 finishers. Their best performance came from Ben Fancourt, who ran strongly to finish fourth, covering the snow-covered course in 22 minutes 20 seconds. Paul Finch was next home in 13th place (24.47) with Steve Massey not far behind in 14th (25.07). Veteran Barry Finch had a very good run to place 20th overall and second in the over-60 category, recording 26 minutes 44. He was followed by Alan Dolton (26th, 27.58); Phil Mazur (31st, 30.26); Clive Smith (34th, 32.17); Phil Handley (41st, 33.16) and Chris Smith (43rd, 33.18). Striders’ women were led by Karen Macenhill who was the eighth woman to finish, placing 46th overall in 34 minutes 11. Club colleague Kim Ford was 54th (37.15).

Meanwhile Steve Smith was 13th in the Bromley parkrun (24.27) with Linda Daniel 52nd (30.45). Mick Turner was 24th in the Leeds parkrun (22.38).

Lee leads in busy weekend for Striders

Lee Flanagan, from Striders of Croydon, produced a very good run to win the Roundshaw Downs parkrun on Saturday. On a bitterly cold morning he covered the frost-covered five-kilometre course in 17 minutes 56 seconds, finishing 31 seconds clear of his nearest rival, Alex Penfold of Sutton & District. Striders’ next runner home was Alan Dolton who placed 12th (22.06), while Barry Finch had a very good run to place 18th overall and first in the over-60 category (23.04).

In the parkrun at Lloyd Park, Striders were led by Damian Macenhill who placed fourth (19.36). Krzysztof Klidzia was sixth (20.50) with Steve Smith 13th (22.51) and club chairman Robin Jamieson 18th (24.41).

Striders placed 20th in the South of the Thames inter-club cross-country race at Wimbledon on Saturday. They were led by Tyler O’Callaghan who finished 36th of the 208 finishers, covering the five-mile course in 30 minutes 33 seconds. Ben Fancourt was 90th (33.23) with Barry White 107th (34.19) and Mick Turner completing the scoring team in 123rd (35.06). Alice Ewen placed 34th in the women’s race (39.17).

Several Striders completed the ten-mile ‘Hellrunner’ cross-country race on a tough course at Longmoor on Sunday. Steph Upton had an excellent run to be the seventh woman to finish, recording 84 minutes 57. Striders’ men were led by club secretary Chris Morton who placed 62nd in 77 minutes 42.

The previous weekend, Striders had placed 35th in the London Cross-Country Championships at Parliament Hill. They were led by Matt Chapman who finished 135th (41.41). Chris Morton was 136th (42.00) with Barry White 150th (42.48) and Darren Piper 189th (46.25).

Steve leads fast Striders at Brighton 10K

Steve Starvis, from Striders of Croydon, produced a very good run in the Brighton 10-kilometre road race on Sunday. He placed 42nd out of more than 2000 finishers, recording a personal best 34 minutes 09 seconds. Taylor Huggins also ran well to place 85th in a personal best 36 minutes 38. Iain Harrison was 95th (36.57), Simon Ambrosi 98th (36.59), Damian Macenhill 101st (37.13) and Mick Turner 115th (37.30). Striders’ first woman to finish was Josephine Thompson who finished 497th overall in 43 minutes 55. Margaret Faherty set a club over-65 record of 52 minutes 20.

Striders dominated the parkrun in Lloyd Park on Saturday morning, with the first four finishers. Justin Macenhill led them home, covering the undulating five-kilometre course in 18 minutes 45. Rob Sharpe was second (19.51), Damian Macenhill third (20.24) and Krzysztof Klidzia fourth (21.11). Lee Wadsworth placed eighth at the Bromley parkrun (19.24) with veteran Bob Ewen 21st (21.18). Striders’ best performance at the Roundshaw Downs parkrun came from Lesley Bourke, who was the first over-50 woman to finish, placing 30th overall in 25 minutes 49.

At the Epsom 10-mile road race, Striders’ first finisher was veteran Alan Dolton who ran 68 minutes 33, placing 66th out of 318 finishers. Club colleague Mark Hutchings ran a personal best 79 minutes 21, placing 163rd.

Lee and Duncan lead solid Striders at Wimbledon

Striders of Croydon produced a sold team performance to place fifth of nine clubs in their Surrey Cross-Country League Division Two match at Wimbledon Common on Saturday. They were led by Lee Flanagan who ran a well-judged race to place ninth of the 181 finishers, covering the five-mile course in 27 minutes 37 seconds, just one place and one second ahead of club colleague Duncan Lancashire. Steve Starvis also ran well to place 16th (28.02) with Justin Macenhill 24th (28.45), Iain Harrison 39th (29.44) and Damian Macenhill 47th (30.09). Taylor Huggins moved through the field to place 52nd (30.19) with Simon Ambrosi 65th (30.51), Richard Lee-Smith 66th (30.52) and Mick Turner completing the scoring team in 71st (31.02).

For Striders’ women, Helen Furze produced a very good run to place 25th out of 195 finishers in the Surrey Women's Cross-Country League Division One race at Dorking. She covered the undulating six-kilometre course in 24 minutes 47 seconds. Steph Upton also ran well to finish 50th (26.06) while Josephine Thompson was 73rd (27.01), with Alice Ewen 104th (28.57) and Hannah Musk completing the A team in 124th (30.12). Sadly Striders were without a couple of their leading runners, and against strong opposition they finished last of the 15 Division One clubs. Striders’ B team finished 12th in their category. The team comprised Linda Daniel (158th, 32.57); Carmen Somerset (163rd, 33.05); Corinne Carr (174th, 34.53); Jo Penny (176th, 35.12) and Jane McConkey (180th, 36.20).

Josephine doubles-up with gutsy runs at Reigate relays

Striders of Croydon faced strong opposition in the Reigate Priory Relays on Saturday afternoon, with both their men’s and women’s teams being weakened by late withdrawals. Their women finished eleventh, while their men were 16th. Josephine Thompson showed her strength by running two legs for Striders’ women, recording 19 minutes 37 on the first leg and then improving by 16 seconds on the last leg. Striders’ fastest woman was Steph Upton, who covered the undulating 2.6 mile course in exactly 19 minutes. The best performance from Striders’ men came from Taylor Huggins who ran 16 minutes 20, while Mick Turner ran 16 minutes 22 and Barry White ran 16 minutes 48. Team manager Chris Morton had to run twice, recording 17 minutes 35 and 17.55, while Darren Piper completed the team with 19 minutes 35.

Elsewhere Serena Stracey produced a very good run to be the first woman finisher at the weekly parkrun at Lloyd Park on Saturday morning. She finished in twelfth place overall, covering the muddy five-kilometre course in 22 minutes 37, well clear of her nearest rival. Club colleague Justin Macenhill was second in the men’s race, recording 18 minutes 23. His brother Damian Macenhill placed seventh (21.49) while Steve Massey was close behind in ninth (22.00).

In the Roundshaw Downs parkrun, Nick Eaves led Striders home in eighth place (21.22), while Alan Dolton placed ninth overall and first in the over-50 category (21.27) and Barry Finch was 18th overall and first in the over-60 category (23.09). In the Bromley parkrun, Steve Smith was 23rd (21.25) with Bob Ewen 26th (21.37).

Tyler makes welcome return to help lift Striders to third place at Lloyd Park

Striders of Croydon produced a good team performance to place third out of 18 teams in the East Surrey League’s cross-country race at Lloyd Park on Saturday afternoon. Herne Hill won the match with 44 points, ahead of Hercules-Wimbledon (51), Striders (54), Epsom (65), Reigate Priory (72) and Croydon Harriers (89).

Striders were led by Justin Macenhill who ran a well-judged race to finish seventh of the 91 finishers, covering the undulating five-mile course in 32 minutes 10 seconds, Triathlete Tyler O’Callaghan returned to Striders colours and finished 11th (32.47) while Iain Harrison also ran very well to finish 14th (33.33). Mick Turner completed the A team, moving through the field after a cautious start to place 22nd (34.40).

Striders’ B team placed 13th. This team comprised Barry White (33rd, 36.14); Chris Morton (37th, 36.49); Matthew Grindrod (54th, 41.09) and veteran Barry Finch (66th, 42.49). Striders’ first woman to finish was Carmen Somerset who placed 74th overall (45.15).

At the Roundshaw Downs parkrun on Saturday morning, Alan Dolton was sixth overall and first in the over-50 category (21.58) while Colin Cotton was 18th overall and first in the over-60 category (24.31). Alistair Price was fifth in the Crystal Palace parkrun (20.21) while Damian Macenhill was ninth in the parkrun at Lloyd Park (20.37).

In the Barns Green Half-Marathon on Sunday, Ben Fancourt placed 74th (86.01) with Dan Jewell 95th (87.16) and Paul Stanford 128th (89.29). Striders’ first woman to finish was Hannah Musk who ran 1 hour 52 minutes 02.

Steve, Richard and Justin give Striders a hat-trick of wins

Striders of Croydon gained a hat-trick of wins at the popular local parkruns on Saturday morning. Justin Macenhill won the inaugural parkrun at Lloyd Park, while Richard Lee-Smith won at Roundshaw Downs and Steve Starvis won at Crystal Palace.

At Lloyd Park, Justin Macenhill gained a comfortable win, covering the undulating five-kilometre course in 18 minutes 25 seconds. Damian Macenhill also ran well for fifth (19.46) with Simon Ambrosi sixth (20.04), Barry White 8th (20.54), Chris Morton 10th (22.08) and Steve Massey 13th (22.57). Veteran Bob Ewen was 17th (23.39) while his daughter Alice Ewen was the second woman to finish, placing 23rd overall in 25 minutes 27. Karen Macenhill was the third woman to finish, placing 33rd overall (27.55).

At Roundshaw, Richard Lee-Smith won by almost half a minute, recording 18 minutes 41. Club colleague Alan Dolton was 12th (21.48) with Barry Finch 16th (23.13) and Sean Gallagher 17th (23.20).

At Crystal Palace, Steve Starvis produced Striders’ fastest time of the day, winning in 18 minutes 19. Club colleague Alistair Price was fourth in 19 minutes 56.

Lee joins Striders elite group to complete marathon under three hours

Justin Macenhill, from Striders of Croydon, produced a very good run to win the Roundshaw Downs parkrun on Saturday. He broke away on the second lap to finish more than half a minute ahead of his nearest rival, covering the five-kilometre course in 17 minutes 52 seconds.

Striders had three of the first five finishers, with Rob Sharpe also running well to place fourth (19.35) and Barry White not far behind him in fifth (20.02). Alan Dolton was 11th (21.22) with Steve Massey 17th (22.25), Sean Gallagher 22nd (23.20) and Jonathan Burke 32nd (25.08). Striders’ first woman to finish was Natalie Osher who placed 39th overall, recording 25 minutes 43. Karen Macenhill was 54th (28.08) with Carol Hollingworth 55th (28.08) and Karen Connor 62nd (29.31). In the Bromley parkrun, Simon Ambrosi placed fifth (18.36) with Steve Smith 26th (21.27).

Striders’ Lee Wadsworth ran very well to place 86th of more than 700 finishers in the Abingdon Marathon on Sunday, recording 2 hours 59 minutes 44. This makes Lee the twentieth member of Striders to break three hours for the marathon. Club colleague Nick Eaves was 275th in 3 hours 28 minutes 31. Striders’ Paul Eisenhut ran a personal best 3 hours 09 in the recent Loch Ness Marathon.

Lee and Helen lead Striders in opening Surrey League contest

Striders of Croydon faced strong opposition in the first matches of this season’s Surrey Cross-Country Leagues on Saturday. Their men were competing in Division Two on their home course at Lloyd Park. They were led by Lee Flanagan who ran a well-judged race, moving through the field to place ninth of the 162 finishers, covering the undulating five-mile course in 31 minutes 06. Steve Starvis also ran well to place 16th (31.39) with Justin Macenhill not far behind in 23rd (31.55). Iain Harrison made a welcome return to place 41st (33.11) with Richard Lee-Smith 44th (33.21) and Damian Macenhill 47th (33.47). Dan Jewell made an encouraging debut to place 51st (34.04) with Lee Wadsworth 68th (34.37), Taylor Huggins 75th (35.00) and Matt Chapman completing the scoring team in 79th (35.11). Striders finished sixth of the nine competing clubs.

Meanwhile Striders’ women were competing in Division One of the Surrey Women's League at Richmond Park. They were led by Helen Furze who ran well to place 35th of the 176 finishers, covering the four-mile course in 28 minutes 47 seconds. Steph Upton also ran well for 68th (30.32), with Suzy Yates 79th (31.08), Alice Ewen 100th (32.36) and Hannah Musk completing the scoring team in 117th (34.00). This placed Striders 14th of the 15 Division One clubs.

Striders’ B team placed eleventh in their category. They were led by Louise Grech who made an encouraging debut to place 133rd (35.40). Sarah Hansbury was 141st (36.06), Eve Collins 150th (36.46) and Amanda Barros 151st (36.58), while veteran Margaret Faherty completed the team in 164th (38.20).

Richard claims runners-up spot at Titsey Trail race

Richard Lee-Smith, from Striders of Croydon, had a very good run to place second out of 279 finishers in the Titsey Trail 10 kilometre race, organised by Oxted Runners, on Sunday. He covered the undulating course in 39 minutes 31 seconds. Club colleague Matthew Chapman was 13th in 44 minutes 49.

Suzy Yates also ran well to be the second woman, and 29th overall, in the Dunsfold 20-mile road race, which she completed in 2 hours 37 minutes 32 seconds. Club colleague Paul Stanford was 15th (2.28.05). While in the corresponding 10 mile race Simon Ambrosi ran well to finish 4th in 1 hour 4 minutes 47 seconds.

Rob Sharpe was third out of 93 finishers in the Roundshaw Downs parkrun on Saturday, covering the muddy five-kilometre course in 18 minutes 59. Alan Dolton was fifth overall and first in the over-50 category (20.59). Striders’ first woman to finish was Margaret Faherty who placed 46th overall (and was first in the women’s over-60 category) in 27 minutes 01.

Adbi claims new course record in Switchback 5

Striders of Croydon staged their annual Switchback cross-country race over an undulating five-mile course in Lloyd Park and Addington Hills on Sunday. The race was won by Abdi Madar of Newham, who won by more than a minute in a new course record of 27 minutes 21, thirteen seconds faster than the previous record set by Dave Robinson of Herne Hill in 2002. Jim Addison of Beckenham was second (28.29) and Lee Flanagan of Striders ran well to place third (28.40). Mike Cummings of Herne Hill was fourth (28.57) and was followed home by club colleagues Vic Maughn and Rajdave Singh, making sure that Herne Hill won the team prize. Striders’ second finisher was Richard Lee-Smith who ran well to place seventh (29.46).

The first woman to finish was Suzie Richards of Herne Hill who placed 15th overall in 31 minutes 18, which equalled the women’s course record set by Meredith Pannett of Dulwich in 2003. Ola Balme of Dulwich ran well to place second in the women’s race (33.37) while Striders’ Steph Upton confirmed her recent improvement with an excellent run to place third (35.03). Pippa Major of South London Harriers placed fourth (35.12), while Herne Hill completed a double by winning the team prize, with five of the first nine women to finish.

Striders’ first man home at the Roundshaw Downs parkrun on Saturday was Barry White who placed third of the 91 finishers, covering the five-kilometre course in 20 minutes 13. Alan Dolton was fourth overall and first in the over-50 category (20.36). Striders’ first woman was Carol Hollingworth who placed 48th overall (27.03). Meanwhile Allan Phillips was seventh at the Bromley parkrun (19.16) with Steve Smith 26th (22.08).

Chris Morton adds :

Elsewhere over the weekend there were good performances from Striders. Damian Macenhill showed a good return to form with a time of 3 hours 5 minutes in the Berlin Marathon. Others marathoners were Serena Stracey (3.49), Phil Mazur (4.01) and JP Lamarque (5.12).

At Lingfield Paul Stanford finished in 9th place in the tough Dry Hill Ten race over ten hilly miles - his time was 1 hour and 8 minutes. Linda Daniel completed the course in 1.34.

Striders' Lee excels at 5K while Paul leads winning team at marathon

Lee Flanagan, from Striders of Croydon, made an excellent return to competition to win the Roundshaw Downs parkrun on Saturday. On the first lap he broke away from the field with the previous week’s winner, Alex Penfold of Sutton & District, and on the second lap he pulled clear to win by 32 seconds, covering the undulating five-kilometre course in 17 minutes 40.

Striders’ next man home was Mick Turner who placed seventh in 19 minutes 24. Alan Dolton was eleventh overall and second in the over-50 category (20.19), while Jonathan Lloyd was 13th (21.39). Steve Massey returned to competition after a long lay-off with a calf injury, placing 19th (22.32).

Striders had eight other finishers: 26 Phil Mazur 23.21; 36 Jonathan Burke 24.36; 40 Chris Smith 24.57; 55 John Gannon 26.22; 56 Matthew Smith 26.33; 59 Margaret Faherty 26.49; 60 Clive Smith 27.09; 74 Jemma Upton 30.15. There were 97 finishers.

Chris Morton adds:
Striders longer-distance runners also had a good weekend. Paul Stanford - 5th place in 3 hours 50 minutes, Simon Ambrosi - 7th (3.51) - and Chris Morton - 8th (3.56) - were the first team home in the Green Chain Marathon based around south east London. Navigational skills were to the fore over a demanding course of 27 miles in woodland, park and urban roads. Husband and wife pair Ian and Suzy Yates finished in 5 hours and 3 minutes.
Meanwhile Striders provided four representatives at the Great North Run in Gateshead. First Strider to finish the mass-participation half marathon was Julie Jordan in 2 hours and 9 minutes, followed by Amir Ghomshei (2.10), Steve Tyler (2.23) and Emma Gilgrass (2.38).

Steph and John double-up over busy weekend for Striders

Striders of Croydon faced strong opposition in the annual Surrey Road Relays at Wimbledon Park on Saturday. Their best performance came from their women, who did well to finish ninth out of 18 teams. Alice Ewen, not fully fit after a hip injury, ran the first leg and finished 16th, covering the undulating 2.9 mile course in 21 minutes 12 seconds. Josephine Thompson had a good run on the second leg, gaining five places (20.24). Suzy Yates was two seconds faster on the third leg, gaining two more places (20.22). On the final leg Steph Upton ran the team’s fastest time of the day, recording 19 minutes 38.

Striders’ men were not at full strength and had to settle for 18th place out of 28 teams. Their best performance came from veteran John Foster, who ran 17 minutes 57. The late withdrawal of one of the selected team meant that team manager Chris Morton had to run twice, recording 18 minutes 14 on the first leg and 18.56 on the last. The other team members were Paul Stanford (18.08), Taylor Huggins (18.07) and Mick Turner (18.13).

Striders’ first man home at the Roundshaw Downs parkrun on Saturday was Alan Dolton who placed second in the over-50 category and fifth overall (21.11). Club colleague Andy Elliott was first in the over-60 category and 23rd overall (25.24). Striders’ first woman to finish was Natalie Osher who placed 27th overall (25.50). Margaret Faherty was the first over-60 woman and 31st overall (26.54). Striders’ other runners were: 35 John Gannon 27.15; 39 Matthew Smith 27.33; 40 Clive Smith 27.38; 45 Carol Hollingworth 28.15; 61 Karen Connor 30.33. There were 88 finishers.

Chris Morton adds:

John Foster had a busy day. Three hours before running in the Surrey Road Relays he had finished as the first male Vet 50 at the Battersea Park 10 miler in a respectable time of 63 minutes and 3 seconds. Team mate Simon Ambrosi finished soon after in 64.34.

While following her road relay lead, Steph Upton continued her good form into the Sunday with an excellent time of 1 hour 26 minutes and 32 seconds at the muddy and hilly Eridge 10 miler. This placed Steph as 10th female in a very high quality field.

Rob shows form at Roundshaw while Simon masters the hills near Leatherhead

Rob Sharpe, from Striders of Croydon, produced an excellent run to place second in the Roundshaw Downs parkrun on Saturday morning. He covered the undulating five-kilometre course in 19 minutes 08 seconds, and was beaten only by Striders’ former track captain Matt Morgan, now running for British League Division One club Belgrave Harriers.

Mick Turner also ran well to place fifth in 19 minutes 57, while Alan Dolton was eleventh (21.00) and Phil Mazur 28th (24.04). Striders had six other finishers: 32 Jonathan Burke 24.40; 36 Andy Elliott 25.08; 51 Phil Handley 26.22; 57 Clive Smith 27.26; 65 Jemma Upton 29.19; 68 Karen Connor 29.56.

On the same morning Steve Smith placed 24th in the Bromley parkrun (21.31) with club colleague Bob Ewen 25th (21.37).

Chris Morton adds :
There was friendly competition amongst the Striders who ran at the Surrey Badger Half Marathon in Leatherhead last Sunday. The hilly multi-terrain course provided some fine views but also stiff challenges for the 400+ runners. First home for Striders was Simon Ambrosi in 26th place in 1 hour and 29 minutes and 10 seconds. Just 22 seconds and two places behind was Chris Morton with Paul Stanford a further three places back (1.30.20) . Striders' women produced good performances with Suzy Yates finishing 5th in a time of 1 hour 36 minutes with colleague Serena Stracey one place and 14 seconds behind. Five other Striders completed the course : Ian Yates (1.36.35), Mark Hutchings (1.47.30), Carmen Somerset (1.57.06), Dee Stanford (2.14.00) in her first ever half marathon and Victoria Legge in 2.33.45.

Justin marks comeback with Roundshaw win

Justin Macenhill, from Striders of Croydon, made an excellent return from injury to win the Roundshaw Downs parkrun on Saturday morning. He covered the undulating five-kilometre course in 17 minutes 53 seconds, more than half a minute clear of his nearest rival. Mick Turner took a break from his duties as race organiser to finish fourth in 19 minutes 56. Alan Dolton was second in the over-50 category and ninth overall (20.46), with Nick Eaves not far behind in tenth place (21.00). Carmen Somerset was the third woman to finish, placing 25th overall in 24 minutes 07. Natalie Osher was 36th (26.02) while Margaret Faherty was the first over-50 woman and 38th overall (26.15). Two of Striders’ youngest members competed, with Jemma Upton placing 45th (27.58) and Matthew Smith 46th (28.17).

Striders also had several competitors in the Bromley parkrun. They were led by Damian Macenhill who placed eighth in 18 minutes 40. Allan Phillips was 11th (18.58) with Bob Ewen 29th (21.14) and Steve Smith 33rd (21.25). Steve’s daughter Chloe was Striders’ youngest finisher, placing 107th (29.48).

Chris leads Striders at Roundshaw run

Striders of Croydon’s club secretary Chris Morton was the club’s first runner home at the Roundshaw Downs parkrun on Saturday morning. He ran well to place second of the 86 finishers, covering the five-kilometre course in 19 minutes 27. Club colleague Alan Dolton was ninth overall and second in the over-50 category, recording 20 minutes 57. Phil Mazur was 26th (23.43) and Striders’ first woman home was Karen Macenhill, who placed 41st overall in 26 minutes 42. Striders’ other finishers were: 42 Phil Handley 26.57; 48 Clive Smith 27.41; 63 Karen Connor 30.45; 71 Kevin Burnett 33.37; 82 Lisa Jackson 42.29.

The race was won by Simon Donaghy of Herne Hill (19.06), while the first woman home was Clare Drake (20.43).

Serena, Josephine and Amanda take Striders to fifth place in Surrey

Striders of Croydon’s women did very well to finish fifth in this season’s Surrey Road League. Woking won the league with 129 points from Clapham Chasers (114) and Herne Hill (112). However Striders’ total of 107 points saw them finish ahead of several established clubs including their local rivals SLH and Croydon Harriers. Striders’ men suffered from inconsistent turnouts and finished 13th of the 28 clubs in the league.

The final league match was the Wimbledon five-kilometre road race which took place last Sunday. Striders’ women were led by Serena Stracey who ran well to finish twelfth, covering the undulating course in 20 minutes 31 seconds. Josephine Thompson was 28th (21.27) and Amanda Barros completed the scoring team in 50th (25.56). Striders’ men were led by Paul Stanford who placed 70th in 20 minutes 14, closely followed by Damian Macenhill who placed 78th in 20 minutes 24.

Striders had several competitors at the Roundshaw Downs parkrun on Saturday. They were led by Richard Lee-Smith who ran well placed second, covering the five-kilometre course in 17 minutes 54. Club colleague Rob Sharpe was fifth (19.21). Suzy Yates was the first woman to finish, placing 18th overall in 22 minutes 14. In the Bromley parkrun Striders’ Allan Phillips placed fifth in 19 minutes 44.

Richard in dramatic photo-finish for Striders

Richard Lee-Smith, from Striders of Croydon, ran well to place second in South London Harries’ 10-kilometre multi-terrain race at Farthing Downs on Thursday. He recorded 37 minutes 25, finishing just one second behind the winner. Paul Stanford was 21st (41.54) with Chris Morton 25th (42.21) and Mick Turner 27th (42.41).

Striders had several competitors at the Roundshaw Downs parkrun on Saturday morning. They were led by Rob Sharpe who placed sixth, covering the five-kilometre course in 19 minutes 52. Alan Dolton was seventh overall and first in the over-50 category (20.34). Striders’ women were led by Karen Macenhill who placed 42nd overall in 26 minutes 03.

In the Bromley parkrun on the same morning Suzy Yates ran well to finish ahead of all of Striders’ men. She placed 25th overall in 20 minutes 47. She was closely followed by club colleagues Simon Ambrosi (26th, 20.48) and Steve Smith (28th, 20.51).

Kim leads Striders women to fourth place at Tooting

Striders of Croydon faced strong opposition in the final Rosenheim League match of the season, held at Tooting Bec on Wednesday. Their leading points-scorer was Kim Ford who showed her versatility by placing third in both the women’s 400 metres and the shot putt. She led Striders’ women’s team to fourth place in the match and fifth in the final league table, ahead of local rivals Croydon Harriers. Striders’ men were less successful and had to settle for sixth place. Their leading points-scorer was Lee Flanagan who placed fifth in the 800 metres (2.11.6) and sixth in the 1500 metres (4.37.8). Club colleague Steve Starvis was fifth in the 3000 metres (9.53.0).

Striders had nine competitors in the Elmbridge 10-kilometre road race on Sunday, which was the penultimate event in this year’s Surrey Road League. They were led by Steve Starvis who did well to finish 30th in a large field, recording 35 minutes 24. Lee Wadsworth was next home in 66th (38.04), while Josephine Thompson had an excellent run, beating all but two of Striders’ men as she finished 235th overall in 45 minutes 12. Richard Edwards was 283rd (47.13) with club treasurer John Humphries 295th (47.45) and David Gunaratnam 297th (47.47). Karen Peake was Striders’ second woman home in 446th (54.46). She was followed by Dee Stanford (485th, 57.18) and Kim Ford (536th, 62.52).

Striders had five of the first 20 finishers in the Roundshaw Downs five-kilometre parkrun on Saturday morning. Paul Finch led them home in sixth place (19.32) and was followed by Barry White (7th, 19.44); Rob Sharpe (8th, 19.58); Alan Dolton (11th, 20.38) and Roy Easto (19th, 22.50). Striders’ women were led by Karen Macenhill who placed 52nd overall in 27 minutes 48.

Richard and Paul show their versatility over sprints and road races for Striders

Striders of Croydon produced some very good performances at their final Southern Veterans League match of the season, held at Kingsmeadow on Monday. Their men placed third in the match and in the final league table, equalling their best ever position, while their women finished fourth of the seven clubs in the division.

Richard Lee-Smith stormed to victory in the over-35 800 metres, recording 2 minutes 13.4. He later placed second in the 200 metres (28.0). Steve Starvis gained a clear win in the over-35 5000 metres, where his time of 17 minutes 05.6 was more than half a minute faster than his nearest rival. Paul Stanford was second in the over-40 200 metres in a club age-group record of 27.3 seconds, while Steve Massey placed second in the over-40 high jump (1.30) and team manager David Batten was third in the over-50 event (1.10). In the 2000 metre walk, Bob Ewen was second in the over-50 category (12.33.8), while Kevin Burnett, competing at short notice, set a club over-60 record of 14 minutes 14.0. Andy Elliott placed third in the over-60 triple jump with a club age-group record of 5.56 metres.

Margaret Faherty had an excellent evening for Striders’ women, taking second place in the over-60 200 metres (45.5), 800 metres (3.50.4) and 5000 metres (26.22.5). All three of these performances were club age-group records. Dee Stanford set a club over-40 record in the discus (14.48), taking third place, while Kim Ford set a club over-45 record in the 2000 metre walk (14.13.9).

Striders also had several competitors at the Elmore seven-mile road race at Chipstead on Saturday. They were led by Richard Lee-Smith who ran well to finish 24th in 42 minutes 34. Damian Macenhill was 37th (44.35) with Paul Stanford 75th (47.33) and Mick Turner 89th (48.33). Striders’ women were led by Steph Upton who finished 102nd overall in 49 minutes 50. Josephine Thompson was 127th (51.49), Tina Macenhill 133rd (52.05) and Alice Ewen 156th (54.05).

Natalie and Eliot return to boost Striders

Striders of Croydon faced strong opposition in the penultimate Rosenheim League match of the season, at Tooting Bec on Wednesday. Their leading points-scorer was Natalie Osher, who showed her versatility by placing third in the 100 metres (15.3), fourth in the shot putt (5.10) and fifth in the 3000 metres (13.35.9). This helped Striders’ women to finish fifth in the match, and lifts them to fifth in the overall league table with one match remaining.

Natalie’s brother, Eliot Osher, made a welcome return to Striders colours after finishing his first year at university. He set a new club under-20 record of 24.9 for the 200 metres, finishing third, and also placed third in the 100 metres (12.5). Veteran Steve Smith gained valuable points by competing in five different events. However Striders’ men had to settle for sixth place in the match.

Striders had eight competitors in the Roundshaw Downs parkrun on Saturday. They were led by club secretary Chris Morton, who placed ninth of the 86 finishers, recording 19 minutes 54. Veteran Andy Elliott was 31st (25.07) with Chris Smith 43rd (26.40). Margaret Faherty led Striders’ women in 46th (27.48) with Karen Macenhill 49th (28.12). Matthew Smith was 58th (30.18) with Clive Smith 61st (30.37) and Karen Connor 66th (31.36). Striders also had five competitors at the Bromley parkrun. Steve Smith led them home in 22nd place (20.59) with Bob Ewen 26th (21.37), Dave Denton 46th (23.56), Carmen Somerset 52nd (24.47) and Simon Ambrosi 71st (27.30).

John continues fine season for Striders with track victories

Striders of Croydon produced some good performances at their penultimate Southern Veterans League match of the season, held at Croydon Arena on Monday. Their men placed third, while their women were fourth of the seven clubs in the division.

Good points came from the 5000 metres where Steve Starvis won the over-35 race (17.23.5) while John Foster won the over-50 race in a club age-group record of 17 minutes 49.8 and Nigel Davidson was second in the over-40 race (19.15.4). Earlier, John Foster had won the over-50 1500 meters (5.00.6) with Steve Starvis second in the over-35 race (4.44.6) and Steve Massey second in the over-40 race (5.14.2). Second places were also achieved by Paul Stanford in the over-40 100 metres (13.4) and Steve Smith in the over-50 400 metres (70.7). The medley relay team of Paul Stanford, Steve Massey, Richard Lee-Smith and Lee Flanagan finished the evening by placing second in their event in 4 minutes 11.6.

For Striders’ women, Margaret Faherty was third in the over-50 100 metres in a club age-group record of 19.9. Steph Upton was third in the over-35 1500 metres (5.45.9) with Andrea Jeffries second in the B race (5.57.5). Linda Daniel was third in the over-35 javelin (12.71). The relay team of Linda Daniel, Kim Ford, Steph Upton and Michelle Campbell also finished third in 5 minutes 46.4.

At the Roundshaw Downs parkrun on Saturday, Striders’ first finisher was Alan Dolton who was sixth overall and first in the over-50 category, recording 20 minutes 23. Steve Massey was 15th (21.45), while Striders’ women were led by teenager Jemma Upton who was 61st overall in 29 minutes 05. At the Bromley parkrun, Bob Ewen was tenth (21.20) with Steve Smith 11th (21.22). Striders’ first woman was teenager Victoria Ewen who placed 63rd (28.38).

Suzy is first woman home at humid Rouondshaw

Suzy Yates, from Striders of Croydon, produced another good performance to be the first woman finisher in the Roundshaw Downs parkrun on Saturday morning. In warm and humid conditions she finished in tenth place overall, covering the undulating five-kilometre course in 21 minutes 30 seconds.

Striders’ men were led by Alan Dolton who finished fourth overall and second in the over-50 category, recording 20 minutes 32. Steve Massey was one place behind, recording 20 minutes 51, while club chairman Robin Jamieson ran well to place 17th in 23 minutes 32. Charlie Mander was 21st (23.49) with Colin Cotton 22nd (23.56) and Mark Hutchings 26th (24.35). Karen Macenhill was Striders’ second woman home, placing 38th overall (26.54) Carol Hollingworth was 40th (27.06) with Kim Ford 45th (28.06) and Karen Connor 57th (31.47). Striders’ veteran Bob Ewen placed 13th in the Crystal Palace parkrun, recording 22 minutes 29. Linda Daniel was 81st in the Banstead Woods parkrun in 25 minutes 02. Club colleague Amanda Barros was 100th (25.57).

Steve and Paul race Striders Vets to third place at Ewell

Striders of Croydon produced some good performances at the second Southern Veterans league match of the season, at Ewell Court last week. Their men placed third of the seven competing clubs, while their women were fifth, just two points behind Dorking. In the overall table Striders’ men climb to third place while their women remain fourth.

Striders’ only winner was Steve Starvis who gained a clear victory in the over-35 3000 metres in 10 minutes 15.0, having previously taken second place in the 800 metres (2.19.8). Paul Stanford took a hat-trick of second places in the over-40 200 metres (27.6), 3000 metres (11.12.8) and javelin (24.22). Second places were also achieved by Steve Massey in the over-40 800 metres (2.25.5) and Alan Dolton in the over-50 3000 metres (11.24.3). Striders’ 4 x 400 metre relay team of Stanford, Massey, Starvis and Richard Lee-Smith finished the evening with a close third place in 4 minutes 10.9.

For Striders’ women, Michelle Campbell made her club debut, placing fourth in the over-35 3000 metres (13.42.6). Club colleague Andrea Jeffries was fourth in the 800 metres (3.00.6). In the 4 x 400 metre relay they were joined by Kim Ford and Dee Stanford, and gained good points by finishing in second place.

John Foster produced another good run for Striders in the Richmond 10k road race, which incorporated the Surrey Championships, on Sunday. He placed 77th of the 516 finishers and fifth in the over-50 category, recording exactly 37 minutes. First Strider home was Richard Lee-Smith in 36.11 while Barry White was 138th (39.32) with Steve Massey 161st (40.37) and Nick Eaves 187th (41.49). Striders’ women were led by Hannah Musk who ran 48 minutes 22, placing 329th. She was followed by Jo Penny (403rd, 51.42); Amanda Barros (410th, 52.01) and Margaret Faherty (420th, 52.35).

Striders’ first man home at the Roundshaw Downs parkrun on Saturday was Nigel Davidson, who placed fourth of the 84 finishers in 19 minutes 57. Alan Dolton was seventh overall and second in the over-50 category (20.32). Striders’ women were led by Carmen Somerset who placed 41st overall (26.08). Club colleague Steph Upton was 25th in the Banstead Woods parkrun (21.48).

John leads youngsters in his wake with speedy 10K at Battersea

Veteran distance runner John Foster, from Striders of Croydon, produced an excellent run in the Sri Chinmoy 10-kilometre road race at Battersea Park on Saturday. He finished eighth overall and first in the over-50 category in a time of 36 minutes 55 seconds. Club colleague Richard Lee-Smith was tenth in 37 minutes 23, with Simon Ambrosi 15th in 39 minutes 05.

Striders’ former track captain Matt Morgan, now running for British League club Belgrave Harriers, made a welcome return to Striders colours in the Roundshaw Downs parkrun on Saturday. He gained a comfortable win, covering the five-kilometre course in 17 minutes 40. The next Strider to finish was veteran Alan Dolton, who placed seventh overall and second in the over-50 category, recording 20 minutes 18. Nick Eaves ran a well-paced race to place eighth in 20 minutes 38, while Striders’ first woman to finish was teenager Jemma Upton who placed 52nd overall in 27 minutes 34.

Striders had six other finishers: 27 Mark Hutchings 23.56; 28 Colin Cotton 23.58; 36 Chris Smith 25.28; 38 Matthew Smith 25.47; 61 Clive Smith 29.05; 70 Kevin Burnett 32.12.

Striders of Croydon faced strong opposition in the third Rosenheim League match of the season, at Wimbledon Park on Wednesday. Their best individual performance came from Steve Starvis who placed third in the 1500 metres in 4 minutes 35.3. Their leading points-scorer was veteran Steve Smith who competed in four different events, placing fifth in both the 100 metres and the triple jump. With a depleted team, Striders had to settle for sixth place in the match.

Steve finishes third in Beckenham 10K road race

Striders of Croydon had 20 runners at the Beckenham 10-kilometre road race on Sunday, with five of them finishing in the first 30. They were led by Steve Starvis who ran well to place third of the 235 finishers, recording 35 minutes 11 seconds. Simon Ambrosi was 18th (39.16) with Mick Turner 23rd (39.51), Steve Massey 26th (40.53) and Chris Morton 27th (41.15). Striders’ women were led by Josephine Thompson who placed 72nd overall in 45 minutes 42. Lesley Bourke was 109th in a club over-50 record of 48 minutes 44, with Hannah Musk 120th (49.47) and Carmen Somerset 122nd (49.57). Margaret Faherty was first in the over-60 category, placing 164th overall in 54 minutes 34.

Striders also did well to have five of the first ten finishers at the Roundshaw Downs parkrun on Saturday. Their first man home was Richard Lee-Smith who ran well to finish second, covering the five-kilometre course in 18 minutes 48. Rob Sharpe also ran well to place fourth (19.16) with Nigel Davidson fifth (20.17), Alan Dolton ninth (20.35) and Nick Eaves tenth (20.58). Striders’ women were led by Carol Hollingworth who placed 41st overall in exactly 27 minutes. Charlotte Chapman was 42nd (27.08) and Karen Connor 62nd (31.07). Meanwhile Striders’ Lee Wadsworth placed second at the Bromley parkrun in 18 minutes 02, with club colleague Steve Smith 21st in 21 minutes 48.

