Club Handicap 10K
10k Handicap 2024 -
10k Handicap was run on a very wet an chilly Sunday morning on 22nd September. We had 34 brave souls who endured the wet start with a band of happy marshalls dotted about the course too, the weather then subsided and we was left with a puddly course and lots of grey clouds. All participants received a medal for the handicap and was treated with a lot of cake too!!
Our winners for the handicap were:
Fastest female Jess Ives-Keeler coming home in 48:19 and fastest male Michael Dennis coming in at 38:40. Our podium finishers (first home) were: 3rd place Kevyn Hopkins-Hall, 2nd place Paula Heyes & 1st place was Aaron Casper.
How does a handicap race work?
Each runner is given a target time based on their current form. This target time is used to work out the order in which runners are started, with the slowest runner going first and the fastest runner last. Each runners handicap is calculated by taking the difference between the slowest runners start time and the runners start time. As each runner finishes, the race stopwatch time is noted against their name. Their actual race time is calculated by taking the recorded stopwatch time and subtracting the runners handicap. The winner of the race is the runner who beats their target time by the greatest margin.
Route description
From the start, head along the cycleway and through the first underpass. As you go into the centre of the underpass complex bear right through the next underpass keeping the dual carriageway (Broadhall Way) on your left. Pass the back of Barnwell school and straight ahead until you arrive at the next underpass complex. Pass through it ahead so that you now are on the left hand side of the cycleway. Ahead until you pass the football stadium on your left. Through the next underpass and kept bearing right, up the slope and then bearing left to enter Fairlands Valley south (Showground). Straight ahead for 1km following the path until you reach the other end of the park at six hills way. Turn right and down the hill before bearing left through the underpass. Bear left again up the slope and then follow 1 lap of the Stevenage park run course. You will then re-emerge through the clump of trees at the end of the large lake. Straight ahead through the underpass, turn right up the hill and then turn left into the Showground. Follow the footpath across it for 1km. When you get to the end bear right down the hill, left through the underpass and stay left to go up the hill behind the football ground. Retrace your steps to the start and continue to follow the footpath down the hill as it takes you left on the bend, passing through the wooded area and to the finish!
Club handicap 10K 2023
The club handicap 10k took place Sunday 1st October 2023 with 27 Striders taking part. The first home was Danielle Lewis, followed by Gary Sherin and Sarah Skene. The fastest man was Rob Smith and the fastest lady was Andrea Skidmore.
Club handicap 10K 2022
The club handicap 10k took place Sunday 23rd October 2022 with 25 Striders taking part. We had joint winners, congrats to Lauren Pegg and Lucy Martin for crossing the line together in first place. Second place goes to Angie Hayes, and third place to Fiona Davies - great work all.
Fastest woman was Andrea Skidmore, and fastest man was Abdullah Athar with times of 52:17 and 39:34 respectively.
Club handicap 10K 2021
The club handicap 10k was held on Sunday 17 October 2021. 24 Striders completed the course. The first home was Dawn Loynes in 1:03:17 followed by Suzanne Davidson (1:05:35) and Sarah Saunders (55:45). The fastest man was Glenn Cuzner and the fastest lady was Emma Farrant.
Club handicap 10K 2020
The club’s fourth handicap 10K was held on 18/10/2020. A total of 38 Striders took part, a new club record. Despite Covid 19 restrictions the race was completed safely and enjoyed by both runners and volunteers (who marshalled the course and the finish area).
The winner of the handicap race was Praveen Selvaraj, beating his target time by a massive 12 minutes and thirty four seconds. Just over a minute behind in second place was Penny Fanthorpe and then Suzanne Finighan in a personal best of 1 hour and 38 seconds.
The quickest man was Bradley Birch in an impressive 36:12 and the quickest lady was Teresa Sutherill in 50:54.
Medals were awarded to all finishers.
Club handicap 10K 2019
The club’s third handicap 10K was held on 27/10/2019 and used the same route as in 2018. There was a club record turnout of 37 runners taking part.
First home was Paula Sparks in 1:10:20, followed by Dan Gunning in 50:44 and Angela Fastenbauer in 1:17:56. The fastest lady was Hannah West in 45:33 and the fastest man was Jonny Nicholls in 38:05.
There were trophies for the first three finishers and the fastest man and fastest lady. All finishers received a medal.
A big thank you to all the volunteers in making the another great club event – Kirsten Jarvis, Chris Dawson, Fiona Davies, Lynsey Mendonca, Tom Sclanders, Amy Anderson, Dorota Adamczyk, Ian McClements, Peter Monk, Sue Leigh, Martin Watson, Brenda and Jim Smith, Charlotte Leigh and Summer.
Club handicap 10k 2018
The club’s second handicap 10k was held on Sunday 28/10/2018. Runners were given a target time based on current form with the slower runners starting first and the quickest runner last. With the handicap system the winner of the race is the runner who beats their target by the largest margin.
The race started with the first runners setting off at 9:30am. The route took them to the northern side of Stevenage football ground, across the Fairlands Valley showground before doing a circuit of Fairlands Valley lakes and retracing the route back through Ridlins Wood to the finish. Whilst it was cold, the general conditions for running were good and this produced good times.
First home was Charlotte Leigh beating her target time by a massive 10 minutes and 51 seconds to finish in a personal best of 80:39. Second was Sandra Howes (57:47) and third Tracy Norris (82:22), finishing just 17 seconds ahead of Rachel Hall.
The fastest man on the day was Ollie Garbas in 40:19 and the fastest lady Tracy Bullot in 50:34.
Clare Wing (56:59) and Melanie Coleman (1:00:31) completed the course supporting the other runners.
A massive thanks to the following Striders for marshalling on the course and making sure the race went so smoothly.
Jessica Wright, Linda Howell, Peter Monk, Mark Blease, Ally Brown, Hayley Stenning, Brenda Smith and her husband Jim, Dave Mendonca, Steve Hawes, Anne Miller, Chrissie Parrry, Tom Sclanders and Sue Leigh.
Thanks also to Esperanza Castro for the lovely collection of cakes at the finish!
Club handicap 10k 2017
The club’s inaugural 10k handicap took place on 29 October 2017. In cold and windy conditions, 31 Striders took on the challenging undulating course in Stevenage.
First home was Richard Liversidge who was followed by the ever improving Tracy Norris and Russ Andrews. The quickest lady on the day was Tracy Bullot closely followed by Lisa Liversidge. The quickest man was Mark Dunn who was only 1 second ahead of James Hunter.
The club handicap 10k will become an annual competition within the club.
A massive thank you to the Marshalls and helpers on the day – Ken and James Marshall, Nicola McGuigan, Tricia Harrow, Brenda Smith and her husband Jim, Colin Fenwick, Chrissie Parry and Helen for putting up with Chris at the start and finish!