Stevenage Phoenix running club enjoying a good start to life

Stevenage Phoenix was set up in October by a group of runners who had a vision for an affiliated club that was totally free for all and would encourage participation at all levels.

They have already got to more than 100 members together with a very popular foundation group.

Training takes place on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6:45pm with a longer, social run on a Sunday morning.

Being a new club, records are still in their infancy but five of the club's athletes set new times over the weekend, with one of the ladies records falling twice in two days.

Emma Mead travelled to Suffolk for the Zig Zag Running’s Lucky Clover Half Marathon and she set the Phoenix age-group record at two hours seven minutes 59 seconds.

Chris Leigh clocked 54:00 at the Hyde Park 10k, his quickest 10k in more than 10 years and also a new club record, while three set new times in their respective age categories at the Richmond Half Marathon.

First home was Peter Tungate in 1:43:58 followed by Jodie Kantas in 1:59:06 and Isobel Macdougall in a PB of 1:59:32.

For more information on the club, go to www.stevenagephoenix.org.uk

Robert Wright and Michael O'Keefe of Fairlands Valley Spartans at Watford. Picture: PENNY SCHENKEL/FVS (Image: Penny Schenkel/FVS)

Fairlands Valley Spartans had unseasonably warm and sunny weather greet them for what should have been the final Sunday Cross-country League meeting of the season.

The previous editions in Royston and Stevenage were cancelled due to bad weather but a new date has been found for the Therfield Heath event, March 12.

This one was at Cassiobury Park in Watford and came in at a little under six miles.

Adrian Busolini was the first Spartan to finish, coming 14th out of around 300, with Grant Ramsay in 21st.

Harriet Smith was the fastest female Spartan, 155th overall.

Among the parkrun highlights was a third place at Stevenage for Ramsay with Nicola Kennedy the first female in Hunstanton.