D&T's Mike Kazer at Triathlon championships

D&T's Mike at Triathlon champs
D&T at Vitality 10KD&T at Vitality 10K
D&T at Vitality 10K

Dacorum & Tring athletes featured on the international stage this week with Mike Kazer representing Great Britain in the male 30-34 age group at the 2016 ETU Triathlon European Championships in Lisbon.

Mike came in 22nd place overall with a time of 1 hour 10 minutes 16 seconds. The event consisted of a 750m swim, 20km bike and 5km run.

Seasoned marathon veterans John Stevens and David Stears took on their seventh and 13th marathons respectively up in Edinburgh on Saturday. The pair stayed together until mile 17, when a foot injury and substantial blistering forced David to slow down.

David finished in 4.20 and John finished in 4 hrs 2 mins.. John’s wife, Jackie, was also running in aid of the Royal National Institute for the Blind, despite being visually impaired herself.

Ladies team captain, Kelly Du Buisson and her husband Casper were also up in Edinburgh competing in both the 10k and 5k races. Kelly was fourth placed lady in the tough, hill ridden10k in 44:05, with Casper recording a time of 51:40. Both Kelly and Casper ran the 5k race with a friend.

Kerry Ardley was another club member on her travels, as she took on the Rock’n’Roll Liverpool Half Marathon. Despite injuries that she is currently receiving treatment for and a fairly lengthy lay-off as a result, Kerry still managed a sub two-hour time, finishing in 1:51:23.

Victoria Thornley participated in her first triathlon of the season, Active Training World’s sprint distance triathlon. She was up early for the 07.25am start, on a cold and blustery Sunday morning at Stanborough Lakes in Welwyn, where she swam 750m, cycled 20k and ran 5k.

On Bank Holiday Monday a 10-strong Dacorum & Tring contingent, were amongst the 12,000 who descended onto the Mall for the Vitality London 10,000.

Jack Parslow gave the top Brits a run for their money finishing in 11th place overall in scintilating time of 31:11, less than three minutes

behind race winner Andrew Butchart and only seven seconds outside his own club record.

Richard Brawn soared round the course in 41:16 which put him in 805th place overall, with Martin Kerr securing a new 10k PB of 44:43. It was a double whammy for Martin, as his wife, Danielle, smashed her PB by over three minutes, with a superb time of 54:55.

Kate Crossland put in a stellar performance to finish as the 500th placed women on the day, out of over 6,000, with a time of 48:51. Rob Davies was 133rd in the 45-49 age group, crossing the line in an impressive 45:25.

Amy Dilks also managed a huge PB of 53:12, knocking a staggering six minutes off her previous best. And to continue the trend, Louise Flower also brought a new PB home with her to supplement her goody bag, crossing the line in 51.36.

Rebecca White timed her race to perfection, just dipping under the 55 minute marker to add herself to the PB roster, with an improvement of almost three minutes on her previous best.

Kirsty Russell’s time of 57:15 meant that all ten Dacorum & Tring runners finished in the top half of the field, so all-in-all a pretty successful day for the club.

The previous day had seen the Westminster Mile take place with Louise Flower, Jim Mason and Rebecca White taking part. Louise had a superb run, completing the mile in 6:48. Unfortunately Jim’s hamstring injury caused him to hobble round the course, with Rebecca keeping him company. Both finished in 8:58.

In Saturday’s parkrun activity, Erica Klein made her debut as Gadebridge parkrun’s new Run Director. An amazing 24 D&T runners and 11 volunteers were in attendance.

Jack Parslow flew round in an impressive 16:50, making him first finisher and bagging him a new PB. The other finishers were: Matthew Salt 18:57, Freddie Truman 20:03, Steve Shaw 20:29, Chris Marriott 21:39, John Hopper 22:18, Michael Irvine 22:20, Grace Birdseye 22:21, Michael Lamb 22:22, Patrick Mostyn 23:28, Wendy Pearson, 23:57, Robert Davies 24:02, Andy Mitchell 25:27, Kerry Hoar 25:28. Brittany Salt 25:29, Robert Salt 25:30, Edward Hopper 26:03, Richard Stevens 27:01, Star Phillips 28:12, Jessica Tanner 30:50. Louise Tainsh 31.05, Kate Hopper 34:33, Louise Hopper 34:44 and Gary Sturdy, in his role as tail runner, 49:07.

Volunteering alongside Run Director Erica was Jamie Marlow with Erin and Lewis, Gwen Mostyn, John Slack, John Jales, Kirsty Russell, Jan Strachan, Rebecca White and Gary Sturdy.

At St Albans parkrun the finishers were: Samuel Fielding 18:26, Simon Walker 19:18, John Cooper 26:41, Peter Bailey 32:57 and Amy Dilks was volunteering as a barcode scanner.

Tring parkrun: Alan Grover 32:32, Andrew Guilder 35:42. Cassiobury parkrun: Celia Findlay 21:58. Duncan Hamilton 23:24, Danielle Kerr 26:08. Annette Howard 30:05, Rachel Lewis 34:47 and Tim Coysh was volunteering as photographer.

Ellenbrook Fields: Joshua Van Heiningen 16:52. Rhys Rowland 17:37. Stevenage: Leah Sill 28:59. Aylesbury: Rasmi Nanda 23:22. Barnsley: Janice 27:46. Sherwood Pines: Douglas Hamilton 29:04, Esther Hamilton 31:51.

Holkam parkrun: Thomas Ashton 20:11, Henry Ashton 25:11, Charlotte Ashton 25:45, Alex Bunce 34.56. Michelle Ashwell was Run Director at South Oxhey.

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