Striders celebrate the return of parkrun with winning performances!

Five members of Striders of Croydon won medals in the Surrey Masters Track & Field Championships at Kingsmeadow. They were led by the club’s oldest registered athlete, 82-year-old Kevin Burnett, who had an excellent day, winning four gold medals. He won the M80 shot (4.22), discus (9.75), javelin (7.51) and hammer (10.68). On the track, silver medals were won by Lorraine Hunte in the W65 100 metres (17.79) and by Alan Dolton in both the M60 800 metres (3:22.47) and the 1500 metres (7:00.89). Nikki Javan ran very well to place third in the W40 5000 metres, recording 22 minutes 21.00 seconds, while Joseph Ibe took bronze in the M40 1500 metres, recording 4 minutes 50.69.

In the Veterans AC series of 5000 metre races, at Battersea Park on Wednesday evening, Peter Johnson placed 26th out of 49 finishers, recording 19 minutes 53.67 seconds. Three days later he was the first runner to finish the South Norwood parkrun, recording 20 minutes 38, while club colleague Kara Boaks was the first woman to finish, placing seventh overall in 22 minutes 01. Striders did very well at the Riddlesdown parkrun, where they had five of the first eight finishers. Alastair Falconer was second, recording 18 minutes 22, with Robert Lines third (19:17), Christopher Finch fourth (19:40), Martin Filer fifth (20:27) and Daniel Finch eighth (20:42). Striders had an impressive total of 86 finishers at the various weekly parkruns, including 29 at Lloyd Park. On the following day Peter Johnson placed 31st out of 184 finishers in the Romney Marsh 10-kilometre road race, recording 41 minutes 12 seconds, while club colleague Darren Woods was 38th in 42 minutes 39.