St Albans Scramble success for Dacorum & Tring’s super six

This event – a 12-hour Enduro, an ultra marathon race at Heartwood Forest near Wheathampstead – saw the club’s 24 representatives running non-stop over a 12-hour period, with one runner from each team on the course at all times.

The D&T Dudes team of Chris Kitchener, Russell Morris, Darren Mills and Jamie Saunders finished second overall in the relay team of four category, just cracking the 100-mile mark in a time of 11h 34m.

The team’s fastest lap time was a speedy 25.06, while their average lap time was an equally impressive 27.47.

Third relay team across the line was the D&T mixed team, AKA Three Lions and a Springbok, made up of Steve Russell, Kelly and Casper Du Buisson and Becky Fawcett, who covered a whopping 96 miles . Their fastest lap was 25.50 while their average was 29.19.

Next up was A Team of Slackers: the Slack family, led by John, with Richard, Robert and Andrew, finished sixth overall, with 22 laps done in a time of 11.44.54.

The Detox Divas team of Debbie Kennard, Heidi Greaves, Jules Robinson and Julie Regan were next, seventh across the line, completing an impressive 84 miles – and were the first ladies’ relay team of four to finish.

The club’s fifth team, Sam’s Pace or Mine, made up of Samantha Hawkridge, Jim Mason, Kodie Mitchell and Richard Brawn, were ninth overall, completing 80 miles, in 11.46.06.

D&T’s sixth team were Dave’s Babes, comprising Dave Stears, Richard Stevens, Victoria Thornley and Michelle Ashwell who also completed 20 laps, finishing in 11th place overall in 11.58.01.

Elsewhere, D&T’s ladies’ captain Sam Fawcett travelled to Sweden to race in the Tjejmilen – a 10k race through central Stockholm, and the country’s largest sports event for women.

Sam finished in a 10k PB of 41.43 – fast enough for 58th overall out of over 30,000 ladies and one of the top-five foreign finishers.

Meanwhile, not a lot of people were in parkrun action over the weekend, but there was some fine running nonetheless.

Jack Parlsow cruised the Gadebridge parkrun, finishing first in 17.28 - 2.5 minutes before the second runner, who happened to be first lady Kate Rennie, in a smashing 20.03.

Sam Burnell was first JM11-14 with a new PB of 23.47, fast enough for 16th overall.

Next over the line were Andy Mitchell in 26.24 and John Cooper in 30.02, while volunteers John Jales and Kirsty Russell helped to make it happen.

Jan Briggs was the club’s sole runner in St Albans, showing she’s getting back on track with an easy 31.21.

Young Daniel Belsey grabbed the Cassiobury parkrun record for JM10 with his storming run there, finishing in a PB time of 22.38 and crossing the line one second before his dad Richard. Esther Hamilton was also in action, finishing in 26.34, fast enough for fourth SW25-29 out of 13 in the age group.

Carolyn Heeps finished as ninth female overall at the Wimbledon parkrun with a new PB of 23.36 - and she was first in her VF55 age group - five minutes ahead of the second lady.

There were three club members at Tring: John Hopper finished in 23.25, Phil Bailey in 28.30 and 7-year old Freddie in 28.54 (new PB and third JM10) with Kate Bailey cruising along to finish in 30.19.

Over at Wycombe, Jonathan Edwards ran his fastest-ever parkrun, finishing in a new PB of 22.34, while Anya Higgins ran the Ormeau parkrun in south Belfast, finishing in 29.39.

The club didn’t have anyone running at South Oxhey, but as usual there was a purple person, Rob Wright, in action as volunteer.