Transplant Games and County Champs

Helen Giffin

​North Herts Road Runners’ Helen Giffin had an incredible weekend, winning five medals at the British Transplant Games in North Lanarkshire. On the track Helen took Gold in the 3km run as well as Bronze in both the 800m and 1500m. Not content with three medals, Helen got into the pool and took Silver in the 50m Backstroke and then got out of the pool to take a third Bronze in Table Tennis.

Elsewhere at the Doug Anderson Memorial 5k two Squirrels were in action, with Darren Matussa finishing 26th in a spritely 18:55 and Michelle Grudzinski clocking a huge personal best time of 24:55.

At the Fairlands Valley Relays in Stevenage, the Squirrels fielded 5 women's teams and 5 men’s teams. The Women’s A team (Astrid McKeown, Katie Harbon and Chloe Lucas) finished 2nd and were crowned Herts County Champions, while the men’s team (Mark Vaughan, Adam Bowler, Stewart Overton, John Auld and Darren Sunter) finished in 7th place and were second in the County Championship.

Squirrels were out in force in Parkruns. At Bedford Darren Sunter won the race in a speedy time of 16:51. At the inaugural Heartwood Forest Parkrun Ollie Garbas was 16th in a time of 20:06 while Matthew Davies was 40th in 23:23. In Cambridge James Keogh finished 22nd in 19:18, Ellie Scott was 84th lady in 29:18 and Clare Hooley 159th in 36:45. Chris Poole continued his travels, running at Westmill Parkrun finishing in 33rd place in 25:23. At the Kettering run Steve Williamson finished 23rd in 22:24 and at the Stevenage Parkrun a pack of Squirrels finished: Vincent Pasturel was 26th in 21:06, Stephen Lummis 43rd in 22:14, Chloe Lucas 4th lady in 22:48, Paul Phasey 79th in 24:34, Joseph Sherry was 81st in 24:37, Sheila Leavy was 40th lady in 29:31 and Patrick Norris 258th in 37:39. 

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