Josephine, Steph, Natalie and Alice bring Striders home win in dramatic relay

Striders of Croydon’s women produced an excellent team performance to win their Rosenheim League match on Wednesday evening. Their total of 21 points placed them ahead of Serpentine (19), Belgrave (17), Croydon Harriers (16), Hercules-Wimbledon (8) and Herne Hill (6).

With just the 4 x 200 metre relay remaining, Striders were in third place. The team of Josephine Thompson, Alice Ewen, Steph Upton and Natalie Osher stormed to victory in 2 minutes 16.4, well clear of their rivals from Serpentine. Striders’ best individual performance came from the youngest member of the team, Victoria Ewen, who placed second in the javelin with a club women’s record of 18 metres 21. Josephine Thompson showed her versatility with third in the 3000 metres (12.44.5) and second in the B 100 metres (15.9), while Natalie Osher was third in the A 100 metres (16.2) and Steph Upton was fourth in the high jump (1.05).

Striders’ men were unable to match their women’s success and finished sixth in their match, two points behind Hercules-Wimbledon. Their leading points-scorer was Ryan Phillips who placed fourth in the high jump (1.35) and fifth in the long jump (4.36).

On Saturday two members of Striders won gold medals in the annual Surrey Masters Championships, held in wet and windy conditions at Ewell. Striders’ oldest competitor, Kevin Burnett, had a very successful day, winning five gold medals and two silvers. He won the over-70 100 metres (20.1), 200 metres (41.5), shot (6.72), discus (19.08) and heavy hammer (7.68). He also placed second in the hammer (18.83) and javelin (17.33). Five of his performances were club over-70 records. Club middle-distance coach Alan Dolton won gold in the over-50 800 metres (2.44.4) and 1500 metres (5.41.1).

Striders also produced some good performances in their first Southern Veterans League match of the season, at Croydon Arena on Monday. Both their men and women finished fourth of the seven competing clubs. For the men, Steve Starvis won the over-35 1500 metres (4.38.2) while Lee Flanagan placed second in the 400 metres in a club over-35 record of 57.6 seconds and Alan Dolton was second in the over-50 1500 metres (5.25.7). Bob Ewen placed second in the 2000 metre walk in a club over-55 record of 11 minutes 55.7, with Dave Hoben second in the B event (13.14.5). For Striders’ women, Steph Upton set a club record of 13 minutes 12.1 in the 2000 metre walk, finishing third, while Margaret Faherty set club over-60 records in the 100 metres (20.2) and 1500 metres (7.13.8).

Helen, Steph and Josephine lead Striders to third place in county 10 miler

Striders of Croydon’s women did well to finish third in the Dorking 10-mile road race, which incorporated the Surrey Championships, on Sunday. They were led by Helen Furze who had an excellent run to beat all but two of Striders’ men, finishing fifth in the women’s race and 57th overall in 68 minutes 15. Josephine Thompson was 29th in the women’s race in 78 minutes 48, with Steph Upton 30th (79.11) and Lesley Bourke 40th (83.17).

Striders’ men were led by veteran John Foster who ran well to place fourth in the over-50 category and 24th overall out of 467 finishers, covering the undulating course in 63 minutes 04. Damian Macenhill placed 36th in exactly 66 minutes, while Steve Massey was 88th (71.33), Paul Eisenhut 98th (72.32) and Nick Eaves 128th (75.03).

Nigel Davidson was Striders’ first man home in the Roundshaw Downs parkrun on Saturday morning, finishing eighth and covering the five-kilometre course in 19 minutes 58. Alan Dolton was 10th overall and second in the over-50 category (20.36). Suzy Yates was the first woman to finish, placing 18th overall (21.55). Colin Cotton was 35th (24.30) with Jonathan Burke 37th (24.36) and Natalie Osher 43rd (25.05). In the Bromley parkrun Steve Smith was 21st (21.54), while club secretary Chris Morton placed 44th in a large field at Bushy Park (19.54).

Steve, Justin and Lee lead Striders to runners-up in relay race

Striders of Croydon produced a good team performance to finish second in the Beckenham Road Relay last Wednesday. Steve Starvis ran the first leg and covered the 2.5 mile course in 14 minutes 05 seconds, bringing the team home in fourth place, only 19 seconds behind early leaders South London Harriers. On the second leg Justin Macenhill had an excellent run, running 13 minutes 50 and overtaking all three teams in front of him, finishing just one second ahead of home club Beckenham. Lee Flanagan ran the final leg for Striders and was soon overtaken by Beckenham but did well to run 14 minutes 08 and bring Striders home in second place, ahead of New Eltham and South London Harriers.

Striders also had the second mixed team to finish. They placed 12th overall, behind Dulwich but just ahead of South London Harriers. This team comprised Josephine Thompson (18.03), Barry White (15.36) and Lee Wadsworth (14.50).

Striders’ women’s team finished seventh in their category. The team comprised Amanda Barros (20.18), Steph Upton (19.00) and Alice Ewen (20.33).

Justin Macenhill continued his good form by placing 22nd of 806 finishers in the Richmond Half-Marathon on Sunday, recording 80 minutes 14 seconds. Club colleague Paul Stanford was 125th in 90 minutes 36, while Josephine Thompson led Striders’ women, placing 262nd overall in a personal best 98 minutes 39. Striders had four other finishers: 460 Phil Mazur 1.50.28; 477 David Gunaratnam 1.51.56; 531 Stuart Hills 1.54.30; 770 Steve Tyler 2.19.32.

Striders had eleven runners in the Roundshaw Downs parkrun on Saturday morning. Nigel Davidson led them home in sixth place, covering the five-kilometre course in 20 minutes 10. Alan Dolton was seventh overall and second in the over-50 category (20.33) while Suzy Yates was the first woman to finish, placing 14th overall (21.31). Their other finishers were: 31 Carmen Somerset 24.11; 46 Andy Elliott 25.49; 47 Chris Smith 25.51; 49 Kim Ford 26.43; 51 Carol Hollingworth 27.00; 52 Matthew Smith 27.06; 68 Clive Smith 29.14; 74 Karen Connor 31.00.

The clash with the Beckenham Relay meant that Striders fielded a depleted, and somewhat elderly, team for their first Rosenheim League match at Battersea Park. Their leading points-scorer was the oldest member of the team, Kevin Burnett, who set club over-70 records in the hammer (11.65) and discus (12.96).

Steve shows his class at Surrey tracks champs

Steve Starvis, from Striders of Croydon, ran well to finish sixth in the Surrey 5000 metre championship at Kingsmeadow on Saturday. He recorded a time of 16 minutes 55.35 seconds.

Striders had two of the first three finishers in the Bromley parkrun on the same day. Richard Lee-Smith was second, covering the five-kilometre course in 18 minutes 12, four seconds ahead of third-placed Lee Wadsworth. Steve Smith was 16th (21.43) and Victoria Ewen 57th (27.21).

Also on Saturday, Striders’ Simon Ambrosi was 26th in the Dorney Dash 10 kilometre road race, recording 38 minutes 51. Club colleague Suzy Yates was 79th overall in a personal best of 41 minutes 54. Meanwhile, the improving Amanda Barros was Striders’ first finisher in the Roundshaw Downs parkrun. She placed 26th of the 63 finishers in 26 minutes 02. Carol Hollingworth was 31st (28.20), Steve Tyler 34th (28.57), Dave Hoben 46th (31.27) and Karen Connor 47th (31.32).

Justin and Helen lead Striders to strong Sutton 10K performance

Striders of Croydon produced some good performances in the Sutton 10 kilometre road race on Sunday, which was the first event in this year’s Surrey Road League. They placed fourth in the men’s event and fifth in the women’s.

Striders’ men were led by Justin Macenhill who ran well to place eighth of the 302 finishers in 34 minutes 56. Steve Starvis was close behind in eleventh place (35.04). Lee Wadsworth was 31st (37.31) with Barry White 44th (38.34), Rob Sharpe 49th (38.51) and Damian Macenhill 50th (38.59).

Striders’ women were led by Helen Furze who ran well to finish fifth in the women’s race and 74th overall, recording 40 minutes 51. Serena Stracey was 113th (43.48) while Carmen Somerset, running her second race of the weekend, was 188th (50.57). Amanda Barros was 213th (52.20), Karen Macenhill 231st (54.08) and Karen Peake 233rd (54.21).

Richard Lee-Smith ran well to place second in the Roundshaw Downs parkrun on Saturday morning, covering the five-kilometre course in 18 minutes 35. Alan Dolton was seventh (20.55) while Suzy Yates, only six days after the London Marathon, was the first woman to finish, placing tenth overall (21.29). Meanwhile Simon Ambrosi was second in the Greenwich parkrun, recording 18 minutes 32.

Bill strides to new Marathon record at London

Bill Makuwa, from Striders of Croydon, produced an excellent run in the London Marathon on Sunday. He placed 192nd in a new Striders club record of 2 hours 40 minutes 38 seconds. This was almost 40 seconds quicker than the previous Striders record, set by Australian Scott Antony in 2007.

Striders’ next man home was Matt Chapman who ran an evenly-paced race to finish in 3 hours 20 minutes 48. Paul Eisenhut made an encouraging debut, recording 3 hours 24 minutes 01, with veteran Ian Campbell close behind in 3 hours 24 minutes 20. They were just in front of Striders’ first woman, Suzy Yates, who had a very good run to set a new personal best of 3 hours 24 minutes 34, lifting her to eighth place in Striders’ all-time women’s rankings.

Striders’ other finishers were: Paul Stanford 3.36.24; Richard Edwards 3.49.28; Alice Ewen 3.51.41; Peter Shew 3.59.17; Hannah Musk 4.05.56; Tammy Anderson 4.08.24; Sean Gallagher 4.17.51; Lucinda Pollington 4.22.57; Belinda Carroll 4.25.59; Jo Penny 4.29.02; Lisa Jackson 4.38.17; Amy Cutts 4.45.33; Samantha Purser 4.50.23; Tom Stevens 4.53.24; Paul Lawrence 4.58.14; David Gunaratnam 5.00.12; Bob Ewen 5.02.04; Amir Ghomshei 5.36.57.

Striders had the first two finishers in the Roundshaw Downs parkrun on Saturday. Justin Macenhill gained a clear win in 18 minutes 14, with Barry White second in 20 minutes 12. The organisers had to alter the course at short notice because of circus vehicles parked on the Downs, so the race was slightly longer than the usual five kilometres.

Striders’ other finishers were: 7 Alan Dolton 22.15; 30 Carmen Somerset 25.48; 32 Karen Macenhill 25.52; 33 Chris Smith 25.52; 34 Andy Elliott 26.05; 42 Karen Peake 27.28; 44 Michael George 27.33; 69 Karen Connor 33.03.

Meanwhile Simon Ambrosi was second in the Bromley parkrun in 18 minutes 44.

Lesley smashes Striders Vets record at Brighton marathon

Striders of Croydon had twelve finishers in the inaugural Brighton Marathon on Sunday. Their best performance came from Justin Macenhill who had an excellent run to place 14th out of more than 7000 finishers. His time of 2 hours 47 minutes 47 seconds was only just over a minute outside his personal best. Club colleague Ian Yates also ran well to place 369th in 3 hours 25 minutes 53, while Mark Bayliss ran 3 hours 37 minutes 55. Striders’ first woman home was Lesley Bourke who had an excellent run to set a new club over-50 women’s record of 3 hours 50 minutes 55. Striders’ other finishers were: Tina Macenhill 3.56.19; Jonathan Lloyd 3.56.22; Linda Daniel 4.16.33; Simon Rawlinson 4.17.08; Paula Irving 4.23.18; Stephen Harrison 4.25.23; Anita Asghar 5.03.52; Lisa Jackson 5.09.42.

Striders had two of the first three finishers in the Selsdon Half-Marathon on Saturday. Simon Ambrosi placed second in 1 hour 29 while club secretary Chris Morton was third in 1 hour 35.

Striders’ first man home at the Roundshaw Downs parkrun on Saturday was Nigel Davidson who placed ninth, covering the five-kilometre course in 20 minutes 17. Alan Dolton was 13th (21.53), Karen Macenhill 37th (25.55) and Amanda Barros 41st (26.25). Meanwhile Rob Sharpe was tenth in the Banstead Woods parkrun in 18 minutes 46.

Helen and Steve race to personal bests at Maidenhead 10 miler

Steve Starvis, from Striders of Croydon, produced an excellent run in the Maidenhead 10-mile road race last weekend. He placed 30th of 1055 finishers, recording a time of 56 minutes 55 seconds which lifted him to ninth place in the club’s all-time rankings. Club colleague Justin Macenhill placed 44th in 58 minutes 17, while Striders’ women were led by Helen Furze who ran very well to place 16th in the women’s race. Her time of 66 minutes 49 lifted her to third place in the club’s all-time women’s rankings and was a club over-40 record. Club colleague Karen Macenhill ran 94 minutes 14 while Karen Peake ran 95 minutes 15.

Striders had 13 finishers in the Paddock Wood Half-Marathon on Sunday. They were led by Richard Lee-Smith who ran very well to place 52nd in a personal best 81 minutes 33 seconds. Club colleague Lee Wadsworth also ran well to place 57th in 82 minutes 14. Ben Fancourt was 100th (86.09) and club secretary Chris Morton was 150th (88.46). Striders’ women were led by Josephine Thompson who placed 537th overall in 1 hour 40 minutes 46. Kate Custis ran 1.41.48, Yasmin Anderson 1.50.22 and Hannah Musk 1.55.40.

Striders had the first two finishers at the Roundshaw Downs parkrun on Saturday morning. Matt Morgan was first home, covering the five-kilometre course in 17 minutes 03, sixteen seconds ahead of club colleague Justin Macenhill. Steve Massey was 13th (20.32) with Nigel Davidson 14th (20.43) and Nick Eaves 16th (20.58). For the second successive week Striders’ Suzy Yates was the first woman to finish, placing 18th overall in 21 minutes 27.

Meanwhile Simon Ambrosi won the Greenwich parkrun in 19 minutes 32 and Rob Sharpe placed eighth in the Banstead parkrun in 19 minutes 08.

Steve races to his just rewards at Eastleigh

Matt Morgan, from Striders of Croydon, produced an excellent run to win the Roundshaw Downs parkrun on Saturday, covering the muddy five-kilometre course in 17 minutes 15 seconds. Striders had five of the first 13 finishers. Simon Ambrosi was fifth (19.30) with club secretary Chris Morton seventh (20.19), Nick Eaves 12th (21.43) and Alan Dolton 13th (22.00).

Steve Starvis gained the reward for some hard training by running a personal best 34 minutes 15 seconds in the Eastleigh 10 kilometre road race on Sunday. He placed 72nd out of 1536 finishers.

Bill storms to Striders record at Reading Half

Bill Makuwa, from Striders of Croydon, produced an excellent run in the Reading Half-Marathon on Sunday. He placed 47th in a field of more than 12000 finishers, recording 75 minutes 10 seconds. This was the fastest half-marathon by a member of Striders for more than 20 years, and lifted him to second place in the club’s all-time rankings. Club colleague Mark Bayliss ran 95 minutes 04.

Striders had several competitors in the Fleet Half-Marathon on the same day. They were led by Justin Macenhill who placed 35th in 79 minutes 6 seconds. Club colleague John Foster was 79th in 82 minutes 40, while Steve Massey ran 88 minutes 53 and Ian Yates ran 90 minutes 21. Ian’s wife Suzy Yates ran a personal best 93 minutes 11, lifting her to sixth place in Striders’ all-time women’s rankings.

Striders’ first man home at the Roundshaw Downs parkrun on Saturday morning was Nigel Davidson who placed tenth, covering the five-kilometre course in 21 minutes 29. Andy Elliott was 35th (26.30) and Kevin Burnett 55th (32.35). In the Bromley parkrun on the same day Bob Ewen placed 20th (21.56) with Steve Smith 29th (24.03).

Striders claim second place in Box Hill relay

Striders of Croydon produced an excellent team performance to take second place at the East Surrey League’s annual road relay at Box Hill on Saturday. Barry White gave them a solid start on the first leg, and good runs by Lee Flanagan and veteran John Foster took Striders into second place by the end of leg three. Team captain Matt Morgan ran the final leg and comfortably held onto second place. This was Striders’ best placing in this event since they won it in 2005.

Striders’ talented distance runner Bill Makuwa made a successful return to racing after a long absence through injury when he placed seventh in the Silverstone Half Marathon on Sunday. Bill’s time of 77 minutes 13 seconds placed him equal ninth in the club’s all-time rankings. His club colleague John Foster had an excellent run to win the over-50 category in the Sri Chinmoy 10-mile road race at Battersea Park. He finished 19th overall of the 147 finishers, recording 63 minutes 52 seconds. Simon Ambrosi finished one place behind in 64 minutes 20, while David Denton was 92nd in 83 minutes 53. In the Wimbledon 10 kilometre road race, Tyler O’Callaghan placed sixth in 36 minutes 16.

Striders had eight competitors at the Roundshaw Downs parkrun on Saturday morning. Their first man home was Simon Ambrosi who placed third, covering the five-kilometre course in 19 minutes 22. Alan Dolton was tenth and placed first in the over-50 category (21.27). Sean Gallagher was 13th (22.44) with Steve Massey 20th (24.10), Andy Elliott 28th (25.54), Samantha Purser 35th (27.57), Sue Atkinson 45th (31.01) and Kevin Burnett 52nd (33.10). Meanwhile Alice Ewen placed 19th in the Bromley parkrun, recording 21 minutes 57.

Alice flies the Striders flag in Spain

Seven members of Striders of Croydon travelled to Spain and completed the Torrevieja Half-Marathon. Their best performance came from Alice Ewen who placed sixth in the women’s race in a personal best of 1 hour 37 minutes 50, lifting her to 14th in Striders’ all-time women’s rankings. Her father Bob ran 1 hour 49 minutes 21, just one second slower than club colleague Stuart Hills. Hannah Musk ran 1.50.35 and was followed by Jo Penny (1.54.14) and Clare Godley (1.57.04). Margaret Faherty set a new club over-60 women’s record of 1 hour 59 minutes 13.

Meanwhile Striders’ Steve Massey produced a very good run to place second of 73 finishers in the Roundshaw Downs parkrun on Saturday. He covered the five-kilometre course in 20 minutes 46 seconds. Club colleague Alan Dolton was seventh overall and first in the over-50 category (21.38). Nick Eaves was close behind in ninth place (21.46) and was followed by Chris Smith (36th, 25.46); Andy Elliott (38th, 26.40); Kim Ford (47th, 28.14); Jemma Upton (51st, 28.52) and Kevin Burnett (66th, 33.27).

Steve and Matt keep the Strdiers flag flying on windy weekend

Matt Morgan, from Striders of Croydon, produced an excellent run to win the Roundshaw Downs Parkrun on Saturday morning. He covered the muddy five-kilometre course in 17 minutes 48 seconds, finishing more than a minute clear of his nearest rival. Club secretary Chris Morton also ran well to place sixth in 20 minutes 22 with Ian Yates eighth (20.37), Nigel Davidson 13th (21.34) and Alan Dolton 15th (21.43). Striders’ first woman to finish was Suzy Yates who placed 21st overall in exactly 23 minutes. Sean Gallagher was 22nd (23.02), Martin Gourlay 37th (26.20), Kim Ford 44th (27.49) and Jemma Upton 45th (28.10).

Meanwhile Striders’ Steve Starvis ran in the Hotelympia 10 kilometre road race in east London and did well to place third of the 708 finishers in 35 minutes 33 seconds.

Matt in the mud and Simon in the sleet lead Striders

Striders of Croydon faced strong opposition in the Surrey Cross-Country Championships at Lloyd Park on Saturday. They did well to have four runners in the first 40 in the senior men’s race. Their best performance came from Matt Morgan, who ran well to place 23rd, covering the muddy twelve-kilometre course in 44 minutes 33 seconds. Justin Macenhill also ran well to place 27th (45.23) while Steve Starvis was 36th (46.16) and Lee Flanagan 38th (46.30). Barry White was 75th (51.59) and Graham Williams completed the six-man team in 105th (65.57). This gave Striders seventh place in the team event.

Striders’ women were led by Alice Ewen who placed 44th, covering the eight-kilometre course in 39 minutes 46. Linda Daniel was 62nd (45.01) and Lisa Jackson 68th (59.01).

Striders had an impressive total of 35 finishers in the Brighton Half-Marathon the following day, seven of whom completed the course in under 90 minutes. They were led by Simon Ambrosi who placed 99th in 84 minutes 37. Richard Lee-Smith was 167th (86.35) and was followed by Ben Fancourt (87.24); Paul Finch (88.39); Matt Chapman (88.47); Chris Morton (89.09) and Ian Yates (89.56). Striders’ women were led by Suzy Yates who ran 1 hour 34 minutes 37. Five more of Striders’ women finished in under two hours: Josephine Thompson (1.44.34); Tammy Anderson (1.48.43); Lesley Bourke (1.50.30); Sarah Hansbury (1.54.07) and Amanda Barros (1.56.38).

Striders also had five runners in the Roundshaw Downs Park Run on Saturday morning. Alan Dolton placed fifth, covering the frozen five-kilometre course in 21 minutes 42. Nick Eaves was ninth (22.46) with Chris Smith 23rd (26.07), Martin Gourlay 24th (26.19) and Kim Ford 35th (29.43).

Matt reaches 4th place in Striders all-time rankings

Striders of Croydon produced some good performances in the annual Sidcup 10-mile road race on Sunday. They were led by Justin Macenhill who placed tenth of the 389 finishers, recording 56 minutes 47 seconds which was less than a minute outside his personal best. Tyler O’Callaghan was 13th (57.35) and Richard Lee-Smith also ran well to place 26th (59.36). This gave Striders second place in the team event. Damian Macenhill was 55th (64.02) with Alistair Price 60th (64.24), Chris Morton 61st (64.37) and Paul Finch 75th (66.23). Barry Finch was second in the over-60 category and 136th overall (72.13). Striders’ women were led by Tina Macenhill who placed 208th overall in 77 minutes 31.

Meanwhile Striders’ Matt Morgan ran in the Chessington 10K road race and set a personal best 33 minutes 16, lifting him to 4th place in the club’s all-time 10K records. At the same race Helen Furze placed second in the women’s over-35 category with a time of 41 minutes 25.

Steph, Alice and Suzy lead Striders in parkruns and relays

Striders also had several competitors in the Roundshaw Downs Park Run on Saturday morning. They were led by Nigel Davidson who placed tenth, covering the five-kilometre course in exactly 21 minutes. Suzy Yates was the second woman to finish. placing 12th overall in 21 minutes 13, just one second ahead of club colleague Simon Ambrosi. Alan Dolton was 15th (21.51) with Sean Gallagher 19th (22.47), Victoria Legge 61st (34.12) and Kevin Burnett 62nd (34.17).

Striders’ Alice Ewen was the first woman to finish in the Bromley Park Run on the same day, covering the five-kilometre course in 22 minutes 30 and placing 16th overall. Steve Smith was 13th (21.41) with Linda Daniel 29th (24.58) and Marguerite Ewen 55th (33.44).

The clash with the Sidcup and Chessington races meant that Striders fielded a below-strength team for the East Surrey Cross-Country Relays at Wimbledon Common. Their best performance came from Stephanie Upton, who produced an excellent run to cover the third leg in 12 minutes 47, which was faster than any of Striders’ men. The team’s other runners were David Batten (13.54), Tom Littlewood (14.17) and Andy Elliott (15.54). They finished 14th, dropping to tenth in the overall league table with two races left.

Helen leads Striders to cross country promotion

Striders of Croydon’s women produced an excellent team performance in their Surrey Women's League Division Two match at Wimbledon Common on Saturday. They placed second in the match and climbed to second in the final league table, making sure of promotion back to Division One for next season. Kingston won the match with 90 points, but Striders’ total of 101 saw them place one point ahead of Epsom (102), with Hercules-Wimbledon fourth (157) and Sutton Runners fifth (210).

Striders were led by Helen Furze who ran well to finish sixth, covering the muddy five-mile course in 32 minutes 35. Suzy Yates was 16th (33.30) with Faye Stammers 24th (36.06), Josephine Thompson 26th (36.27) and Alice Ewen 29th (36.39).

Striders also showed their strength in depth by having the first B team to finish. Steph Upton was 34th (37.10) with Carmen Somerset 47th (39.09), Hannah Musk 54th (39.53), Linda Daniel 68th (41.26) and Jo Penny 88th (43.21).

Sadly Striders’ men were unable to match their women’s success. Competing in their Division Two match at Richmond Park, they were without a couple of their leading runners and had to settle for third place of the nine competing clubs. Dorking won the Division Two championship with 1358 points, while Stragglers took second with 1371 and Striders slipped to third with 1392, just missing out on promotion after having led the division until the final match.

Striders were again led by the consistent Matt Morgan who ran well to finish seventh, covering the five-mile course in 28 minutes 37. Justin Macenhill was next home in 13th (29.29) while Steve Starvis continued his return from injury with 23rd (30.18). Lee Flanagan was 32nd (30.52) and Richard Lee-Smith finished strongly for 36th (31.01). Lee Wadsworth was 56th (32.07) with Barry White 63rd (32.29), Rob Sharpe 67th (32.40), John Foster 74th (32.50) and Mick Turner 76th (33.00).

Justin and Tyler power through the mud at Southern champs

Striders of Croydon faced strong opposition at the Southern Cross-Country Championships at Parliament Hill on Saturday. Their best performance came from Justin Macenhill who ran well to place 189th of the 806 finishers, covering the muddy 15-kilometre course in 61 minutes 32. Tyler O’Callaghan also ran well to make the top 200, finishing 197th in 61 minutes 53. Simon Ambrosi was 457th in 70 minutes 28, just one place and two seconds ahead of team manager Chris Morton. Ian Yates completed Striders’ contingent, placing 564th in 74 minutes 35. Ian’s wife Suzy Yates was Striders’ first woman home, placing 204th of the 357 finishers. She covered the eight kilometres in 41 minutes 07, just two places and three seconds ahead of club colleague Alice Ewen.

Meanwhile, Striders also had several competitors in the Roundshaw Downs Park Run. Their best performance came from Richard Lee-Smith who ran very well to finish second, covering the five-kilometre course in 18 minutes 32. Steve Massey also ran well to place sixth in 21 minutes 18. Striders’ other finishers were: 12 Sean Gallagher 23.11; 13 Simon Rawlinson 23.29; 28 David Denton 25.34; 31 Andy Elliott 26.44; 32 Kim Ford 26.55; 33 Martin Gourlay 27.20; 53 Kevin Burnett 33.42.

Justin and Matt battle it out at Roundshaw

Striders of Croydon produced some excellent performances at the Roundshaw Downs Park Run on Saturday. They had five of the first six finishers and ten of the first sixteen. Justin Macenhill ran well to win the race, covering the muddy five-kilometre course in 18 minutes 07 seconds. Club colleague Matt Morgan was a close second, just seven seconds behind him. Damian Macenhill, in his first appearance on this course, placed fourth in 19 minutes 58. Club secretary Chris Morton was fifth (20.30) with Paul Finch sixth (20.36), Nigel Davidson eighth (21.12) and Steve Massey twelfth (22.07). Alan Dolton placed first in the over-50 category and 14th overall (22.27). Striders also had the first two women finishers with Suzy Yates placing 15th overall in 22 minutes 28, one second ahead of club colleague Serena Stracey. Colin Cotton was first in the over-60 category and 20th overall in 23 minutes 21. Striders had seven other finishers: 25 Sean Gallagher 23.54; 31 John Gannon 24.40; 32 Simon Rawlinson 25.11; 39 Stuart Hills 26.26; 45 Jo Penny 27.39; 46 Kim Ford 27.52; 72 Kevin Burnett 33.28.

Age no barrier for fantastic Kevin of Striders

Striders of Croydon had competitors in both the Bromley Park Run and the Roundshaw Downs Park Run on Saturday morning. Their best placing came at Bromley where veteran Steve Smith placed fifth, covering the five-kilometre course in 22 minutes 29 seconds. Club colleague Linda Daniel was 13th in 25 minutes 52.

At Roundshaw, Striders were led home by Hannah Musk who placed 53rd in 26 minutes 47. Carmen Somerset was 57th (27.53) with Martin Gourlay 58th (28.09) and Jemma Upton 59th (28.17). Striders’ oldest competitor was 70-year-old Kevin Burnett who placed 90th in 36 minutes 51.

Striders defy the snow at Roundshaw

Disappointed by the late cancellation of the Surrey Cross-Country Championships, eight members of Striders of Croydon found alternative competition in the Roundshaw Downs Park Run on Saturday morning. The course had a covering of snow which slowed runners’ times, but was perfectly safe to run on. Striders’ first man home was Simon Ambrosi who finished tenth, covering the five-kilometre course in 23 minutes 36 seconds. Club colleague Nigel Davidson was eleventh (24.04) with Steve Massey twelfth (24.20). Striders’ oldest competitor, Andy Elliott, was 30th overall and first in the over-60 category, recording 29 minutes 28. Striders’ first woman home was Kim Ford who placed 37th overall in 31 minutes 26. She was followed by Jemma Upton (40th, 31.51); Samantha Purser (41st, 32.00) and Suzy Yates (47th, 34.02).

Meanwhile Alice Ewen competed in the Bromley Park Run and finished eleventh in 24 minutes 45.

Matt and Suzy start the year on a high for Striders

Matt Morgan, from Striders of Croydon, produced an excellent run to win the Roundshaw Downs Park Run on Saturday morning. He covered the five-kilometre course in 17 minutes 30 seconds, finishing well clear of his nearest rival.

Striders did well to have eight of the first 20 finishers. Barry White was seventh in 19 minutes 28, one place and one second ahead of team-mate Simon Ambrosi. Mick Turner took a break from his duties as race organiser to place 13th (20.35) with Paul Finch 14th (20.39) and Darren Piper 15th (21.27). Suzy Yates was the second woman finisher, placing 18th overall in 22 minutes 06. Alan Dolton was second in the over-50 category and 19th overall (22.10). Steve Massey was 23rd (22.40) and was followed by Nick Eaves (24th, 22.51); Simon Rawlinson (27th, 24.23); Kim Ford (41st, 27.57) and Victoria Legge (69th, 35.28).

2009 reports

Roundshaw parkrun - 26th December 2009
South of Thames senior xc - 19th December 2009
Surrey League xc - fixture 3 - men & women - 12th December 2009
Pirie 10 & Roundshaw parkrun - 5th December 2009
South of Thames 5 miler & Roundshaw parkrun - 28th November 2009
Surrey League xc - fixture 2 - men & women - 14th November 2009
Reigate Priory relays & New York Marathon - 7th & 1st November 2009
East Surrey League - fixture 1 - 31st October 2009
Abingdon Marathon & Cabbage Patch 10 - 18th October 2009
Surrey Vets Champs xc & Croydon 10K - 17th & 18th October 2009
Surrey League xc - fixture 1 - men & women - 10th October 2009
parkruns at Bromley & Roundshaw - 3rd October 2009
Switchback - 27th September 2009
Surrey Road Relays - 12th September 2009
Welwyn Garden City 10 & Roundshaw parkrun - 5th & 6th August 2009
Wimbledon 5K (Belgrave Bolt) - 9th August 2009
Rosenheim fixture 6 - 22nd July & Elmbridge 10K - 26th July 2009
Southern League Vets T&F - 13th July & Elmore 7 - 18th July 2009
Rosenheim fixture 5 - 8th July 2009
Dysart Dash 10K - 28th June 2009
Sri Chinmoy Relay - 22nd June & Rosenheim fixture 4 - 24th June & Southern League Vets T&F - 22nd June 2009
Rosenheim fixture 3 - 10th June & Southern League Vets T&F - 8th June 2009
Beckenham 10K - 6th June & British League fixture 1 - 5th June 2009
Rosenheim fixture 2 - 27th May & Dorking 10 - 31st June 2009
Surrey Vets T&F champs & Southern League Vets T&F - 23rd May 2009 & 18th May 2009
Rosenheim fixture 1 - 13th May 2009
Beckenham Road Relays - 6th May 2009
Sutton 10K - 3rd May 2009
London Marathon - 26th April 2009
Ewell Ct - 7th April & Maidenhead 10 - 10th April 2009
Paddock Wood half marathon - 5th April 2009
Bath half marathon - 15th March & Cranleigh 15 / 21 - 29th March 2009
Sri Chinmoy 10 miles - 7th March & Box Hill relays - 14th March & Hastings Half - 15th March 2009
Surrey League xc - fixture 4 - women and men - 28th February 2009
Brighton (Sussex Beacon) Half - 22nd February 2009
Sidcup 10 - 8th February 2009
East Surrey League xc relays - 31st January 2009
Southern championships xc - women and men - 24th January 2009 & here
Surrey League xc - fixture 3 - women and men - 10th January 2009 & here
Surrey County xc championships - 3rd January 20009

Nigel leads Striders in Boxing Day race

Four members of Striders of Croydon competed in the Roundshaw Downs Park Run on Boxing Day. On a course which was icy in places and very muddy in other parts, their first man home was former club chairman Nigel Davidson who placed 8th of the 55 finishers, completing the five kilometres in 21 minutes 38. Alan Dolton was second in the over-50 category and 12th overall in 22 minutes 50, while Alan Purchase was 18th overall and fifth over-50 (23.47). Striders’ oldest competitor was Andy Elliott who was second in the over-60 category and 39th overall, recording 28 minutes 31.

Matt continues good form in the snow at Wimbledon

Striders of Croydon faced strong opposition in wintry conditions at the South of the Thames Cross-Country Championships at Wimbledon Common on Saturday. Their first man home was the consistent Matt Morgan who ran well to place 25th of the 191 finishers, covering the seven and a half mile course in 44 minutes 39. Lee Wadsworth was next home in 83rd (50.37) with Mick Turner 106th (52.29), Taylor Huggins 109th (52.57), Chris Morton 110th (53.01) and John Kirby 124th (54.38). This gave Striders eleventh place of the 14 competing teams.

Helen and Matt keep Striders promotion push on track

Striders of Croydon maintained their promotion challenge with an excellent team performance in Division Two of the Surrey Cross-Country Leagues on Saturday.

Striders’ men were competing on their home course at Lloyd Park. In a competitive match they finished a close third, just four points behind second-placed Dorking. In the overall Division Two table Striders still have a clear lead with a total of 955 points. Dorking are second with 1034 and Stragglers are third with 1161.

Striders’ first man home on Saturday was the consistent Matt Morgan who ran well to place sixth of the 139 finishers, covering the muddy five-mile course in 31 minutes 01. Lee Flanagan also ran well to place 14th (31.57) while Tyler O’Callaghan, in his first Surrey League race, showed great potential in placing 17th (32.14). Richard Lee-Smith moved through the field to place 25th (32.58), while Steve Starvis, in his first race after injury, did well to place 32nd (33.25). Mick Turner was next home in 49th (34.50) while John Foster ran strongly to place third in the over-50 category and 53rd overall (34.57). Barry White was 55th (34.59) with Chris Morton 61st (35.20) and Simon Ambrosi 62nd (35.24).

Meanwhile Striders’ women were competing in their Division Two match at Richmond Park. They finished a close fourth in the match but held onto third place in the overall Division Two table, and are now 64 points ahead of fourth-placed Kingston. Helen Furze again ran well to finish sixth of the 134 finishers, covering the five-mile course in 33 minutes 17. Suzy Yates also ran well for 19th (36.08) while Faye Stammers was 28th (37.10), Alice Ewen 34th (37.25) and Josephine Thompson 35th (37.26).

Striders showed their strength in depth by having the first B team to finish. Their runners were Yasmin Anderson (42nd, 38.23); Hannah Musk (68th, 41.37); Sarah Hansbury (74th, 42.34); Jo Penny (96th, 45.02); Kim Ford (98th, 45.41) and Victoria Legge (134th, 63.07).

Richard and Suzy battle through the mud at Pirie race

Striders of Croydon produced some good performances at the annual Pirie 10-mile cross-country race, promoted by South London Harriers last Saturday. Striders’ first man home was Richard Lee-Smith who placed 12th of the 95 finishers, covering the muddy and undulating course in 63 minutes 40 seconds. Club secretary Chris Morton also ran well for 26th, recording exactly 68 minutes. Striders’ Suzy Yates had a very good run to be the fourth woman to finish, placing 53rd overall in 76 minutes 09. Club colleague Serena Stracey, in her last race before her forthcoming wedding, was 68th (81.40) with Alice Ewen not far behind in 72nd (82.23).

In the Roundshaw Downs Park Run on the same morning, Striders were led home by Mick Turner who placed sixth of the 54 finishers in 19 minutes 19, one place and nine seconds ahead of club colleague Barry White. Alan Dolton was second in the over-50 category and 16th overall, recording 22 minutes 04.

Lee and Tyler take Striders to fifth place at Sparrows Den

Striders of Croydon produced a good team performance in the annual South of the Thames Cross-Country Association inter-club race for the Brent Shield at Sparrows Den, West Wickham, on Saturday. Their men did very well to place fifth, behind Kent AC, Epsom, Herne Hill and South London Harriers. Striders’ first man home was Lee Flanagan who placed 29th, covering the muddy five-mile course in 30 minutes 32 seconds. Tyler O’Callaghan made an impressive debut, finishing 44th in 31 minutes 39. Richard Lee-Smith was 55th (32.32), Barry White 65th (33.14), Lee Wadsworth 74th (33.58), Matt Chapman 79th (34.09), John Foster 80th (34.20), and Chris Morton 81st (34.23).

Striders’ women placed eighth in their four-to-score event . They were led by Suzy Yates who ran well to place 22nd in the women’s race in 39 minutes 12. Alice Ewen also ran well for 27th (39.48) with Lisa Jackson 56th (58.14) and Victoria Legge 58th (64.39).

Striders also had a double win on rather easier terrain at the Roundshaw Downs Park Run on Saturday. Justin Macenhill won the men’s race, covering the five-kilometre course in 18 minutes 25, while Serena Stracey was the first woman finisher, recording 22 minutes 01

Striders storm to victory at wet and windy Dorking

Striders of Croydon produced some outstanding performances at the Surrey Cross-Country League Division Two matches at Dorking on Saturday.

