Fairlands Valley Spartans running club will have a new base from this Tuesday. They are moving to better, more modern facilities at Marriotts School – a Sports College in the Chells area of Stevenage and close to their origins, Fairlands Valley Park. Thei

Fairlands Valley Spartans running club will have a new base from this Tuesday.

They are moving to better, more modern facilities at Marriotts School - a Sports College in the Chells area of Stevenage and close to their origins, Fairlands Valley Park. Their previous base was The John Henry Newman School.

Meet them there on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7pm. If you want to know more, contact Jim Brown on 01438 354505 or 07939 687509, Chris King on 07779 880522 or visit their website www.fvspartans.org.uk

Tracy Pez was the first of eight Spartans finishers in the Stratford Upon Avon Shakespeare Marathon in extremely warm conditions.

She also achieved a huge 59-minute improvement with a time of 3-48:38 and was the 20th lady overall.

Times: Tracy Pez 3-48:38, Richard Sidlin 3-48:40, Rob Shaw 4-05:53, Steve Mills 4-09:47, Gerry McCabe 4-11:37, Sue Leigh 4-35:43, Chris Leigh 4-35:43, Paul Holgate 4-47:39.

In the supporting half marathon, Mark Glading was 478th out of 1,845 finishers in 1-48:07 and Dave Farthing 864th in 1-58:29.

There was a massive turnout last Thursday evening for the 35th running of the Spartans 5k handicap with 42 runners competing. The first runner to cross the finish line was Neil Faichen, finishing in a new personal best time of 27:33.

On a hot course, five Spartans experienced the full city welcome in Hamburg.

Times: Mike Newbitt 4-13:52, Mark Sanders 4-32:50, Carol Paul 4-32:55, David Paul 4-52:30, Michaela Sanders 4-59:39.

Chris King and Bev Aitken were in Austria for the 25th Vienna Marathon and Half Marathon. Chris finished the full marathon in 3-26:08 and Bev the half in 2-07:00.

Roger Biggs was in Padova, 40k west of Venice, Italy, on Sunday to run the Padova Marathon.

This was point to point from the edge of the Alps south to Padova. Conditions were sunny with temperatures well into the 20s and he finished in 3-35:52.