Kentish Express Ashford & District
Booth’s record run!
Ashford Striders think they have a club first to celebrate.
Adam Booth completed Sunday’s Brighton Marathon in a personal-best 2hr54min58sec for 92nd place - the first Strider the club believe to have broken the three-hour mark.
Next home in his first marathon was Simon Pharoah, with 3:40.45, followed by Steve Greatorex in 4:07.34.
Kevin North completed his race in 4:09:57, another PB, and Hazel Turner clocked 4:33.19. Dermot Carr ran 4:48.57 in his first marathon and Lisa Gribbin completed her first of two marathons this month in 4:58.22.
Jack Farrant (5:07.00), Rachel Misson (5:14.09), Dave and Hazel Winchester (both 5:14.40), Dave Helme (5:15.33), Darren Laker (5:16.02), Scott Hawkins (5:18.58, PB) and Angie Craffey (6:05.34, PB) also took part.
In the Brighton 10k, first up for Striders in a PB was Aimee Donohue (52min31sec), followed by Sharon Gardner (1:02.53).
The London Landmarks HalfMarathon featured Jason Sanders (2:08.29) and Ash Robinson (2:24.53, PB).
Adam Thomas and Kay Hunt flew the club flag at the Southampton Marathon, both finishing in 4:50.31, while Kate Stroud ran a rather warm Berlin Half-Marathon in 2:32.30.
Staying in Europe, several Ashford Striders completed the Paris Marathon. Eleanor Weekes, in her first marathon, ran 4:23.05, while Sarah and David Martins timed 5:31.50. Lorna Cheshire was the final Strider home in Paris with 5:33.24.
Daniel Schwartz was the lone Ashford Strider taking on the Easter Ultra Challenge Windsor, completing the historical 25k in 2:47.00.
Parkrun times: Ashford: Keith Haynes 20.33, Alice Foulger 24.30, Claire Green 24.53, Josh Stephens 25.12, Harry Lockhart 26.16, Robert Harris 27.28, Richard Randle 27.33, Simon Pharoah 28.35, Christopher Wicks 28.52, Jason Sanders 29.48, Jason Brice 29.51, David Gadsby 29.58, George Cromwell 30.21, Jamie Bartlett 30.42, Vicky Stevenson 31.13, Jayne Hatton 31.15, Daniel Forbes 31.16, Amanda Cooper 31.32, Catherine Wall 31.55, Lucie Shrubsole 32.00, Stephen Rumsey 32.31, Dave Warner 32.33, Leigh Freeman 35.35, Rachel Oliver 36.08, Rachel York 36.37, Kevin York 36.39, Jennifer Watts 37.26, David Helme 37.27, Michelle Brice 37.28, Hazel Forrester 37.57, Holly Forrest 39.32, Julie Foster 40.28. Canterbury: Josh Whiten 32.19. Chiven Forest: Mark Niles 25.57. Hartlepool: Tamsin Ritchie 28.02. Mersea Island: Mark Fairbrother 27.29. Mole Valley: Nicola Crawley 36.35, Justine Wearn 36.35. Osterley: Lisa Gribbin 32.53, Justin Burden 33.02, Laura Clark 35.45. Trentham Gardens: Sally Davidson-Daniel 33.07. Victoria Dock: Lee Standen 29.35.
Ashford & District Road Running Club’s Scott Lynch was an impressive 75th as more than 2,500 runners entered the Hastings Half-Marathon.
Lynch, 50th at Good Friday’s Folkestone 10-mile race, crossed the line in 1:27.32 for second in the V55 age category.
Brad Bunk went stateside for the Singer Island Half-Marathon in Florida, finishing in a swift time of 1:38.59 to win his age category, while Sue Sutton made her debut at the distance in the Wilmslow Half-Marathon.
Despite missing several weeks of training due to illness, she completed her first half in 2:50.28.
Gill O’Connor took on the Twin Lakes 20-mile race - a multi-terrain, scenic course lapping two lakes, following the picturesque River Ouzel and the Grand Union Canal.
Despite the windy conditions O’Connor timed 2:59.14 and claimed third place in her age category.
Mark Attenborough also enjoyed the scenery when he ran the Surrey Hills Marathon in a time of 4:54.09, while Helen Weeden represented the club at the 50-mile Manchester to Liverpool Ultra Marathon.
The race started at 6am, following a mixture of trails, towpaths and roads.
It was Weeden’s second ultra distance of the year, and her 53rd race at marathon and above distance, and she completed the course in a time of 12:07.49.