Striders’ men extended their lead at the top of Division Two with their second successive win, finishing 15 points ahead of second-placed Dorking. Striders did extremely well to have three of the first four finishers. Justin Macenhill produced an excellent run to take second place, covering the muddy five-mile course in 28 minutes 53. He was closely followed by Matt Morgan in third place (28.58) and Duncan Lancashire in fourth (29.01). Lee Flanagan also had his best race for the club to finish ninth (29.40). Mick Turner ran strongly for 40th (32.09), with Richard Lee-Smith not far behind in 43rd (32.22). The team was completed by Taylor Huggins (54th, 32.42); Barry White (55th, 32.42); Matthew Chapman (63rd, 33.02) and Paul Stanford (64th, 33.03).

Striders’ women also did very well to place third in their match and give themselves a good chance of promotion back to Division One. They were again led by Helen Furze who ran very well to finish fourth, covering the muddy four-mile course in 25 minutes 55. Alice Ewen continued her improvement to place 16th (27.16) while Karen Knight was 30th (28.36), Faye Stammers 32nd (28.43) and Suzy Yates 38th (29.25).

Striders’ B team finished eleventh, ahead of several clubs’ A teams. This team comprised Hannah Musk (44th, 29.42); Carmen Somerset

Justin and Josephine lead Striders' relay teams at Reigate

Striders of Croydon faced strong opposition in the annual Reigate Priory Relay on Saturday. Their men finished 12th, while their women were 14th.

Mick Turner ran the first leg for Striders’ men, covering the undulating two and a half mile course in 16 minutes 12 seconds and finishing 16th of the 31 starters. Taylor Huggins held this position on the second leg (16.19) while on the third leg Justin Macenhill gained three places with 14 minutes 48 which was Striders’ fastest time of the day. Lee Flanagan (15.06) and Bob Ewen (16.36) held 13th place before Barry White gained a place on the final leg (16.31). Striders also fielded a B team, which finished 25th. The team comprised Chris Morton (16.56), Ryan Phillips (17.47), John Gannon (21.22), Steve Smith (19.16), Darren Piper (18.32) and John Foster (17.54).

For Striders’ women, Carmen Somerset ran the first leg in 20 minutes 05, finishing 18th of the 26 starters. Alice Ewen gained three places on the second leg, running 19 minutes 07, and Josephine Thompson gained another place on the final leg, running 18 minutes 21.

Striders’ Iain Harrison ran a personal best of 2 hours 59 minutes 12 seconds in the recent New York Marathon, making him the 18th member of Striders to run the distance in under three hours.

Matt leads Striders to fourth place at Lloyd Park

Striders of Croydon produced some good performances in the East Surrey League’s annual cross-country race at Lloyd Park on Saturday. They were led by Matt Morgan who ran well to place tenth of the 118 finishers, covering the undulating 5.3 mile course in 31 minutes 09 seconds. Justin Macenhill was not far behind in 13th (31.30) with Abdul Rashid Abdi 16th (31.52) and Richard Lee-Smith completing the scoring team in 24th (33.11). This gave Striders fourth place out of 25 teams in the team event. Striders’ B team also did well to place eighth, beating several clubs’ A teams. The team comprised Mick Turner (33rd, 34.32); Ben Fancourt (38th, 35.21); Matthew Chapman (39th, 35.35) and Paul Stanford (44th, 35.33).

Striders had a total of 22 competitors, eight of them over the age of 50. Their fastest over-50 was Bob Ewen, who placed 55th overall in 36 minutes 31. Bob’s daughters also ran well: Alice was Striders’ first woman home, finishing 91st in 41 minutes 02, while her younger sister Victoria placed 24th in the under-17 race.

Justin and Suzy improve Striders' club records

Justin Macenhill, from Striders of Croydon, produced an excellent run in last week’s Abingdon Marathon. His time of 2 hours 46 minutes 39 lifted him to fifth place in the club's all time marathon rankings.

In the Cabbage Patch ten-mile race at Twickenham, Striders’ Damian Macenhill placed 144th in 64 minutes 07. Club colleague Ian Yates ran 69 minutes 35, while his wife Suzy ran a personal best 71 minutes 07, lifting her to ninth place in the club’s all-time rankings.

In Saturday’s Roundshaw Downs Park Run, Striders’ Tony Sheppard ran well to place second, covering the 5000m course in 18 minutes 50. Club colleague John Kirby was tenth (21.13) while Striders’ first woman home was young Jemma Upton who placed 42nd overall (29.25).

Richard leads Striders' teams to success at Croydon 10K

Two members of Striders of Croydon competed in the Surrey Veterans Cross-Country Championships at Richmond Park on Saturday. Bob Ewen ran well to place sixth in the over-50 race, covering the ten-kilometre course in 39 minutes 48 seconds. Club colleague Dave Batten was seventh in the over-55 race, recording 42 minutes 43.

Striders had a large turnout of club members in the annual Croydon 10 kilometre road race on Sunday. Their women’s team came first while their men’s team placed second, behind Belgrave, and they also won the mixed team prize. Striders were led by Richard Lee-Smith, who finished eighth in a personal best of 35 minutes 54. Iain Harrison was not far behind in tenth (36.35), while former winner Tony Sheppard was fourteenth overall (36.51) and third in the over-40 category. Mick Turner was 29th (38.51) with Chris Morton 32nd (39.08), Paul Stanford 36th (39.25) and Matthew Chapman 41st (39.50). Striders’ women were led by Karen Stretch who placed thirteenth in the women’s race in 45 minutes 28. Karen Knight was 14th (46.31), Carmen Somerset 21st (48.59) and Hannah Musk 23rd (49.15).

Duncan leads Striders to victory at Esher

Striders of Croydon produced an excellent team performance to win their Surrey Cross-Country League Division Two match at Esher on Saturday. Their total of 248 points put them well ahead of second-placed Dorking (316).

Striders were led by Duncan Lancashire who had an outstanding run to place third of the 148 finishers, covering the undulating five-mile course in 27 minutes 56. Two more Striders made the top ten with Justin Macenhill finishing sixth (28.18) and Matt Morgan eighth (28.51). Lee Flanagan, making his Surrey League debut, also ran well for 15th (29.16), two places and two seconds ahead of Abdul Rashid-Abdi. Steve Starvis was 26th (29.57) with Iain Harrison 28th (30.10) and Tony Sheppard 34th (30.49). Taylor Huggins, making his cross-country debut, was 54th (32.03) while team manager Chris Morton, who had run the Clarendon Marathon only six days earlier, completed the scoring team in 59th (32.20).

Meanwhile Striders’ women placed fifth in their Division Two match at Reigate. Helen Furze made a welcome return to Striders colours, leading the team home in fifteenth place, covering the four-mile course in 28 minutes 04. Faye Stammers also ran well for 19th (28.27) while Alice Ewen showed the results of some hard training by improving to 26th (28.23). Marathon specialist Suzy Yates was next home in 29th (29.17). There was a close battle for the last place in the scoring team with Kerry Backshell (39th, 30.19) just holding off Andrea Jeffries (40th, 30.20) and Steph Upton (41st, 30.22). Carmen Somerset was 57th (31.43) with Linda Daniel 72nd (32.57) and Hannah Musk 81st (34.06).

Striders Josephine, Alice and Matt claim first places in Park Runs

Striders of Croydon gained a double victory in the Roundshaw Downs Park Run on Saturday. Matt Morgan won the race, covering the five-kilometre course in 18 minutes 01 and finishing 17 seconds clear of his nearest rival. Club colleague Josephine Thompson, in her first appearance on the course, was the first woman to finish, recording 21 minutes 29.

Meanwhile Striders’ Alice Ewen ran in the Bromley Park Run and was also the first woman finisher, finishing eighth overall in 21 minutes 26.

Club secretary Chris Morton ran the Clarendon Marathon on Sunday, completing the tough course in 3 hours 22 minutes.

Bill of Striders pips Mike of Herne Hill in exciting Switchback

Bill Makuwa, from Striders of Croydon, made an excellent return from injury to gain his second successive win in the club’s annual Switchback five-mile cross-country race on Sunday. He broke away from the field along with local rival Mike Cummings of Herne Hill Harriers. In a close finish Bill held on to win in exactly 29 minutes, just one second ahead of Mike. These two were more than two minutes clear of the third finisher, Ron Taylor of Kingston, who finished in 31 minutes 02, just one second ahead of Striders’ Iain Harrison. Striders’ Tony Sheppard also ran well to place fifth in 31 minutes 17, winning the over-40 category and ensuring that Striders won the team prize. Two more Striders made the top ten, with Ben Fancourt placing eighth in 32 minutes 40 and Bob Ewen tenth in 33 minutes 09. Bob was second in the over-50 category, which was won by Colin Oxlade of Croydon Harriers, who placed seventh overall in 32 minutes 34.

The women’s race was won by Catherine Higgs of Serpentine, who placed 29th overall in 35 minutes 40. Debbie Jackson of Herne Hill finished strongly to place second in 36 minutes 41, leading her club to the women’s team prize. Striders’ Alice Ewen ran very well to place third in 36 minutes 46 with club colleague Steph Upton fourth (37.33). Carmen Somerset placed tenth (42.47) with Hannah Musk 13th (44.04) and Jo Penny 14th (44.43). There were a total of 103 finishers.

Striders team up for relays at Wimbledon

Striders of Croydon faced strong opposition in the annual Surrey Road Relays, held at Wimbledon on Saturday.

Without some of their leading runners, Striders’ women did well to place tenth out of seventeen teams. Karen Knight gave them a solid start on the first leg, covering the undulating 2.9 mile course in 20 minutes 23 seconds, and handing over in 15th place. Natalie Osher gained two places on the second leg (22.23) and Alice Ewen gained a further place on the third leg (20.23). The team’s best performance came on the final leg where Josephine Thompson gained a further two places, running 19 minutes 48.

Striders’ over-50 men also did well to place fifth out of thirteen teams. The team comprised Alan Purchase (19.40), Bob Ewen (18.25), Dave Batten (18.15) and Alan Dolton (18.46).

Striders’ senior men finished 15th out of 21 teams. Steve Starvis ran the first leg in 16 minutes 02. Track specialist Eliot Osher ran 18.27 on the second leg, handing over to Justin Macenhill who ran the third leg in an excellent 15 minutes 49 which was Striders’ fastest time of the day. Mick Turner (17.56), Darren Piper (20.07) and Chris Morton (18.14) completed the team.

Striders’ over-40s were not at full strength and finished eighth in their category. The team comprised Chris Morton (18.20), Dave Denton (22.30), Andy Elliott (22.40) and Steve Smith (20.00).

Karen wins at Roundshaw while Steve flies at Welwyn Garden City

Steve Starvis, from Striders of Croydon, produced an excellent run in the annual Welwyn Garden City 10-mile road race on Sunday. He finished tenth of the 415 finishers in a personal best of 58 minutes 32 seconds, lifting him to eleventh place in Striders’ all-time rankings.

Striders also had some good performances at the Roundshaw Downs Park Run on Saturday. Karen Knight ran well to win the women’s race, covering the five-kilometre course in 22 minutes 37 seconds. Club colleague Carmen Somerset was third (24.57), while Mick Turner placed second in the men’s race in 19 minutes 10, only three seconds behind the winner, Barry Attwell of South London Harriers.

Duncan mixes it with the best at Surrey Champs

Duncan Lancashire, from Striders of Croydon, ran well to place 16th of the 193 finishers in last week’s Belgrave Harriers 5 kilometre road race, which incorporated the Surrey Championships and was the final event in this year’s Surrey Road League. Duncan covered the undulating course in 16 minutes 49 seconds, less than a minute behind the winner. Club colleague Dave Batten also ran well to place 81st overall, and seventh in the over-50 category, recording 19 minutes 43. Steve Massey completed the scoring team, placing 91st in 20 minutes 01. This gave Striders 14th place in the team event. Striders’ women were led by Kim Ford who placed 46th in the women’s race, in 26 minutes 14 seconds. In the final Surrey Road League table Striders’ women finished tenth, while their men were fourteenth of the 27 competing clubs.

Richard achieves speedy personal best for Striders at Elmbridge

Striders of Croydon produced some good performances in their final Rosenheim League match of the season, at Battersea Park on Wednesday. Eliot Osher ran well to take second place in the 400 metres (55.35) while Steve Starvis was second in the 1500 metres (4.44.07) and Matt Morgan was second in the 2000 metre steeplechase (6.38.33). Kevin Burnett set a club over-70 record of 15 metres 13 in the discus. Striders finished the evening with third place in the 4 x 200 metre relay. Striders’ women were led by Victoria Legge who competed in four events, placing fourth in both the long jump and the discus.

Both Striders’ men and women finished fifth in the match. In the final league table Striders’ women did well to finish fourth, just one point ahead of Herne Hill, while their men finished sixth of the seven competing clubs.

Striders also had several competitors in the Elmbridge 10 kilometre road race on Sunday. They were again led by Justin Macenhill, who ran well to finish sixteenth of the 646 finishers in 34 minutes 46 seconds. Richard Lee-Smith also ran well for 41st in a personal best 36 minutes 38, while Steve Massey placed 125th in 40 minutes 48.

Striders’ women were led by Suzy Yates who placed 174th overall in 43 minutes 03, one place ahead of her husband Ian. Kim Ford was Striders’ second woman home in 464th (54.50), with Karen Macenhill 491st (55.53) and Karen Peake (492nd, 55.55).

Bob leads the Striders over-50s at Croydon Arena

Striders of Croydon produced some good performances in their final Southern Veterans League match of the season, at Croydon Arena last Monday. Both their men and women finished fourth of the six competing clubs in the match and in the final league table. Bob Ewen placed second in the 2000 metre walk (12.07.9), while Dave Hoben was fourth (13.06.1), gaining maximum points in the over-50 category. An hour later Bob placed second in the over-50 5000 metres (19.36.1), with Richard Lee-Smith third in the over-35 race (17.37.5).

Taylor Huggins made a successful debut, placing second in the high jump with a club over-35 record of 1.40 metres, and third in the 800 metres (2.28.7). Chris Morton placed second in the B race (2.44.6), with Dave Batten third in the over-50 race (2.38.7) and Andy Elliott third in the over-60 race (3.08.6). Kevin Bannister set a club over-55 record of 8.36 metres for the triple jump, placing third.

Kim Ford set a club women’s record of 14 minutes 27.6 for the 2000 metre walk, placing third in the over-35 A race. Club colleague Victoria Legge was second in the B race (17.27.2). Kim competed in four other events during the evening, while Linda Daniel and Louise Gough also gained valuable points for the club, competing in four events each.

Striders had several runners in the annual Elmore seven-mile road race on Saturday. Justin Macenhill led them home, placing third in 40 minutes 11. Richard Lee-Smith also ran well to finish thirteenth (42.23) while veteran Bob Ewen was 37th (46.54), Paul Stanford 41st (47.41) and Alan Dolton 63rd (49.54). Striders’ women were led by Suzy Yates who finished 75th overall in 50 minutes 54. Steph Upton also ran well for 88th (51.33) with Alice Ewen 98th (52.43) and Kerry Backshell 99th (52.44).

Kevin is still throwing long for Striders at 70

Striders of Croydon faced strong opposition in the fifth Rosenheim League match of the season, at Tooting on Wednesday. Their leading scorer was again team captain Matt Morgan, who placed third in the 1500 metres (4.23.5) and fourth in the 3000 metres (9.19.6). Eliot Osher was fourth in both the 100 metres (12.7) and 200 metres (25.3). The oldest member of the team, Kevin Burnett, placed fifth in the shot putt (5.27) and sixth in the javelin (15.46). Both these performances were club over-70 records.

Belgrave won the match with 72 points, ahead of Herne Hill (66), Hercules-Wimbledon (48), Serpentine (41), Croydon Harriers (40), Striders (27) and South London Harriers (22). Striders are also sixth in the overall league table with one match remaining

Matt leaders Striders in the heat at Dysart

Striders of Croydon’s track captain Matt Morgan produced another good run in the annual Dysart 10 kilometre road race, which incorporated the Surrey Championships. He placed fifteenth of the 427 finishers, recording 35 minutes 15 seconds.

Striders’ next man home was Richard Lee-Smith who placed 73rd in 39 minutes 16. Veteran Bob Ewen ran well to place 84th overall and tenth in the over-50 category in 39 minutes 57. Steve Massey placed 98th (40.47), one place and three seconds ahead of club colleague Paul Stanford. Striders’ men placed fourteenth in the team event.

Striders’ women fared slightly better, placing eleventh. They were led by Steph Upton who placed 204th overall in 45 minutes 58. Alice Ewen finished close behind her in 210th (46.09), while Kim Ford completed the scoring trio in 353rd (55.30).

Another of Striders’ veterans, Barry Finch, ran well to place 214th overall and fifth in the over-60 category, recording 46 minutes 20.

Striders men claim second place in relay

Striders of Croydon did well to take second place out of 41 teams in the Sri Chinmoy 3 x 1 mile relay at Battersea Park on Monday. Matt Morgan ran the first leg and took second place in 4 minutes 56, just one second clear of his nearest rival. Alex Aronberg held second place in 5 minutes 09, moving to within two seconds of the leaders. The third leg saw the two fastest times of the day, with Duncan Lancashire maintaining Striders’ second place with 4 minutes 46.

Morgan and Lancashire were back in action two days later in the Rosenheim League match at Tooting. With a small team, Striders did well to place fifth of the seven competing clubs. Team captain Matt Morgan led by example, competing in five events and gaining 20 points, which exceeded the combined total gained by the rest of the team. He ran well to win the 1500 metres (4.27.0), and also placed third in the 400 metre hurdles (73.4) and fourth in the triple jump (8.70).

Meanwhile, Striders’ over-35s competed in the Southern Veterans League at Kingsmeadow Stadium, Norbiton. Their men finished fourth, while their women were fifth of the six clubs in the match. Striders’ best performance came from Steve Starvis who ran well to win the over-35 1500 metres in 4 minutes 37.5. Club colleague Paul Stanford won the B race in 5 minutes 00.1. Colin Cotton also ran well to set a club over-60 400 metre record of 72.7, placing third in his race. For Striders’ women, Andrea Jeffries competed in four events, gaining 19 points and setting new club over-45 records in the 100 metres (15.9), 400 metres (77.3) and long jump (2.29)

Karen and Eliot sprint to Striders club records

Striders of Croydon faced strong opposition in their third Rosenheim League match of the season, at Wimbledon Park on Wednesday. Their women did well to place third, while their men were sixth of the seven competing clubs.

Natalie Osher made a welcome return to Striders’ team after illness, and showed her versatility by placing third in the 1500 metres (5.59.6) and fourth in the discus (10.97). Club colleague Karen Knight ran well to place third in the 400 metres in a new club women’s record of 66.8 seconds.

For Striders’ men, Eliot Osher placed fourth in the 100 metres in a club record of 12.1 seconds, and also placed fifth in the 200 metres in a club under-20 record of 25.0. Stephen Harrison was fourth in the 400 metres (61.0) while Matt Morgan was fourth in the 1500 metres (4.26.3) and Duncan Lancashire was fourth in the 3000 metres (9.20.6). Osher, Harrison, Morgan and Lancashire finished the evening with fourth place in the 4 x 200 metres relay (1.50.4).

Two days earlier, Striders’ over-35s were in action in their second Southern Veterans League match of the season, at Ewell. With a depleted team, Striders’ men placed fourth, while their women were fifth of the six competing clubs.

For Striders’ women, Andrea Jeffries placed third in the 800 metres (2.55.4) and second in the B 200 metres (33.6), both these performances being new club over-45 records. Kim Ford competed in five events, placing third in the long jump and gaining a total of 22 points.

For Striders’ men, team manager Dave Batten led by example, competing in six events and gaining a total of 27 points. He placed third in the over-50 200 metres (31.4). For the over-35s, Striders’ best event was the 800 metres where Steve Massey was second in the B race (2.28.6) with Paul Stanford third in the A race (2.30.4). Striders’ 4 x 400 metre relay team of Dave Batten, Steve Massey, Paul Stanford and Alan Dolton finished the evening with third place in their event (4.38.8).

Striders to the fore as Duncan wins Beckenham 10K

Duncan Lancashire, of Striders of Croydon, produced an excellent performance to win the annual Beckenham 10 kilometre road race on Sunday. He covered the undulating course in 33 minutes 59 seconds, finishing 22 seconds ahead of his nearest rival. Club colleague Justin Macenhill was third in 34 minutes 33, while Steve Starvis placed fifth in a personal best 34 minutes 58. This ensured that Striders won the team prize. Richard Lee-Smith was 20th (37.23) and Ben Fancourt 21st (37.45).

Meanwhile Striders’ track captain Matt Morgan made his first appearance in the British Athletics League, in the Division One match at Abingdon. Competing for his second-claim club Belgrave Harriers, Matt placed sixth in the 3000 metre steeplechase in 10 minutes 16.15 seconds. Matt became the first member of Striders to compete in the British League for seventeen years, since former club chairman Nigel Davidson competed as a second-claim member for Croydon Harriers in their final spell in the British League, in 1992.

Alice leads all the way for convincing 3000m win

Striders of Croydon produced some good performances in their second Rosenheim League match of the season, at Croydon Arena on Wednesday. Their women did very well to finish third, while their men were fifth of the seven competing clubs.

For Striders’ women, Alice Ewen produced an excellent run to win the 3000 metres in a personal best 12 minutes 29.6 seconds, leading all the way to finish fourteen seconds clear of her nearest rival. Karen Knight made an impressive debut to place second in the 100 metres in a club women’s record of 15.1 seconds.

For Striders’ men, team captain Matt Morgan led by example, placing second in the 1500 metres (4.33.3) and fourth in both the long jump (4.64) and the 400 metre hurdles (78.1). Steve Starvis ran well for third in the 3000 metres (10.03.1). Eliot Osher set a club record of 12.4 seconds in the 100 metres, placing fifth in a good-quality race. He also placed fifth in the 200 metres in a club under-20 record of 25.3 seconds.

Striders’ road runners faced strong opposition in the Dorking 10-mile road race on Sunday, which incorporated the Surrey Championships. They were led home by Justin Macenhill who ran well to place 27th of the 670 finishers, in 61 minutes 36 seconds. Iain Harrison was 54th (65.10) with Alistair Price 81st (67.52) and Damian Macenhill completing the scoring team in 85th (68.07). Striders’ men placed eleventh in the team competition, while their women did better by placing eighth. Josephine Thompson led them home in 30th place (76.07) while Suzy Yates and Kerry Backshell finished together in 77.19, placing 37th and 38th respectively. Steph Upton completed the scoring team in 69th (82.52).

Hat-trick of golds for Alan at Surrey Vets Champs

Four members of Striders of Croydon won medals in the annual Surrey Veterans Championships, at Ewell on Saturday. Their most impressive performance came from Justin Macenhill, who ran a well-judged tactical race to win the over-35 5000 metres. Staying at the back of the leading group in the early stages, he took the lead before the bell and produced a very fast final lap to win in a new championship best performance of 16 minutes 44.3 seconds.

Club middle-distance coach Alan Dolton won a hat-trick of gold medals in the over-50 400 metres, 800 metres (2.46.7) and 1500 metres (5.35.1). Dave Hoben won gold in the over-55 3000 metre walk (20.11.7). Striders’ oldest competitor, Kevin Burnett, came away with five medals (two silver and three bronze). He took silver in the over-65 discus (20.78) and 3000 metre walk (21.24.9), and bronze in the over-65 shot (6.11), javelin (17.49) and hammer (17.58).

Striders also produced some good performances in their first Southern Veterans League match of the season, at Croydon Arena last Monday. Their men did well to place third, only 19 points behind Epsom and 27 points ahead of Kingston. With a small team, Striders’ women also did well to place fourth of the six competing clubs.

Striders’ only winner was Bob Ewen who won the over-50 2000 metre walk (12.00.1) and later placed second in the over-50 1500 metres (5.21.9). The 1500 metres was a good event for Striders with Colin Cotton placing second in the over-60 race (5.57.1), Steve Starvis second in the over-35 A race (4.44.5) and Ian Campbell second in the over-35 B race (5.19.0). Steve Massey placed second in the over-35 400 metres (67.7), while team manager Dave Batten was third in the over-50 race (68.1). Mick Turner placed second in the over-35 2000 metre walk (12.01.9) with Dave Hoben second in the B race (12.59.7). Steve Smith was third in the over-50 shot putt (6.68) and Kevin Bannister was third in the over-50 long jump (3.79). Andy Elliott became Striders’ first over-60 high jumper, placing fourth in his event.

Jenny Hemmings made an impressive debut for Striders’ women, setting new club over-45 records in both the 100 metres (16.7) and 400 metres (83.0). Linda Daniel set a club over-45 discus record of 11.95 metres, placing fourth. Andrea Jeffries was fourth in the 1500 metres (5.56.3) and Louise Gough was fourth in the 2000 metre walk (15.32.9). Linda, Jenny, Andrea and Louise finished the evening by taking third place in the 4 x 100 metre relay.

Natalie leads Striders women to 2nd place at Battersea Park

Striders of Croydon produced some good performances in their first Rosenheim League match of the season, at Battersea Park on Wednesday. Their women did very well to finish second in the match, while their men were equal fifth of the seven competing clubs, level on points with local rivals Croydon Harriers.

Striders’ team captain Matt Morgan led by example, gaining a comfortable win in the opening event, the 2000 metre steeplechase, in 7 minutes 07.4. He also placed third in both the 1500 metres (4.39.7) and long jump (4.29)

Natalie Osher led the way for Striders’ women, doing well to take second place in both the women’s 200 metres (32.5) and long jump (3.40). Alice Ewen was fourth in the women’s 800 metres in a personal best 2 minutes 57.4.

Stephen Harrison had a busy evening, placing fourth in the 200 metres (27.7) and sixth in both the 100 metres (13.5) and 200 metres (2.20.2). Eliot Osher was fifth in the 400 metres (56.6) and Steve Starvis was fifth in the 3000 metres (9.56.4). Striders’ 4 x 200 metre relay team of Morgan, Osher, Starvis and Harrison ran well to finish the evening with third place in their event (1.52.6).

Striders win Beckenham Road Relays

Striders of Croydon produced an excellent team performance to finish first out of 40 teams in the Beckenham Road Relays last Wednesday. On the first leg Matt Morgan, not at full fitness after a holiday in South America, covered the 2.6 mile course in 14 minutes 29 seconds to bring Striders into fifth place. Duncan Lancashire ran an excellent second leg with 13 minutes 43, overtaking all four runners ahead of him to bring Striders into the lead. Justin Macenhill ran 13 minutes 49 on the third leg, ensuring that Striders finished 30 seconds ahead of second-placed Beckenham and more than a minute ahead of third-placed South London Harriers.

Striders’ B team placed seventh overall and second in the mixed-sex category. This team comprised Steve Starvis (14.25), Josephine Thompson (17.33), and Richard Lee-Smith (14.46). Striders’ women's team of Alice Ewen (18.08), Andrea Jeffries (18.23) and Kerry Backshell (18.02) finished second in their category. Striders showed their strength in depth with a total of seven teams including an over-60 team comprising Barry Finch (17.47), Robin Jamieson (18.13) and Colin Cotton (17.33). They did well to finish 30th of the 40 teams.

Richard claims Personal Best to lead Striders at Sutton

Striders of Croydon produced some good performances in Sunday’s Sutton 10 kilometre road race, which was the first event in this season’s Surrey Road League. Striders’ men did very well to finish fifth, while their women were eleventh. Striders showed their strength in depth by providing 27 of the 387 finishers.

Striders were led by Richard Lee-Smith who ran well to place 25th in 37 minutes 07 seconds. Veteran John Foster had an excellent run to place 37th overall and second in the over-50 category, recording 38 minutes 21. Mick Turner completed the scoring team in 44th (38.50).

Striders’ B team did well to place 12th. Alistair Price led them home in 53rd (39.34) and was followed by Paul Finch (59th, 40.18) and Paul Stanford (79th, 41.32).

Striders’ women were led by Yasmin Anderson, who placed 56th in the women’s race, recording 51 minutes 53. Kim Ford was 74th (54.57) with Pat Edwards 80th (56.24) and Anna Hills 86th (58.09).

Lee is first Strider home in hot London Marathon

Striders of Croydon had 20 finishers in Sunday’s London Marathon. Their first runner home was Lee Wadsworth who ran 3 hours 5 minutes and 45 seconds. He was followed by Damian Macenhill in 3 hours 10 minutes 31 seconds. Long-distance specialist Dave Shaw was next home in 3 hours 23 minutes 49, and Steve Massey also ran well to record 3 hours 25 minutes 21. Striders’ first woman was home was Kerry Backshell who ran 3 hours 27 minutes 25, very close to her personal best. She was followed by her training-partner Suzy Yates, who ran 3 hours 30 minutes 58.

Striders’ other finishers were: Ian Yates 3.34.30; Simon Ambrosi 3.43.06; Stephanie Noyce 3.44.29; Cara Kayum 3.53.43; Tina Macenhill 4.03.44; Stuart Hills 4.05.22; Stephen Harrison 4.27.03; Susannah Oliver 4.30.04; Andy Elliott 4.36.22; Kim Ford 4.42.30; Tom Stevens 4.44.04; Karen Connor 5.26.50; Andy Thatcher 5.42.28; Victoria Legge 6.04.08.

Justin and Steve lead Striders at Maidenhead and Ewell

Striders of Croydon had several runners in the annual Maidenhead 10-mile road race last week. They were led by Justin Macenhill who finished 31st in a field of over 1100 runners, recording a very creditable 58 minutes 34 seconds. Mick Turner ran a personal best 64 minutes 26, and was followed by Chris Morton (66.05) and Darren Piper (71.37). Striders’ women were led by the fast-improving Cara Kayum who ran a personal best 75 minutes 31. She was followed by Yasmin Anderson (76.52), Karen Macenhill (87.52) and Karen Peake (90.55).

Striders also produced a good team performance to finish fifth out of the twelve competing clubs in the East Surrey League’s annual road race at Ewell. This lifted them to fourth place in the final league table. Striders’ team at Ewell was led by Steve Starvis who did well to place 13th of the 92 finishers, covering the 4.2 mile course in 24 minutes 40 seconds. Club colleague Richard Lee-Smith was not far behind in 16th place (24.48), while Mick Turner was 33rd (26.22) and Paul Finch completed the scoring team in 34th (26.43). Striders’ leading woman was Josephine Thompson who placed 68th overall (30.39).

Duncan and Josephine star for Striders at Paddock Wood

Duncan Lancashire, from Striders of Croydon, produced another very good run in the annual Paddock Wood Half-Marathon on Sunday. He finished 18th in a field of almost 2000 runners, in a time of exactly 77 minutes which was less than half a minute outside his personal best. Club colleague Damian Macenhill also ran well to place 80th in 84 minutes 28 seconds. Steve Massey also made the top 200, placing 173rd in 89 minutes 17 seconds.

Striders’ women were led home by Josephine Thompson who recorded a personal best 1 hour 40 minutes 08 seconds, lifting her to 14th place in Striders’ all-time club rankings. She was closely followed by the improving Cara Kayum who did well to record 1 hour 41 minutes 32. Yasmin Anderson ran 1 hour 57 minutes 23, while Kim Ford ran 2 hours 00.29.

Duncan peaks at Bath while Justin wins at Cranleigh for Striders

Justin Macenhill, from Striders of Croydon, continued his return to form with an excellent run to win the MABAC 15-mile road race at Cranleigh on Sunday. He covered the undulating course in 1 hour 32 minutes 50, finishing just over a minute ahead of the second-placed runner, Matt Ward from Clapham Chasers (1.33.52). Striders’ club secretary Chris Morton also ran well to finish eleventh (1.46.02)

Striders also had several competitors in the 21-mile road race, held in conjunction with the 15-miler. They were led by Damian Macenhill who placed 38th in 2 hours 24 minutes 38. Ian Yates placed 129th (2.44.26), one place ahead of club colleague Paul Finch (2.44.43). Striders’ women were led by Suzy Yates who placed 134th overall (2.45.07). She was followed by Kerry Backshell (137th, 2.45.15) and Cara Kayum (183rd, 2.50.42).

Striders’ Duncan Lancashire produced an excellent race in the recent Bath Half-Marathon. He recorded a personal best of 76 minutes 33 seconds, which placed him 66th in a very high-quality field. There were more than 10,000 finishers, making this one of the largest races in the UK. Duncan’s time lifted him to eighth place in Striders’ all-time club rankings.

Steve makes impressive debut for Striders

Striders of Croydon faced strong opposition in the East Surrey League’s annual road relay at Box Hill on Saturday. Without most of their first-choice runners, they had to field a team consisting entirely of veterans, and had to settle for eleventh place. Their best performance came on the final leg from Steve Starvis, making his debut for Striders, who covered the undulating 2.1 mile course in 12 minutes 03 seconds, more than a minute faster than any of his team-mates. Earlier team manager Chris Morton had run the first leg in 13 minutes 25. He was followed by two of Striders’ over-50 runners, with Bob Ewen running 13 minutes 05 and Alan Dolton running 13 minutes 34.

On Sunday Striders had several runners in the annual Hastings Half-Marathon. They were led home by Justin Macenhill who placed 40th of the 3827 finishers in 80 minutes 03 seconds. His elder brother Damian was 65th in 83 minutes 26. Club secretary Chris Morton had his second race of the weekend, placing 176th in 89 minutes 34. Striders’ first woman to finish was Suzy Yates who ran 95 minutes 26, finishing two seconds ahead of her husband Ian. Striders’ second woman was Serena Stracey who ran 96 minutes 16. She was followed by Stephanie Noyce (1.41.47), Tina Macenhill (1.45.35) and Tara Mayhew (1.57.10).

The previous weekend Damian Macenhill had produced a very good run in the Sri Chinmoy 10-mile road race in Battersea Park. He finished sixth of the 158 finishers, in a new personal best of 60 minutes 13 seconds. Three other Striders competed. Simon Ambrosi placed 22nd in 67 minutes 44, while veteran Alan Dolton was 33rd in 70 minutes 26, and placed fourth in the over-50 category. Former Croydon Harrier Mark Bayliss made his Striders debut and finished 75th in 80 minutes 05.

Duncan and Suzy lead Striders in Lloyd Park cross country races

Striders of Croydon finished the cross-country season with a good team performance in the final Surrey League Division Two match of the season at Lloyd Park on Saturday. They finished fourth of the nine competing clubs, and also finished fourth in the final league table, which was their best placing since 2003. Duncan Lancashire led the team in ninth place, covering the five-mile course in 31 minutes 01 seconds. Justin Macenhill had his best run of the season to finish tenth (31.13), while Matt Morgan also ran well for 14th (31.33). Richard Lee-Smith was 37th (33.19) with Damian Macenhill close behind in 39th (33.27). Veteran John Foster ran well to finish 44th (33.43) and was followed by Lee Wadsworth (51st, 34.11), Mick Turner (64th, 34.57) and Tony Sheppard (67th, 35.13). Teenager Nick Batten completed the scoring team in 76th (35.40). Striders also had seven non-scorers.

Earlier in the day Striders’ women competed in their Division One match at Lloyd Park. Against strong opposition, they had to settle for 14th place of the 15 clubs in the division, and are relegated back to Division Two for next season. Striders’ women were again led by Suzy Yates who finished 45th, covering the 3.5 mile course in 25 minutes 48 seconds. Josephine Thompson also ran well for 54th (26.18) with Kerry Backshell 61st (27.03). Yasmin Anderson had her best run of the season to place 69th (27.23) and Steph Upton completed the scoring team in 88th (28.32). Striders’ B team finished tenth in their category. This team comprised Carmen Somerset (93rd, 29.05); Alice Ewen (102nd, 31.01); Linda Daniel (122nd, 31.58); Sarah Hansbury (125th, 32.31) and Pat Edwards (132nd, 33.34).

Suzy storms to 7th in all time rankings with Brighton triumph

Striders of Croydon had 28 finishers in the annual Brighton Half-Marathon on Sunday. Damian Macenhill led them home, placing 40th of the 4613 finishers in 80 minutes 46 seconds, only nine seconds outside his personal best. Ian Campbell also made the top 100 in 66th place (83.16). Steve Massey ran 86 minutes 38 and was followed by Mick Turner (87.11), Ian Yates (89.23), Chris Morton (90.22) and Matthew Chapman (90.56). Striders’ first woman to finish was Suzy Yates who ran a personal best 93 minutes 50, lifting her to seventh place in Striders’ all-time women’s rankings. Kerry Backshell was not far behind in 94 minutes 37.

John smashes Vets50 record at Sidcup

John Foster, from Striders of Croydon, produced an excellent run in the annual Sidcup 10-mile road race on Sunday. He finished 41st overall in a new club over-50 record of 61 minutes 13 seconds. This was 15 seconds faster than the previous record, set by Bob Ewen in 2006. Also at Sidcup, Striders’ Damian Macenhill placed 32nd overall in a personal best of 60 minutes 18 seconds and his sister Tina also grabbed a PB with a tiem of 74.51.

Striders keep it in the family in East Surrey relays

Striders of Croydon produced some good performances at the East Surrey League’s annual cross-country relay at Wimbledon Common on Saturday. Their A team finished fourth out of 17 teams, while their B team were ninth and their C team were sixteenth. Veteran John Foster gave Striders a good start on the first leg, covering the two-mile course in 11 minutes 13 seconds, and finishing 38 seconds ahead of his son Graham, who was running for Striders’ B team. Striders’ team manager Chris Morton ran 11.57 on the second leg, and Nick Batten, the youngest member of the team, returned to form with 11 minutes 26 on the third leg. On the final leg Surrey steeplechase champion Matt Morgan ran an excellent 10 minutes 12, more than a minute faster than any of his team-mates, to overtake host club Hercules-Wimbledon and lift Striders to fourth place. Striders’ veteran Bob Ewen continued his return from injury with an encouraging 11 minutes 51 for the B team, while his daughter Alice was Striders’ only woman competitor, running 14 minutes 17.

On Saturday (7th) Striders will be hosting the final Surrey Cross-country League races of the season, in Lloyd Park. The first race is at 12.15am. Striders’ women need a good turnout to avoid relegation from Division One. After the snow which covered Lloyd Park on Sunday night, athletes and spectators will be watching the weather forecast with interest.

Striders enjoy the mud at Hillingdon

Striders of Croydon faced strong opposition and a very muddy course in the Southern Cross-Country Championships at Hillingdon on Saturday.

Striders’ first woman home was Josephine Thompson who ran strongly to place 162nd, covering the five-mile course in 42 minutes 01. Club colleague Alice Ewen was 250th (47.28).

