SPA Striders made a long-awaited return to race action last weekend with a number of events up and down the country.
No event could have issued a more gruelling return to action than the Thames Path 100-mile race, where the Spa duo of Jack Gammon (25:30:07) and Martin Clark (27:16:39) – finishing in 125th and 182nd respectively – performed admirably to complete the mammoth distance.
Edward Lockhart was another Strider completing an Ultra Marathon last weekend, completing the 35-mile Shires and Spires race in Northamptonshire in just under eight hour and 16 minutes to rank 66th overall.
Appearing in a first triathlon of the year down in Bedfordshire was Helene Wright at the Box End Triathlon in Bedfordshire, impressing as the fourth-fastest in her age group and the 14th-quickest female entrant overall with a 2:25:17 time.
Elsewhere, the Striders finished third in both the men’s and women’s categories in the final Warwickshire Road Race League ‘virtual’ event for August.
It was little surprise that Ian Allen, fourth overall, led the men’s side home in a 34:03 time in the 10km race, followed by Neil Smith (tenth, 35:38), Chris McKeown (16th, 36:11), Adam Notley (25th, 39:03) and Steven Taylor (29th, 39:03) inside the top 30.
Simon Ludford (37th, 39:59) was the final male Strider to register points from the event, with Chris Wilson, John-Paul Hunt, Kevin McKeever and Sergi Gonzalez Prunera completing the race but non-scoring.
The women, meanwhile, were equally impressive and had Mairi Walker as their shining light – the first lady home in her fastest-ever 10km run.
Kelsey Wiberley (45:39), Catherine Friggens (48:21), Claudine Piper (52:28) and Sandra Stokes (53:37) then followed to complete the pack.
