Runners travelled up the A1 on Sunday for the popular Sandy 10-mile road race. Nineteen North Herts Road Runners were there and a trio managed personal bests on a course which has the potential to be fast after an initial hill. Richard Thackeray reaped th

Runners travelled up the A1 on Sunday for the popular Sandy 10-mile road race.

Nineteen North Herts Road Runners were there and a trio managed personal bests on a course which has the potential to be fast after an initial hill.

Richard Thackeray reaped the benefits of marathon training with a new personal best time of 64:47.

Finlay Simpson continued his rich vein of form with a new best time of 76:00 and Bev Evison finished just under 90 minutes in 89:11.

Other finishers: Pete Sibbett 60:52, Pete Northover 61:06, Dave Frampton 64:18, Clive Adams 67:59, Norman Leslie 68:39, Jaime Gavira-Valez 69:19, Jane Chappell 70:51, Paula Adams 72:05, Gerald Rolfe, 74:16, Derek Myall 75:45, Alan Jones 77:25, Dave Ross 78:58, Paul Bowall 84:48, Colin Calcutt 84:54, Graham Thompson 85:20, Marie Shonk 88:06.

Thirteen Fairlands Valley Spartans also made the trip up the A1.

First Spartan was Simon Bell, just out of the prizes in 15th of the 432 finishers in 58:53. Frances Ridgway ran a new personal best of 75:42.

Times: Simon Bell 58:53, Tim Pine 69:28, Kevin Smyth 71:59, Chris Newbitt 74:37, Mark Beasley 75:04, Claire Haddleton 75:30, Frances Ridgway 75:42 pb, Andrew Hull 76:29, Richard Sidlin 78:20, Ian Chappell 83:30, Carol Paul 85:24, Dave Huffington 86:58, Dave Paul 87:01.

Declan Clynes ran the Brentwood Half in 1-21:59.

In the same race, Alison Suckling achieved a new personal best of 2-00:16.

Graham Preston was 189th out of 9,877 runners in the Reading Half Marathon in a time of 1-23:01. Craig Snowden was 5,622nd in 2-00:50 and Ben Snowden 6,827th in 2-09:11.

Paul Maguire struggled over 15 miles of mud and hills in Epping Forest on Saturday.

He was taking part in the Orion 15 cross-country race and recovering from a virus, he ran 2-13.

Spartans also took part in two off-road marathons over the weekend.

On Saturday, three were at the Charnwood Off Road Marathon.

Times: Roger Biggs and Robert Hardy 6-20:47, Pauline Hardy (15 miles) 5-01:47.

On Sunday, five were at the Daffodil Dawdle based on the small village of Kirtling in Cambridgeshire.

Times: Mike Newbitt 5-16:38, Paul Holgate 5-27:36, Roger Biggs 6-02:05, Sharon Crowley and Michaela Sanders both 6-55:20.

FVS TRI member Brian White took the Vet 50 prize at the high profile Asics Reading Half Marathon.

Won by a Kenyan in 1-03, White was 75th overall and first vet 50 in a time of 1-17:29.

The club's head run coach has collected three half-marathon Vet 50 titles in six weeks at Watford, Milton Keynes and now Reading.

Less than a minute slower than when he last raced Reading nine years ago, he is maturing nicely with age!

Simon Hall was rewarded with a new personal best of 1-13:58 and was pleased with his 43rd overall from the 9,877 finishers. Sam Tophill showed some return to form with 1-33:54 for 881st overall.

At the Sandy 10, Simon Patenall was first home for the club in 1-11:21.

New member Kevin Smyth just beat Robbie Laughton in 1-11:59 and 1-12:03 respectively.

And newest member Antonia Field ran an excellent 1-13:52 and finished 151st from 432 finishers in her first race for FVS TRI.