Striders’ first man home was Damian Macenhill who placed 295th, covering the nine-mile course in 67 minutes 45 seconds. Striders’ next three finishers had their own private battle with Simon Ambrosi 365th (70.45), Chris Morton 368th (70.50) and Mick Turner 372nd (71.01). Matt Anderson placed 580th (82.35).

In the under-20 race, Striders’ Nick Batten placed 90th, covering the five-mile course in 37 minutes 02.

Simon Ambrosi's report from Hillingdon

Truly Mudly Deeply

With the badly pitched tents (for some of the more modest clubs to change in) the people staggering all over the place and the miles of mud you would have been forgiven for thinking Glastonbury had been relocated to Uxbridge on Saturday!! But no it was just time for the South of England Cross Country Champs again!! It was difficult finding out much about the route at Hillingdon (like how far, how many laps,…) as it hasn't got the reputation of some other courses such as Parliament Hill but it's not gonna be a course easily forgotten by anyone that was there!! Now there was always going to be someone that had to test out the course before everyone else and unfortunately for him it was Nick Batten in the under 20s race, I think it must be his punishment for still having youth on his side and already making it into the scoring team in the Surrey League this season! I didn't manage to see him run or find the results for that race (sorry, will do better next time) but I know he got round and will hopefully find Lloyd Park a breeze after that!! Next up were the ladies and it was great to see Josephine charging round and obviously enjoying the cheers for her as within a second of us shouting her name she powered past a group of 6 runners on her way to the finish. Alice found it all very easy as that's the only way I can explain the huge smile on her face as she sprayed mud left, right and centre and appeared to also finish strongly.

After watching some of the earlier races and already having wet feet I wasn't looking forward to our race a great deal, especially as I still didn't know where the course went or how far it was but had entered into a pact with Chris and Mick that we would start off slowly and ease ourselves into the race. Damian disappeared into the distance as soon as the gun went off and I started to realise why the runners in the last race had looked so slow. This wasn't your very wet Parliament Hill mud or sticky shallow Lloyd Park mud but something different entirely!! The mud was just so deep and gloopy (technical term for describing mud) with a real danger of ripping your shoes off if they weren't tied on tightly enough. I lasted half a mile of Mick leading our merry little trio and decided someone had to do something if we wanted to finish before it got dark. The whole race was 4 laps of 2 and a bit miles each which started and ended in the mud but had a flat fastish bit in the middle at the top of a hill around some playing fields. Mick kept making a point of appearing on my shoulder every 5 minutes to let me know he was still there but it wasn't 'til 800m to go that Chris made his appearance, using his experience to sit back and watch the race until it was the right time to make his move. Luckily for me I was quick enough to react but poor Mick that had pretty much paced the 3 of us round just couldn't find enough. Matt put in a good performance, as ever helped round by his one woman supporters club!! Now it took a while to get to Uxbridge and getting home was no easier and due to engineering works we had to make several changes at the Three Tuns, the Dolphin and the Red Lion meaning I didn't get home 'til nearly midnight, still with a nice layer of North London mud covering my legs!! It's already getting close to the end of cross country season - just as we were starting to have fun!!

Pos RaceNo Time Firstname Lastname Club
1 4677 31:50 Katherine Sparke Woodford Green AC with Essex Ladies
162 4435 42:01 Josephine Thompson Striders of Croydon
250 4430 47:28 Alice Ewen Striders of Croydon

Out of 311 finishers

Pos RaceNo Time Firstname Lastname Club
1 5132 51:08 Phil Wicks Belgrave Harriers
295 6410 1:07:45 Damian Macenhill Striders of Croydon
365 6404 1:10:45 Simon Ambrosi Striders of Croydon
368 6412 1:10:50 Chris Morton Striders of Croydon
372 6414 1:11:01 Mick Turner Striders of Croydon
580 6405 1:22:35 Matt Anderson Striders of Croydon

Out of 672 finishers

Freezing conditions are no barrier to Duncan, Matt and Suzy

Striders of Croydon placed sixth of nine clubs in their Surrey Cross-Country League Division Two match at Lightwater on Saturday. Striders’ leading two runners, Duncan Lancashire and Matt Morgan, both ran very well and had a close private battle culminating in a sprint finish. Duncan placed sixth in 29 minutes 08, one place and one second ahead of Matt. Striders’ next man home was Justin Macenhill who placed 27th (31.18), while his brother Damian was 39th (31.55). Lee Wadsworth, making his league debut, also ran well for 54th (32.46) with team manager Chris Morton 66th (33.21). Simon Ambrosi was 72nd (33.53) and Mick Turner 74th (33.59). Veteran Bob Ewen was 81st (34.54) and Steve Massey completed the scoring team in 98th (35.45). Striders are now fifth in the Division Two table with one match remaining (at Lloyd Park on 7 February).

Meanwhile Striders’ women faced strong opposition in their third Surrey Women's Cross-Country League Division One match of the season, at Coulsdon. They were led by Suzy Yates who finished 62nd of the 169 finishers, covering the six-kilometre course in 27 minutes 58 seconds. Kerry Backshell was next home in 68th (28.14) with Faye Stammers 73rd (28.38) and Josephine Thompson 82nd (29.10). Steph Upton completed the scoring team in 108th (30.30). Striders’ B team were led by Alice Ewen who finished 113th, just one place and one second ahead of club colleague Yasmin Anderson. Katherine Selby was 135th (32.23) with Linda Daniel 138th (32.40) and Carmen Somerset completing the B team in 144th (32.59). In the team event, Striders placed 14th of the 15 clubs. Striders’ Renee Jones made her league debut in the under-13 race, placing 35th of the 38 finishers.

Simon Ambrosi's report from Lightwater

I wasn't too bothered to only be watching the Surrey Cross Country Champs last weekend as 7.5 miles sounds a long way and I would have been rubbish! It was much better to actually get a week of training done and try to make a comeback for the more important 3rd Surrey League fixture. It's amazing how you can forget about the weather outside when you're in a nice cosy car but I thought I was driving into some magical place as I entered Lightwater Country Park as instead of swimming the ducks were walking on top of the lake. As soon as I opened my car door I realised why they were on top of the lake, it was frozen!! Ok close the door quick, put on some more clothes. I eventually got out the car looking like the michelin man with my man tights (apparently that's the trendy name for them for the metrosexual about town) tracksuit bottoms over the top, various long and short sleeved t-shirts, fleecy hoody, extra thick socks, gloves and racing woolly hat - I was ready for the warm up!! After 2 miles of the long lap (backwards) at a far from pedestrian pace I felt brave enough to remove the trackie bottoms and fleece.

The race was on and we got going on the zig-zaggy course which was quite a nice surface and I was pleased I kept my warm trainers on!! There were some challenging steep uphill sections and one particularly nasty long downhill where master tactician Chris Morton took advantage of my impersonation of the lake ducks tip-toeing across the ice (yes, I know ducks don't have toes but you know what I mean) and zoomed past me making sure the gap was too big to make up on the inclines. A very enjoyable race and hopefully a good result for Striders given that we were missing some of the quality midfield runners who had done a great job in the first 2 races of the season. Special well done to our first 2 home who I hear had a bit of a sprint finish for 1st Strider home. Team positions were: Duncan (6th), Matt (7th), Justin, Damian, Lee, Chris, Me, Mick, Bob, Steve M, Dave B, Neil, Matt A, Darren, Ed. Apologies if I've got any of these wrong!!

Only 1 more to go this season and it probably won't mean a lot in terms of promotion/relegation for us but it is at that great racing venue of Lloyd Park and we'll get to cheer on the girlies too and I'm sure everyone will still want to give their all for their club (and Sandilands Cup points) and hopefully a nice end of season drink and cakes in the clubhouse afterwards - what could be nicer for a Saturday afternoon!!

Simon

Duncan and Matt battle to be top Strider at Surrey champs

Striders of Croydon faced strong opposition in the annual Surrey Cross-Country Championships, held at a frozen Lloyd Park on Saturday. Their men did well to finish eighth, while their women were eleventh.

Striders’ men were led home by Duncan Lancashire who ran very well to place 30th of the 140 finishers, covering the twelve-kilometre course in 46 minutes 51. Matt Morgan also ran well to finish close behind him in 32nd (47.12). Striders’ next man home was Richard Lee-Smith who moved through the field to place 72nd (51.42). Damian Macenhill was 77th (52.13), one place and one second ahead of new member Lee Wadsworth. Veteran John Foster completed the scoring team in 85th place (53.39), while team manager Chris Morton also made the top hundred in 91st place (53.55).

Striders’ women were led by Serena Stracey who ran well to place 38th of the 97 finishers, covering the eight-kilometre course in 38 minutes 13 seconds. Kerry Backshell also ran well for 49th (40.02), while Alice Ewen was 69th (43.11) and Yasmin Anderson completed the scoring team in 72nd (43.58). Natalie Osher was 86th (47.28) with Sarah Hansbury 88th (48.05) and Kim Ford 90th (49.42).

In the under-20 men’s race, Striders’ Eliot Osher placed 24th, covering the seven-kilometre course in 35 minutes 08 seconds.

Reports for 2008

South of Thames championship race - 20th December 2008
London xc championships - 22nd November 2008 & here
South of Thames 5 mile race & Brighton 10K - 15th & 16th November 2008
Surrey League xc - fixture 2 - women and men - 8th November 2008
East Surrey League xc & Reigate Priory relays - 25th October & 1st November 2008
Surrey Vets xc champs & Abingdon marathon - 18th & 19th October 2008
Croydon 10K & Cabbage Patch 10 - 19th October 2008
Surrey League xc - fixture 1 - women and men - 11th October 2008 & here
Switchback 5 - 28th September 2008
Beckenham Trail 10K - 21st September 2008
Surrey steeplechase championship & Surrey Road Relays - 13th September 2008
Herne Hill open & Dublin 10 miles - 23rd & 16th August 2008
Belgrave Bolt 5K - 10th August 2008
Rosenheim fixture 6 - 23rd July 2008
Elmore 7 & Elmbridge 10K - 19th & 20th July 2008
Club Handicap - 9th July 2008
Rosenheim fixture 5 & Vets T&F fixture 4 - 2nd July & 30th June 2008
Dysart Dash 29th June 2008 & here
Banstead Woods time trial & Rosenheim fixture 4 & Epsom 10K - 21st June & 18th June & 15th June 2008
Vets T&F fixture 3 & Edinburgh Marathon - 9th June & 25th May 2008
Rosenheim fixture 3 - 4th June 2008
Dorking 10 - 1st June 2008
Holland Sports T&F - 3rd May & 7th June 2008
Surrey Vets T&F champs & Rosenheim fixture 2 & Vets T&F fixture 2 - 25th, 21st & 19th May 2008
Green Belt Relay - 17th & 18th May 2008
Rosenheim fixture 1 & Beckenham Road Relay - 7th May 2008
Sutton 10K - 4th May 2008
Vets T&F fixture 1 - 28th April 2008
London Marathon - 13th April 2008
Paddock Wood half marathon - 30th March 2008
Maidenhead 10 - 21st March 2008
Box Hill relays & Hastings half - 15th & 16th March 2008
Harriers Invitational xc - 1st March 2008
Brighton Half, Hotelympia 10K and East Surrey League - fixture 2 - 17th & 2nd February 2008
Surrey League xc - fixture 4 - women & men - 9th February 2008
Southern xc championships - 26th January 2008 & here
Surrey League xc - fixture 3 - women & men - 12th January 2008 & here
Surrey xc championships - 5th January 2008 & here

Kerry leads Striders in South of Thames championship race

Striders of Croydon faced strong opposition in the South of the Thames Cross-Country Championship at Wimbledon Common on Saturday. Their best performances came from their women. Kerry Backshell did well to place 13th of the 39 finishers, covering the twelve-kilometre course in 59 minutes 56 seconds. Suzy Yates was close behind in 15th (60.22), while Alice Ewen was 27th (64.16) and Yasmin Anderson 31st (67.05).

Striders’ men were without most of their first-choice runners, and placed 15th in the team event. Their best performance came from veteran John Foster who placed 107th of the 173 finishers, recording 52 minutes 31 seconds. The other runners were: 135 Neil Furze 56.34; 146 Alan Dolton 58.47; 150 Richard Edwards 59.26; 153 Matt Anderson 60.01; 171 Dave Denton 71.47.

Matt shows his class against rest of London

Striders of Croydon faced strong opposition in the London Cross-Country Championships at Parliament Hill on Saturday. They finished 23rd of the 49 competing teams. Striders were led by Surrey steeplechase champion Matt Morgan who placed 49th of the 260 finishers, covering the 10 kilometre course in 35 minutes 33 seconds. Damian Macenhill was 109th (38.17), Iain Harrison 121st (38.51), Chris Morton 140th (40.11), Darren Piper 156th (41.00) and Simon Ambrosi 157th (41.01). Striders’ women were led by Suzy Yates, who placed 77th of the 154 finishers, covering the six kilometre course in 25 minutes 38 seconds. She was closely followed by club colleague Kerry Backshell who placed 81st (25.44).

Simon Ambrosi's report from Parliament Hill fields

The Dog, the Mickpoint and the Wardrobe!!

It was a very cold Saturday for the 2008 London Cross Country Championships!! A brave band of Striders travelled across the great width of the Thames to the place known as North London!! Excuse my French but it was b!oody freezing walking from Kentish Town tube to Parliament Hill but as I entered the park it was great to see a nice new shiny Striders flag fluttering in the wind in the distance. It really is worth doing a cross country race just to see it!! The ladies race was half an hour before the men's so when I arrived it was obvious the reason I couldn't see Suzy or Kerry was because they were doing a nice hard warm up, they're far too professional to be using the time before a big race to go shopping for xc merchandise!! Ok Darren and myself did buy a nice long sleeve t-shirt each as well which I'm sure you'll see modelled at the clubhouse very soon. As you can imagine there was a high quality field and Suzy and Kerry finished suspiciously close (were you 2 chatting all the way round?) to become the 77th and 81st best cross country runners in London!!

The men's race is a weird 4 lap set up which means every time I started to get close to Chris he had a nice downhill at the end of each lap to pull away from me again and finally with about a lap to go he got scared when he saw me next to him and scurried off into the distance. Darren ran a very sneaky race letting me set the pace for most of it before pulling level with me after I had a dog the size of a thoroughbred stallion step out in front of me!! (Just as I was about to speed up and catch the leaders!!) This meant the pace was starting to pick up in friendly competitive fashion and of course I'm sure there was nothing unsportsmanlike about being forced to the slippery, tight, no grip at all, inside of the last corner as we gave our last burst of energy for the line. I won't bother boring you with which of us finished in front, you can check out the official results which magically hasn't got Darren listed!! (thankfully) Great running from Matt, Damian, Ian H and Chris to complete the team and great thanks to the ladies, including Serena who arrived in time to see us, and Mick doing his duty as official Striders supporter.

I was still shaking from the cold even after a luke warm shower so off to the pub we went for some well deserved refreshments. It wasn't until after the pub on our walk back to the station that we decided to show what gentlemen we were and assist a couple of young ladies carry some furniture into their flat. Ok it was Serena that volunteered and then ordered the rest of us to help out although it felt like I was the only one bearing any weight while I had it rested on my shoulder and everyone else were just commenting on what a lovely flat it was!!

Ok, race over, good deed for the day done, work over until the next cross country call!!

Simon

Matt leads Striders on the grass while Duncan and Suzy peak on the road

Striders of Croydon faced strong opposition in the South of the Thames Cross-Country Association’s inter-club five-mile race at a muddy Lloyd Park on Saturday. They placed 13th of the 24 competing teams. Their first man home was Surrey steeplechase champion Matt Morgan who placed 32nd, covering the course in 32 minutes 26 seconds. Teenager Nicholas Batten had an excellent run to place 60th (34.52). Tony Sheppard was 66th (35.32) with Ian Campbell 74th (36.00) and Neil Furze 87th (37.45). Alice Ewen ran well to place 28th in the women’s race (43.36).

Striders had several runners in the Brighton 10 kilometre road race on Sunday. Their first man home was Duncan Lancashire who placed 27th in a field of more than 2000, recording 33 minutes 38 seconds. Damian Macenhill also ran well for 78th (36.44) while Richard Lee-Smith ran a personal best 37 minutes 09, placing 99th. Another personal best came from Steve Massey who ran 38 minutes 40 for 155th. Club secretary Chris Morton also made the top 200, placing 183rd in 39 minutes 20. Mick Turner ran a personal best 39 minutes 48, just ahead of club colleague Alex Aronberg who recorded the same time. Both Ian and Suzy Yates ran personal bests, with Ian recording 40 minutes 06 and Suzy leading Striders’ women home with 42 minutes 02. She was closely followed by Simon Ambrosi who ran the same time, while club colleague Stephen Harrison was just two seconds behind them. Striders’ second woman home was Serena Stracey who ran 42 minutes 25, finishing together with club colleague Matt Anderson whose time was a personal best.

Duncan and Suzy lead Striders in Surrey cross country leagues

Duncan Lancashire produced an excellent run to lead Striders of Croydon in the second Surrey Cross-Country League Division Two match of the season, at Esher on Saturday. He placed eighth of the 134 finishers, covering the muddy five-mile course in 29 minutes 37 seconds. Club colleague Matt Morgan also ran well for 15th (30.11), while Justin Macenhill continued his return from injury by placing 31st (31.12). John Foster was 46th (32.15) with team manager Chris Morton placing 56th (32.54). Tony Sheppard was 58th (33.06) with Darren Piper 60th (33.12) and Bob Ewen 71st (33.57). 17-year-old Nick Batten ran well for 76th (34.13) while Steve Massey completed the scoring team in 82nd (34.45). Striders finished sixth in a competitive match, but are currently fourth of the nine Division Two clubs. Walton lead the division with 608 points, ahead of Guildford (651), Epsom (653), Striders (980), Kingston (992), Wimbledon Windmilers (993), Woking (1071), Dulwich (1106) and Elmbridge (1136).

Striders’ women faced strong opposition in their second Surrey Women's Cross-Country League Division One match of the season, at Lightwater on Saturday. They were again led by Suzy Yates who placed 50th of the 168 finishers, covering the four-mile course in 27 minutes 36 seconds. Josephine Thompson also ran well to place 56th (28.00), while Faye Stammers was 76th (28.59) and Kerry Backshell 77th (29.06). Steph Upton completed the scoring team in 92nd place (29.48). Striders finished 13th of the 15 competing clubs.

Striders’ B team placed tenth in their category. They were led by Alice Ewen who placed 111th (30.51). The team also included Yasmin Anderson (120th, 31.26), Andrea Jeffries (128th, 31.57), Carmen Somerset (140th, 33.33) and Amalia Da Silva Lima (150th, 34.29).

In the under-13 girls’ race, Striders’ Salma Khan placed 26th, covering the two-mile course in 15 minutes 17 seconds. Her sister Maryan Khan was 37th (16.38).

Matt and Abdul lead Striders to third in East Surrey

Striders of Croydon produced a good team performance to place third out of nine clubs in the East Surrey League’s annual cross-country race in Lloyd Park last Saturday.

Striders were led by Surrey steeplechase champion Matt Morgan, who placed ninth of the 98 finishers, covering the undulating five-mile course in 31 minutes 49 seconds. He was closely followed by Abdul Abidi who made a welcome return to Striders colours and placed ninth in 31.51. Striders’ next man home was Iain Harrison who placed 16th (33.30). John Foster also ran well, showing no ill-effects from his efforts in the Abingdon Marathon only six days earlier and placing 18th (33.53), just one place and one second ahead of Richard Lee-Smith. Veteran Dave Batten placed 31st and was first in the over-55 category (35.45), while his son Nick was 37th (36.25). Steve Massey placed 39th (36.54) with Neil Furze 44th (37.39) and Richard Edwards 36th (37.48).

Striders followed this by placing a respectable 15th of 30 teams in the annual Reigate Priory Relays. Their team comprised Stephen Harrison (18.42), Grant Barnes (16.55), Chris Morton (17.18), Darren Piper (17.20), Iain Harrison (16.17) and Mick Turner (18.02).

Dave claims Vets runners-up spot at Richmond Park

Dave Batten, of Striders of Croydon, produced an excellent run to take second place in the Surrey Over-55 cross-country championships at Richmond Park last Saturday. He covered the 10 kilometre course in 40 minutes 48 seconds. Club colleague Richard Edwards was 15th in the over-40 race (44.02).

Striders also produced some good performances in the Abingdon Marathon last Sunday. They were led by John Foster, who placed 74th in 3 hours 3 minutes 37 seconds. Club secretary Chris Morton was next home in a personal best 3.10.16, while Simon Ambrosi ran a personal best 3.19.43. Alistair Price made his marathon debut with an encouraging 3.23.58. Striders’ women were led by Suzy Yates, who was the 22nd woman to finish, running a personal best 3.28.39 and lifting herself to tenth place in Striders’ all-time women’s rankings. Her husband Ian was not far behind, recording 3.29.22, while her training partner Kerry Backshell was the 26th woman to finish, recording 3 hours 31.00.

Richard and Alice lead Striders to mixed-team win at Croydon 10K

Striders of Croydon produced some good performances in Sunday’s Croydon 10 kilometre road race, organised by Croydon Harriers. Their women’s team placed first while their men’s team placed third, behind South London Harriers and Blackheath. Striders also won the mixed team prize.

Alice Ewen led Striders’ women, placing sixth in the women’s race in 46 minutes 58. She was supported by Carmen Somerset who placed 16th (50.28) and Katherine Selby who was 19th (50.48). Striders’ men were led by Richard Lee-Smith who placed 12th in a personal best 37 minutes 37. Ian Campbell was 15th (37.59) and placed second in the over-40 category. Grant Barnes completed the scoring team in 18th place (38.19).

Several of Striders’ older runners performed well. Colin Cotton was second in the over-60 category (45.04) with Robin Jamieson third (46.45). Alan Dolton was third in the over-50 category (40.32), and Pat Edwards was third in the women’s over-55 category (55.42).

Meanwhile, Striders’ Damian Macenhill ran in the Cabbage Patch 10-mile road race at Twickenham, placing 68th in 61 minutes 20 seconds. Club colleague Iain Harrison was 82nd (61.48). Striders’ first woman home was Tina Macenhill who ran 75 minutes 51 seconds.

Matt reaches another peak to lead Striders at Wimbledon

Surrey steeplechase champion Matt Morgan led Striders of Croydon in their opening Surrey League Division Two match of the season at Wimbledon on Saturday. He ran very well to place ninth of the 151 finishers, covering the undulating four and a half mile course in 25 minutes 53 seconds. The Macenhill brothers were next for Striders, with Damian placing 35th (27.32) and Justin 39th (27.51). John Foster was 43rd (28.11) with Iain Harrison 46th (28.19) and Tony Sheppard 51st (28.41). Simon Ambrosi was 62nd (29.03), just two places and two seconds ahead of veteran Bob Ewen. Team manager Chris Morton was 72nd (29.21) with Grant Barnes completing the scoring team in 79th (29.45). Walton won the match with 299 points, ahead of Guildford (310), Epsom (370), Wimbledon Windmilers (456), Striders (493), Elmbridge (495), Kingston (527), Dulwich (528) and Woking (615).

Meanwhile Striders’ women faced strong opposition on their return to Division One of the Surrey Women's League, at Banstead on Saturday. They were led by Suzy Yates who ran well to place 49th of the 177 finishers, covering the four-mile course in 28 minutes 20 seconds. Kerry Backshell was next home in 57th place (29.04) with Josephine Thompson also running well for 63rd (29.22). Faye Stammers was 69th (29.40) and Stephanie Upton completed the scoring team in 83rd (30.29).

Striders’ A team placed 14th of the 15 competing clubs in the division, while they showed their strength in depth by having the eighth B team. Their B team runners were: 113 Andrea Jeffries 32.02; 119 Alice Ewen 32.21; 147 Yasmin Anderson 34.50; 164 Samantha Purser 37.09; 166 Kim Ford 37.40. Salma Khan made her debut for Striders in the under-13 race and placed 46th.

Bill just holds off Vic to win exciting Switchback in Croydon

Striders of Croydon staged their annual five-mile ‘Switchback’ race on Sunday, over an undulating course in Lloyd Park and Addington Hills. The race was won by Bill Makuwa who covered the course in 28 minutes 26 seconds. He finished just three seconds ahead of Herne Hill’s veteran Vic Maughn, who had led for most of the race and had the consolation of leading Herne Hill to the team prize. Third place went to Striders’ Matt Morgan, who recorded 29 minutes 12.

Striders’ next finisher was Damian Macenhill who placed eighth (31.14). Tony Sheppard, returning after a long absence through injury, was 11th (32.15) while Dave Batten was 18th (33.14). Alan Dolton was 36th (36.47) with Matt Anderson 40th (37.18) and Dave Denton 45th (38.20).

The women’s race was won by Ola Balme of Dulwich, who ran very well to place 19th overall (33.19). She beat Herne Hill’s Helena Laczko by just five seconds. Striders’ women were led by Stephanie Upton who placed 47th overall (38.29). She was followed by Alice Ewen (58th, 41.12); Emily Campbell (67th, 43.36); Kim Ford (75th, 45.58) and Pat Edwards (77th, 46.50).

Damian leads Striders in at Beckenham

Striders of Croydon had three of the first 15 finishers in the Beckenham Running Club 10 kilometre race on Sunday. They were led home by Damian Macenhill who placed ninth in 39 minutes 49 seconds. Simon Ambrosi was 14th (40.11) with Richard Lee-Smith 15th (40.14).

For Striders’ women, Serena Stracey made an encouraging return to competition. She placed 63rd overall (49.34) and was the third woman finisher. She was closely followed by Tina Macenhill who placed 67th (49.51).

Meanwhile, Striders’ leading thrower Matt O’Hare regained his club discus record at Twickenham with a throw of 27.18 metres.

Matt steeples to county title

Striders of Croydon’s track captain Matt Morgan gained his first county title when he won the Surrey 3000 metre steeplechase at Horsham on Saturday. His winning time of 10 minutes 12 seconds saw him finish comfortably ahead of his nearest rival.

Meanwhile, Striders’ road runners faced strong opposition in the Surrey Road Relays at Wimbledon. Their women finished 16th, while their men placed 21st.

For Striders’ women, track specialist Natalie Osher ran the first leg and finished 21st, covering the undulating three-mile course in 24 minutes 04 seconds. On the second leg Laura Wanless gained a place to finish 20th (20.50). On the third leg Steph Upton gained three places, recording 21 minutes 26, and on the final leg Suzy Yates ran 20 minutes 20 to being the team home in 16th place.

Striders’ men were without most of their first-choice runners and had to include five veterans in their team. Paul Weir ran the first leg and placed 22nd of the 24 finishers, recording 20 minutes 56. On the second leg Dave Batten, the oldest member of the team, ran well to gain two places, recording 17 minutes 50. Alan Dolton ran 18 minutes 48 on the third leg, dropping one place, before Iain Harrison gained three places with Striders’ fastest leg of 17 minutes 31. On the fifth place Dave Denton ran 20 minutes 52, dropping three places, while team manager Chris Morton ran the final leg and held 21st place (19.06).

Striders’ multi-eventer Dave Lovell recently set a new club discus record of 24.49 metres at Crawley, beating the previous record set by club colleague Matt O’Hare.

Simon Ambrosi's report from Wimbledon Common :

Saturday was a beautiful, hot, sunny day with the ground dry and firm which must mean it's time for cross country! Wait a minute, that doesn't sound right!! I counted a total of 3 tiny puddles on the Wimbledon course and made a point of going through the middle making the biggest splash I could to try and get into the spirit of it all - unfortunately that wasn't enough!! We had a good number of runners for the first Surrey League race of the season with the old regulars, Justin, Damian, Matt, some new faces, Grant, Nick Batten (1st time running with the men) and even dragging some people out of retirement, sorry Tony that's not fair but you did beat me so that makes us even!! The overall quality of the field seemed bigger and better than last year but I think there were a lot of Windmilers as we were running in their manor. The course might have been nicer if it wasn't so dry but in spikes you could feel every little pebble and twig! It was the usual 2 lapper but appeared to be short (how short we're not quite sure) of the supposed 5 miles and ended with a bit of uphill which Yasmin and Kim seemed to think would be the best place to see us all going by - thanks for that, I'm sure we were all looking our best at that point!! Matt Morgan was easily the fastest Strider coming home in 9th place overall on a course that appeared to have been designed for him with a few steeplechase-like trees blocking the path. If you want to run well in a race make sure you've got a train to catch soon after as that seemed to work for Damian, who was so determined to watch England be held to a first half 0-0 that he even beat an out of fitness Justin not too far behind! Next was John Foster, looking good for Abingdon next weekend, Iain Harrison, Tony Sheppard, me, Bob Ewen, Chris M, Grant, Steve Massey, Darren, Dave B, Nick B, Matt, Paul W, Brian … Next Surrey League fixture is 8 November so I will be performing a rain dance every day up until then!!

Matt and James achieve quality records for Striders

Striders of Croydon’s track captain Matt Morgan had an excellent run to win the 3000 metre steeplechase in the Herne Hill Open Meeting at Tooting Bec last Saturday. He set a new club record of 9 minutes 57.8 seconds.

On the road, Striders’ leading cross-country runner James Buchanan finished 17th in the recent Dublin Frank Duffy 10 mile race, recording a personal best of 55 minutes 33 seconds. This lifts James to third place in Striders’ all-time club rankings.

Simon and Richard battle it out in Belgrave 5K

Striders of Croydon faced strong opposition at Wimbledon on Sunday in the annual Belgrave 5 kilometre road race. This incorporated the Surrey Championships and was the final event in this year’s Surrey Road League.

Striders were led by Simon Ambrosi, who placed 47th in 18 minutes 46 seconds, just one place and one second ahead of club colleague Richard Lee-Smith. Veteran Dave Batten ran well for 64th (19.23) and was third in the over-50 category. He was closely followed by Darren Piper (65th, 19.24); Nick Batten (69th, 19.30); Mick Turner (75th, 19.40) and Chris Morton (77th, 19.42).

Striders’ women were led by Yasmin Anderson who was 45th in the women’s race (23.46). Kim Ford was 57th (26.49) with Julie Shew 62nd (29.17). Pat Edwards placed 65th (29.47) and was third in the over-55 category. Striders’ women placed ninth in the team event, while their men were twelfth.

Striders finish Rosenheim League season strongly

Striders of Croydon’s women’s team did well to take second place in the final Rosenheim League match of the season, at Tooting on Wednesday. Andrea Jeffries was second in the 1500 metres (5.55.7), while Kim Ford was second in both the shot putt (5.71) and the long jump. Yasmin Anderson ran well for third in the 400 metres in a personal best 74.5 seconds. Striders’ women placed second in the final league table, behind Serpentine but well clear of the other five competing clubs.

Striders’ men faced strong opposition and had to settle for fifth place in their match. Team captain Matt Morgan ran well for third in the 2000m steeplechase (6.43.7) and fourth in the 1500 metres (4.27.7). Justin Macenhill also ran well for third in the 800 metres (2.07.2), while Duncan Lancashire was third in the A 3000 metres (9.16.9) and Steve Massey was third in the high jump (1.30). James Buchanan was fifth in both the 100 metres (13.3) and 200 metres (26.3). Nick Batten set a club under-20 record of 2.14.4 when placing fifth in the B 800 metres.

Kevin Burnett reports from Holland Sports T&F fixtures :

3^rd May Southern League Div 4S K2 Crawley

M Morgan 5000m 16.47.3 1500m 4.34.5 3000S/C 10.42.9

Matt was our only representative in the first league fixture. He did well in all 3 races winning the steeplechase and being runner up in both 5000 and 1500m. Holland finished 2^nd to Havant by 7 points. No competitors in both hurdles races proving costly. This season we have combined with Redhill & Surrey Beagles and Dorking & Mole Valley as a composite team and have a pool of good athletes to call upon. Hopefully they are able to compete when needed.

7^th June Southern League div 4S Southampton

E Parker 400H 79.1 3000S/C 11.45.5 PV 2.20m

M Morgan 5000m. 16.24.5 3000S/C 10.29.0

K Burnett 100m 17.7 Discus 13.79

A good all round performance at distant Southampton meant Holland again finished 2^nd to Havant. A home match for Eric though where he won the B Steeplechase and was 2^nd in the B pole vault. Matt again ran well winning both the A 5000m and steeplechase. With more competitors this year we comfortably covered all slots and everyone gets the chance to compete as non scorers in all events – a new innovation this season to encourage more competitors to participate.

Duncan races to 5th place in Striders all-time 10K records

Striders of Croydon’s talented distance runner Duncan Lancashire produced another excellent performance in the Elmbridge 10 kilometre road race on Sunday. He placed seventh of the 603 finishers in a personal best of 33 minutes 40 seconds, lifting him to fifth place in the club’s all-time rankings. Justin Macenhill also ran well to place 27th (35.25), while his elder brother Damian was 75th (38.45). Alex Aronberg was 83rd (39.05) and Alistair Price was 136th (41.06). Striders’ leading woman was Karen Macenhill, who placed 447th overall in 53 minutes 38 seconds. The team was completed by Karen Peake (465th, 54.52), Susan Haynes (525th, 58.36) and Julie Shew (527th, 58.40).

On the previous day, Striders had had 24 finishers at the Elmore 7-mile road race, organised by South London Harriers. Striders’ first finisher was Richard Lee-Smith who placed 22nd of the 273 finishers, recording 45 minutes 15 seconds. He was followed by club secretary Chris Morton (25th, 45.45) and veteran Bob Ewen (27th, 46.06). Striders’ first woman was Suzy Yates who placed 81st (52.13). She was followed by Josephine Thompson (90th, 53.21) and Stephanie Upton (92nd, 53.44).

Peter first home in Striders handicap

Striders of Croydon held their annual club handicap for the Goodall Trophy last Wednesday, on a hilly five-mile course starting from their Sandilands clubhouse. The trophy was won by Peter Shew who covered the course in 38 minutes 10 seconds, substantially faster than the handicappers had predicted. The fastest time was recorded by Ian Campbell who ran 31 minutes 05 seconds. Richard Lee-Smith ran 31 minutes 26, while veteran Bob Ewen was third fastest with 32 minutes 08. The fastest woman was Faye Stammers who ran 35 minutes 50, with the next fastest being Yasmin Anderson (38.39) and Alice Ewen (39.01).

Striders Vets gain top 3 finish

Striders of Croydon produced some good performances in the fifth Rosenheim League match of the season, at Tooting on Wednesday. Duncan Lancashire improved his own club 3000 metre record with a time of 9 minutes 08.8 seconds, finishing fourth in a high-quality race. Justin Macenhill ran well for second place in the 800 metres (2.07.2), while team captain Matt Morgan was third in the 1500 metres (4.19.4) and later ran a personal best 9.25.0 in the non-scoring 3000 metres. Fourth places went to Stephen Harrison in the 200 metres (27.0), Eliot Osher in the 400 metres (54.6) and the 4 x 200 metre relay team (1.49.8).

Herne Hill won a very competitive match with 60 points from Belgrave (59), Hercules-Wimbledon (57), Croydon Harriers (38), Striders (37), Serpentine (37) and South London Harriers (13).

Striders’ women again did well to place third and hold onto second place in the overall league table. Yasmin Anderson showed her versatility with third places in both the 800 metres (3.00.8) and the shot putt (4.12), and completed a busy evening with second place in the B 3000 metres (13.25.4). Club colleague Andrea Jeffries was third in the A 3000 metres (12.55.1).

Two days earlier, Striders had produced another good team performance in their final Southern Veterans league match of the season, at Croydon Arena. Their men placed third in the match, and finished the season in third place of the seven competing clubs. This is the first time since 2002 that Striders have finished the season in the top three. Striders gained good points from the 3000 metre steeplechase, where Darren Piper was second in the A race (11.43.5) with newcomer Grant Barnes winning the B race (12.01.6). Earlier, Grant had placed second in the A 800 metres (2.14.3) with club colleague Steve Massey second in the B race (2.35.2). Colin Cotton placed second in the over-60 race with a club age-group record of 2.45.0. Bob Ewen placed third in the 2000 metre walk (12.06.4), with Mick Turner winning the B race (12.16.1) and Dave Hoben second in the over-50 race (13.18.8).

For Striders’ women, Maggie Statham made a welcome return to club colours, winning the over-50 women’s 5000 metres in 21 minutes 52.3 seconds. Kim Ford placed third in the women’s 2000 metre walk (14.49.3) and discus (10.16), and fourth in the shot (5.91). Linda Daniel placed fourth in the women’s A 800 metres (3.03.7) with Karen Macenhill third in the B race (3.21.8). Striders’ women finished fifth in the match, just seven points behind Dorking, and were sixth in the final league table.

Duncan produces record against Surrey's best at Petersham

Duncan Lancashire, from Striders of Croydon, produced an excellent run in Sunday’s Dysart 10 kilometre road race at Petersham, which incorporated the Surrey Championships, and was the fourth event in this summer’s Surrey Road League. Duncan placed sixth of the 464 finishers in a personal best of 33 minutes 57 seconds, lifting him to eighth place in Striders’ all-time rankings.

Striders’ next man home was Justin Macenhill, who placed 29th (36.33). Simon Ambrosi was 56th in 38.57, just one place and four seconds ahead of club colleague Damian Macenhill. Darren Piper was 75th (39.50) with club secretary Chris Morton 78th (40.00). Veteran Bob Ewen ran well to place seventh in the over-50 category and 81st overall (40.06). Steve Massey also made the top 100 in 94th place (40.57).

Striders’ women were led home by Tina Macenhill who placed 273rd overall (48.36). Alice Ewen was 307th (50.17) while Karen Macenhill completed the scoring team in 362nd (53.56). In the team event, Striders’ men placed ninth of the 21 competing clubs, while their women were eleventh.

Simon Ambrosi's report from the Dysart Dash

A nice sunny morning seemed to bring out all the Striders yesterday for
the Dysart Dash. With a 9 o'clock start the sight of all those yellow
and green vests must be a bit much for anyone who'd drunk one too many
the night before!

The start was a bit congested trying to avoid cars and runners and a
couple of quick sharp corners means you have to go off fast to be in a
good position going into the tow path. It is possible however to go off
too fast especially when you're being dragged along by team mates. The
combination of Damian in front and Darren behind me meant I did the
first K in 3.40 (little bit quick for me) but like a true runner I
refused to admit I'd pay for it later and just pushed on.

