Gade Valley Harriers dig deep for half marathon challenges

The half marathon was a popular distance at the weekend as Gade Valley Harriers had entrants in The Kimbolton Half Marathon in Cambridgeshire, The Burnham Beeches Half Marathon in Berkshire and The Henfield Half Marathon in West Sussex.
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The Kimbolton Half was dubbed The Hen Half by the Harriers as it was the last race as a single woman for Harrier Vicky Crawley.

The bride-to-be and her friends Tracy Aldridge-Jones, Teresa Reason and Claire McDonnell all crossed the line together in 1:43:24.

Rupert and Clare Cavenagh-Mainwaring were just behind in 1:51:28, ahead of Paula Cook 1:55:52.

The Kimbolton Half was dubbed The Hen Half by Gade Valley Harriers as it was the last race as a single woman for Vicky Crawley.The Kimbolton Half was dubbed The Hen Half by Gade Valley Harriers as it was the last race as a single woman for Vicky Crawley.
The Kimbolton Half was dubbed The Hen Half by Gade Valley Harriers as it was the last race as a single woman for Vicky Crawley.

Ladies’ captain Susie Ivin and Anita Berwick finished together in 2:04:39, while bringing the Harriers home were Tanya Saunders and Tina Searle, both in a time of 2:13:19.

The Burnham Beeches Half had five Harriers taking part, with Andrew Bishop setting a new PB of 1:39:35 and Russ Bailey clocking a PB of 1:46:45.

John Broom was next back in 1:48:27, while Andy Norton completed the course in 1:51:52 and Krim Saidi finished in 1:54:25.

Peter Tucker took on the Henfield Half Marathon for the Harriers and completed in a time of 2:29. This was on off-road trail race and the course went along a disused railway line and the banks of the River Adur.

Elsewhere, at the St Albans parkrun, Harrier Gemma Bitaraf set a new PB and broke a personal goal by getting under 20 minutes for the 5K race.

Completing in 19:54 and finishing fifth in her age category, Bitaraf was one of four Harriers racing.

Mark Crabtree was first back for the Harriers in 16:50, taking fourth place overall, followed by Simon Wallis in 19:12. Next came Bitaraf and then Russ Bailey in 21:58.

Meanwhile, John Lawler and Vince Ellerby both paid a visit to the Black Park parkrun in Slough, with Lawler storming home in 19:04, and Ellerby just behind in 19:53.