Phil and Rosie break Striders’ mile records

Phil Coales, from Striders of Croydon, continued his return from injury with an excellent run to win the Croydon Arena Mile, organised by Croydon Harriers in conjunction with the Sport Relief Mile on Sunday. Phil led from gun to tape to win in 5 minutes 00.6 seconds, which is a new Striders club record for this distance on the track. Club colleague Rosie Gibbons was the second woman to finish, placing sixth overall in a new Striders women’s record of 5 minutes 55.6.

Justin Macenhill ran very well to win the Bromley Veterans cross-country race at Sparrows Den, covering the five-mile course in 35 minutes 02 seconds. Club colleague Simon Webster was sixth (37.52) with Nigel Finch ninth (39.28). Meanwhile Krzysztof Klidzia was the first over-50 to finish the Falmouth Half-Marathon, placing seventh overall in 81 minutes 52 seconds. Katie Chadd was the second woman to finish the Selsdon Half-Marathon, placing 33rd overall in 1 hour 45 minutes 13 seconds. Striders also had several runners in the Hastings Half-Marathon, led by Darren Woods who placed 179th in a field of more than 2800 runners, recording 92 minutes 48 seconds.

On Saturday Simon Ambrosi ran well to finish second in the weekly parkrun in Lloyd Park, covering the undulating five-kilometre course in 18 minutes 53 seconds. Graeme Drysdale was third in the Bromley parkrun (18.18) and Martin Filer was third in the Riddlesdown parkrun (19.10). Striders had a total of 45 finishers in the various weekly parkruns (20 at Lloyd Park and 25 at other venues).