Race Reports

Striders of Croydon fielded eleven teams in the annual Beckenham Relays on Wednesday. Their A team did very well to place sixth out of 118 teams, and were the first mixed-sex team to finish. Phil Coales ran the first leg in 14 minutes 12 seconds and handed over to Rachel Lindley who did very well

Striders of Croydon produced some good performances in their first Southern Veterans League match of the season, at Kingsmeadow on Monday. Their best event was the long jump where Paul Cripps won the M50 event (4.36), team manager David Batten won the M60 event (3.34), and Sam O’Dongo was second in the M40 event (4.50).

Striders of Croydon had an impressive total of 26 finishers in the Sutton 10 kilometre road race at Nonsuch Park on Sunday, which was the second event in this year’s Surrey Road League. They were led by Philip Coales who had a very good run in unusually warm conditions to place 14th out of 459

Lee Flanagan, from Striders of Croydon, showed that he had fully recovered from the London Marathon when he ran very well to place 30th out of 762 finishers in the Ranelagh Richmond Half-Marathon, which incorporated the Surrey Championships, on Sunday. He recorded 79 minutes 48 seconds. Club colleague Krzysztof Klidzia also ran well to place

Striders of Croydon had an impressive total of 27 finishers in the London Marathon on Sunday. Six of them finished in under three hours. They were led by triathlete Tyler O’Callaghan who finished in a personal best 2 hours 44 minutes 50 seconds, lifting him to seventh place in Striders’ all-time club rankings. Veteran Krzysztof

Bill Makuwa, from Striders of Croydon, had an excellent run to place 60th in a field of more than 6000 runners in the Brighton Marathon on Sunday, completing the course in 2 hours 57 minutes 23 seconds. Club colleague Andy Perks also ran very well to place 205th (3.07.34) while Steve Harris was 408th (3.16.31).

Striders of Croydon successfully promoted the sixth annual Croydon Half-Marathon from their headquarters at Sandilands on Sunday. The men’s race was won by Michael Eccles of Norfolk Gazelles, who covered the undulating course in 74 minutes 15 seconds, while the first woman home was Carol Penlington of Blackheath & Bromley who placed eleventh overall in

Peter  Mills, from Striders of Croydon, continued his good form to place 41st in a field of more than 10,000 runners in the Reading Half-Marathon on Sunday, recording a new personal best of 72 minutes 10 seconds, which lifts him to second place in Striders’ all-time club rankings. Club colleague Michael Stewart ran 82 minutes

Peter Mills, from Striders of Croydon, had an outstanding run to place fourth out of more than 800 finishers in the Maidenhead 10-mile road race on Good Friday, setting a new club record of 54 minutes 17 seconds, which is more than half a minute quicker than the previous record set by Simon Morris 31

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