Squirrels tough it out in the heat

Lucy O'Connor

Tough running in the heat’ was Lucy O’Connor’s verdict on a week of testing but successful local racing for North Herts Road Runners at the Hatfield 5k and inaugural Stevenage 10k.  
 
The flat course and midweek evening format of the Hatfield event make it a popular race for runners across Hertfordshire and a strong turnout from 23 Squirrels saw the Letchworth-based club put in a series of impressive performances.  
 
The event also served as the Hertfordshire Veterans championships and NHRR Chairperson Astrid McKeown led the way by taking the silver medal in the female 45-plus category in a time of 19.24. Matt Sayers replicated the feat with 16.47 for second place in the male 40-plus group. 
 
Fellow Squirrel Andrew Porter was delighted to record a new best time of 26.53 over the 5k distance and Hayley Cocks said she was ‘absolutely over the moon’ with her first-ever sub-30 minutes 5k clocking. Cocks crossed the line in 29.49 and was delighted when a fellow athlete from Stevenage-based Fairlands Valley Spartans admitted she had been using her as a pacer; ‘Me, a pacer – wow!’ was the post-race comment from Cocks. 
 
Also running at Hatfield were: 
John Auld, 18:35; Peter Sibbett, 18:35; Adrian Sherwood, 18:44; Ian Datlen, 19:09 (PB); Charlie Grayson, 19:16; Stuart Cocks, 20:26 (PB); Richard Harbon, 20:38; Neil Jefferson, 21:09; Rhia Botha, 21:28; Caroline Thrussell, 21:34; Chris Poole, 22:08 58; Dervla Downing ,22:35; Kat Gourd, 22:57 (PB); Lucy O’Connor, 23:23; Richard Weber, 23:31 (PB); Harry Agius, 23:48 (PB); Geoff Murray-Rochard, 23:50 (PB); Lewina Agius, 25:10 (PB); Ian Sutcliffe, 27:26; Hannah Keeble, 27:28; Carina Quayle, 28:31  
 
Conditions had warmed up further by the time of Sunday’s first-ever Stevenage 10k, but Lucy O’Connor found the heat to her liking as she won the 55-plus age group with a time of 52.04 and Dervla Downing took silver in the 35-plus category with 48.14.  
 
Fellow Squirrel Kat Gourd admitted she had ‘never been so glad to run downhill into one of Stevenage's oh-so-glamorous -but gloriously-shady underpasses’, although each descent was matched with ‘trepidation about the inevitable uphill slog (often in full sun) that would follow!’. Gourd battled her way to a new best time of 48.57 and was delighted to finish first in the senior female category. 
 
Also running at Stevenage were: 
Chris Poole, 46:59; Stuart Cocks, 47:13; Steve Brenton, 48:30; Andrew Coates, 48:38; Christian Allen, 50:35; Dave Braybrook, 53:38; Allison Blunt, 59:22; Jennifer Naisbitt, 1:05:02; Anna Greetham, 1:07:06; Hayley Cocks, 1:10:54. 
 
Long-distance specialists Sue Foot and Jo Summers completed another new event – the Five Rivers Challenge Marathon, covering five loops all starting and finishing in Ware. Sue described the whole route as ‘very picturesque and perfect trail running’. She  finished in ‘around 5 hours 25’, with Jo ‘well in front of me!’. 
 
As ever, NHRR were strongly represented at Parkruns near and far: 
Stevenage: 
Andrew Coates, 22.20; Kat Gourd, 23.29; Dave Braybrook, 24.19; Sarah Millhouse, 24.57; Jane Clarke, 28.33; Pat Norris, 32.40; Sarah Mitcherson, 36.55. 
 
Chelmsford Central 
Paul Jackson, 18.33. 
 
Wimpole Estate 
Lucy Hurley, 26.39 
 
Clare Castle 
Chris Poole, 23.25 
 
Jersey 
James Keogh, 20.58; Clare Hooley, 37.34 
 
Letchworth 
James Dalton, 20.59; Andrew Underhill, 22.15; Rhia Botha, 22.29; Damon Cleveley, 22.59; Sherryl Chatfield, 27.12; Carl Goodrum, 27.12; Adam Wilson, 27.56; Alan Hazlehurst, 27.58; Philip Flack, 28.08; Ellie Scott, 28.30; Rebecca Nicholl, 33.53; Carol Goodrum, 34.28 

Hogmoor Inclosure 
Brian Judkins, 36.32 

Nant y Pandy 
Glyn Blakey, 31.27 ​
 

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