I'm sure last year when we got onto the road section we were running on
the pavement on the other side of the road to take advantage of the
racing line but that didn't seem to happen this year and I didn't want
to look like I was trying to cheat so reckon we actually ran further
than we could have got away with, don't know if anyone else took more
advantage of the wide road. It was good to have Serena shouting support
at regular intervals with a baby in a pram (not hers surely!)

Performance of the day has to go to Duncan who not only came 6th overall
(helping Striders come 9th in the team results) went under 34 minutes
for the first time, got a PB and sneaked ahead of Tony Sheppard by 1
second in the Striders all time 10K. (He still got beaten by a vet 40
though, I expect better next time!) I know Chris wasn't too pleased
with his time after a good Near as Damn it in the week but was nice to
see they rounded down his time to 40.00. I'm sure he'd also be quietly
pleased to pip Bob Ewen and to make sure her Dad didn't get too
depressed Alice Ewen decided to keep behind him in her first race for a
while!!

Link to results below but in summary:

Age Cat.
Pos Name Club Time Group Pos
1 Stuart Major Newham & Essex B 32.42 SM 1
6 Duncan Lancashire Striders of Croydon 33.57 SM 5
29 Justin Macenhill Striders of Croydon 36.33 SM 22
56 Simon Ambrosi Striders of Croydon 38.57 SM 38
57 Damian Macenhill Striders of Croydon 39.01 SM 39
75 Darren Piper Striders of Croydon 39.50 SM 46
78 Chris Morton Striders of Croydon 40.00 M40+ 21
81 Robert Ewen Striders of Croydon 40.06 M50+ 7
94 Stephen Massey Striders of Croydon 40.57 M40+ 25
187 Mick Turner Striders of Croydon 45.14 M40+ 50
254 Robin Jamieson Striders of Croydon 47.46 M60+ 8
261 Tom Littlewood Striders of Croydon 48.09 SM 102
265 David Denton Striders of Croydon 48.24 M40+ 66
273 Tina Macenhill Striders of Croydon 48.36 L35+ 32
286 Michael George Striders of Croydon 49.08 M50+ 34
307 Alice Ewen Striders of Croydon 50.17 SL 27
362 Karen Macenhill Striders of Croydon 53.56 L35+ 40
370 Peter Shew Striders of Croydon 54.51 M50+ 46
375 Martin Gourlay Striders of Croydon 55.20 M40+ 87
379 Paul Weir Striders of Croydon 55.59 M40+ 88
389 Patricia Edwards Striders of Croydon 56.52 L55+ 6
399 Kim Ford Striders of Croydon 57.58 L45+ 21
413 Susan Haynes Striders of Croydon 59.43 L35+ 50
417 Julie Shew Striders of Croydon 60.14 L35+ 52
445 Andrew Thatcher Striders of Croydon 66.08 M40+ 95
447 Karen Connor Striders of Croydon 66.58 L35+ 61

Matt's top form continues for Striders

Matt Morgan's phenomenal recent form continued at Saturday's Banstead Woods 5K time trial. He won the race with a personal best time of 16.51 in wet and slippery conidtions.
Meanwhile Striders of Croydon produced some good performances in the fourth Rosenheim League match of the season, at Tooting on Wednesday. Yasmin Anderson gained a narrow victory in the women’s A 100 metres, winning by just one-tenth of a second with a personal best of 15.5 seconds. Club colleague Natalie Osher ran the same time in the B race, although she was beaten by her opponent from Herne Hill, and also placed fourth in the A 200 metres with a club record 32.1 seconds.

For Striders’ men, Matt Morgan had a successful evening, placing second in the 400 metre hurdles (70.4), third in the 1500 metres (4.19.7) and fourth in the A 3000 metres (9.30.7). Eliot Osher ran well for third in the 400 metres (54.8). Striders’ 4 x 200 metre relay team of Osher, Morgan, Nick Batten and Stephen Harrison placed fourth (1.49.3), just one-tenth of a second ahead of local rivals Croydon Harriers. Earlier, Nick Batten had set a club under-20 1500 metre record of 4.43.7, while his father Dave had set a club over-55 3000 metre record of 10.55.8. Dave Lovell placed sixth in the 200 metres, equalling the club over-45 record of 28.7 seconds. He also competed in the 100 metres, shot and javelin.

Striders’ women placed third in the match and retained second place in the overall league table. Striders’ men were fifth of the seven competing clubs, and slipped to fifth in the overall league table.

Three days earlier, in the Epsom 10 kilometre road race, Matt Morgan had run a personal best 34 minutes 57 seconds, lifting him to equal 15th place in the club’s all-time rankings. Club colleague Suzy Yates ran a personal best 43.54, also lifting her to 15th place in the club's women’s rankings.

Striders dominate Vets 5000 metres at Ewell

Striders of Croydon produced some good performances in their third Southern Veterans League match of the season, at Ewell on Monday. Their star performer was Justin Macenhill who gained an emphatic victory in the 5000 metres, lapping the rest of the field and setting a new club over-35 record of 16 minutes 41.9 seconds. He also won the 1500 metres (4.34). Striders gained maximum points from the 5000 metres with Damian Macenhill winning the B race (18.49.3) and Bob Ewen winning the over-50 race (19.27.6). However they suffered from a lack of numbers and had to settle for fourth place of the six competing clubs.

Striders’ Suzy Yates ran a personal best 3 hours 39 minutes 11 seconds in the recent Edinburgh Marathon, lifting her to 14th place in the club’s all-time rankings.

Duncan races to new club record at Tooting Bec

Striders of Croydon’s leading middle-distance runner, Duncan Lancashire, produced an excellent performance in the third Rosenheim League match of the season, at Tooting on Wednesday. He set a club 3000 metre record of 9 minutes 15.3 seconds, finishing a close second behind Will Cockerell of Belgrave. Striders’ talented teenager Eliot Osher also ran well in the 400 metres, finishing a close third in a club under-20 record of 54.3 seconds. Striders’ 4 x 200 metre relay team of Lancashire, Osher, Dave Lovell and Stephen Harrison ran well to finish third (1.49.6). Earlier, Harrison had placed fourth in the triple jump (7.78). Matt O’Hare placed fourth in the discus (23.64) and also set a club record in the shot of 8.05 metres, finishing fifth. Striders’ youngest competitor, Nick Batten, set a club under-20 record of 10 minutes 52.6 in the 3000 metres.

Striders’ women were short of numbers, but Yasmin Anderson had a successful evening, recording two new personal bests. She placed fourth in the 1500 metres (6.07.3) and equal second in the high jump (1.05). Her efforts ensured that Striders’ women finished fourth in the match, and stay second in the overall league table, while their men finished fifth of the seven competing clubs.

Kerry stars for Striders in Surrey Champs at Dorking

Striders of Croydon faced strong opposition in the annual Dorking 10-mile road race on Sunday, which incorporated the Surrey Championships. Their women placed tenth, while their men were 12th of the 45 teams to finish.

Kerry Backshell had an excellent run to finish twelfth in the women’s race and third in her age group, covering the undulating course in 72 minutes 13 seconds. Stephanie Upton was 50th (80.38) with Tina Macenhill not far behind in 58th (82.02). Karen Macenhill completed the scoring team in 126th (92.17).

Striders’ men were led by Damian Macenhill who placed 55th (64.57). Club secretary Chris Morton was 92nd (67.42) with Mick Turner 98th (68.01) and Alistair Price completing the scoring team in 107th (68.42).

Striders’ B team placed 26th. Darren Piper was 135th (69.35) and was followed by Steve Massey (144th, 70.19), Robin Jamieson (224th, 76.08) and Steve Smith (244th, 77.21).

Striders veterans share out the medals at county championships

Five members of Striders of Croydon gained medals at the Surrey Veterans Championships at Kingsmeadow Stadium on Saturday. Dave Batten won the over-55 800 metres (2.28.5), while Dave Hoben won the over-55 3000m walk (20.08.7). Both these performances were club records for this age-group. Striders’ oldest competitor, Kevin Burnett, won six medals in the over-65 category. He was second in the 100 metres (18.8), 200 metres (36.5), shot (6.41) and discus (20.43), and was third in the hammer (17.43) and javelin (15.70). Alan Dolton was second in the over-50 5000 metres (20.37.3). Matt O’Hare was third in the over-35 javelin with a club record of 30.75 metres, and also took third in the discus (21.51).

Striders of Croydon produced an excellent team performance in their Rosenheim League match at Croydon Arena on Wednesday. Their women did very well to take second place, just one point behind winners Serpentine, while their men were third of the seven competing clubs. For Striders’ women, Serena Stracey gained valuable points with an unexpected win in the discus, where her best throw of 12.44 beat her nearest rival by just one centimetre. Sophie Shaw ran well against older rivals, placing second in the 3000 metres with a club under-17 record of 13 minutes 06.7 seconds. Yasmin Anderson placed third in the same race (13.09.3). Natalie Osher placed third in the 400 metres with a club record 74.2, and also took third in the 800 metres (2.48.5). Serena, Sophie, Yasmin and Natalie finished the evening with second place in the 4 x 200 metre relay (2.17.9).

Striders’ men were again led by Matt Morgan who gained an emphatic win in the 1500 metres, recording a personal best 4 minutes 22.1. He also took second place in the 400 metre hurdles (74.6). Eliot Osher placed second in the 400 metres with a new club under-20 record of 55.8 seconds. Dave Lovell had a hectic evening, placing second in the high jump (1.30), fourth in both the long jump (4.27) and 100 metres (14.6), and fifth in the 200 metres (29.1). Striders’ 4 x 200 metre relay team of Nick Batten, Dave Lovell, Matt Morgan and Steve Harrison placed second (1.52.1), narrowly behind local rivals Croydon Harriers.

Two days earlier, Striders had also placed third of seven clubs in their Southern Veterans League match at Croydon Arena, just two points ahead of fourth-placed Kingston. Their leading scorer was Justin Macenhill who gained a convincing win in the over-35 3000 metres (9.33.0), having earlier placed second in the 800 metres (2.06.2). Both these performances were club over-35 records. Striders gained good points from the 3000 metres with Bob Ewen placing second in the over-50 race (11.09.7) and Steve Massey second in the over-35 B race (11.45.6). Striders’ women were short of numbers and had to settle for fifth place, just one point ahead of sixth-placed Sutton. Kim Ford showed her versatility by tackling three events; she placed third in the shot putt with a club over-40 record of 5.84 metres, and also placed fourth in the javelin and fifth in the long jump.

Simon Ambrosi's report from the Green Belt Relay

Oh Buddy Where Art Thou?
Starring: Chris (Buddy) Morton, John (I'm no ones buddy) Foster, Mick (Front Runner) Turner, Bas (GPS) Sharif, Ian (Eggman) Campbell, Elene (Van girl) Kayum, Mick (The Driver) George, Tom (you can leave me in the Serpentine bus) Littlewood, Duncan (3rd place) Lancashire, Don (we'll win it next year) Kayum, Dave (substitute) Shaw and Simon (2 pint) Ambrosi.

Saturday
7:00am I was standing in Sandilands car park wondering what I was doing as the van that was to become my home for the next 48 hours pulled up. A band of 11 brave, stupid, athletes were all assembled and ready to write an epic 220 mile episode in the striders of Croydon history books. Before anyone had a chance to wake up properly and realise what they'd actually got themselves into we were off to Hampton Court for the start of the 2008 Green Belt Relay.

7:45am You could see the look of fear and intimidation in the eyes of the other 27 teams as the now famous Striders of Croydon tour bus arrived. This was probably the first and only time the whole team would be together.

7:50am Bas went off to find the loo.

8:10am Bas returned from the loo, apparently 'talking to people' but the look on his face suggested he was already a bit worried about racing 2 days in a row.

8:30am Due to Marathon inflicted injuries I'd decided quite early that I wasn't going to be able to run on both days but luckily Dave Shaw agreed to do the first 13 miles. We cheered him off and all jumped in the van, we were the first to leave, on schedule and looking good - who said this race couldn't be done with only 1 minibus!!

8:55am After a slight diversion through an NHS car park it was time to drop off Tom for the 2nd leg and Mick T who was Dave Shaw's buddy. At this point it's probably worth giving some background to the concept of 'buddies'. It was decided that as we only had one mode of transport and so runners may be hanging around after they'd run each person would have a buddy who would be responsible for making sure they had their bag with food, change of clothes waiting for them at the end. This reminded me of science lessons at school when your lab buddy was responsible for making sure the other person didn't gas the class or set fire to the school with a bunsen burner - this was far more important! The next hour in the van involved several conversations which really didn't involve much more than, 'Are you my buddy? Who's my buddy? Have I got a buddy?'

9:45am We're all in the van and Bas has got his shorts on!

10:02am First phone call of the day, 'Dave Shaw has finished in 92 minutes looking fresh and we're being beaten by the gay team'.

11:15am A strong unpleasant smell started spreading through the van as Ian started munching one of his many egg snacks.

12:30 not only did we have to drive and run the length of the M25 but there was also the job of marshalling. This was something we excelled at, not sending anyone in the wrong direction and I was bitterly disappointed that there wasn't an award for this at the end.

13:00 Best result of the day, Duncan finishing in 3rd place on the 4th leg!

13:30 Ok, here's where it all started to go a bit pear shaped. Because of having to drop off runners, collect runners, drop off buddies, collect marshals and a lot of double backing with the van there was a lot of reliance on traffic and the now infamous GPS!! This meant that one slight hiccup could cause a major disaster. The hiccup was Ian being dropped off a couple of minutes last for his start, the major disaster being Ian then getting lost, having to return to the start, Elene missing her start, half the team being scattered somewhere across the home counties and Striders of Croydon being disqualified from the race! This was probably the lowest point in sporting history since Wayne Rooney got a red card for 'accidentally' standing on the private parts of some Portuguese footballer in the World Cup!

16:00 My memory is a bit hazy of exactly what happened over the next couple of hours as no one seemed to know where anybody else was so was quite relieved to be dropped off at the end of Chris's stage to wait for him to finish. Luckily it was next to a pub and because it was raining and there was nowhere else to go we were forced to go inside in search of shelter. It was a very pleasant pub, little bit posh looking given that we were so close to Essex!

17:00 Still in the pub, laughing at Chris grabbing for his phone every time there's a sound that vaguely resembles a ring tone. The stress levels were being cancelled out by the beer levels and we were determined to make sure the stress didn't win as we were getting reports of various Striders catching lifts in various different Serpentine, Ranelagh and other team buses.

18:00 So the position is, me and Chris in a pub in Letty Green, Tom and Duncan in a pub in Hartford, Don and Elene in a pub in … wait a minute I though this was supposed to be a running race, not a weekend binge drinking!

19:00 Phone call from Bas, 'We're here in the van, you can come outside'. I go outside, no sign of anyone so give him a call back. 'It's ok Simon I can see you now and walking towards you.' I'm outside a pub in the middle of a country lane with nothing to see for miles and starting to get very confused by the conversation with Bas. It turns out it wasn't me he'd seen but they were on their way so me and Chris finish our pints and wait outside.

20:00 Next thing I know we're back in the same pub with a drink in our hands, I'm sure something very similar happened after one of the cross country races and never worked out how that happened either!

23:30 Bit of food and more drink later we're in the minibus for a nice short drive to the hotel. Apart from nearly running out of diesel and driving 2 junctions of the M25 in the wrong direction we finally arrived at our beds about half past midnight in the middle of a Purley Wayesque leisure park complete with pubs, clubs and all those other places hip young things go to.

00:45 Headphones in and sleep!

Sunday
06:00 After ending a problem filled Saturday on a bit of a downer having only run 8 of our 11 legs we were determined to make Sunday much better. This was to be achieved in 2 ways. Firstly heading off before the rest of the World was awake and secondly only worrying about getting people to the start of their legs then letting them use all their skills to get to somewhere further along the route.

8:00 After the day before it was a great relief to be out in the fresh air about to run. I had a special moment on the start line when I discovered the runner next to me was in the other team that had been disqualified. The first leg of the 2nd day was 10.5 miles, this would be the furthest I'd run since the marathon and with a number of injuries wasn't too hopeful of finishing. I started off nice and slowly with a couple of other runners, my other big fear had been getting lost so decided it was much better to stick to someone who looked like they knew where they were going. It was a nice sunny morning but too early to be too hot as we raced around the Essex countryside. I got a bit of confidence after 4 miles when I wasn't feeling any pain and started to pick up the pace a bit. I felt even better when me and the guy I was running with worked out 2 runners in front had taken the wrong turning!

9:15 Finished my leg, bit sore but didn't seem to affect my running too much. There was a much more laid back feel in the minibus with Don doing his best to get rid of all our runners in other team buses so we didn't have to do so much driving back and forth.

12:00 It was a shame we had such a disaster on Saturday because Sunday showed how well we could have done getting people to their starts at the right time and everyone having a good run. Notably Duncan getting his second 3rd place of the weekend, John giving his all even with his injury and Ian finishing what was probably the toughest leg of the whole weekend up a big, nasty, hill to Tatsfield.

12:15 It was around this time that Mick T suddenly decided he didn't want to travel with us anymore and after a brief chat with a couple of runners from another club disappeared into their bus without looking back and with a big grin on his face. Maybe he'd had enough of us bringing up the rear and wanted to see what it would be like at the front. Runners were starting to know Striders of Croydon as the club that needed to get lifts off everyone, giving us almost cult status.

15:00 We managed to get a good marshal point somewhere near Boxhill to see Sonia O'Sullivan go speeding through with a very determined Don a few places back working his socks off to make up ground.

18:00 Back in the bus for the last time and it was good to know everyone had either run that day or was in place to start their stage, especially Mick G and Elene who'd had to miss out the day before, now the challenge was to get to the end before Elene so we could see her finish. I was worried about the condition of her legs, not because she hadn't raced for 2 years but because she'd been crushed in the bus for almost the whole weekend. I needn't have worried as she powered her way round the 9 mile route to complete Striders contribution to the race for this year.

Some people might say there was a bit too much celebrating for a team that came last and didn't even qualify for the prize of worst team because we were so bad but in the end everyone had a good time and I'm sure this is an event we'll do as a club again - but not with only 1 minibus!!

No official results yet (London FrontRunners won overall and well done to the Millennium Group, including a couple of Striders, who won the vet prize) but they should appear on the Green Belt Relay site soon.

Manager Matt leads by example for Striders

Striders of Croydon produced some good performances in the first Rosenheim League match of the season, at Battersea Park on Wednesday. Their women placed equal third, while their men were fourth of the seven competing clubs.

Team manager Matt Morgan led by example, getting Striders off to an excellent start by winning the opening event, the 2000 metre steeplechase (6.40.9). He also won the B 1500 metres (4.25.7).

Striders also finished the evening with a victory, thanks to their 4 x 200 metre relay team of Steve Harrison, James Buchanan, Eliot Osher and Duncan Lancashire, who won their race in 1.48.5. Earlier, Lancashire had set a club 3000 metre record of 9 minutes 23.9 seconds, placing fifth in a good-quality field. He also showed his versatility with fourth place in the 100 metres (13.9). Matt O’Hare placed third in the discus with a club record 24.09, and fifth in the hammer with a club over-35 record (19.53). Eliot Osher set two club under-20 records, placing fourth in the 200 metres (25.4) and fifth in the 800 metres (2.16.1).

For Striders’ women, Natalie Osher placed third in the 800 metres (2.52.1) and second in the B 200 metres with a club record 32.6. Club colleague Yasmin Anderson was fourth in the A race (33.5). Sarah Milne was fourth in the 1500 metres (6.28.1) and Kim Ford was fourth in the discus (11.64). Natalie, Yasmin, Sarah and Kim finished the evening with second place in the women’s 4 x 200m relay (2.29.9). Striders had their best ever turnout for a Rosenheim League match with a total of 15 club members competing.

On the same evening, Striders also had 15 runners in the annual Beckenham Road Relay. Their A team did well to finish third of the 41 competing teams. Justin Macenhill gave them a good start, running the first 2.6 mile leg in 13 minutes 59 seconds, which was the sixth fastest time of the day. Iain Harrison, in his first race since the London Marathon, ran the second leg in 15 minutes 02, while Damian Macenhill completed the team with 15 minutes 16.

Striders’ women finished eighth in their category. Louise Gough ran the first leg in 21 minutes 16, and was followed by Kerry Backshell (18.23) and Josephine Thompson (18.07).

Striders shine in the sun at Sutton

Striders of Croydon produced some good performances in the Sutton 10 kilometre road race on Sunday, which was the first event in this year’s Surrey Road League. Their men’s team were eighth, while their women placed ninth.

Striders were led home by Damian Macenhill, who placed 40th in 38 minutes 50 seconds. He was closely followed by Ian Campbell, who finished 42nd (38.58). Club secretary Chris Morton was 54th (40.14), while Alistair Price completed the scoring team, placing 61st in a personal best 41.04, just one place and two seconds ahead of club colleague Mick Turner. Simon Ambrosi was 71st (41.40) with Dave Batten 73rd (41.43) and Steve Massey 84th (42.55).

Striders’ women were led home by Josephine Thompson who placed 29th in the women’s race (45.25). Susannah Oliver was 61st (51.37) and completing the scoring team was Sarah Hansbury in 72nd (53.14). Also finishing were Kim Ford 89th (57.02) and Pat Edwards 92nd (57.13).

Bob power walks to a new club record for Striders

Striders of Croydon produced some good performances in their first Southern Veterans league match of the season, at Kingsmeadow Stadium. Despite a lack of numbers, they finished a close fourth of the six clubs in the match, only six points behind third-placed Kingston.

Justin Macenhill ran well to win the over-35 1500 metres by more than six seconds (4.27.1), having earlier placed second in the 400 metres (58.0). Also in the 1500 metres, Colin Cotton placed second in the over-60 race (5.44.5) while Alan Dolton was second in the over-50 race (5.30.4) and Mick Turner was second in the over-35 B race (5.31.7).

Striders also gained good points in the 2000 metre walk, where Bob Ewen placed second in a new club record of 11.54.8. Mick Turner won the B race (12.11.3), while Dave Hoben was third in the over-50 race (13.04.9).

Dave Batten ran well to win the over-50 400 metres, setting a club over-55 record of 67.6 seconds. He was also fourth in the over-50 100 metres (15.3) and long jump (2.74). Kevin Burnett, the oldest member of the team, was fourth in both the over-50 shot (5.96) and the hammer (12.97). Dave Lovell was fourth in the over-35 long jump (3.55) and fifth in the 100 metres (14.4), while Justin Macenhill was fourth in the shot putt (6.62).

Striders’ 4 x 100 metre relay team of Macenhill, Batten, Turner and Burnett finished the evening by taking third place (62.5).

Striders produce star performances at London Marathon

Striders of Croydon had 17 finishers in the London Marathon on Sunday. Their first man home was also their youngest finisher, Iain Harrison, who ran 3 hours 01 minute 36 seconds, moving him into 19th place in Striders’ all-time club rankings. Damian Macenhill was next for Striders in 3.08.08, and was followed by Ian Campbell (3.08.58), Simon Ambrosi (3.28.13), Robert Clancy (3.43.48) and Phil Mazur (3.51.41). Striders’ first woman home was Stephanie Gilmour who ran well to finish in 3 hours 53 minutes 19 seconds.

However probably Striders’ best performance of the day came from club treasurer Robin Jamieson, who set a new club over-60 record of 3 hours 53 minutes 56 seconds, breaking the previous club record by more than ten minutes.

Striders’ other finishers were: Alan Purchase 3.58.16; Susan Haynes 4.43.28; Isabelle Kita 4.46.38; Julie Shew 4.47.59; Liz Orange 4.57.54; Anne Eldridge 5.11.32; Steve Tyler 5.11.37; Andy Thatcher 5.44.21; Jacqui Mazur 5.48.34.

Striders also had two finishers in the Under-17 mini-marathon. Nicholas Batten covered the three-mile course in an encouraging 17 minutes 48 seconds, while club colleague Sophie Shaw ran 22 minutes 57.

Suzy strides up all-time rankings in Kent race

The Macenhill brothers again led the way for Striders of Croydon at the Paddock Wood Half-Marathon last week. Justin Macenhill was first home for the club, running well to place 27th of the 1630 finishers in 1 hour 18 minutes 59 seconds. His elder brother Damian was less than two minutes behind, finishing 41st (1.20.37). Mick Turner again ran well with 1.29.16, while club secretary Chris Morton ran 1.29.43. Ian Yates recorded 1.33.50 while his wife Suzy had an excellent run to lead Striders’ women home with a personal best 1.35.50, lifting her to ninth place on the club’s all-time rankings. She was followed home by Kerry Backshell (1.37.02).

Striders’ other finishers were: Steve Massey 1.40.47; Brian Hicken 1.40.47; John Humphries 1.43.20; Paul Weir 1.48.07; Anne Eldridge 2.22.01

Colin's class proves age is no barrier in 10 mile record

Striders of Croydon’s veteran distance runner, Colin Cotton, produced a good performance in the Maidenhead 10 mile road race. He set a new club over-60 record of 71 minutes 16 seconds, and was the third over-60 finisher in a strong field which incorporated the Berkshire Championships.

Striders’ first man home was Justin Macenhill who placed 38th in 60 minutes 3 seconds, His elder brother Damian was not far behind, placing 45th in a personal best 60 minutes 36. Simon Ambrosi was 86th (63.50) with Mick Turner 163rd (68.05), Chris Morton 165th (68.27) and Neil Furze 211th (70.17).

Matt stars twice on busy Saturday

Striders of Croydon produced a good team performance to place fourth in the East Surrey League’s annual road relay, held at Box Hill on Saturday afternoon. They had made a cautious start with team manager Chris Morton covering the first of the 2.1 mile legs in 13 minutes 32 seconds. However Justin Macenhill moved rapidly through the field on the second leg, running 11 minutes 15, and his brother Damian continued the team’s improvement with 11 minutes 49 on the third leg. On the final leg Matt Morgan ran 11 minutes 37 to overtake local rivals Croydon Harriers. This was a particularly good run by Matt, as in the morning he had placed second in the Banstead Woods 5 kilometre time trial, recording a personal best of 17 minutes 45 seconds. Striders’ fastest woman at Box Hill was Josephine Thompson who helped the B team to ninth place.

The Macenhill brothers showed good powers of recovery to be Striders’ first two finishers at the Hastings Half-Marathon on Sunday. Damian gained a rare victory over his younger brother, recording 1 hour 22 minutes to finish in 57th place, half a minute ahead of Justin. Mick Turner, who had run for the club’s B team at Box Hill on the previous day, also ran well to record 1 hour 31 minutes 38 seconds. Striders’ other finishers were: Alan Purchase 1:37:23; Robin Jamieson 1:47:10; Tina Macenhill 1:49:27; Paul Weir 1:53:06 ; Stephanie Noyce 1:54:44; Amalia Da Silva 2:03:06; Isabella Kita 2:08:51; Mark Armstrong 2:10:28; Rebecca Da Silva 2:10:28; Tom Stevens 2:11:22; Steve Tyler 2:17:05; Andy Thatcher 2:17:30; Jacqui Mazur 2:28:32; Angela Taylor 2:35:36

James wins again, this time on home soil

Striders of Croydon’s leading distance runner, James Buchanan, gained his second successive victory in the Croydon Harriers Inter-Club match at Lloyd Park last Saturday. He covered the undulating 10 kilometre course in 37 minutes 48 seconds, more than a minute ahead of the runner-up, Vic Maughn of Herne Hill.

Striders placed second in the team event, which was won by Veterans AC. Striders’ second man home was John Foster who ran well to place seventh (43.53), with team manager Chris Morton not far behind in ninth (44.26). Kerry Backshell was the first woman to finish and placed 13th overall in 48.35. She was closely followed by Alan Dolton (14th, 48.47); Mick Turner (15th, 48.52) and Josephine Thompson (16th, 49.22). Tom Littlewood finished 21st (54.09).

In the separate women-only 5 kilometre race, Striders’ Natalie Osher placed fourth. The race was won by Jane Searle of Croydon Harriers.

First win for Striders' James Buchanan in speedy 10K

Striders of Croydon’s leading distance runner, James Buchanan, gained his first win for the club when he placed first of about 750 competitors in the Hotelympia 10K in Canning Town on Sunday. His time of 33 minutes 44 seconds saw him finish well clear of his nearest rival and placed him fifth on the club’s all-time rankings.

Earlier, James had produced Striders’ fastest time of the day in the East Surrey League’s annual cross-country relay at Wimbledon Common. He placed second on the first leg, covering the two-mile course in 10 minutes 14 seconds, which was the sixth fastest time of the day. Unfortunately, Striders were without their other leading runners and the remainder of their team consisted entirely of veterans. Team manger Chris Morton ran 12 minutes 02 while Mick Turner ran 12.18 and Alan Dolton ran 12.36. The team finished seventh.

Striders had 24 finishers in the Sussex Beacon Half-Marathon at Brighton on Sunday. Their first man home was Damian Macenhill who placed 46th in 1 hour 22 minutes 18 seconds. Ian Harrison placed 92nd (1.25.20) while Simon Ambrosi was 107th (1.26.02) and Chris Morton 164th (1.27.55). Striders’ first woman to finish was Kerry Backshell who placed 431st overall in 1 hour 35 minutes 35 seconds. The club’s other finishers were: Alan Purchase 1.36.15; Ian Yates 1.37.32; Suzy Yates 1.38.54; Matt O’Hare 1.39.56; Tom Littlewood 1.41.36; Phil Mazur 1.46.39; Tina Macenhill 1.55.34; Karen Peake 1.56.35; Emily Campbell 1.56.48; Michelle Meech 2.05.59; Isabelle Kita 2.06.02; Susan Haynes 2.07.42; Julie Shew 2.09.03; Steve Tyler 2.19.14; JP Lamarque 2.22.52; Andy Thatcher 2.25.54; Jacqui Mazur 2.29.49; Karen Connor 2.32.17; Angela Taylor 2.34.57.

Striders show strength in depth and gain promotion at Richmond Park

Striders of Croydon’s women produced an excellent performance in the final Surrey Women's Cross-Country League match of the season, at Richmond Park on Saturday. They finished third of the 35 teams, to clinch third place in the overall table and gain promotion back to Division One.

Striders were again led by Serena Stracey, who had an excellent run to place ninth of the 137 finishers, covering the undulating 5800 metre course in 24 minutes 01 seconds. Faye Stammers was next home for Striders in 21st, just ahead of club colleague Suzy Yates, with both runners recording 25 minutes 19. Kerry Backshell also ran well for 30th (25.57), and new member Josephine Thompson made an excellent debut to place 35th (26.14).

Striders showed their strength in depth by having the first B and C teams to finish. The B team was led by Steph Upton who was 38th (26.43), closely followed by Andrea Jefferies in 40th (26.52). Susannah Oliver was 66th (29.03) with Linda Daniel 73rd (29.52) and Amalia Da Silva Lima 75th (30.01). Striders’ C team comprised: 79 Louise Gough (30.12); 96 Karen Macenhill (31.25); 101 Karen Peake (31.44); 111 Pat Edwards (32.56); 124 Susan Haynes (34.36).

Meanwhile Striders’ men were competing in their Division Two match in Lloyd Park. 16-year-old Nicholas Batten ran well to gain his second successive victory in the under-17 race, covering the muddy two and a half mile course in 17 minutes 25 seconds. This led Striders to their best-ever position of second place in the final Division Two table. Epsom won with 248.5 points, but Striders’ total of 312 saw them finish ahead of Dorking (335), Kingston (335) and Dulwich (354.5).

Striders’ senior men also did well to finish fourth of the nine competing clubs. They were again led by James Buchanan who continued his improvement to place sixth of the 151 finishers, recording 30 minutes 47 seconds for the five-mile course. Justin Macenhill continued his return to form by placing eighth (31.21), closely followed by Duncan Lancashire in ninth (31.27). Matt Morgan was 36th (33.55) with Simon Ambrosi 57th (35.31) and Darren Piper 59th (35.35). Striders’ next four runners were all veterans. John Foster ran well for 62nd (35.56) with Gerry Crispie 67th (36.13) and Chris Morton 68th (36.17). Ian Campbell, returning to club colours after a long absence through injury, completed the scoring team in 83rd (36.59).

James in top hundred for south of England trial

Striders of Croydon faced strong opposition in the Southern Cross-Country Championships at Parliament Hill Fields on Saturday. Their best performance came from James Buchanan who ran very well to place 89th of the 832 finishers, covering the muddy eight and a half mile course in 54 minutes 18 seconds. Duncan Lancashire also ran well for 203rd (58.07) with Darren Piper 396th (64.03) and Simon Ambrosi 422nd (64.43). Team manager Chris Morton was 437th (65.04) with Neil Furze 606th (70.07) and Paul Weir 807th (85.09). Striders placed 41st out of the 86 complete teams.

Striders’ only competitor in the women’s race was Suzy Yates who placed 195th of the 326 finishers, covering the five-mile course in 45 minutes 05 seconds.

Simon Ambrosi's report from Parliament Hill

On Saturday I took part in the South of England cross country Championships in Parliament Hill. The weather was much nicer than it had been for the London Championships last month, with clear blue skies and a reasonable temperature for this time of year. I bumped into my Striders team mates hanging around in the underground looking shifty so didn't have to worry about getting lost on the walk to the race. It's great to see the professionalism of our team as James (our speedy runner for the day) was bouncing around like a schoolboy when he saw 'Rocket Ronnie' warming up in the park.

We changed in the Lido so as not to intimidate too many of the other runners in the 'elite' changing rooms and got to the course just in time to see the senior ladies finish. It's really difficult to describe how Pippa looked as she came over to wish us luck for the men's race, let's just say the head to toe mud covering isn't one of her best outfits (but who cares when you come 65th out of 326 of the best women in the South of England!!) I didn't see Viv or Su but I'd love to hear how they 'enjoyed' the course. Suzy Yates wasn't going to be beaten by her cold and put in a great performance to come 195th for Striders and was obviously loving every minute of it as she was able to speak as she started her second lap, something along the lines of 'this is the worst race ever!'

Ok, now for the men's race!! Race strategy, start at the back and then you can't get overtaken by anyone. I didn't realise how many people were actually taking part (832 finished) but the start line seemed to be about a mile long. It started uphill through mud, along a flat bit of mud and then downhill through some more mud. There must have been lorries driving through the night from Croydon to Parliament Hill as they managed to get the same 'wrong type of mud' that we had for the Surreys. By the end of the first lap of 3 my calves were burning and I had mud splattered on my face. The quality of runners was amazing but we still had great performances from Phil and Nick doing their bit for L&G (and their clubs). James was happy cos he managed to overtake 'the rocket' who is actually a very good (and hairy) runner, coming 189th for some Essex club. I managed 422nd which I was pleased with and was nicely nestled between Darren and Chris from Striders with Duncan a bit further ahead and Neil and Paul not too far behind, making Striders 41st team out of 86 in the whole of the South of England!!

After the race we retired to the pub, after me and Darren froze our feet off buying commemorative hoodies, where it all just went down hill. I left the pub at 7 to go and meet someone so was a bit surprised to be at the bar buying another round at 10 past 7. Paul repeated this trick a while later after leaving to go home to the missus! At 9:26 Chris declared he was drunk and began operation 'steal the men's team trophy from the table the other side of the pub'. Not complete success but he did manage to get a photo of him with the cup!! So all in all a successful day!! Full results below.

http://mcs.open.ac.uk/mkac/08seaaxcall.htm

Skippy

Striders women maintain promotion push

Striders of Croydon’s women produced another good team performance in the third Surrey Women's Cross-Country League Division Two match of the season, at Reigate on Saturday. They finished third of the 33 teams and, with just one match remaining, have an excellent chance of promotion back to Division One.

Striders’ women were led home by Serena Stracey, making a welcome return after injury. She placed 13th of the 130 finishers, covering the undulating four-mile course in 27 minutes 27 seconds. Faye Stammers also ran well for 21st (28.29), with the improving Suzy Yates just behind in 22nd (28.37). Kerry Backshell was 34th (29.25) and Steph Upton completed the scoring team in 42nd (30.16).

Striders also had the second B team to finish. Andrea Jefferies made an excellent debut to place 50th (31.01). Susannah Oliver was 62nd (32.32) with Linda Daniel 79th (34.11), Amalia Da Silva Lima 89th (35.13) and Louise Gough 96th (35.49).

Meanwhile Striders’ men were competing in their Division Two match at Richmond Park, and finished fifth of the nine competing clubs. They were again led home by James Buchanan, who ran very well to place eighth of the 150 finishers, covering the five-mile course in 28 minutes 40 seconds. Justin Macenhill continued his return to form by placing 16th (29.40) with Duncan Lancashire 27th (30.24) and Damian Macenhill 42nd (31.45). Iain Harrison made a welcome return after a long absence through injury and ran well for 53rd (32.13) with Darren Piper 56th (32.28), Matt Morgan 63rd (32.55) and Simon Ambrosi 65th (33.01). Team manager Chris Morton was 82nd (34.06) with Neil Furze completing the scoring team in 88th (34.22)

Striders also had five non-scorers: 94 John Foster 34.41; 99 Mick Turner 34.54; 115 Steve Smith 36.17; 122 Alan Dolton 36.45; 145 Paul Weir 42.10.

Simon Ambrosi's report from Richmond Park :

Yes, we're already 3 quarters of the way through the Surrey League for this season and I'm already feeling worn out!

The 3rd race was held on Saturday in Reigate (for Div 1 & 2 ladies and Div 1 men) and Richmond Park (Div 2 men). Luckily I was at Richmond Park as it sounds like this was the drier, less muddy and generally nicer course. I got the train to Barnes which is about a mile away so not bad for a jog warm up to the start and discovered this is where The Priory is (unfortunately no vacancies at the moment so may have to wait a bit before checking myself in for my running addiction - addiction, I've not got an addiction!).

There was a good turn out for Striders, most of the team turning out about 5 minutes before the start, that's the professionalism we like to see, but it's all about how you run the race that's important. Fortunately the pre race preparation didn't seem to affect us with lots of good performances. James is just a bit too quick and finished around 8th place with Justin (fully recovered?) 2nd for Striders not too far behind. Next positions were something like, Duncan, Damian, Ian, Darren (still putting his number on as the rest of us were jogging to the start), Matt, Me (making the mistake of giving words of encouragement to Matt when I caught up with him, causing him to speed off like a startled rabbit), Chris and Neil (I don't start too quickly) Furze making up the first team. Not too far behind were Mick, John, Steve, Alan and Paul. Batten Jnr did his bit in the juniors race but don't know how he got on as the end clashed with our start, hopefully he's just getting quicker all the time.

