Rachel Lindley sets a club record of 5:30 for the women’s mile

Striders of Croydon produced a very good team performance in their final Southern Veterans League match of the season, at Croydon Arena on Monday. Their men did very well to place second of the eight competing clubs, and also finished second in the South London Division for the first time in the club’s history. Striders’ women were fifth in the match, and finished fourth in the division. Rachel Lindley had an excellent run to set a club record of 5 minutes 30.1 for the women’s mile, finishing second in a close race, just six-tenths of a second behind the winner. There were also new club age-group records for Lee Flanagan in the M45 one mile (5:11.2), Steve Corfield in the M55 one mile (5:24.2), Neil Riches in the M55 shot (7.51) and Linda Daniel in the W55 400 metres (87.8).

On Saturday Niamh Vincent was the first woman to finish the South Norwood parkrun, placing 19th overall (21:34). In the Lloyd parkrun, Simon Ambrosi finished second (18:59) while Selena Wong was the second woman to finish, placing 37th overall (23:57). Striders had a total of 83 finishers in the various weekly parkruns. Meanwhile Debra Bourne was the fourth woman to finish the Wendover Woods 50-kilometre race, recording 7 hours 10 minutes 11 seconds and placing first in the W50 age-group.

This Sunday (21st) Striders will be competing in the Elmbridge 10-kilometre road race, which is the penultimate event in the Surrey Road League. Their women are currently tenth of the 36 clubs in the league, while their men are eleventh.