I know Nick Hodges was running but didn't see him and guess he was close to the front if not winning the whole race. There was another familiar Dorking runner, this one taking part in the Surrey League for the first time, who resembled Rob Gill in every way apart from the fact I was only 1 minute 20 secs away from him over the 5 mile course. I have to mention this as it's the closest I'm gonna get, especially as it looks like Dorking will be getting promoted to Div 1 at the end of the season.

Can't find any mens Div 2 results but here are the ladies, with Striders in a comfortable 3rd place overall in Div 2. Good to see Serena is racing again and let's hope no new injuries.

http://www.rpac.org.uk/website.php?load=20080112surreycrosscountryleaguedivision2seniorladiesindividual

http://www.rpac.org.uk/website.php?load=20080112surreycrosscountryleaguedivision1seniorladiesindividual

Next cross country for me is the Southerns in Parliament Hill, 15K of 6 inch mud, mud, glorious mud!

James shows his class at Lloyd Park

Striders of Croydon faced strong opposition in the annual Surrey Cross-Country Championships, held at Lloyd Park on Saturday. Their women’s team finished seventh, while their men’s team were tenth.

Striders’ women were led by Faye Stammers who placed 47th, covering the undulating five-mile course in 42 minutes 07. She was closely followed by Suzy Yates who placed 49th (42.30). Susannah Oliver was 57th (45.18) with Emily Campbell 64th (46.55), Natalie Osher 72nd (51.25) and Isabelle Kita 73rd (53.01).

Striders’ men were led by James Buchanan who had an outstanding run to place 24th of the 151 finishers, covering the seven and a half mile course in exactly 48 minutes. Striders’ next man home was Darren Piper who placed 75th (55.16), closely followed by veteran John Foster who was 77th (55.34). Damian Macenhill was 80th (55.54) with Abdul Abdi 84th (56.26) and Simon Ambrosi completing the scoring team in 92nd (57.16). Team manager Chris Morton was 94th (57.19) with Neil Furze 96th (57.55).

Striders’ Nicholas Batten placed 29th in the under-17 race, covering the four-mile course in 30 minutes 32 seconds.

Simon Ambrosi's report from Lloyd Park

Saturday was the Surrey Cross Country Championships in Lloyd Park and was a tough race to start 2008. Lloyd Park is notoriously muddy at the best of times and the mud seemed to be of the extra sticky variety, well that's my excuse anyway.

As I walked to the start I saw the senior women on their second lap and did think Viv was looking a bit slow going up a hill but when I got to the same spot in my race I felt a bit guilty about it as the long grass wasn't helping me find any grip and with a lot of spectators shouting (mainly about my hat) it was a tricky part of the course. While we're on the subject of my hat I'd like to point out that I wasn't wearing my usual racing woolly hat due to an accident before the race and with the added weight and upsetting of my whole balance probably added a few minutes to my time.

Back to the women's race, I didn't see too many people I recognised but was pleased to see Faye doing well for striders with Superstar Suzy Yates hot on her heels. Susannah and Emily also ran well to make up the rest of the team. Pippa finished an impressive 8th overall with Viv in 30th. I'm told Anne was running under her pseudonym Caroline Court and came home in 27th, looks like the marathon training's started, well done Lynda in 61st, a few more races and you'll be battling with the rest of them.

The men's race was 3 x 2.5 mile laps of the course (women's was only 2) and I learnt something very useful in this race, don't start next to Nick Hodges!! I was neck and neck with him all the way until the race started and then felt like I was running backwards. I didn't see Phil at all but heard he was speeding away from the field the whole way to finish 2 and a half minutes in front of 2nd place (but didn't lap me - woo hoo!) The support was great, should be some good photos somewhere! There was the usual battle between Striders with James finishing best for us in 24th. The real battle saw Darren beating the rest of us with an in form John Foster right behind him then a series of Striders, Damian, Abdul (very well run and strong on the last lap), me (lap times were 18, 19, 20 so glad it ended when it did), Chris (speeding up throughout the race), Neil (scarily quick), Mick (back after injury), Steve, Gavin, Tom, Paul W, Brian, Dave D. (All times in the link attached) We came 10th overall and beat Croydon harriers so that's the main thing!

Also impressive for L&G was Andy McDonald (fresh from baby stuff) in 60th, Ken in 113th and John Allen in 148th (I think that was a fair bit quicker than last year).

http://www.belgraveharriers.com/2008/SyXC20080105.xls

Reports for 2007

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 13^{th
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.

Reports from 2006

South of Thames xc - fixture 1 - men & women - 25th November 2006
Surrey League xc - fixture 2 - women & men - 11th November 2006
East Surrey League - fixture 1 - 28th October 2006
Surrey League xc - fixture 1 - women & men - 7th October 2006
Wimbledon 10 - 1st October 2006
Switchback 5 - 24th September 2006
River Relay - 10th September 2006
Surrey Road relays - 9th September 2006
Brussels marathon - 3rd September 2006
Wimbledon 5K - 13th August 2006
Elmbridge 10K - 23rd July 2006
Elmore 7 - 15th July 2006
Dysart Dash - 25th June 2006
Southern League Vets - 19th June 2006
Dorking 10 - 4th June 2006
Rosenheim League - 24th May 2006
Richmond half marathon -14th May 2006 & Rosenheim League - 10th May 2006
Sutton 10K - 7th May 2006
London Marathon - 23rd April & Rotterdam Marathon 9th April 2006
Maidenhead 10 & East Surrey League - fixture 4 - 14th & 11th April 2006
Cranleigh 15 & 21 miles road races - 26th March 2006
Box Hill relays / Brentwood & Hastings half marathons - 11th & 12th March 2006
Sidcup 10 - 12th February 2006
Surrey League XC - fixture 4 - women & men - 4th February 2006
East Surrey League - xc relay - Wimbledon Common - 21st January 2006
Surrey League XC - fixture 3 - women & men - 14th January 2006
Surrey County Cross Country Championships - 7th January 2006

Scott, Duncan and Kerry lead Striders at windy Epsom Downs

Striders of Croydon faced strong opposition in the South of Thames Cross-Country Association annual inter-club race, held on Saturday on an undulating course at Epsom Downs which was somewhat longer than the advertised distance of five miles. In the eight-to-score competition for the Brent Shield, Striders did well to place fifth. Striders’ women also placed fifth in their event, despite fielding a relatively inexperienced team.

Striders’ first man home was Scott Antony who ran well to place 29th in 32.48. Duncan Lancashire was close behind in 32nd (33.11), while Darren Piper was 56th (35.06). Veteran Dave Batten had an excellent run to place 77th (36.58). Team manager Chris Morton was 91st (37.55), with Simon Ambrosi 111th (39.32), Steve Smith 118th (40.58) and Alan Dolton 119th (41.01).

Striders’ first woman home was Kerry Backshell who ran well to place 17th of the 40 finishers (41.07). Amalia de Silva Lima was 35th (48.39) with Sarah Milne 37th (52.24), Claire Farrugia 38th (52.58) and Yasmin Ramsay 39th (54.56).

Other Striders in the men’s race were: 125 Richard Edwards 41.50; 131 Simon Reay-Jones 42.35; 132 Matt O’Hare 42.41; 135 Tom Littlewood 43.49; 137 John Gannon 44.20; 142 Paul Weir 45.09; 148 Patrick Chung 47.56. There were 153 finishers.

Steph leads Striders to third place at Lightwater

Striders of Croydon’s women’s team did very well to place third out of 18 clubs in their Surrey Cross-Country League Division Two match at Lightwater on Saturday. Runnymede won the match with 86 points, ahead of Elmbridge (161), Striders (165) and Kingston (167). In the overall table Striders are fourth, just behind Kingston and Elmbridge.

Striders were led home by Stephanie Upton, who placed 15th of the 97 finishers, covering the four-mile course in 28 minutes 37 seconds. She was closely followed by Faye Stammers who placed 18th (28.45). Kerry Backshell was 28th (29.25) with Amalia Da Silva Lima 49th (32.42) and veteran Linda Daniel completing the team in 55th (33.03). The race was won by Redhill’s highly talented 15-year-old Sophie Cowper, who ran 25 minutes 31.

Striders of Croydon's men's team did well to finish third of the nine competing clubs in their Surrey Cross-Country League Division Two match at Wimbledon Common on Saturday. Home club Hercules-Wimbledon gained a clear win with 228 points, followed by Wimbledon Windmilers (413), Striders (424), Epsom (432), Dorking (447), Sutton (462), Kingston (492), Croydon Harriers (588) and Walton (609).

Striders were again led home by Justin Macenhill, who ran well to finish ninth. Matt Morgan had his best race for the club and finished 22nd, while new member Dave Archer had an excellent run to place 26th. Duncan Lancashire made a welcome return after a long absence through injury and placed 30th. Scott Antony was 35th with Damian Macenhill 56th and Paul Finch 62nd. Striders’ next two runners were both veterans, with Nigel Davidson 63rd and Bob Ewen 68th. Darren Piper completed the scoring team in 69th place, while Striders showed their strength in depth with eight non-scorers.

Justin breaks more records while Ian capitalises in Amsterdam

Striders of Croydon did well to take third place in the East Surrey League’s annual cross-country race at Lloyd Park last Saturday. Hercules-Wimbledon won the match with 45 points, ahead of Epsom (48) and Striders (55). Striders were again led home by Justin Macenhill, who produced another good run to place sixth, covering the undulating five-mile course in 30 minutes 39 seconds. The next Strider was Matt Morgan was in 14th place (32.53) with Damian Macenhill 15th (33.10) and Paul Finch 20th (33.40). Veteran Bob Ewen was third in the over-50 category (33.48), while club stalwart Nigel Davidson was not far behind (33.58). Barry Finch placed second in the over-55 category (38.38) with Colin Cotton returning after injury to place third (38.58).

Striders’ women were led home by Kerry Backshell, who placed 67th (40.08) and was fourth woman to finish. Yasmin Ramsay was 95th (51.21) and Sarah Milne 96th (51.54).

Striders have also produced some good performances in recent road races. Ian Campbell ran a personal best 2 hours 51 minutes 46 seconds in the Amsterdam Marathon, lifting him to sixth place in the club’s all-time rankings. On the same day Justin Macenhill ran a personal best of 56 minutes 18 seconds in the Cabbage Patch 10 mile road race, placing 19th in a field of more than 1000.

Faye and Steph lead Striders women to good start at Epsom

To those of you who did not make the event…..it was a run around the Epson race course in excellent running weather. That is, no mud (Karen !!!), lots if ladies (ooops!) and sunny with a breeze. The course was a two lap of ‘rolling hill’, totalling 5.5k The ladies know what I mean by that. A lot of effort put into the event which has paid off as shown by the results. It was great to see their happy, smiling faces at the end of the race. I thought that they were happy to see me again but no they were just happy to have completed. All the team were home in 26 minutes!!!!
The team of six did extremely well to get us off to a great start for the season. We, that is those who took part on Saturday, are going to get the Ladies team back into division one at the first attempt this season, so we could do with some additional runners. We need a minimum of 5 in the team to count but every additional runner displaces another scoring runner, so come on ladies lets show Surrey what Striders of Croydon can do.
Team finished in a very respectable fifth place with Faye who set the Strider pace in 88^th with a time on 23:44, Stephanie Upton who made great strides on Faye in the closing stages to finish in 89^th in 23:50. Kerry kept the pace on the other runners by pushing for the 110^th position in 24:21. Then it was Stephanie Gilmour giving her ‘all’ by arriving in 157^th position in the tightest section of the field in 26:02. Linda Daniel was only a few second behind Stephanie 26:24 and successfully keeping other runners away from the crucial lower positions by arriving at position 166. Then Amalia do the dirty work of closing the team off by displacing the remaining runners from other clubs by striding out at the final quarter of a lap…running like a gazelle to sprint to the finish in a time of 26:54 and 182nd position.
Well done to Steph Upton, Stephanie Gilmour, Amalia Da Silva Lima, Linda Daniel, Kerry Backshell and Faye Stammers. (John Ralf)

Solid start for Striders men at Richmond Park

Striders of Croydon produced some good performances to place fourth of nine clubs at the opening Surrey Cross-Country League Division Two match of the season, at Richmond Park on Saturday. Wimbledon Windmilers won the match with 360 points, ahead of Hercules-Wimbledon (399), Epsom (411), Striders (419), Kingston (443), Dorking (481), Sutton (501), Walton (512) and Croydon Harriers (569).

Striders were led home by Justin Macenhill, who ran well to place eighth of the 129 finishers, covering the five-mile course in 29 minutes 30 seconds. Scott Antony also ran well for 23rd (31.04) with Damian Macenhill 30th (31.56). Veteran Bob Ewen had an excellent run to place 42nd overall and second in the over-50 category (32.36). Darren Piper was close behind in 43rd (32.40) with Tony Sheppard 47th (32.52) and Matt Morgan 49th (33.05). John Foster placed 53rd (33.20) with Nigel Davidson 61st (33.35) and Chris Morton 76th (34.37).

Darren leads winning Striders team

Striders of Croydon produced an excellent performance to win the team event at Hercules-Wimbledon’s annual ten-mile road race, held on Sunday on a rain-soaked and hilly course. Striders’ total of 53 points placed them ahead of Serpentine (60) and Hercules-Wimbledon (63), while Striders’ B team did well to take fourth place. Striders were led home by Darren Piper who ran strongly to place 18th in 65 minutes 14 seconds. Striders’ next three runners were all veterans. Club secretary Chris Morton was close behind in 20th (65.27), while Dave Batten also ran well for 26th (67.57) with Alan Dolton 38th (73.31). Paul Weir was 53rd (77.22) and was followed by John Humphries (55th, 77.45); Peter Shew (56th, 78.05); Tom Littlewood (66th, 80.45); James Mason (71st, 81.38); Dave Denton (89th, 87.22) and Patrick Chung (97th, 89.40). There were 123 finishers.

Mike Cummings wins Switchback 5

Striders of Croydon organised their annual ‘Switchback’ five-mile race over an undulating course in Lloyd Park and Addington Hills on Sunday. In unusually hot conditions, the winner was Mike Cummings of Herne Hill. His time of 28.18 placed him exactly a minute clear of second-placed Barry Korro. The first veteran was Graham Hansen (30.32), still running well twenty years after he won the first Croydon 10K. The first woman finisher was Viv Mitchell of South London Harriers (35.01), with Yvonne Hill of Ranelagh second (36.55).

Striders won the team event. They were led home by Bob Ewen, who was the first over-50 runner to finish, placing seventh overall (31.44). Club secretary Chris Morton was 11th (33.34) with Dominic Hawkins close behind in 13th (33.46). Other Striders to finish were: 33 Peter Shew (38.21); 34 Alan Dolton (38.32); 36 John Humphries (38.41); 42 Phil Mazur (39.57); 51 Tom Littlewood (41.25); 54 Dave Denton (42.13); 67 Louise Gough (46.47). There were 80 finishers.

Battens help out in Striders' relays

Striders of Croydon faced strong opposition at the annual Surrey Road Relays, held at Wimbledon Park on Saturday. They had to settle for 13th place out of the 18 competing teams.

Matt Morgan gave Striders a good start, covering the hilly three-mile course in 16 minutes 39 seconds. Justin Macenhill ran the second leg and recorded Striders’ fastest time of the day with 15 minutes 32 seconds. He was followed by John Foster (17 minutes 21), Darren Piper (17 minutes 27) and Dominic Hawkins (18 minutes 24). On the final leg Scott Antony made a welcome return to Striders’ team, running 16 minutes 47 seconds.

Striders’ veterans placed 10th out of 12 teams in the over-40 race. Their best performance came from Dave Batten, the oldest member of the team, who ran the final leg in 17 minutes 18 seconds. The team’s other runners were Chris Morton (18.12), Alan Dolton (19.29) and Dave Denton (22.19).

On the following day Striders competed in the six-stage River Relay over a 31-mile point-to-point course from Virginia Water to Petersham. Striders did well to place 10th of the 40 competing teams. Their team comprised Nicholas Batten, Dave Batten, Matt Morgan, Karen Peake, John Foster and Chris Morton.

Neoclis Kyritsis moves close to 100 marathons at Brussels.

Nick ran well in Brussels to get near to the 100 mark which he hopes to achieve in London next year. He ran the marathon in 4:04:38 on a testing course. Alan Purchase was just in front with 3:21:51. By the time you read this Nick will have run another marathon!

Dave Batten keeps up top Vets form at Wimbledon

Striders of Croydon produced some good performances at the Surrey 5 kilometre road running championships, held at Wimbledon on Sunday. Their first finisher was Pawel Bal, who placed 28th in 17 minutes 11 seconds. Damian Macenhill was 60th (18.21), while veteran Dave Batten had an excellent run to place second in the over-50 category and 63rd overall (18.26). John Foster was 71st (18.46), Darren Piper 86th (19.22), Chris Morton 87th (19.24) and Nigel Finch 99th (19.55). Barry Finch was sixth in the over-50 category and 118th overall (20.17).

Striders’ leading woman was the improving Karen Peake, who placed 34th in the women’s race and 191st overall (24.29).

Veteran Dave finishes 4th in age group at Elmbridge

Striders were well represented in the Elmbridge 10 kilometre road race on Sunday, which was part of the Surrey Road League. Striders’ men finished ninth, while their women placed 14th. Striders were led home by Pawel Bal who placed 22nd in 35 minutes 52. Veteran Dave Batten again ran well for 56th (38.50) while Dominic Hawkins was 77th (39.52). Barry Finch was 137th (42.44), with Steve Smith close behind in 142nd (42.53) and club chairman John Gannon 157th (43.38).

Striders’ first woman finisher was Kerry Backshell, who placed 34th in the women’s race, recording 44 minutes 18. Karen Peake was 103rd (52.57) with Carol Hollingworth 114th (54.44) and Jacqui Mazur 163rd (61.35).

Justin manages the heat to finish third at Elmore 7

Striders of Croydon produced some good performances in very hot conditions at the annual Elmore 7-mile road race, held at Chipstead and organised by heir local rivals South London Harriers. Striders were led home by Justin Macenhill, who ran very well to come third of the 342 finishers, covering the hilly seven-mile course in 40 minutes 54 seconds. Pawel Bal also ran well to place sixth (42.08), while Damian Macenhill was 16th (44.47). Dave Batten was fourth in the over-50 category and 26th overall (46.14). Daren Piper placed 29th (46.32) and Dominic Hawkins 37th (47.43).

Striders’ women were led home by Serena Stracey who was the sixth woman finisher, placing 65th (50.10). Stephanie Upton also ran well for 113th (53.53) while Kerry Backshell was 128th (54.57). Karen McDermott was 249th (65.48) and Michele Meech 275th (68.39). Striders had an impressive total of 25 finishers

Pawel leads Striders at Dysart

Striders of Croydon faced strong opposition in the Dysart 10 kilometre road race on Sunday, which incorporated the Surrey Championships. They were led home by Pawel Bal, who placed 29th in 36 minutes 20 seconds, moving him into the top 25 in Striders’ all-time rankings. Veteran John Foster was 74th (39.21), and Darren Piper also ran well for 83rd (39.45). Club secretary Chris Morton was 108th (41.04), while Mike Willans was 133rd (42.03) and Dominic Hawkins 164th (43.39).

Striders’ first woman was Kerry Backshell who placed 180th overall (44.20). Serena Stracey, despite suffering from a bad cough, was not far behind in 191st (44.59). Karen Peake was 371st (57.05) and Louise Mayne 381st (58.18).

Vets all-rounders have a go for Striders

Striders of Croydon placed fifth of eight clubs in their Southern Veterans League match at Kingsmeadow Stadium on Monday. For the over 50s, Dave Batten was second in the 1500 metres (5.11.6), fourth in the 400 metres (66.3) and fifth in the 100 metres (14.8). Graham Pullen was fourth in the shot putt (4.63), hammer (9.99) and long jump (2.98)

For the over 40s, Dave Lovell was third in both the 400 metres (63.3) and the shot putt (6.81), and sixth in the A 100 metres (14.3). Chris Morton was fourth in the A 5000 metres (19.52.8) and fifth in the A 1500 metres (5.39.3). Steve Smith was fourth in the long jump (3.97), third in the B 100 metres (15.3) and fourth in the B 1500 metres (5.56.3). Alan Dolton was fourth in the B 5000 metres (19.58.4). Striders placed fifth in the medley relay.

Serena stepping up on the comeback trail

Striders of Croydon faced strong opposition in the Dorking 10-mile road race on Sunday, which incorporated the Surrey Championships and the second Surrey Road League fixture. In the team event, Striders’ women placed eighth, while their men placed eleventh.

Striders’ women were led by Serena Stracey. Despite still recovering from a bad knee injury, she produced an excellent run to place 14th in the women’s race, recording 71 minutes 37 seconds. Club colleague Kerry Backshell also ran well for 21st (74.00). There were also solid runs from Kate Custis in 82nd (85.24) and Karen Peake in 94th (87.13).

In the men’s race, Striders were again led home by the Macenhill brothers. Justin ran well for 15th place (59.30) while Damian was 40th (62.55). Striders’ third finisher was Pawel Bal who placed 67th (65.45). Veteran Dave Batten was ninth in the over-50 category and 100th overall (68.31), while club secretary Chris Morton placed 118th (69.47).

Track & Field stars gain Striders second place at Croydon

Striders of Croydon produced some excellent performances to finish second of the six competing clubs in their Rosenheim League match at a very wet Croydon Arena on Wednesday. Croydon Harriers won the match with 55 points, but Striders’ total of 46 placed them ahead of Hercules-Wimbledon (44), South London Harriers (39), Serpentine (31), and Herne Hill (26).

Striders were given a good start by Matt Morgan, who won the opening event, the 2000 metre steeplechase. Justin Macenhill ran well for second in the 800 metres and third in the 200 metres. Scott Antony was second in the 400 metres, while Paul Finch was second in the high jump and fourth in the 1500 metres. Pawel Bal was third in the 3000 metres, and Striders also took third in the 4 x 200 metre relay.

This result lifts Striders to third in the league table, behind Croydon Harriers and Hercules-Wimbledon but ahead of the other three competing clubs.

Striders’ women were short of numbers, but placed third in their match, with Clare McFadzean running well to take second place in the 3000 metres.

Scott and Justin set club track records at Battersea

Striders of Croydon’s veteran distance runner Don Kayum produced an excellent performance in the Surrey Half-Marathon Championships at Richmond on Sunday. He placed third in the over-50 category, and 49th overall of the 725 finishers, recording a time of 1 hour 23 minutes 57 seconds.

Striders’ track and field team finished fifth of the six competing clubs in their opening Rosenheim League match of the season at Battersea on Wednesday. Croydon Harriers won with 49 points, ahead of Hercules-Wimbledon (48), Herne Hill (48), Serpentine (41), Striders (35) and South London Harriers (18). Scott Antony did well to set new club records of 24.7 seconds for the 200 metres and 11.17 metres in the triple jump. Justin Macenhill also ran well to record 55.4 for the 400 metres and 9 minutes 34 for the 3000 metres.

Pawel leads Striders home at Sutton

Striders of Croydon had 15 finishers in the Sutton 10 kilometre road race at Beddington Park on Sunday, which was the first race in this season’s Surrey Road League.

Striders were led home by Pawel Bal, who covered the course in 39 minutes 3 seconds, finishing 44th of the 409 finishers. Dave Batten ran well to place fourth in the over-50 category and 57th overall, recording 39 minutes 54. Long-distance specialist Dave Shaw was 73rd (41.17) with Richard Edwards 89th (42.13). Striders placed tenth out of the 27 competing teams.

Striders’ women were not at full strength, with some of their leading runners not yet having recovered from the London Marathon. However there were good runs by both Jan Baldwin (64.04) and Jacqui Mazur (64.05), keeping the team’s league hopes alive.

Striders’ other finishers were: 101 Nigel Finch 42.35; 136 Steve Smith 44.43; 166 Tom Littlewood 46.00; 177 John Humphries 46.24; 194 Peter Shew 47.42; 202 James Mason 48.10; 213 Dave Denton 48.37; 232 Mick George 49.28; 343 Steve Tyler 56.45.

Don and Bob break more vets 50 records

Striders of Croydon had 21 finishers in the London Marathon on Sunday. Their best performance came from veteran Don Kayum, who recorded a new club over-50 record of 3 hours 00 minutes 28 seconds, agonisingly close to the three-hour mark but more than 18 minutes faster than the previous record set by the late Tony Eve in 1990.

Paul Finch, making his marathon debut, also ran well to record 3 hours 14 minutes 47. There were also some excellent performances from Striders’ women. They were led home by Kerry Backshell who ran a personal best 3 hours 28 minutes 16, lifting her to eighth place in Striders’ all-time rankings. She was closely followed by Stephanie Noyce (3.32.11), Faye Stammers (3.36.36) and Stephanie Upton (3.40.31), all of these being new personal bests.

Striders’ other finishers were: Peter Shew 3.56.21; Geoff Pennells 3.57.00; Dave Denton 3.57.32; Robin Jamieson 4.16.05; Greg Evans 4.25.08; Gideon Mitchell 4.26.49; Nick Kyritsis 4.28.01; James Mason 4.29.19; Tom Stevens 4.41.46; Claire Farrugia 4.44.36; Steve Tyler 4.49.57; Michele Meech 5.08.09; Jan Baldwin 5.08.22; Susan Haynes 5.11.26; Kerry Kane 5.21.56.

A fortnight previously 3 Striders ran in the Rotterdam marathon. Damian Macenhill recorded the best performance of the season so far with an impressive sub 3 hour run - finishing in 2 hours 56 minutes. Meanwhile Phil Mazur completed his fourth marathon of the season in 3.56.21 whilst Nick Kyritsis completed his 85th marathon - heading towards his goal of 100.

On Good Friday Striders’ Bob Ewen had produced an excellent run in the Maidenhead 10-mile road race, setting a new club over-50 record of 61 minutes 28 seconds. Club colleague Matt Morgan also ran well to set a personal best of 59 minutes 42 seconds.

Striders finished fourth in the team event at the East Surrey League road race at Ewell, ensuring them second place in the overall league table. Their leading runner at Ewell was Justin Macenhill who placed fifth, covering the 4.2 mile course in 23 minutes 39 seconds. Matt Morgan also ran well for ninth place (24.39), with Paul Finch 13th (25.41). Veteran Chris Morton completed the scoring team with 21st place (26.27), closely followed by Mark Eardley (25th, 26.43) and Dave Batten (26th, 26.46). Epsom won the league with 46 points, ahead of Striders (37), Croydon Harriers (32) and Hercules-Wimbledon (30).

Justin wins Cranleigh race for Striders

Striders of Croydon’s leading distance runner, Justin Macenhill, produced an excellent run to win the Cranleigh 15-mile road race on Sunday. He covered the undulating course in 1 hour 33 minutes 7 seconds, finishing 38 seconds clear of second-placed Chris Finill of Harrow.

Justin’s brother Damian Macenhill continued his preparation for the Rotterdam Marathon by placing fourth in 1 hour 35 minutes 15. And Striders’ veteran Don Kayum ran well to win the over-50 category, placing eleventh overall (1.48.49).

Several of Striders’ marathon runners competed in the 21-mile race at the same venue. They were led home by Paul Finch, who did well to place 35th in 2 hours 31 minutes 24 seconds. Striders’ leading woman was Faye Stammers, who finished in 2 hours 47 minutes 58, just five seconds ahead of club colleague Kerry Backshell. Stephanie Upton also ran well to finish in 2 hours 50 minutes 23.

Ewen smashes Striders' Vets record

Striders of Croydon’s veteran distance runner, Bob Ewen, produced an excellent run in the Brentwood Half-Marathon on Sunday. He set a new club over-50 record of 1 hour 21 minutes 9 seconds, finishing 34th overall in a field of more than 1000. This broke the previous club record set by the late Tony Eve, which had stood since 1987.

Club colleague John Foster also ran well to record 1 hour 23 minutes 41, while in the women’s race Faye Stammers ran very well to record a personal best 1 hour 34 minutes 54, lifting her to eighth place in Striders’ all-time women’s rankings.

Meanwhile, club secretary Chris Morton ran in the Hastings Half-Marathon and ran a personal best 1 hour 24 minutes 45 seconds. Another good run came from club colleague Stephanie Upton, who ran 1 hour 41 minutes 40 seconds.

On the previous day, Striders had done well to claim third place in the East Surrey League’s annual road relay, at Boxhill. Matt Morgan gave them a good start, running the first leg of the 3500 metre course in 11 minutes 19 seconds, taking second place. Veteran John Foster ran the second leg and held second place with 12.21. Chris Morton faced strong opposition on the third leg and slipped to fourth with 12.36. On the final leg Pavel Bal regained a place with 11 minutes 49.

Stracey climbs up the rankings after Sidcup success

Striders of Croydon produced some good performances in the recent Sidcup 10-mile road race, organised by Kent Athletic Club. They were led home by club secretary Chris Morton, who placed 48th of the 369 finishers in a personal best 63 minutes 19 seconds. Paul Finch also ran well for 70th (65.37), while Mark Eardley placed 87th (66.54). Striders’ first woman home was Serena Stracey, who placed an excellent run, placing 97th overall in a personal best of 68 minutes 13, lifting her to fourth place in Striders’ all-time women’s rankings. Veteran Barry Finch also ran well, recording 71 minutes 19 for 146th place.

Striders out in numbers for cross country at Richmond Park

Striders of Croydon faced strong opposition in the final Surrey Cross-Country League cross-country races of the season, at Richmond Park on Saturday. Their women were competing in Division One, and were led home by team captain Serena Stracey who made a welcome return to form, covering the six-kilometre course in 23 minutes 37 seconds, and placing 35th of the 155 finishers. Next home was Stephanie Noyce in 60th (24.48), while Clare McFadzean placed 69th (25.02), just one place and two seconds ahead of club colleague Faye Stammers. Stephanie Upton made a welcome return after a long absence with a knee injury, and completed the scoring team in 88th (26.01). Striders placed 12th of the 15 clubs, but unfortunately this was not quite enough to save them from relegation to Division Two. Striders also fielded a B team, led by veteran Linda Daniel who placed 121st (28.07). Karen McDermott was 126th (28.39) and Pat Edwards 138th (29.58).

Later in the afternoon, Striders’ men competed in their Division Two match at the same venue. They were again led home by the consistent Justin Macenhill, who produced another good run to finish tenth of the 176 finishers, covering the 5.65 mile course in 31 minutes 41 seconds. His brother Damian Macenhill made a welcome return to form and was Striders’ second finisher, placing 43rd in 33 minutes 45 seconds, just outsprinting promising newcomer Pavel Bal. Matt Morgan was not far behind in 48th place (33.59). Striders’ next five finishers were all veterans, led home by John Foster in 52nd place (34.06). Don Kayum returned to form to place 60th (34.31), with Nigel Davidson 76th (35.22) and Chris Morton 88th (35.56). Dave Batten was 90th (36.06), while Richard Edwards completed the scoring team in 131st (38.55).Striders had a total of 17 finishers. Their non-scorers were 138 Barry Finch (39.51), 144 Steve Smith (40.44), 153 John Gannon (41.33), 155 John Ralf (41.55), 171 Dave Hoben (48.20), 172 Dave Denton (48.31), 176 Kevin Burnett (57.38).
Striders finished sixth of the nine competing clubs, and were also sixth in the Division Two table. Home club Ranelagh won the match with 163 points, ahead of Stragglers (276), Epsom (372), Hercules-Wimbledon (419), Dulwich (444), Striders (543), West 4 Harriers (584), Croydon Harriers (609) and British Airways (685).
Ranelagh also won the Division Two title with a total of 731 points, ahead of Stragglers (1456), Dulwich (1568), Hercules-Wimbledon (1622), Epsom (1890), Striders (2037), Croydon Harriers (2135), British Airways (2447) and West 4 Harriers (2494).

Matt leads Striders relay to 4th place

Striders of Croydon produced some good performances in the East Surrey League’s annual cross-country relay at Wimbledon Common on Saturday. Their A team finished fourth of the 14 competing teams, while their B team placed sixth. Scott Antony gave Striders a good start on the first leg, covering the two-mile course in 10 minutes 27 seconds, placing third. He was followed by two of Striders’ veterans. John Foster ran 10 minutes 56 and Nigel Davidson 10 minutes 35, both dropping a place to younger opponents. On the final leg Matt Morgan, returning after illness, regained a place with an impressive 10 minutes 25, overtaking Herne Hill and finishing only six seconds behind third-placed Hercules-Wimbledon.
Striders’ B team were given a solid start by veteran Dave Batten who ran 10 minutes 54 for sixth place. Team manager Chris Morton ran the second leg in 11 minutes 40, finishing seventh, and veteran John Ralf ran the third leg in 11 minutes 24, placing eighth. On the final leg newcomer Peter Palka, on a short visit to England, regained two places with an impressive 10 minutes 28.
Epsom won the relay with an aggregate time of 41 minutes 29, finishing just one second ahead of Croydon Harriers. Hercules-Wimbledon were third (42.27) and Striders fourth (42.33).

Training rewards Faye with first place

Striders of Croydon’s women faced strong opposition at their Surrey Womens Cross-Country League Division One match at Merrow, near Guildford, on Saturday. Their team score of 303 points was their best result of the season, but their A team had to settle for 12th place out of the 15 competing clubs, keeping them in the relegation zone with just one match remaining.
Striders’ best performance came from the fast-improving Faye Stammers, who gained the reward for some hard training sessions by placing 46th of the 133 finishers, covering the six-kilometre course in exactly 24 minutes. She was just one place, and four seconds, ahead of team captain Serena Stracey. They were both closely followed by Clare McFadzean, who also improved to place 51st in 24 minutes 12 seconds. Kerry Backshell was 73rd (24.59), Stephanie Noyce 86th (25.44) and veteran Pat Edwards 121st (29.36).

Meanwhile Striders’ men competed in Division Two on their home course at Lloyd Park. They finished sixth of the nine competing clubs, remaining fifth in the overall Division Two table. They were led home by Justin Macenhill, who produced an excellent run to finish eighth, covering the muddy five-mile course in 30 minutes 28 seconds. Scott Anthony also ran well for 25th (32.05), while marathon specialist Dave Shaw made a welcome return to the team in 44th (33.09). Veteran Bob Ewen also ran well for 46th (33.14), with John Foster 51st (33.33), Tony Sheppard 58th (33.49) and Paul Finch 61st (34.02). Club stalwart Nigel Davidson was 67th (34.18), with team manager Chris Morton 70th (34.26) and Andy Allison completing the scoring team in 71st (34.36).
Striders showed their strength in depth with a total of 23 finishers. Their non-scorers were: 76 Dave Batten 34.46; 78 Don Kayum 34.56; 84 Damian Macenhill 35.11; 98 Neil Millard 36.12; 105 Geoff Pennells 36.36; 107 Ian Campbell 36.43; 114 Richard Edwards 37.11; 124 Alan Dolton 38.35; 126 Barry Finch 38.50; 131 John Ralf 39.44; 132 Steve Smith 39.50; 136 Simon Smith 41.00; 152 Kevin Burnett 53.11.
Ranelagh won the match with 204 points, ahead of Dulwich 359; Epsom 398; Hercules-Wimbledon 428; Stragglers 443; Striders 488; Croydon Harriers 509; British Airways 603; and West 4 Harriers 663. In the overall table with one match left, Ranelagh lead with 568 points from Dulwich 1124; Stragglers 1180; Hercules-Wimbledon 1203; Striders 1494; Epsom 1518; Croydon Harriers 1526; British Airways 1762; and West 4 Harriers 1910.

In the boys under-15 race Nicholas Batten showed improvement to finish in 10th place in 20.18 over the 2.5 mile course.

Foster leads vets-dominated team

Striders of Croydon faced strong opposition at the Surrey Cross-Country Championships at Lloyd Park on Saturday. They were without some of their leading runners, and their first six finishers were all veterans. Their first man home was John Foster who placed 73^rd, covering the twelve kilometre course in 50 minutes 19 seconds. Bob Ewen also ran well for 90^th (51.26), while Chris Morton was 112^th (53.40) and Nigel Davidson 125^th (54.27). Striders’ next three runners had their own private battle, with Richard Edwards placing 164^th (59.09), just ahead of club colleagues Barry Finch (165^th, 59.12) and Neil Millard (166^th, 59.18). Steve Smith placed 177^th (60.56) with John Gannon 181^st (61.37) and John Ralf 184^th (62.30). There were exactly 200 finishers. Striders placed 16^th in the team event.

In the women’s race, Serena Stracey placed 47^thof the 80 finishers, covering the eight kilometres in 40 minutes 33 seconds. In the under-15 boys’ race, over four kilometres, Nicholas Batten placed 46^th in 20 minutes 26.

Reports from 2005

South of Thames - senior - 17th December 2005
Pirie 10 - 3rd December 2005
Surrey League XC - fixture 2 - women & men - 19th November 2005
South of Thames - junior - 12th November 2005
East Surrey League - fixture 1 - 22nd October 2005
Amsterdam races and Abingdon marathon - 16th October 2005
Surrey League XC - fixture 1 - women & men - 8th October 2005
Switchback 5 - 25th September 2005
Surrey Road Relays - 10th September 2005
Wimbledon 5K - 14th August 2005
Elmbridge 10K - 24th July 2005
Lloyd Park Grass relay - 6th July 2005
Dysart Dash - 26th June 2005
Southend Half - 12th June 2005
Dorking 10 - 5th June 2005
Heatherley 10 - 15th May 2005
London Marathon - 17th April 2005
Cranleigh 21 - 19th March 2005
Box Hill relays - East Surrey League - 12th March 2005
Harriers invitational XC - 5th March 2005
Surrey League XC - fixture 3 - women - 12th February 2005
Surrey League XC - fixture 3 - men - 12th February 2005
Southern Championships cross country - 29th January 2005
Surrey League XC - fixture 3 - women & men - 15th January 2005
Surrey cross country championships - Lloyd Park - 8th January 2005

Scott returns to Striders colours

Striders of Croydon faced strong opposition at the South of the Thames senior cross-country championships, held over seven and a half miles at Wimbledon Common on Saturday. The team showed their strength in depth by placing fifth in the 12-to-score event, and were 17th in the six-to-score event.

Striders' first man home was Justin Macenhill, who ran well to place 61st, recording 46 minutes 41 seconds. Scott Anthony made a welcome return to club colours with his first race for more than six months, and did well to place 104th (49.54). Club stalwart Nigel Davidson was 115th (50.41), two places ahead of Paul Finch (51.10). Veteran Dave Batten was close behind in 119th (51.34), two places ahead of team manager Chris Morton (51.48).

Striders' other finishers were 150 Gerry Crispie (55.21), 159 Alan Dolton (56.35), 161 Barry Finch (56.59), 162 Simon Reay-Jones (57.13), 178 Tom Littlewood (62.08), 183 Dave Denton (67.41) and 188 Kevin Burnett (86.05).

Justin leads Striders to team prize at Coulsdon

Striders of Croydon produced some good performances at the annual Pirie 10-mile cross-country race, organised by South London Harriers, at Coulsdon on Saturday. Striders' Justin Macenhill had an excellent run to finish second, covering the testing two-lap course in 60 minutes 25 seconds. Veteran John Foster also ran well to place 12th in exactly 65 minutes, while team-mate Dave Batten was the first over-50 to finish, placing 17th overall in 66 minutes 39 seconds. Club secretary Chris Morton was 22nd (68.39) with Paul Finch 23rd (69.07). This ensured that Striders won the team prize for the first visiting team. Richard Edwards placed 42nd (74.27) with club chairman John Gannon 47th (77.08) and Steve Smith 50th (77.40). Striders' only woman finisher was Kerry Backshell who placed seventh in the women's race and 60th overall (80.53). There were 84 finishers.

Duncan and Serena lead Striders in league races

Striders of Croydon's in-form distance runner Duncan Lancashire produced another good performance in the Surrey Cross-Country League Division Two race at Richmond Park on Saturday. He ran well to place seventh of the 170 finishers, covering the five-mile course in an impressive 28 minutes 29 seconds. He was closely followed by club colleague Justin Macenhill, who placed tenth in 28 minutes 39.

Matt Morgan also ran well to place 35th (30.26), while veteran Tony Sheppard was 52nd (31.09) and Alex Aronberg was 55th (31.16). Striders' next five runners were all veterans. Bob Ewen ran well for 58th (31.24), with Dave Batten 72nd (31.59), John Foster 75th (32.08), Don Kayum 77th (32.13) and Nigel Davidson 79th (32.17).

In the team event, Striders placed fifth of the nine competing clubs. Ranelagh won the match with 170 points, ahead of Hercules-Wimbledon (252), Dulwich (391), Stragglers (437), Striders (513), Croydon Harriers (565), British Airways (567), Epsom (579) and West 4 Harriers (597).

Meanwhile Striders' women again faced strong opposition in their Division One race at Reigate. Team captain Serena Stracey again led the team home placing 50th out of the 154 finishers, and covering the undulating five-kilometre course in 21 minutes 49 seconds. Striders' next woman home was Clare McFadzean, who ran well for 64th (22.22). Stephanie Noyce placed 75th (22.55) and Kerry Backshell was 89th (23.30). Tina Macenhill, making her league debut, was 126th (26.20), while Amalia Da Silva Lima placed 135th (27.11) and Patricia Edwards 143rd (28.30).

Lancashire leads Striders home

Striders of Croydon produced an excellent team performance in the annual South of the Thames cross-country team race, held over a five-mile course at Lloyd Park on Saturday. The eight-to-score competition for the Brent Shield was won by Kent AC with 151 points, with South London Harriers second with 338. Striders did very well to place third with 470 points, ahead of Hercules-Wimbledon (519), Herne Hill (532) and Croydon Harriers (637). Striders' B team showed the club's strength in depth by taking seventh place. In the four-to-score event, Striders did well to place ninth of the 32 competing teams.

Striders' first man home was Duncan Lancashire, who ran very well to place 16th in a strong field, recording 30 minutes 34 seconds. Justin Macenhill again ran well for 25th (31.00), while Matt Morgan had a good run to place 56th (32.41). Striders' next two runners were both veterans, with Tony Sheppard placing 65th (33.14) and John Foster 67th (33.19). Alex Aronberg placed 81st (34.02), with Paul Finch 87th (34.25). Veteran Dave Batten completed the eight-man team in 90th (34.30).

Striders' B team was led by team manager Chris Morton, who placed 98th (34.48). Their other team members were: 122 Richard Edwards (36.37); 133 Neil Millard (37.14); 149 Alan Dolton (38.07); 151 Barry Finch (38.47); 157 John Gannon (39.11); 159 John Ralf (39.15); 160 Colin Cotton (39.21); 175 Steve Smith (40.28).

Three of Striders' women also competed. Their best performance came from Stephanie Noyce, who ran well to place 27th in the women's race, recording 40 minutes 33. Tina Macenhill was 47th (47.06) and veteran Pat Edwards was 50th (49.41).

Justin leads team home at Lloyd Park

Striders of Croydon had a good turnout of 19 competitors at Saturday's East Surrey Cross-Country League race in Lloyd Park. Their A team placed fourth, again being led home by the consistent Justin Macenhill, who ran well to place seventh of the 105 finishers, covering the undulating five-mile course in 30 minutes 42 seconds. John Foster also ran well to place 21st in 33 minutes 03 seconds, just one place and two seconds ahead of club colleague Matt Morgan. Veteran Bob Ewen ran well for 24th (33.31), placing fifth in the over-50 category. Damian Macenhill was 27th (33.51), while Dave Batten placed 30th (34.02) and was fourth in the over-50 category. Nigel Davidson, returning after injury, was 34th (34.21) and team manager Chris Morton was 41st (34.58).

Striders' leading woman was Patricia Carr who was the 15th woman to finish, in a time of 48 minutes 22. In the young athletes' race, over two miles, Laura Pennells ran steadily to record 18 minutes 52, placing fifth in the under-15 girls' category.

Striders blooming in Amsterdam

Striders of Croydon's women's captain, Serena Stracey, produced another outstanding run in the Amsterdam Half-Marathon. She placed fourteenth in the women's race, and her time of 91 minutes 44 seconds moved her up to fourth place in Striders' all-time women's rankings. There were also good performances from the Macenhill brothers. Justin placed sixteenth in the men's race in a personal best 77 minutes 22 seconds, while Damian placed 56th in 81 minutes 52 seconds. Striders had a total of nine finishers in the half-marathon, plus four finishers in the full marathon, where their leading runner was club stalwart Alan Purchase, who recorded 3 hours 38 minutes 6 seconds.

Meanwhile Striders' Kerry Backshell led the club contingent in the Abingdon Marathon, beating all the club's men as she recorded a personal best of 3 hours 35 minutes 41 seconds, placing 31st in the women's race and lifting her to tenth place in Striders' all-time women's marathon rankings.

Striders begin cross country season

Striders of Croydon's women faced strong opposition in the first Surrey Womens Cross-Country League Division One match of the season, at Wimbledon Common on Saturday. Having been promoted from Division Two last season, they had to settle for 14th place of the 15 competing clubs.

Striders were led home by team captain Serena Stracey, who ran well to place 48th of the 148 finishers, covering the undulating six-kilometre course in 25 minutes 52 seconds. Kerry Backshell also ran strongly to finish 64th (27.11), while Stephanie Noyce, making her league debut, did well to place 68th (27.18). These two were closely followed by Clare McFadzean, who placed 70th (27.23). Veteran Patricia Edwards was 128th (33.07), while Amalia Da Silva-Lima completed Striders' contingent in 143rd (35.41).

Meanwhile, Striders' men were competing in Division Two of the men's league at Epsom Downs, where they finished a respectable fifth of the nine competing clubs. Ranelagh won the match with 170 points, ahead of Stragglers (311), Dulwich (384) and Croydon Harriers (461),. However Striders' total of 477 points saw them comfortably clear of Hercules-Wimbledon (525), Epsom (542), British Airways (594) and West 4 Harriers (651). Striders were led home by the consistent Justin Macenhill, who had another excellent run to finish ninth, just two places ahead of club colleague Duncan Lancashire. Striders' next two finishers were both veterans, with Tony Sheppard just holding off a late challenge from the fast-finishing Bob Ewen. Striders showed their strength in depth with a total of 18 finishers.

Marriott leads the way again at Switchback

Striders of Croydon staged their annual 'Switchback' cross-country race on Sunday, on an undulating course in Lloyd Park and Addington Hills. The winner was South London Harriers' veteran Ray Marriott, who covered the five-mile course in 28 minutes 15 seconds. He was followed by Striders' Justin Macenhill, who placed second in 29 minutes 18, while Chris Hogg (Blackheath & Bromley) placed third in 30.14.
Striders' veteran Bob Ewen had an excellent run, winning the over-50 category and placing fourth overall in 30 minutes 44. He was followed home by another Striders veteran in Tony Sheppard, who made a welcome to return after a hamstring injury and placed fifth in 31.09. Striders' club secretary Chris Morton also ran well for seventh (32.21).
Striders also had the first woman to finish, with Helen Furze producing an excellent run to place 13th overall in 33 minutes 52. The second woman home was Helena Laczko of Herne Hill Harriers, who placed 23rd overall (35.25), while third place in the women's race went to former South London Harrier Yvonne Hill, who placed 29th overall (37.24). There were 69 finishers.

Vets lead the way in Striders relays

Striders of Croydon faced strong opposition at the Surrey Road Relays, held at Wimbledon Park on Saturday. Their best result came from the over-40 men's team, who placed eighth. Team manager Chris Morton led the way, running the first leg in 18 minutes 58 seconds. He was followed by John Foster (18.54), Dave Batten (18.59) and Alan Dolton (19.54).

Striders showed their strength in depth in this age group by fielding a B team, which placed twelfth. The team comprised John Ralf (20.26), Phil Richards (20.55), Steve Smith (21.14) and Dave Denton (23.12).

Striders' women's team placed 12th in their event. They were given a good start by Clare McFadzean, who ran the first leg in 20 minutes 59 seconds, She was followed by new member Stephanie Noyce, who made an impressive debut, running the second leg in 21 minutes 32. Amalia Da Silva-Lima (26.34) and Faye Stammers (22.23) completed the team.

Striders' senior men were well below full strength, and had to settle for 18th place. Their best performance came from Alex Aronberg, who ran 18.35 on the opening leg. He was followed by Gary Smith (21.21), Tom Littlewood (22.09), and Neil Furze (19.28). With Striders having been hit by late withdrawals, veterans Chris Morton (19.45) and John Foster (22.11) ran their second legs of the day to complete the team.

Outstanding team performances for Striders at Wimbledon

Striders of Croydon's women's team produced one of their best ever performances to place second in the Surrey 5 kilometre road running championships, held on a hilly course at Wimbledon on Sunday. Ranelagh Harriers gained a comfortable victory, but Striders' total of 25 points saw then finish one point clear of host club Belgrave Harriers.

Striders' women were led home by team captain Serena Stracey, who was the 13th woman to finish, placing 114th overall in a time of 20 minutes 20 seconds. Clare McFadzean also ran well to record 21 minutes 20, placing 135th overall and placing fourth in the over-35 women's category. She was just 18 seconds ahead of club colleague Kerry Backshell, who completed Striders' scoring team, placing 142nd overall and fifth in the over-35 women's category.

Striders' men also produced a good performance to place fourth in their team event. They were led home by Duncan Lancashire who ran very well to place twelfth in a strong field, recording 16 minutes 27 seconds. He was closely followed by Justin Macenhill, who placed 16th (16.51). Matt Morgan completed the scoring team in 29th place (17.17).

Striders again showed their strength in depth with a good turnout of 18 competitors. Their other runners were: 64 Damian Macenhill (18.20); 78 Dave Batten (18.45); 84 Alex Aronberg (19.04); 92 Chris Morton (19.16); 101 Alan Dolton (19.43); 118 Paul Weir (20.34); 122 Phil Richards (20.39); 161 Dave Denton (23.18); 183 Matthew Batten (24.23); 189 Karen McDermott (24.55); 195 Pat Edwards (25.30); 215 Kevin Burnett (30.07). There were 217 finishers.

Sheppard leads Striders flock home

Striders of Croydon faced strong opposition in the annual Elmbridge 10 kilometre road race on Sunday, held in cool and wet conditions. Striders were led home by veteran Tony Sheppard, who ran well to place 56th in 37 minutes 11 seconds. Damian Macenhill was 70th (37.51), Dave Batten 93rd (38.59) and Mike Willans 147th (41.02).
Striders' women were led home by Serena Stracey, who placed 180th overall in 42 minutes 20. There were also good runs from Kerry Backshell, who placed 204th in 43 minutes 37 and Clare McFadzean, who was 215th (44.12).
Striders' other runners were: 188 Neil Furze (42.43); 212 Paul Weir (43.55); 220 John Ralf (44.31); 271 Mike George (47.03); 276 Tom Littlewood (47.22); 322 Dave Denton (49.29); 336 Patricia Carr (49.51); 364 Matthew Batten (51.06); 373 Karen Peake (51.24); 403 Carol Hollingworth (53.28). There were 538 finishers.

Vets Bob and Tony help Striders to win relay

Striders of Croydon produced another good team performance to win their annual inter-club cross-country relay at Lloyd Park on Wednesday. Justin Macenhill gave them an excellent start on the first leg, leading the field home and covering the four-kilometre course in 14 minutes 41 seconds, which was the fastest time of the day. Veteran Bob Ewen ran the second leg and held Striders' lead with 15 minutes 31, which was the sixth fastest time of the day. Tony Sheppard, making a welcome return to racing after a long absence through injury, consolidated Striders' lead on the final leg, running 15 minutes 26 which was the fourth fastest time of the day.
Striders' time of 45 minutes 38 seconds saw them finish 46 seconds clear of second-placed Beckenham, whose fastest runner was Eric Crane (15.01). Collingwood placed third in 49.41, their fastest runner being Dan Gillett (15.00).
The fastest woman was Striders' Serena Stracey (17.51), with Collingwood's Melanie Johnston second (18.53) and Striders' Kerry Backshell third (18.55). Eleven teams completed the race

Strider Serena Stracey Stunning in Sunny Southend

Serena Stracey ran a 1.35.01 in her first half marathon for Striders in a race that started in the sun but finished in a downpour for slower runners. It was also a good race for Dave Goodall 1.37.56 and Karen McDermott 1.56.58, who both got PB's. Phil Mazur, who has been training hard on his long runs, did well to get 1.45.53 and even old man Alan Purchase got 1.30.28. A race to put in your diary for next year. AP

Strong women's team finish fifth

Striders of Croydon produced some good performances in the Dysart 10 kilometre road race at Petersham on Sunday. The race incorporated the Surrey Championships and was the third race in this season's Surrey Road League. Striders' women again outperformed the club's men, placing fifth in the team event. They were led home by Serena Stracey, making a welcome return to the team after missing the previous two league races. She ran strongly to finish ninth in the senior women's race in a time of 42 minutes 4 seconds, finishing 125th overall.
Striders' next two women both ran well to record new personal bests. Faye Stammers gained the reward for some hard training by finishing 13th in the senior women's race in 43 minutes 45 seconds (163rd overall). She was chased hard by club colleague Clare McFadzean, who finished just eight seconds behind her, placing eighth in the women's over-35 category (169th overall). Striders' men also did well to finish seventh of the 23 teams competing. Their first seven runners were all veterans. They were led home by Bob Ewen who ran well to place fifth in the over-50 category and 38th overall, in a time of 37 minutes 44 seconds. John Foster placed 56th (38.43) and Chris Morton 69th (39.16). Dave Batten also ran well to place eighth in the over-50 category and 77th overall (39.40). Alan Dolton was 116th (41.44), Mike Willans 122nd (41.59) and Phil Richards 140th (42.56).
Striders showed good strength in depth with 25 of the 389 finishers. Their other runners were: 151 Paul Weir (43.19), 152 Dave Goodall (43.20), 195 John Gannon (45.17), 209 Tom Littlewood (46.05), 220 James Mason (46.40), 225 Mick George (46.49), 226 Dave Denton (46.52), 242 Peter Shew (48.11), 291 Patricia Carr (51.05), 299 Karen McDermott (51.53), 301 Karen Peake (51.59), 302 John Ralf (51.59), 311 Pat Edwards (52.33), 346 Winsome Levy (56.50), 367 Susan Haynes (59.12)

Kerry leads the way at Dorking

Striders of Croydon faced strong opposition in the Dorking 10-mile road race, which incorporated the Surrey Championships and was the second match in this season's Surrey Road League. Striders' women placed ninth in the team event. They were led home by Kerry Backshell, who placed 23rd in the women's race and 187th overall, recording a time of 72 minutes 33 seconds. The improving Clare McFadzean also ran well to record a personal best 75 minutes 04, placing 34th in the women's race and 236th overall. Stephanie Upton made a welcome return to club colours, running 79.20 for 55th in the women's race (316th overall). Pat Edwards, the oldest member of the team, ran 88.48 to place 106th in the women's race (467th overall). Striders' men had to settle for 26th place out of the 46 men's teams competing. They were led home by club secretary Chris Morton, who placed 81st in 65 minutes 54 seconds. Next home for the club was Damian Macenhill, who placed 94th (66.37), while club stalwart Alan Purchase, the longest-serving member of the team, placed 149th (69.58). Gary Smith placed 330th (79.58), John Ralf 337th (80.14) and Steve Tyler 588th (103.36).

Striders take the honours in Sussex

Striders of Croydon's star distance runner Justin Macenhill produced an outstanding run to win the Heatherley 10 mile road race at Copthorne on Sunday. His time of 58 minutes 31 seconds saw him finish three seconds clear of the runner-up, David Baker of South London Harriers. Striders also won both the men's and women's team events. They produced excellent packing in the men's race to have seven of the first 17 finishers. Damian Macenhill ran well to take fifth place in 61 minutes 50 seconds, while veteran Bob Ewen had an excellent run to place eighth (62.54). Striders' next four finishers were also veterans with John Foster placing 10th (64.15), Chris Morton 12th (64.35), Ian Campbell 15th (66.43) and Dave Batten 17th (67.17). Striders had the first two women to finish, with Serena Stracey running a personal best 70 minutes 19 seconds to finish 26th overall. Club colleague Helen Furze was 28th overall in 71.04. Striders' women's team was completed by Karen McDermott (75th, 84.48) and Pat Edwards (83rd, 88.29).

Striders have mass finish in the marathon

Striders of Croydon did very well to have 25 finishers - more than 20% of the club's membership - in Sunday's London Marathon. They were led home by Scott Antony who produced an excellent run to finish in 2 hours 53 minutes 18 seconds. He was closely followed by Justin Macenhill who improved his personal best to finish in 2 hours 54 minutes 36. Veteran Dave Shaw ran steadily to record 3.09.59, with Damian Macenhill not far behind in a personal best 3.10.34.
Striders' women were led by Serena Stracey, making her marathon debut. She produced an excellent run to finish in 3 hours 18, moving her to third place in Striders' all-time women's rankings.
The club's other finishers were : Dave Goodall 3.40.19; Nick Allison 3.41.59; Phil Richards 3.41.59; Tomas Trower 3.45.14; Phil Mazur 3.45.24; Elliott Bance 3.45.27; John Scanlon 3.48.03; John Humphries 3.53.35; Paul Weir 3.58.38; Peter Coats 4.05.52; Dave Denton 4.08.55; Matthew Batten 4.11.05; Nick Kyritsis 4.24.50; Peter Shew 4.27.05; James Mason 4.29.28; Karen McDermott 4.37.35; Liz Orange 5.04.05; Steve Tyler 5.06.30; Winsome Levy 5.25.57; Lynn Nation 5.51.22.
Striders also had five finishers in the previous week's Rotterdam Marathon. Ian Campbell led them home in a personal best 3 hours 11 minutes 52, just ahead of club secretary Chris Morton who improved his personal best to 3.13.02. Tim Bett also ran strongly for 3.17.37, while Steve Smith ran 3.40.17 and Tom Littlewood 3.56.54.

Damian wins in the battle of the brothers

Striders of Croydon's marathon runners produced some very good performances in last Sunday's Cranleigh 21-mile road race. They were again led by the Macenhill brothers, with Damian producing an excellent run to place third overall in 2 hours 16 minutes 57 seconds, gaining a rare victory over his younger brother Justin, who placed sixth (2.17.37). Veteran Don Kayum returned to form with 13th place (2.22.06), while club secretary Chris Morton was 34th (2.29.32). Serena Stracey produced an outstanding run to place second in the women's race and 47th overall (2.35.44). Other Striders competing included Nik Allison (99th, 2.45.38); Jo Corrigan (140th, 2.53.16); Dave Goodall 155th (2.56.11); Elene Kayum (167th, 2.57.42); John Humphries (172nd, 2.58.28); Phil Mazur (174th, 2.58.50); Tom Littlewood (176th, 2.59.14); David Denton (235th, 3.08.32); James Mason (281st, 3.17.54) and Karen McDermott (304th, 3.23.27). There were 383 finishers.

Scott leads striders to relay victory

Striders of Croydon produced an excellent team performance to win the East Surrey League's annual road relay at Box Hill on Saturday. They were given a good start by Damian Macenhill, who placed fifth in a competitive first leg, covering the undulating 2.2 mile course in 11 minutes 38 seconds. New signing Matt Morgan made his Striders debut on the second leg and gained three places, lifting Striders to second (11.49). Justin Macenhill ran the third leg in a very good 11 minutes 13 seconds, closing the gap on leaders Dorking. On the final leg Scott Anthony rapidly caught and passed the Dorking runner, running a very impressive 11 minutes 03 seconds to bring Striders home as clear winners.

Striders win inter-club match

Striders also won the team event at an inter-club cross-country match in Lloyd Park, organised by their local rivals Croydon Harriers, and held over a very muddy ten-kilometre course. The race was won by Colin Oxlade of the Harriers (41.49), with Striders' veteran John Foster running very well to finish second in 42 minutes 21 seconds. Striders packed well to have five of the first 13 finishers. Scott Anthony had another good run to place fourth (43.34), while veteran Bob Ewen moved steadily through the field to place 11th (45.07). Andy Allison was twelfth, just one place ahead of team manager Chris Morton, with both runners recording 45 minutes 32. Striders' Kerry Backshell was the first woman to finish, placing 26th overall. Striders' Sophie Shaw ran strongly to place third in the under-15 girls' race, which was won by Daisy Collingridge of the Harriers.

Team spirit sees Striders promoted

Striders of Croydon's women's team produced an excellent performance to place second in the final Surrey Womens League Division Two match at Ewell last Saturday, and gain promotion to Division One for only the second time in the club's history. Wimbledon Windmilers won the match with 39 points, but Striders' total of 103 placed them ahead of Walton (111) and Holland Sports (129), and well clear of promotion rivals Sutton Runners.
Striders were led home by Serena Stracey who produced another good run to place fifth, covering the muddy six-kilometre course in 27 minutes 15 seconds. She was well supported by Clare McFadzean, who continued her improvement to place 11th (29.19), and Faye Stammers who was not far behind in 14th (30.02). Patricia Carr ran steadily to place 33rd (33.44), and Striders' team was completed by Pat Edwards in 40th (34.38) and Amalia Lima in 47th (35.58).

Dramatic promotion clincher for Striders

Striders of Croydon produced their best performance of the season to win the final Surrey League Cross-Country Division 3 match of the season at Wimbledon Common on Saturday, and gain promotion back to Division Two after just one year in Division 3. Striders' total of 258 points saw them well clear of nearest rivals Epsom (308), Sutton (329) and Dorking (383). In the overall Division Three table, Epsom were clear champions with 1263 points, but Striders' total of 1471 saw them take the second promotion spot, ahead of Dorking (1501), Sutton (1502) and Woking (1624).
Striders were led home by the consistent Justin Macenhill, who placed tenth of the 122 finishers, covering the five-mile course in 30 minutes 29 seconds. Scott Anthony, in only his second race for the club, produced an excellent run to place 13th (31.03), while Iain Harrison continued his improvement to place 15th (31.40). Striders packed very well with their next six scorers finishing within less than 30 seconds. Damian Macenhill was next home for the club in 25th (33.03), closely followed by John Foster (26th in 33.13) and Andy Allison (27th in 33.14). Club stalwart Nigel Davidson was 31st (33.25) while Toby Watson made an excellent debut to finish 33rd (33.29), just one place and one second ahead of team manager Chris Morton. Paul Finch made a welcome return to form to complete the scoring team in 44th place (34.23). Striders showed excellent team spirit by also fielding twelve non-scorers for their largest team of the season. The club's non-scorers were: 58 Dave Batten (35.21), 60 Bob Ewen (35.28), 75 Neil Furze (36.40), 77 Pete Yarlett (36.56), 81 Matthew Batten (37.18), 90 Alan Dolton (38.12), 91 Simon Smith (38.18), 94 Simon Ray-Jones (38.24), 96 Paul Weir (38.34), 110 Tom Littlewood (41.22), 111 Neil Riches (41.57), 117 Dave Hoben (44.27).

Justin keeps a grip in the mud

Striders of Croydon faced strong opposition and a very muddy course in the Southern Cross-Country Championships at Parliament Hill Fields on Saturday. Their best performance came from Justin Macenhill, who placed 224th out of the 830 finishers, covering the 15 kilometres in 58 minutes 15 seconds. Former hockey player Scott Anthony made an excellent debut for Striders to place 337th in 61.09, despite not running in spiked shoes. Veteran John Foster was close behind in 358th (61.46), while Damian Macenhill was 397th (62.45). Team manager Chris Morton was 439th (63.46), and marathon runner Ian Campbell, returning to action after a calf injury, completed the scoring team in 634th (70.00). Striders placed 41st of the 63 complete teams. Striders also had two non-scorers: Paul Weir was 741st (74.50) and Tom Littlewood 785th (79.28).

Serena keeps Striders on the level

Striders of Croydon's women team produced an excellent performance to place third of 15 clubs in their Surrey Womens Cross-Country League Division Two match at Richmond Park on Saturday. With one match to go, Striders retain third place in Division Two. Walton lead the table with 160 points, ahead of Wimbledon Windmilers (188), Striders (306) and Sutton Runners (416). With the top three teams to be promoted, Striders have an excellent chance of gaining promotion to Division One for only the second time in their history. Striders were led home by team captain Serena Stracey, who produced an excellent run to finish fifth of the 87 finishers, covering the 5800 metre course in an impressive 23 minutes 46 seconds. Both Clare McFadzean and Faye Stammers also ran well to produce their best performances for the club, with Clare finishing 13th in 25.30, just one place and two seconds ahead of Faye. Patricia Carr ran steadily for 41st place (29.23) and Amalia Da Silva Lima completed the scoring team in 46th (29.46). Meanwhile Striders' men were hosting a Surrey Cross-Country League Division Three match at Lloyd Park. Their team was weakened by some late withdrawals, and they finished in a disappointing fifth place of the nine competing clubs. Their best performance came from Justin Macenhill, who was short of training following treatment for a hip injury, but who moved steadily through the field to finish in ninth place, covering the muddy five-mile course in 31 minutes 20 seconds. John Foster confirmed his status as Striders' leading veteran with another good run to place 15th in 32.40, just one place and four seconds ahead of the improving Iain Harrison. Team manager Chris Morton was 31st (34.31) with Damian Macenhill 33rd (34.42). Club stalwart Simon Smith was 59th (37.21), while Steve Muntzer ran well for 63rd (37.32) and Paul Finch was 66th (37.47). Veteran Peter Yarlett, nursing a calf injury, was 73rd (38.39), while Paul Weir completed the scoring team in 76th place (39.06).

Sophie and Serena start for Striders

Striders of Croydon faced strong opposition and very windy conditions in the Surrey Cross-Championships at Lloyd Park on Saturday. Their best performance came from Sophie Shaw in the under-13 girls' race. She ran strongly to place 10th of the 45 finishers, covering the two-mile course in 15 minutes 3 seconds. She was the only Strider in any of the nine races who managed to place in the top quarter of the field. In the senior women's race Serena Stracey ran well to place 29th of the 75 finishers, moving through the field after a cautious start and covering the five-mile course in 37 minutes 57. Club colleague Faye Stammers was 44th (40.30) with Kerry Backshell 48th (41.21).
Striders' senior men were without some of their leading runners, and had to settle for 12th place out of the 19 competing teams. Their best performance came from John Foster who placed 63rd of the 183 finishers, covering the seven and a half mile course in 50 minutes 14 seconds. He was closely followed by Iain Harrison who also ran well for 67th (50.29). Striders' other four scorers were all veterans. Club stalwart Nigel Davidson was 87th (52.10) with Chris Morton 92nd (52.47), Ian Campbell 115th (55.16) and Alan Dolton 134th (56.42). Striders also had three non-scorers: Paul Weir was 158th (61.26), Tom Littlewood 165th (64.17) and David Denton 177th (72.05).
In the under-20 race, over five miles, Striders' Matthew Batten ran steadily for 20th (39.22).

Reports for 2004

South of Thames senior - Wimbledon Common - 18th December 2004
Surrey League XC - fixture 2 - women & men - 27th November 2004
Holland Sports track and field for 2004 season
East Surrey League - Lloyd Park - 30th October 2004
Amsterdam marathon - 17th October 2004
Surrey League XC - fixture 1 - men - 9th October 2004
Surrey League XC - fixture 1 - women - 9th October 2004
Wimbledon 10 - 3rd October 2004
Surrey Road Relays - 11th September 2004
Wimbledon 5K - 22nd August 2004
Elmbridge 10K - 25th July 2004
Elmore 7 - 17th July 2004
Vets track & field - Croydon - 5th July 2004
Dysart Dash - 27th June 2004
Dorking 10 - 6th June 2004
Richmond Half Marathon - 16th May 2004
Club Handicap 1 - 12th May 2004
Beckenham road relays - 5th May 2004
Sutton 10 K - 2nd May 2004
London Marathon - 18th April 2004
Ewell Ct road race - East Surrey League - 6th April 2004
Box Hill relays - East Surrey League - 20th March 2004
Harriers Invitational etc. - 28th February 2004
Surrey League XC - fixture 4 7th February 2004
Surrey League XC - fixture 3 10th January 2004
Surrey XC Championships 3rd January 2004

Jo cleans up at Wimbledon

Jo Corrigan produced another excellent run for Striders of Croydon in the annual South of the Thames Cross-Country championships, held at Wimbledon Common on Saturday. She finished eleventh of the 27 finishers in the women's race, covering the testing seven and a half mile course in 58 minutes 35 seconds. Club colleague Patricia Carr ran steadily for 24th in 69 minutes 43. Striders had eight finishers in the men's race, and placed tenth in the team event. Their first man home was club stalwart Nigel Davidson, who did well to finish 74th (49.54). Justin Macenhill, not at full fitness after treatment for a hip injury, ran steadily for 84th (51.25), while team manager Chris Morton started cautiously but moved through the field to place 97th (52.49). Alan Dolton finished 123rd (56.43) with Paul Weir 138th (61.25), Tom Littlewood 140th (61.47), David Denton 147th (69.04) and Kevin Burnett 152nd (81.42).

Leading debut for Corrigan

Striders of Croydon's women's team produced a very good performance in their Surrey Womens Cross-Country League Division 2 match at Richmond Park on Saturday. They finished third of the 25 teams in the match, and remain third in the overall table. However the promotion race remains extremely tight. Wimbledon Windmilers lead the division with 100 points, ahead of Walton (136), Striders (187) and Sutton Runners (191). These four clubs are well clear of the rest of the division, but with only three teams to be promoted, the remaining matches are likely to be extremely close. Striders' best performance at Richmond came from Jo Corrigan, making her league debut. She produced an excellent run to place 12th of the 91 runners in Division Two, covering the four-mile course in 30 minutes 12 seconds. Team captain Serena Stracey was not far behind in 15th place (30.36), and Striders' other three scorers packed very well with Faye Stammers placing 21st (31.19), Clare McFadzean 22nd (31.26) and Kerry Backshell 23rd (31.32). Striders' B team did well to finish 15th. They were led home by Patricia Carr who placed 47th (34.46), while Linda Daniel was 53rd (35.52) and Pat Edwards 58th (36.23). Striders had two competitors in the under-13 girls' race. Sophie Shaw placed 10th of the 36 finishers, covering the undulating two-mile course in 17 minutes 20 seconds. Club colleague Ciara Riordan was 28th (19.40).

Duncan Lancashire produced an outstanding run for Striders of Croydon in their Surrey League Division Three match at Lightwater last week. Making his league debut, he placed fourth of the 125 finishers, covering the undulating five-mile course in 29 minutes 30 seconds. The Macenhill brothers also both ran well, with Justin placing 13th (31.20) and Damian 27th (32.36). Ian Harrison achieved his best placing in the league with 28th (32.45), while two of Striders' veterans also produced very good performances, with Tony Sheppard 31st (33.08) and John Foster 32nd (33.13). Club secretary Chris Morton was not far behind in 40th place (33.26). Next home for the club was Paul Finch in 56th (34.50), while Mike Willans made his league debut and placed 66th (35.22). Striders' scoring team was completed by their oldest competitor, Peter Yarlett, who placed 86th in 36.50. Striders placed a close fourth in the match, and moved up to third in the Division Three table, maintaining their challenge for promotion. Epsom lead the division with 659 points, ahead of Woking (714), Striders (775) and Dorking (793).

Holland Sports track and field for 2004 season

1^st May Sothern League Div 4S - Eastbourne
E Parker
    400H        77.0         5000m -     17.49.3         110H         30.0
    1500m     5.59.3          3000Sc     11.41.7          LJ         4.30
    HJ        1.00         PV         2.00
    TJ        8.41
K Burnett
    100m         16.3         200m          34.8              Hammer     13.45
    Javelin         18.15          Shot          5.69              Discus      15.42
G Pullen
    800m         3.08.8      400m         82.0
A Fine sunny day for the 1st Fixture at Eastbourne, a new venue for us as the track has only been open for a couple of years. Six of us were competing against Paddock Wood, Worthing Harriers B and Crawley B. Eric who arrived complete with tent in a Tesco shopping trolley, had his usual busy day of events. Rob Hall had a heavy fall in the pole vault which affected him for the rest of the meeting. Numerically we weren’t strong enough on the day and finished fourth with 97 points.

22 May Southern League Div 4S Kingston
E Parker
    400H         75.8          5000m     18.01.04          110H          27.6
    3000SC    11.56.3     TJ          8.46
J Maerhill
    800m         2.11.5          400m          59.0              1500          4.42.6
    3000SC     11.56.8     Javelin      4.60

Only 5 competed for Holland today although we covered all events bar the 4x4 relay – a good all round effort. Justin did well in his 4 track events wining the 800 and the B steeplechase and being 2nd in both the 400 and 1500. His exertions on the track obviously affected his javelin. Eric had a rare win in the 400 Hurdles as well as winning the 5000m and steeplechase where he and Justin came home almost together well clear of the opposition.
Holland did well to finish 2nd with only 5 competitors.
    Redhill /Surrey Beagles     140,
    Holland Sports         128,
    Haywards Heath         122,
    Kingston Poly B        46
I was disappointed to miss this fixture being on holiday, as it was the first time in 8 seasons I have missed a Holland Sports Southern League match.

26 June Southern League Div 4S Ashford
C Cotton
    800m         2.32.4          1500          5.16.8
G Pullen
    5000m     22.28.2
E Parker
    400H         75.2          5000          17.36.8
    110H         28.2          3000SC     11.37.0
    Long Jump     4.28          Pole Vault     2.20
    TJ         7.62
K Burnett
    100m         16.7          Discus     16.61
Although there were only 3 teams it was a good competition with all events covered by all three teams. Ashford is a modern track with good facilities all round. Four striders were taking part with Colin making his debut in the Southern League. He acquitted himself well in both 800 and 1500m and a leg in the 4x4 relay. Graham ran his specialty event 5000m as well as officiating. Eric as usual had a busy afternoon with 9 events including relays, winning the 5000m and 2nd in the steeplechase. Eric keen and enthusiastic as ever travels by public transport from Southampton for these fixtures, often with Aiden his son and complete with camping gear/ tent and then competes practically throughout the afternoon with little rest.
We finished 3rd on the day behind Serpentine B, Tunbridge Wells/Langton.

10th July Southern League Div 4S Tooting Bec
C Cotton         800m 2.38.2      1500m 5.31.2
N Davidson     5000m 18.38.0
D Lovell         400m 62.6
G Pullen         Javelin 5.42 Shot 5.27 Discus 12.47
Holland were well beaten in this three team fixture by two of the strongest clubs in this league. Two striders were making their first appearance for Holland, Dave ran the 400m and finished 3rd in 62.6 and Nigel was also 3rd in the 5000m in 18.38.0. Colin who also competed at Ashford in the previous fixture, ran both the 800m and 1500m . Graham didn’t run on the track but competed in 3 throws instead.
Holland were 3rd in all events they contested, except for the high jump (2nd) and the A discus where Terry Reid was 2nd.
Eastbourne 152.5, Herne Hill 148, Holland Sports 55.53

31 July Southern League Div 4S Deangate
E Parker
    400H         77.1          800m          2.24.6         5000m     18.18.6
    Long Jump     4.68          110H          29.4          1500m     5.08.03
    3000SC    12.29.7 .    HJ         1.20         TJ          8.89
K Burnett
    100m         16.3          200m          35.1         Hammer     13.78
    Javelin     21.57         Shot          5.48          Discus     16.76
G Pullen
    800m         3.13.7          5000m     24.31.9      400m         82.8
    HJ         1.05
We only had 4 competing at picturesque Deangate on a fine sunny day. Nevertheless we covered all events (the only team to do so) although the pole vault was cancelled prior to the meeting as gypsies had entered the arena and damaged the equipment.
We only had two event winners (Eric in the B 110 hurdles and Rob Hall in the B steeplechase) but competing in all events we were able to pip Tonbridge B for 3rd place. Graham competed with an injured leg to enable us to field a team in each relay.

Medway and Maidstone B     139,
Horsham Blue Star         125,
Holland Sports              103,
Tonbridge     B              99.

We thus finished 10th in the League table as follows

East Bourne Rovers        25    709.5
Horsham B            23     665.5
Herne Hill H B            22      685
Paddock Wood             20      686.5
Tunbridge Wells/Langton         20      647
Serpentine B             19      639.5
Medway Maidstone         19      611
Worthing Harriers B         18      585.5
Haywards Heath/Lewes         16.5      597
Holland Sports             16      513.5
Tonbridge B             16      462
Crawley B                  15      429.5
Redhill & Surrey Beagles         14.5      554.5
Kingston Poly B            10      203
Swale Combine             9     172
Darford B                 2     18

Appearances Points
        Appearances         Points
                    A     B
K Burnett        3         6    27
C Cotton        2         9    4
N Davidson    1        3     0
D Lovell        1         3    0
J Macenhill    1        13     7
E Parker        4         47    56.5
G Pullen        4         3    29

As Well as Striders who competed this season Rob Hall (who has a London Marathon time of 2.43) is the most prolific competitor (even more so than Eric), having competed in all the events over the season. In at least 2 fixtures he contested 15 events in one afternoon – generally all A string events (including Relays). Others who competed this season are Daryl Hillier, Simon Wing, Mark Gamble, Michael Sinclair, Nick Potter and 2 juniors.
Lastly Nigel Bongers – he competed twice this season before sustaining a foot injury at Farthing Downs. As some of us know Nigel does a lot of work on behalf of Holland Sports be it administrative, team manger, coaching as well as competing. We from Striders who competed are indebted to Nigel for giving us the opportunity for competing
on the track in the Southern League.

Thank you Nigel.

Macenhill brothers lead Striders home

Striders of Croydon had a good turnout of club members in the East Surrey League cross-country race in Lloyd Park, providing 16 of the 114 finishers. Striders' A team placed sixth of the 25 teams in the match, while their B team were 14th and their C team were 16th. Striders' first man home was again Justin Macenhill, who finished in 16th place, covering the five-mile course in 31 minutes 45 seconds. His brother Damian was next home for the club in 27th place (32.53), while club secretary Chris Morton also ran well for 32nd (33.41). Striders' next five runners were all veterans. They were led home by Tony Sheppard, who ran steadily for 37th place (34.05), two places ahead of Bob Ewen (34.30). John Foster was next home for the club in 44th (35.15). He was followed by two of Striders' over-50 runners, with Peter Yarlett placing 53rd (36.04) and Colin Cotton 57th (36.24). Triathlete Mark Eardley made his cross-country debut for the club in 60th place (36.37).

Striders' first woman to finish was Kerry Backshell in 85th place (40.10), while club colleague Patricia Carr placed 105th (45.11). In the young athletes' race, held over two miles, Sophie Shaw recorded 15 minutes 18 seconds to place 32nd overall and third in the under-13 girls' category.

Gerry continues marathon effort in Amsterdam

Striders of Croydon had eleven finishers in the recent Amsterdam Marathon. Pride of place went to club stalwart Gerry Crispie, who just continued his long sequence of finishing marathons in under three hours by recording 2 hours 59 minutes 58 seconds for 302nd place. Tim Bett was next home for the club in 3 hours 19 minutes 22. He was just seven seconds ahead of Ian Campbell, who gained the reward for some hard training by improving his personal best by more than an hour. Club chairman John Gannon also ran well for 3 hours 27.42. Don Kayum made a fast start and lost ground in the closing stages, but battled on to finish in 3 hours 30.45. Next home were two of the club's longest-serving members, with Alan Purchase recording 3.33.37 and Elene Kayum running 3.42.22. Morgan Steele ran steadily for 3.46.55, and the Striders' contingent was completed by Nick Kyritsis (4.18.23), Mick George (4.22.23) and Dave Hoben (4.23.59).

Justin leads Striders to 4th place

Striders of Croydon's men's team faced strong opposition in the first Surrey Cross-Country League Division 3 match of the season, at Epsom last Saturday. Having been relegated from Division Two last year, Striders are hoping to gain promotion at the first attempt, and were slightly disappointed to finish fourth of the nine competing clubs. Their first man home was the consistent Justin Macenhill who finished tenth, covering the five-mile course in 31 minutes 33 seconds. Tom Thrower also ran well to place 16th (32.21). Striders' next three runners were all veterans, with Don Kayum placing 26th in 33.28, ahead of Nigel Davidson (20th, 34.16) and Tony Sheppard (32nd, 34.20). New signing Ian Harrison made an excellent debut for 41st place (34.36). Club secretary Chris Morton was 46th (34.59) with Paul Finch 55th (35/24). The scoring team was completed by two more veterans, with Ian Campbell 67th (35.59) and John Foster 74th (36.49). Home club Epsom & Ewell won the match with 310 points, ahead of Haslemere (334), Woking (391) and Striders (397). These four clubs were well clear of their opponents, with Sutton taking fifth place with 463 points.

Debut Clare pips colleagues at Wimbledon Common

Striders of Croydon’s women’s team made a good start to their cross-country season by placing third of 14 clubs in the first Surrey Women’s Cross-Country League Division 2 match of the season, at Wimbledon Common on Saturday. They were led home by Serena Stracey, in her first race for eight months after a knee operation. She ran very well to finish sixth of the 83 finishers, covering the undulating six-kilometre course in 26 minutes 7 seconds. Striders’ next three runners had their own private battle, packing very well to finish within 13 seconds of each other. Clare McFadzean, making her league debut, ran strongly for 19th place (27.59) and was closely followed by Kerry Backshell (20th, 28.01) and Faye Stammers (21st, 28.12). Veteran Elene Kayum completed the scoring team in 28th place (28.55). Two of Striders’ newest members also ran as non-scorers, with Amalia Lima coming home ahead of Pat Edwards.

In the under-15 girls’ race, Daisy Collingridge ran steadily to finish 20th in a field of 37 finishers, covering the three-kilometre course in 13 minutes 26 seconds.

Justin gets under the hour at Wimbledon

Striders of Croydon produced some good performances at Sunday's Wimbledon 10-mile road race, held on an undulating course, starting and finishing at Wimbledon Park. Their leading runner was again Justin Macenhill, who placed 11th in a field of 155 finishers, covering the course in 59 minutes 16 seconds. Veteran Don Kayum also did well, recording a personal best of 60 minutes 17 seconds for 14th place. Damian Macenhill was 18th in 62 minutes 10 seconds, one place and 16 seconds ahead of club colleague John Foster. Mike Willans ran a personal best of 65 minutes 30 seconds for 30th place, one place and five seconds ahead of new club secretary Chris Morton. Kerry Backshell had an excellent run to set a personal best 71 minutes 59 seconds. She was sixth woman to finish, and placed 53rd overall. Tom Littlewood was 77th (76.36), Paul Weir 84th (78.16) and James Mason 109th (83.25).

Lancashire shines for Striders

Striders of Croydon fielded four teams at the annual Surrey Road Relay Championships, held last Saturday at Wimbledon Park. Their best performance came from Duncan Lancashire, in only his second race for the club. Running the first leg, he did very well to place fifth in a high-quality field, covering the hilly 2.9 mile course in 15 minutes 15 seconds. Paul Finch faced strong opposition on the second leg and slipped to fourteenth (17.51), but Don Kayum regained four places on the third leg (16.47). Tom Thrower lifted Striders to ninth place (16.07), and both Justin Macenhill (16.01) and Damian Macenhill (18.34) held this position.
Striders' veterans finished seventh out of 17 teams in their event. Colin Cotton faced strong opposition on the first leg and placed 13th (18.28). Nigel Davidson lifted the team to 12th (17.56) while Alan Dolton moved up to ninth (18.45). Dave Batten produced an excellent run on the fourth and final leg, gaining a further two places with a time of 17 minutes 23. His son Matthew was Striders' youngest competitor and was the fastest runner for the club's B team, recording 19 minutes 50. Striders' women also did well to place ninth out of 15 teams. Both Kerry Backshell (20.25) and Faye Stammers (20.26) ran particularly well, while club stalwart Elene Kayum, the oldest member of their team, ran 21 minutes 15.

Striders ahead of local rivals at Wimbledon 5K

Striders of Croydon had another good turnout at last Sunday's Wimbledon five-kilometre road race, which was the final match of the Surrey Road League season. Striders' men placed seventh in the match, finishing the season in a very creditable sixth place of the 28 clubs in the league. Of the other local clubs, South London Harriers were eleventh while Croydon Harriers were sixteenth. Striders' women fielded a below-strength team because of holidays and placed tenth in the match, but finished the season in seventh place.

Striders' leading runner was again Justin Macenhill, who covered the undulating course in 16 minutes 40 seconds to place 18th. Lee Morgan, who was ineligible for the scoring team after changing clubs within the last six months, placed 21st in exactly 17 minutes. Veteran Don Kayum ran well for 36th (17.46) and placed fifth in the men's over-40 category. Damian Macenhill placed 50th (18.25), three places and two seconds ahead of John Foster, who placed 12th in the over-40 category. Just one place and one second further back was Dave Batten, who did well to place third in the over-50 category. Team manager Chris Morton was 67th in 18.46, just three places ahead of Mike Willans, who ran a personal best 18.52. Striders' leading woman was club stalwart Elene Kayum, who ran 21 minutes 47 seconds to place fourth in the women's over-45 category.

Kayum's lead Striders at Elmbridge

Striders of Croydon had another good turnout at the Elmbridge 10 kilometre road race on Sunday, with 20 of the 580 finishers. Their men's team placed eighth while their women's team was tenth. Their leading runner was again Justin Macenhill, who continued his return to form by taking 19th place in 35 minutes 24 seconds. Veteran Don Kayum was 50th (38.06), with Damian Macenhill 53rd (38.17). Striders' oldest competitor, Dave Batten, again ran well to record 39.28 for 78th place overall and ninth in the over-50 category. Mike Willans continued his improvement to run a personal best 39 minutes 30, placing 79th. Keith Brown was 95th (40.06), with Alan Dolton 105th (40.27) and Chris Morton 120th (40.52).
Striders' women were led home by club stalwart Elene Kayum who was the 39th woman to finish, recording 45 minutes 29 seconds. Kerry Backshell was 43rd (46.09) with Patricia Carr 85th (52.16) and Karen McDermott 110th (54.36).

Striders perform well at Chipstead

Striders of Croydon were well represented at last week's Elmore 7-mile road race, with 16 of the 245 finishers. Their leading runner was again Justin Macenhill who placed eighth, covering the undulating course in an impressive time of 40 minutes 40 seconds. He was followed by his brother Damian, who placed 32nd (44.34). Striders' next three runners were all veterans. John Foster started steadily and worked his way through the field to place 37th (45.27). Mike Willans continued his recent improvement to place 42nd (46.08), just one place and five seconds ahead of club colleague Dave Batten. Team manager Chris Morton placed 60th (47.44), two places and 14 seconds ahead of fast-finishing Tim Bett. Striders' women were again led home by Kerry Backshell, who finished 103rd overall in 52 minutes 4 seconds. Stephanie Upton also ran well for 114th (53.08) with the improving Clare McFadzean 117th (53.40). Emma Haillay was below her usual form in the humid conditions, but still placed 151st (57.46).

Club records broken at Croydon Arena

Striders' track and field team produced their best performance of the season in their final Southern Veterans League match, held at Croydon Arena. They placed third of the eight competing clubs. Nigel Davidson ran well to win the steeplechase in a new club veterans' record of 11 minutes 34.4 seconds. Dave Batten also ran well to win the over-50 800 metres in 2 minutes 25.9 seconds, with club colleague Colin Cotton completing a double by winning the B race. Striders' women also had their best performance of the season, with club stalwart Michele Lawrence setting three new club records in the over-55 category.

Vets to the fore in the heat at Dysart

Striders of Croydon were well represented at Sunday's Dysart 10 kilometre road race, which incorporated the Surrey Championships. In unexpectedly hot conditions, they had 22 of the 426 finishers, with their men's team finishing in a respectable sixth place, and their women finishing eighth. Striders were again led home by Justin Macenhill, who celebrated his 32nd birthday by finishing 27th in 36 minutes 38 seconds. Striders' next two finishers were both veterans, with Don Kayum placing 31st in 36 minutes 53, just one place ahead of Bob Ewen (37.18). Damian Macenhill placed 57th

(38.59) and Dave Batten continued his recent good form with 68th place overall (39.39), placing fifth in the over-50 category. Alan Dolton was 83rd (40.30), closely followed by Mike Willans who ran a personal best 40.41, placing 90th. Striders' women were led home by Kerry Backshell, who ran 45.07 to finish 195th overall. Next home was Stephanie Upton who placed 230th in 47.06, just two places and six seconds ahead of club colleague Elene Kayum, who was fifth in the women's over-45 category. Emma Haillay was 250th (48.04), with Patricia Carr 328th (53.11) and Karen McDermott 342nd (54.08).

Striders ladies climb to second in Surrey Road League

Striders of Croydon's women produced a good team performance in the Dorking 10-mile road race, which incorporated the Surrey Championships and the Surrey Road League. They finished fifth in the team event, and climbed to equal second in the League. In warm conditions on an undulating course, they were led home by team captain Emma Haillay, who placed 25th in 78.49. Kerry Backshell was 35th (80.24) with Stephanie Upton 44th (82.08) and Patricia Carr 93rd (93.35). Striders' men placed tenth in the team event, and are now equal fifth in the Road League. They were led home by the Macenhill brothers, with Justin placing 34th (62.31) and Damian 46th (64.14). Striders' next five finishers were all veterans. Gerry Crispie made a welcome return to Striders colours and placed 69th (66.45), while new recruit John Foster made a good debut to finish 75th (67.22). Dave Batten placed 106th (70.15), with Tim Bett 123rd (71.58) and Ian Campbell 117th (72.11).

Meanwhile, Striders' Sian Roberts made her marathon debut at Stockholm, finishing in a creditable 5 hours 30 minutes 33 seconds.

Striders finish third at Richmond Park

Striders of Croydon produced an excellent team performance to place third in the Richmond Half-Marathon, which incorporated the Surrey Championships. Host club Ranelagh Harriers gained a comfortable win, with Herne Hill second. Striders' leading runner was again Justin Macenhill, who placed 20th of the 468 finishers, recording a time of 83 minutes 53 seconds. Veteran Don Kayum also ran well for 35th (84.38), while Damian Macenhill showed improved form to complete the scoring team in 29th (85.25). Dave Batten ran well to placed fourth in the over-50 category and 59th overall (90.36), while Ian Campbell ran a personal best 94.01 for 85th place. Striders had a total of 14 finishers, with their other runners being Alan Dolton (96.17), Geoff Pennells (96.21), Matthew Batten (96.34), Tim Bett (98.13), Mike Willans (1.40.35), Bob Pullen (1.54.07), Don Smale (1.55.45), Paul Weir (1.58.48) and Liz Orange (2.42.46).

Relay teams perform for Striders at Beckenham

Striders of Croydon produced an excellent performance to place third in the Beckenham Running Club road relay. On the first leg Lee Morgan brought Striders home in a close second place, covering the 2.6 mile course in 14 minutes 19 seconds. Veteran Don Kayum took over and moved Striders into the lead with 14.41. On the final leg Justin Macenhill faced strong opposition from Aldershot and Kent AC, and despite running a very respectable 14.23, had to settle for third place, just ten seconds behind the Kent runner. Cambridge placed fourth with South London Harriers fifth.

Kevin climbs to handicap win

Striders had a good turnout of 35 runners in the first of their popular five-mile handicap races, on a hilly course in the Sandilands area. Veteran Kevin Bannister was the first runner to finish, with Patricia Carr also running well for second place. The fastest actual time was set by Justin Macenhill (29.12), with veteran Bob Ewen second (30.02). Kerry Backshell was the fastest woman (36.15).

Striders out in numbers at Sutton

Striders of Croydon had an impressive total of 24 finishers in the Sutton 10 kilometre road race, which was the first Surrey Road League match of the season. Striders' leading runner was Justin Macenhill, who placed 30th, covering the three-lap course in 37 minutes 39 seconds. Veteran Don Kayum was next home in 37th place (38.06), with Damian Macenhill 50th (39.10) and Alan Dolton 53rd (39.33). Dave Batten had an excellent run to finish third in the over-50 category, placing 58th overall (39.45). Mike Willans placed 74th (40.46) and Morgan Steele 87th (41.27). Striders' women were led home by Kerry Backshell, who finished 171st (47.33), ten places ahead of team-mate Emma Haillay (48.25). Patricia Carr completed the team, recording 53 minutes 32 for 238th.

Marathon effort from Dave and Tim

Striders of Croydon had an impressive total of 20 finishers at Sunday's Flora London Marathon. Their leading runner was long-distance specialist Dave Shaw who covered the distance in 2 hours 56 minutes 26 seconds, finishing 845th overall. Next home was Tim Bett, who had completed the Two Oceans 35-mile marathon in Cape Town the previous week, and still had sufficient stamina to record 3 hours 28 minutes 27. Striders' next three finishers were all women. Elene Kayum ran 3 hours 33 minutes 21, and was followed by club colleagues Kate Custis (3.36.38) and Emma Haillay (3.41.56). Wayne Riches ran steadily to record 3.51.20 with Phil Mazur next home in 4.01.49. There were also particularly good runs from two of Striders' women who were tackling the event for the first time. Clare McFadzean ran 4 hours 17.29 while Karen McDermott ran 4.31.27. Striders also had two competitors in the under-13 girls' section of the 'mini-marathon', held along the final part of the marathon course. Ciara Riordan ran well to place 78th in 20 minutes 20, getting the better of club colleague Sophie Shaw who was 106th (21.15).

Lee takes Striders to runners-up spot

Striders of Croydon produced a good team performance to place third in the East Surrey League's annual road race at Ewell, lifting them to second in the final league table. Their leading runner was again Lee Morgan who placed fifth, covering the four and a quarter mile course in 23 minutes 37 seconds. Justin Macenhill placed tenth (24.18) while his brother Damian was 22nd (26.23), one place and eight seconds ahead of team-mate Nigel Davidson. Peter Yarlett ran well for 27th (27.08), and won the over-50 category. Ian Campbell was 36th (28.41) and Tom Littlewood 48th (30.33).

Young and old star for Striders at Box Hill

Striders of Croydon produced a good team performance to place third out of 15 teams in the East Surrey League's annual road relay at Boxhill. Lee Morgan gave them a good start on the first leg, covering the 2.1 mile course in 11 minutes 14 seconds, which was the fifth fastest time of the day, and placing third. New signing Billy Corr made an encouraging debut and held third place with 12 minutes 11. On the third leg Tom Thrower, the youngest member of the team, ran a very good 11.36 but was overtaken by Ed Prickett of Reigate, who ran the fastest time of the day. On the final leg Justin Macenhill pulled Striders back into third place with 11.29. Crawley won the event (45.22) from Dorking (45.59), Striders (46.30) and Reigate (47.17).

Striders' B team placed 12th. Veteran Bob Ewen was their fastest runner with 12.29, and was followed by Steve Chandler (13.50), Chris Morton (13.26), and 64-year-old Kevin Burnett (19.06).

In the Under-13 race, held over the same course, Striders' Daisy Collingridge had an excellent run, recording an impressive 13.49 and beating all the other girls and all but two of the boys.

Team do well at Invitational event

Striders of Croydon produced a good team performance in an inter-club cross-country match in Lloyd Park, promoted by their local rivals Croydon Harriers. Striders had 16 runners competing, and did well to win the six-to-score match, and place second of the six competing clubs in the four-to-score match, behind Medway, but ahead of Crawley, Croydon Harriers, Collingwood and Tadworth.

Striders were led home by Lee Morgan, who made a welcome return to the club and ran strongly to finish second, covering the muddy 10 kilometre course in 37 minutes 50 seconds. Justin Macenhill ran steadily to place seventh

(41.12) and there were good runs from two of Striders' over-50s, Dave Batten placing 15th (43.30) and Peter Yarlett 18th (43.43). Team manager Chris Morton was 19th (44.20), with Dave Shaw 29th (46.25) and Matthew Batten 31st (46.38). The meeting also included an under-17 race, which incorporated the trials for the Croydon Borough team for the London Mini-Marathon. Striders' Sophie Shaw had an excellent run to win the under-13 girls' category, finishing ahead of all the under-15 girls and covering the two-mile course in 16 minutes 27 seconds. Her club colleague Ciara Riordan also ran well to place fourth in the under-13 girls' category (17.40). Both Sophie and Ciara can now look forward to representing the borough in the Mini-Marathon on April 18th.

Striders turn out in numbers at Lloyd Park

Striders of Croydon had an excellent turnout in the Surrey Cross-Country League matches last Saturday, with 39 club members competing. Their star performer was again Daisy Collingridge, who placed fourth in the under-13 girls' race, covering the muddy three-kilometre course in 13 minutes 10 seconds. Club colleague Sophie Shaw was 24th in 14 minutes 59 seconds, one place and three seconds ahead of the improving Ciara Riordan. Striders placed fifth in the team event, and finished the season in eleventh place from the 18 competing teams. Striders' women produced their best performance of the season to place fifth in their Division 2 match, lifting them to seventh place in the final Division 2 table. They were again led home by Serena Stracey who placed 15th, covering the six-kilometre course in 25 minutes 58 seconds. Club colleague Diane Ballard placed 19th (26.48), with team captain Emma Haillay running well for 27th (27.52). Kerry Backshell showed improved form to place 47th (29.25), while veteran Elene Kayum completed the A team in 55th place (30.04). Striders' B team also did well to place 16th of the 28 teams (and third B team). Stephanie Upton, returning after illness, placed 60th (30.20), with Linda Daniel 69th (31.16). Sian Roberts made a promising debut to place 75th (32.00), while Patricia Carr was 79th (32.35) and Yvonne Harrison 97th (34.22). Striders' men faced strong opposition in their Division 2 match. Justin Macenhill had an excellent run to place ninth, covering the five-mile course in 30 minutes 33 seconds. Striders' next three runners were all veterans. Long-distance specialist Dave Shaw ran well to place 33rd (32.20), with Bob Ewen 47th (32.59) and Gerry Crispie 66th (33.23). Striders showed good team spirit with 24 finishers, but with only four of these in the top 70, they had to settle for ninth place in the match, and are relegated to Division Three for next season.

Serena leads Striders at Petersham

Striders of Croydon's women competed at Petersham in Division 2 of the Surrey Women's Cross-Country League. They placed eighth in the match, and are now tenth in the division with one match remaining. Their first woman home was Serena Stracey who produced an excellent run to finish ninth, covering the four-mile course in 24 minutes 20 seconds. Diane Ballard also ran well for 18th place (24.58), while club stalwart Elene Kayum was 41st (26.44). Kerry Backshell placed 72nd (28.55) with Patricia Carr 95th (30.55) and Michele Lawrence 98th (31.10). This Saturday (24th) Striders' men and women are competing at Parliament Hill in the Southern Cross-country Championships.

Striders of Croydon produced an improved performance in the third Surrey Cross-Country League Division 2 match of the season, held on Saturday at Merrow. They had 24 finishers, and placed fifth of the nine competing teams. They were led home by Justin Macenhill who had an excellent run to place 15th, covering the five-mile course in 28 minutes 38 seconds. Striders' next two runners were both veterans, with Don Kayum placing 31st (30.07) and Bob Ewen 32nd (30.08). Simon Alexander placed 40th (30.24), while Tom Thrower, in his first appearance for the club, made a very promising debut with 48th place (30.38). Damian Macenhill was 69th (31.45) and the scoring team was completed by Gerry Crispie 74th (31.57), Chris Morton 83rd (32.34), Peter Yarlett 87th (32.57) and Colin Cotton 94th (33.22).

The previous weekend, Striders had also had a good turnout in the Surrey Cross-Country Championships at Lloyd Park, with a total of 26 club members competing, varying in age from 11 to 55. Both their men's and women's teams placed ninth. For the women, Serena Stracey placed 29th, covering the five-mile course in 37 minutes 14 seconds. Team captain Emma Haillay was 54th (41.22), Elene Kayum 57th (41.33) and Cress Davidson 70th (44.58). In the men's race, Justin Macenhill ran well to place 41st in a strong field, covering the seven and a half mile course in 47 minutes 14 seconds. Dave Shaw was 73rd (50.39), and the scoring team was completed by Damian Macenhill (80th, 51.30), Bob Ewen (86th, 52.06), Chris Morton (95th, 52.51) and Peter Yarlett (102nd, 53.24) In the under-20 men's race Matthew Batten placed eighth, covering the five miles in 40 minutes 20 seconds. Daisy Collingridge placed eighth in the under-13 girls' race, covering the two-mile course in 14 minutes 53 seconds. Club colleague Sophie Shaw was 30th (16.17) with Ciara Riordan 40th (17.46).

Reports from 2003

Surrey League XC - fixture 2 13th December 2003
Ellis Trophy & Dysart Cup - 6th December 2003
South of Thames junior - 8th November 2003
East Surrey XC - 25th October 2003
Surrey League XC - fixture 1 & Croydon 10K - 18th & 19th October 2003
East Surrey XC relays & London to Brighton - 4th & 5th October 2003
Switchback 5 - 20th September 2003
Surrey Road relays - 13th September 2003
Wimbledon 5K - 10th August 2003
Elmbridge 10K - 20th July 2003
Elmore7 - 19th July 2003
Dysart Dash - 29th June 2003

Daisy success at Lightwater

Striders of Croydon faced strong opposition in the second round of the Surrey Cross-Country Leagues, held at Lightwater. Their best performance came in the girls' race, where Daisy Collingridge, in only her third race for the club, produced another excellent performance. She placed seventh overall and was third in the under-13 category, recording 14 minutes 6 seconds for the two-mile course. Sophie Shaw was 22nd (15.38) and Ciara Riordan was 26th (16.43). Striders placed sixth in the team event. Striders' men finished in a disappointing ninth place in their Division 2 match. Their leading runner was Justin Macenhill, who placed 34th, covering the five-mile course in 30.56. Veteran Don Kayum was 49th (31.36) while Damian Macenhill was 58th (31.55) and Gerry Crispie 68th (32.31). Long-distance specialist Dave Shaw placed 83rd (33.14), two places and five seconds ahead of team manager Chris Morton.

Striders' women, also in Division 2, fielded a depleted team and finished in a disappointing 11th place. Their first woman home was veteran Elene Kayum, who placed 26th, recording 29 minutes 43 for the four-mile course. Team captain Emma Haillay ran bravely to place 40th (31.23), despite not having fully recovered from a bout of flu. Linda Daniel was 52nd (32.17) and Sarah Lloyd-Jones was 85th (35.25).

Stracey runs strongly at Richmond

Serena Stracey, from Striders of Croydon, produced an excellent run in the annual Dysart Cup cross-country race, organised by Ranelagh Harriers at Richmond Park on Saturday. She placed eighth of the 36 finishers, covering the four and a half mile course in 28 minutes 10 seconds. Striders' men competed at the same venue in the Ellis Cup, over five and a half miles. They placed sixth of the right competing teams. They were led home by the Macenhill brothers, with Justin placing 27th in 33.56 and Damian 32nd in 34.20. Team manager Chris Morton was next home for the club in 52nd place (35.50). Striders' next three runners were all in the over-50 age group, with Peter Yarlett placing 55th (36.03), Dave Batten 61st (36.22) and Colin Cotton 75th (37.16). There were 129 finishers.

Striders out in numbers at Coulsdon

Striders of Croydon had an excellent turnout in the South of the Thames Cross-Country Association's annual inter-club race, held on Farthing Downs. They provided 25 of the 188 finishers. In the eight-to-score competition for the Brent Shield, Striders' A team placed fifth, while their B team were seventh. In the separate women's competition, with four runners to score, Striders' A team were seventh and their B team were ninth. Striders' first man home was Justin Macenhill, who finished 22nd, covering the five-mile course in 30 minutes 24 seconds. Nigel Davidson placed 53rd

(33.03) with Damian Macenhill 55th (33.13). Veteran Bob Ewen placed 70th (34.18), closely followed by Chris Morton (73rd, 34.25) and Dave Batten (79th, 34.55). Striders' women were led home by Serena Stracey who placed 16th in the women's race, recording a time of 36 minutes 36 seconds. Kerry Backshell was 26th (38.32), with Emma Haillay 34th (40.08) and veteran Elene Kayum 40th (41.35). This Saturday (22nd), several Striders will be competing in the annual Pirie 10-mile cross-country race, promoted by South London Harriers.

Daisy comes top in Lloyd Park

Croydon High School student Daisy Collingridge, running for Striders of Croydon, produced another excellent run in the East Surrey League cross-country match at Lloyd Park. She was the second girl to finish, covering the undulating two-mile course in 14 minutes 2 seconds, and was first in the under-13 girls' category, more than a minute ahead of her nearest rival. In the senior race, Striders had a good turnout with 18 runners, which was the largest of any of the competing clubs. However they faced strong opposition and placed fifth in the match, lifting them to sixth in the league table. Striders' first three runners were all veterans. Don Kayum ran well to place 15th, covering the five-mile course in 32 minutes 28 seconds, four places and twelve seconds ahead of club colleague Gerry Crispie. Peter Yarlett also ran well to place 26th in 33.59. Team manager Chris Morton was 31st (34.14), closely followed by club colleagues Alan Dolton (32nd, 34.44) and Dave Batten (33rd, 34.49).

Striders' women were well represented. They were led home by Kerry Backshell, who was the seventh woman to finish, placing 58th overall (38.34). Team captain Emma Haillay was 64th (39.34) and veteran Elene Kayum was 68th (41.20). Club stalwart Michele Lawrence was 80th (45.28) with Sarah Lloyd-Jones 81st (45.52). This Saturday (November 8th), Striders' men and women will be competing in the South of the Thames inter-club race at Coulsdon, starting at 2.30pm.

Surrey League crosscountry - fixture 1 + Croydon 10 K

Striders of Croydon faced strong opposition in the first Surrey Cross-Country League Division 2 match of the season, at Wimbledon Common on Saturday, and finished in a disappointing eighth place of the nine competing clubs. Guildford & Godalming gained a clear victory with 150 points, ahead of Dulwich (339), British Airways (432), West 4 Harriers (457), Woking (482), Hercules-Wimbledon (517), Wimbledon Windmilers (523), Striders of Croydon (553) and Croydon Harriers (642). The first Strider to finish was Ciaran Osborn, who ran well to place tenth, covering the five-mile course in 27 minutes 44 seconds. Justin Macenhill returned after injury to place 24th (28.35), while there were also good runs from veterans Don Kayum (33rd, 29.12) and Gerry Crispie (39th, 29.34). Simon Alexander placed 68th (30.50) with Damian Macenhill 72nd (30.56), Nigel Davidson 82nd (31.21), Chris Morton 86th (31.35), Dave Batten 94th (31.59) and Simon Smith 96th (32.02). Striders had 20 of the 151 finishers. Meanwhile, Striders' women fielded a depleted team in their match at Kingston, with only seven women competing. Diane Ballard, returning after a foot injury, produced an excellent run to lead the team home. Veteran Elene Kayum ran well to be second woman home for the club, closely followed by Emma Haillay, who was competing despite a heavy cold. Both Elene and Emma also ran in the Croydon 10 kilometre road race the following day, where Striders had an excellent turnout with 29 club members competing.

Dave & Morgan complete 'ultra'

Striders of Croydon's women's team produced an encouraging performance at the East Surrey League cross-country relay at Wimbledon, placing second of the five women's teams. They were given a good start by Serena Stracey, who ran the first two-mile leg in 11 minutes 59, the second fastest women's time of the day. She was followed by Steph Upton (13.00), Emma Haillay (13.24) and Elene Kayum (14.07). The relay was preceded by the young athletes' race, which saw Daisy Collingridge make an excellent debut for Striders. She was the second girl to finish, recording a time of 12 minutes 56 seconds, and also beating most of the boys as she finished sixth overall. Club colleague Sophie Shaw was 15th (14.10). Striders' men faced strong opposition and finished 9th of the 28 competing teams. Veteran Don Kayum was their fastest, running a good first leg of 10 minutes 58 seconds. He was followed by Alan Dolton (11.53), Chris Morton

(11.43) and Gerry Crispie (11.24). Striders' B team was 18th, their runners being Colin Cotton (11.45), Bob Pullen (13.12), Paul Weir (13.51) and Steve Chandler (12.17).

Meanwhile, two of Striders' long-distance runners competed in the annual London to Brighton road race. Dave Shaw and Morgan Steele, both making their debuts in this event, ran steadily to finish the first 50 in a field of 108, both comfortably beating the nine-hour mark. This Saturday (18th) Striders' men and women will be competing in the Surrey Cross-Country Leagues. The men are at Wimbledon (3pm start) while the women are at Kingston (12.30 start).

Bayliss races to Switchback victory Switchback 5

Striders of Croydon staged their annual Switchback 5-mile cross-country race in unusually hot conditions on Saturday. The winner was Steve Bayliss from local rivals Croydon Harriers, who covered the undulating course in an impressive time of 27 minutes 40 seconds. Veteran Bob Treadwell of Redhill & Surrey Beagles placed second (29.49), while Tom Ulliott of Henfield was third (29.59). The team prize was won by Dulwich Runners.

Dulwich also had the first woman home, with Meredith Pannett producing an outstanding run to finish sixth overall in 31 minutes 18. The next three women were all members of South London Harriers: Jessica Trowbridge was 16^th overall (33.48) with Alison MacKenzie 20^th (34.28) and Viv Mitchell 27^th (35.42).

The first Strider to finish was veteran Gerry Crispie in 11^th (32.45), ten seconds and one place ahead of club colleague Peter Yarlett. Simon Smith was 17^th (33.51) and Paul Finch 18^th (34.06). Striders’ women were led home by Stephanie Upton, who was 48^th overall (41.02). Sophie Shaw was 54^th (41.57) and Linda Daniel 55^th (42.15).

Striders out in numbers for road relay Wimbledon 2.95 miles

Striders did well to field five teams in the Surrey Road Relays at Wimbledon Park. Their fastest runner was Ciaran Osborn, who placed eighth on the first leg, covering the three-mile course in 15 minutes 27. However Striders were without some of their first-choice runners, and their men’s team eventually had to settle for 16^th place in a strong field. They were outshone by their women, who did well to place 8^th of 20 teams. Newcomer Serena Stracey made an excellent debut, recording a time of 18 minutes 56 on the first leg. There were also good runs from Kerry Backshell (20.23) and Emma Haillay (20.37). Striders’ B team also did well to place 14^th, their fastest runner being Stephanie Upton (20.35).

Striders’ over-40 men got closest to the medals, placing sixth of 17 teams. Don Kayum ran 16.36 on the first leg, and was supported by Simon Smith (17.51), Gerry Crispie (17.19) and Alan Dolton (17.52). Striders’ over-50s placed eighth. Peter Yarlett gave them a good start by running 17.46, and was followed by Colin Cotton (18.15), Mick George (19.57) and Kevin Bannister (21.25).

Striders finish season in 4th spot Wimbledon 5K

Striders of Croydon’s road running team completed a fine Surrey Road League season in hot conditions at the Wimbledon 5K. Their men’s team finished the season in an excellent fourth place of the 24 competing clubs, while their women’s team were sixth. Striders’ first man home at Wimbledon was again the consistent Justin Macenhill, who placed 19^th of 180 finishers, completing the undulating course in 17 minutes 8 seconds. He was followed by veterans Tony Sheppard (28^th, 17.32) and Gerry Crispie (37^th, 18.26). Damian Macenhill was 42^nd (18.45) and Chris Morton 53^rd (19.21). Striders’ leading woman was team captain Emma Haillay, who was the 20^th woman to finish, recording 22 minutes 37. Emma’s consistent performances over the season won her the individual championship in the women’s under-35 category.

Macenhill leads in Striders Elmbridge 10K

Striders of Croydon had a good turnout of 17 runners in hot conditions in the Elmbridge 10K on Sunday. They were led home by Justin Macenhill who placed 24th of almost 600 runners in 36 minutes 10. Veteran Gerry Crispie returned after injury and placed 50th in 37.59, one place and ten seconds ahead of club colleague Tony Sheppard. Club colleague Damian Macenhill placed 60th in 38.23, ahead of veterans Alan Dolton (87th, 39.37) and Peter Yarlett (125th, 41.16).

Striders’ first woman to finish was Emma Haillay, who placed 244th (46.08). The other female scorers were Kerry Backshell in 289th (47.35) and Karen McDermott in 477th (56.27).

Osborn finishes fourth for Striders Elmore7

Striders of Croydon had an excellent turnout of 21 runners in hot conditions in the Elmore 7-mile road race, held over a scenic and undulating course to the south of Chipstead. Striders’ leading runner was Ciaran Osborn, who produced another good run to place fourth of the 237 finishers in a time of 40 minutes 21 seconds. Striders’ next four runners to finish were all veterans. Tony Sheppard ran another good race to finish 11^th in 42.31, while marathon specialist Dave Shaw placed 15^th in 43.05 and another good run came from Don Kayum who placed 19^th (43.56). Alan Dolton was 34^th (46.37), closely followed by one of Striders’ younger runners, Paul Finch (36^th in 46.56). Striders’ leading over-50 runner was Dave Batten, who made his usual fast start and lost ground in the second half but still placed a respectable 53^rd (48.45).

Striders’ leading woman was again Diane Ballard, who placed 59^th (49.16). Stephanie Upton also ran well to place 86^th (52.27), while Elene Kayum (93^rd, 53.19) and Emma Haillay (95^th, 53.28) also made the top 100. Yvonne Harrison was 167^th (62.05) and Sarah Lloyd-Jones 189^th (66.22).

Striders will be hoping for another large turnout in their next match, which is the Surrey 5 kilometre championship at Wimbledon on Sunday 10 August. This is also the final match in this summer’s Surrey Road League, and Striders will be hoping that both their men’s and women’s teams can crown a successful season by staying in the top five.

Striding to third place in Surrey Dysart Dash

Striders of Croydon climbed to third place of the 24 teams in the Surrey Road League after an excellent team performance in the Dysart 10K at the weekend.

Striders provided one of the largest squads, with 20 of the 454 finishers. They were led home by Ciaran Osborn, who ran well to place 13th in a personal best 34min 51sec, half a minute clear of teammate Justin Macenhill who placed 19th (35min 21sec).

Veteran Tony Sheppard was 29th in 35min 59sec, and was sixth in the over-40 category.

Other Striders to make the top 100 in a competitive race were Damian Macenhill (58th, 38min 26sec) and veteran Alan Dolton (83rd, 39min 46sec).

Striders’ women also produced a fine team performance. They placed third in the Surrey Championships, and climbed to fourth place in the Surrey Road League.

Their first finisher was Diane Ballard, who ran an impressive 42min 25sec to place 139th overall (and was the 16th woman).

Stephanie Upton was 207th (and the 33rd woman) in 45min 18sec, while team captain Emma Haillay was 213th (35th woman) in 45min 56sec.

They were supported by Yvonne Harrison (370th, 54min 33sec) and Karen McDermott (382nd, 55min 41sec).

Striders will be hoping for another large turnout of runners in the next league match, which is the Elmbridge 10K on Sunday July 20.

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All reports by Alan Dolton unless otherwise credited.